In Scrum, the acceptance criteria refer to a set of conditions or requirements that a user story must meet to be considered complete or acceptable by the product owner, user, customer or other stakeholders. Acceptance Criteria are defined by the Product Owner in collaboration with the development team.
The acceptance criteria serves as a benchmark for the development team to ensure they are building the right thing and that the product meets the expectations of the stakeholders. They also help to avoid misunderstandings and confusion by providing a clear definition of what the product should do and how it should work.
Why should we use Acceptance Criteria?
Acceptance criteria play a crucial role in Scrum, as they provide a clear and measurable definition of what is needed for a user story or feature to be considered “done.” or “acceptable”. Here are some reasons why acceptance criteria are important to use in Scrum:
Ensure Alignment: Acceptance criteria help ensure that everyone involved in the development process is aligned on what is expected. They provide a shared understanding of the requirements and help avoid misunderstandings.
Improve Communication: Defining specific acceptance criteria improves communication between the Product Owner and the development team. This helps to ensure that the team is building the right thing and that the stakeholders expectations are met.
Provide Clarity: Acceptance criteria provide clarity and reduce confusion by outlining the exact behaviour or functionality that is expected. This helps to avoid misunderstandings and helps the development team focus on delivering the required functionality.
Ensure Quality: Acceptance criteria helps ensure that the delivered product increment meets the required quality standards. By defining specific criterias, the development team can verify that the user story meets the requirements before it is considered “done.”
In summary, acceptance criteria provide a clear and measurable definition of what is expected, and helps ensure alignment and communication, provide clarity, ensure quality.
Acceptance Criteria Examples
User Story 1
As a user, I want to be able to reset my password so that I can regain access to my account if I forget my password.
Acceptance Criteria:
- The user should be able to initiate the password reset process from the login page.
- The user should receive an email with a password reset link.
- Clicking the password reset link should take the user to a page where they can enter a new password.
- After resetting the password, the user should be redirected to the login page.
User Story 2
As a user, I want to be able to filter search results by price range so that I can find products within my budget.
Acceptance Criteria:
- The search results page should display a filter for price range.
- The user should be able to select a minimum and maximum price range using a slider or input fields.
- Clicking the “Apply” button should update the search results to show products within the selected price range.
User Story 3
As a user, I want to be able to view my order history so that I can track my purchases.
Acceptance Criteria:
- The user should be able to access their order history from the “My Account” page.
- The order history page should display a list of all orders placed by the user, sorted by date.
- Each order should display the order number, date, total cost, and a list of products purchased.
- The user should be able to click on an order to view the order details, including the shipping address and payment method used.
