Difference between
Verification and Validation
The terms Verification and Validation
are frequently used in the software testing world but the meaning of those
terms are mostly vague and debatable. You will encounter (or have encountered)
all kinds of usage and interpretations of those terms, and it is our humble
attempt here to distinguish between them as clearly as possible.
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Criteria
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Verification
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Validation
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Definition
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The process of evaluating
work-products (not the actual final product) of a development phase to
determine whether they meet the specified requirements for that phase.
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The process of evaluating software
during or at the end of the development process to determine whether it
satisfies specified business requirements.
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Objective
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To ensure that the product is
being built according to the requirements and design specifications. In other
words, to ensure that work products meet their specified requirements.
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To ensure that the product
actually meets the user’s needs, and that the specifications were correct in
the first place. In other words, to demonstrate that the product fulfills its
intended use when placed in its intended environment.
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Question
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Are we building the product right?
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Are we building the right
product?
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Evaluation Items
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Plans, Requirement Specs, Design
Specs, Code, Test Cases
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The actual product/software.
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Activities
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It is entirely possible that a
product passes when verified but fails when validated. This can happen when,
say, a product is built as per the specifications but the specifications
themselves fail to address the user’s needs.
- Trust but Verify.
- Verify but also Validate.
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