When you are preparing to 'go live' with your SkillSync LMS Portal, a final step to complete is UAT. User acceptance testing is a process of confirming that everything a User will be interacting with, or completing is functioning as intended. The process of confirming everything works as intended, can at times feel repetitive or redundant but it is essential.

This article focuses on different components that can be tested against prior to launching your Portal for the first time.

Test What You Use

Not every Portal will use every component or feature available. Take from these steps what you need, and feel welcome to leave the rest. In the case of using custom components such as Third Party Course Content, refer to any additional testing the vendor indicates is required.

Access UAT

Access refers to the literal methods a User will employ to arrive at your Portal via a web browser, or similar application. When performing UAT for access, consider the following:

Do all of your routes work?
- This means any URL you may use, any links on internal homepages.
- Any method a User may use to literally arrive at the URL of your Portal.
Are you using any allow/deny lists?
Do you use different routes/URLS per Department?
Should external Users be able to access your Portal?
- If yes, is your Public Dashboard working?
- If no, what happens if they try?
Do all of your Users know their account credentials?
- If yes, are they comfortable using the Username/Password provided?
- If no, do you have a plan to bring the Users into your Portal?
Does the Portal look correct when accessing on an intended device?
- What does your Portal look like when accessing with other method such as a mobile browser on a phone?

Usability Testing

Once it is confirmed that a User can access your Portal correctly, the next step is to confirm that the Portal can be used correctly. This relates not just to the menu, but the design of your Courses and marketing information.

Consider the following for usability:

Can a User locate their Course Content quickly?
Does everyone understand how to acquire more content, or purchase content for sale?
Is it clear how to get help if required?
Are there any navigation issues experienced by new Users?
- Common questions may indicate the need for a design update.

Courses UAT

Once a Course is uploaded, only one element of testing has been complete. Outside of the highly customizable Third Party Course types such as SCORM. Other Courses require review related not just to function, but completion and reporting.

Consider the following tests related to your Course Content:

Do your Courses launch correctly?
Can you complete the content?
Can you retrieve required information from the relevant Course Reports?
Are exceptions being handled correctly?
- Do you allow for failure? Is it working as intended?
- Do you allow for Re-enrollment? Is it becoming available as configured?
- Are you using Enrollment Keys?
Do all images and videos included function correctly?
Are all additional files included as Resources?
- Are any included Resources accessible, and functioning as intended once downloaded?
Are you using any content that is hosted online that you don't control?
- Do you know if the content will be removed from the hosted location any time in the future?
- Do you have backups if the hosted resource such as an image or video is no longer accessible?
Make sure that all buttons, links or other elements work when clicked/utilized.

Compatibility Testing

Compatibility in regards to Course Content refers to access across different devices, or potentially different dependencies for the content itself.

Consider the following for Compatibility:

Are you using any custom content that is doesn't work as intended outside specific situations?
If you are using Third Party Course Content, does it launch and operate as intended across different operating systems, browsers or devices?
Are there any cookies/cache Users may encounter issue with, or old data from the Course Content being used?
If you are using content in more then one Language, have you confirmed that Users who prefer different Languages can access the content and use it as intended?

Compliance UAT

Various use-cases may require compliance to different legal guidelines whether this is a method of access, supporting a specific use-case, verifying Certificates or simply adhering to industry legal guidelines. In addition to all guidelines set internally and by your legal team, elements of your Portal may require additional configuration.

Consider the following related to compliance:

Review the data you will be using, and holding from all Users.
- Confirm who has access to the data, and who can handle requests related to that data as required.
Does all of your Course Content meet required compliance guidelines, or correctly meet all requirements for items such as Certificates?
Do your methods of access meet or exceed all security guidelines?
Are record keeping policies in place internally to manage changes of information, and more?
Verify that all content used within the LMS respects copyright laws and intellectual property rights.
- Obtain necessary licenses or permissions for third-party content.
Do you need to provide training for employees on how to use the LMS and understand compliance requirements?
Do you have policies in place to audit adherence to any/all compliance guidelines?

Accessibility Testing

Depending on your region and industry, accessibility compliance may be a more consideration to test against. This may include how the interface is structured or support for virtual assistance tools such as screen readers.

Consider the following related to accessibility:

Compliance with accessibility standards such as ADA or WCAG. SkillSync documentation on the topic includes these articles:
Does your theme support high contrast colors, or a theme that is easy to distinguish between visual elements?
Does your Course Content include subtitles, captions or other methods of reviewing the included content?
Are any forms or User inputs clear, and easy to complete?
Are navigation aids included, or offered?
Performing accessibility testing, or review with affected individuals can be essential.

Integration UAT

When reviewing integrations for the purposes of UAT, the core intention is to make sure that they work. Once the base functionality is confirmed, small details like how the data is presented and if it can be used correctly are natural follow ups. These reviews insure that once the Portal is live and the data represents current information, it can be action-ed on imminently and without confusion.

Consider the following related to integrations:

Have you fully scoped out all needs which can be solved using an integration?
Do all existing integrations work as intended?
- Is the data/outcome accurate and functional?
- Will the integration scale with growth correctly?
Are all existing integrations accessible by the required stakeholders internally or externally?
In the case of API usage, have you built in exception and error handling to report any potential issues with processing data or preparing API calls?
For automatic reports, or imports/exports. Are audits in place to review any errors, or confirm the correct data is moving as intended?
Are archives or backups prepared if it is required to review old data?
Is all of the data related to the existing integrations secured, and accessible only to those correctly authorized to do so?

Hardware UAT

Depending on the structure of your organization this may be an invaluable step, such as in the case of reviewing devices owned by your organization. It may also be out of hand as the devices will be managed by external Users in multiple regions. Where possible, the UAT of hardware prevents issues with literally accessing and launching the content across different devices.

Consider the following related to hardware:

Have you tested your content with different methods of access?
- Different browsers?
- Different operating systems?
- Different types of device (desktop, mobile, tablet)?
Do you need to include an advisories related to high performance content?
- An example may be demanding Course Content that requires hardware acceleration on in the browser to operate correctly.
- Advisories may be against using mobile devices, or using out-dated computers.
Will your Users have reasonable network connectivity?
- Slow or limited internet speed may result in a less then ideal experience.
- Users located in distant regions outside of your own may potentially experience delays.
Is there any customer/client education required to navigate the devices used to access your Portal?

Performance Testing

Outside of the Portal itself operating as intended, content may be vulnerable to issues depending on the environment it is launched in.

Consider the following related to performance:

When launching content such as a Third Party Course, is there any lag or delay in the browser?
Do videos playback at the intended speed?
- If no, this may indicate you need to optimize your video files for online streaming by reducing the file size or changing the resolution.
Is the page loading as intended?
Does the computer perform well while using the Portal?

How To: Perform User Acceptance Testing (UAT)