Free UAT Test Plan Template: Copy‑Paste Guide + Examples

Use this free UAT test plan template to plan and run user acceptance testing (UAT). Copy and edit the example to define scope, roles, timeline, entry and exit criteria, defect triage, and sign‑off—plus a simple checklist you can copy‑paste.

Table of contents

• TL;DR: What this template includes
• How to Create a UAT Plan: Step‑by‑Step
• How to use this template
• UAT Test Plan — Copy‑ready skeleton
• Example: Filled‑in snippets
• Common UAT Plan Mistakes to Avoid
• UAT Test Plan Checklist: Don’t Miss These Essentials
• FAQ

TL;DR: What this template includes

Use this UAT test plan template when you need a concise, business‑friendly plan that sets expectations and drives accountability.

How to Create a UAT Plan: Step‑by‑Step

Creating an effective user acceptance testing plan doesn’t have to be complicated. Follow this process to build a UAT plan document that keeps your team aligned and your release on track.

Step 1: Gather Requirements (30 minutes)

Before writing your UAT plan, collect:

• Business/requirements document (BRD or PRD)
• List of user roles who will participate
• Target release date and deadlines
• Known dependencies or constraints

Step 2: Define Your UAT Scope (45 minutes)

Use your requirements to identify:

• In-scope user journeys and features
• Out-of-scope areas (and why)
• Acceptance criteria for sign-off

Pro tip: A focused UAT scope is better than trying to test everything. Prioritize business‑critical workflows.

Step 3: Assign Roles and Responsibilities (30 minutes)

Create a simple RACI for:

• UAT coordinator (Product Manager or Business Analyst)
• Business testers (end‑users from each department)
• QA support (scenario design, verification)
• Engineering on‑call (fixes during UAT)
• Executive sponsor (final sign‑off)

Step 4: Set Timeline and Milestones (20 minutes)

Plan your UAT schedule:

• Preparation: 3–5 days (environment, data seeding)
• Testing: 5–10 days (scenario execution)
• Fix & retest: 2–5 days (defect resolution)
• Sign‑off: 1–2 days (final approval)

Typical UAT duration: 2–4 weeks total

Step 5: Define Entry and Exit Criteria (30 minutes)

Entry criteria before UAT starts:

• All P0/P1 defects from QA are resolved
• Stable, production‑like environment
• Test accounts and data ready
• Scenarios documented and reviewed

Exit criteria for sign‑off:

• Minimum pass rate achieved (e.g., ≥95%)
• No open P0/P1 defects (or documented exceptions)
• Performance/security checks passed
• Business owner sign‑off recorded

Step 6: Document Your Plan (1–2 hours)

Use the template below to create your UAT plan document. Keep it concise (2–4 pages) and link to detailed artifacts like scenarios, seeded data, and dashboards.

How to use this template

Related reading for context:

• UAT Guide (hub) — when to run UAT, who owns it, and core artifacts
• UAT Environment Readiness Checklist — staging, flags, data, observability
• UAT Defect Triage Template — severity, SLAs, and ownership
• UAT Sign‑off Template — signatories, exceptions, go/no‑go notes
• UAT vs Usability Testing — differences and hand‑offs
• Web Application Testing: 7‑Step Guide

UAT Test Plan — Copy‑ready skeleton

Example: Filled‑in snippets

Here are example snippets you can copy into your UAT plan to make expectations concrete.

Entry criteria (example)

• All P0/P1 defects in scope are fixed and verified in staging
• Feature flag billing.v2 enabled for test tenant uat‑acme
• Seeded data: 3 plans (Basic/Pro/Enterprise), 2 tax regions, 5 coupons
• Accounts created: [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]
• Scenarios reviewed with Finance and Support; acceptance criteria linked

Exit criteria (example)

• ≥95% scenarios passed; 0 open P0/P1; ≤3 open P2 with accepted risk
• Checkout performance p95 ≤ 1.5s in staging with 10 RPS load
• Data retention and invoice numbering meet compliance notes
• Finance director signs off; exceptions (if any) documented

Defect triage (example)

• Intake: Jira project FIN, label uat‑billing‑v2
• Severity rules: P0 (blocker), P1 (major), P2 (minor), P3 (cosmetic)
• Daily 10:00 standup (15 min): coordinator, QA, on‑call dev, SME
• Fix SLAs: P0 same‑day hotfix; P1 within 24h; P2 within 3d
• Retest: QA verifies; SME accepts/rejects scenario

Common UAT Plan Mistakes to Avoid

Even experienced teams make these UAT planning errors. Learn from others’ mistakes to keep your testing cycle on track.

1) Starting UAT Too Early

The mistake: Beginning UAT while P0/P1 defects from QA are still open.

Why it fails: Business users waste time finding bugs QA should have caught, eroding confidence and delaying sign‑off.

The fix: Enforce strict entry criteria—no open P0/P1, stable environment for 48+ hours, scenarios reviewed.

2) Vague Exit Criteria

The mistake: Exit criteria like “UAT is successful” without measurable thresholds.

Why it fails: Leads to debates about whether UAT is “done.”

The fix: Define measurable exit criteria (e.g., ≥95% scenarios passed, 0 open P0/P1, performance p95 ≤ target, formal sign‑off).

3) No Dedicated UAT Coordinator

The mistake: Assuming UAT will “just happen” without an owner.

Why it fails: Scenarios stall, triage lags, and status is unclear.

The fix: Assign a coordinator to run daily standups, track coverage, triage defects, and drive sign‑off (4–6 hrs/day during active UAT).

4) Unrealistic Test Data

The mistake: Using only happy‑path data that doesn’t reflect production complexity.

Why it fails: UAT passes but production fails with real data (special characters, volumes, edge cases).

The fix: Seed realistic data across roles, regions, and configurations; include edge and negative paths.

5) No Defect Triage Process

The mistake: Logging issues without daily triage, severity definitions, or fix SLAs.

Why it fails: Critical bugs languish, timelines slip.

The fix: Define severity/priority rules, daily triage time, SLAs, and a retest loop. See our UAT Defect Triage Template for a ready‑made workflow.

UAT Test Plan Checklist: Don’t Miss These Essentials

Use this acceptance testing checklist to verify your UAT plan is complete before starting.

Planning ✓

• Objectives and measurable outcomes defined
• In‑scope and out‑of‑scope documented
• RACI complete; coordinator identified
• Executive sponsor committed to sign‑off

Environment & Data ✓

• Test environment documented and production‑like
• Feature flags configured correctly
• Role‑based test accounts created
• Realistic test data seeded (incl. edge cases)
• Observability set up (logs, errors, dashboards)

Scenarios & Coverage ✓

• Scenarios documented and linked in plan
• Scenarios map to acceptance criteria
• Critical user journeys covered by role
• Edge/negative paths included

Process & Communication ✓

• Entry criteria measurable and agreed
• Exit criteria with thresholds defined
• Defect logging process and SLA documented
• Daily standup/triage time scheduled
• Communication channels established

Timeline & Milestones ✓

• Kick‑off scheduled; start/end dates set
• Fix windows and deployment times defined
• Go/No‑Go decision time scheduled
• Buffer time included

Documentation & Approvals ✓

• Plan reviewed by QA/engineering leads
• Plan approved by business stakeholders
• Links to supporting docs included
• Version control established for updates

📊 UAT Success Metrics

• Teams using structured UAT plans reduce post‑launch defects by 45%
• Average UAT cycle: 2.5 weeks for mid‑sized releases
• Typical pass rate threshold: 95%+ for sign‑off
• UAT represents 20–30% of total testing time
• Optimal UAT team size: 3–5 business users per role
• Cost of skipping UAT: $50K–$200K in production defects

Sources: Industry testing benchmarks, 2024 Software Testing Report

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