In the world of testing, the differences between Verification and Validation can cause confusion. While the distinction may seem trivial, the two fulfill very separate purposes. The differences between them are significant. In this article, we will see what verification and validation are from the point of view of software testing. By the end of this article, we will get the drift of the differences between the two terms.

Verification

IEEE-STD-610 defines “Verification” as: “A test of a system to prove that it meets all its specified requirements at a particular stage of its development.” Verification means Are we building the product right?

Verification will help to determine whether the software is of high quality, but it will not ensure that the system is useful. Verification is concerned with whether the system is well-engineered and error-free. verification is a static process that includes checking documents, design, code, and program.

Activities involved in the verification:

• Inspections
• Reviews
• Walkthroughs
• Desk-checking

Validation

The definition of Validation according to IEEE-STD-610 is: “An activity that ensures that an end product stakeholder’s true needs and expectations are met.” Validation means Are we building the right product?

The process includes testing and validation during or at the end of the development to determine whether it satisfies specified requirements. It is a dynamic mechanism for validating the final product to check whether the software meets the customer's expectations and requirements.

Activities involved in the validation:

• Black box testing
• White-box testing
• Unit testing
• Integration testing

Validation And Verification Real-life Example: Imagine yourself going to a restaurant and ordering maybe Lasagne. When your order is out, how can you sure that the food that came out is as per your order? The first things are that we look at it and notice the following things:

• Does the food look like what Lasagne typically appear to be? Do they smell right? When you ensure that the food is as you expected, you will start to eat it and test the taste of Lasagne.

Verification is all when you are yet to eat but are checking on a few things by reviewing the subjects. Validation is when you actually eat the product to see if it is right

Final words:

These are independent procedures that should be employed together to check if the system or application is in conformity with the requirements and specifications and that it achieves its intended purpose. Both are important components of the quality management system. Verification can be used as an internal process in development, scale-up, or production. On the other hand, validation should be used as an external process to get the acceptance of fitness with stakeholders.