# Usability testing, prototypes and acceptance testing

*Platform User Experience Designer Study Guide · Testing · Last updated October 16, 2026 · https://www.certifyforce.com/study-guide/user-experience-designer/testing/usability-testing-prototypes-and-acceptance-testing*

How to validate a design with end users: task-based usability tests with realistic scenarios and at least five participants, prototype tests matched to what each fidelity can answer, testing-session plans that protect independent feedback, and user acceptance testing in a sandbox before go-live.

- Certification: Salesforce Platform User Experience Designer
- Exam section: Testing
- Study guide: https://www.certifyforce.com/study-guide/user-experience-designer

**Official exam objective:**

> Given a scenario, plan methods for validating and testing a design with the end user.

## What the exam expects

- Choose a behavioral, task-based usability test when the question is what users can do, and plan at least five participants.
- Write task scenarios that give a realistic goal without the steps, and ask open, non-leading questions during the session.
- Match the prototype and its feedback to the question: ideation and exploration formats vs higher-fidelity validation, splash pages for pricing interest.
- Plan testing sessions: compensation, roles, note-taking, release forms, individual scorecards before group talk, and whether the prototype changes between sessions.
- Recommend user acceptance testing in a sandbox, with sign-off, as the last check before go-live.

Key terms: **usability testing** (measuring tasks and performance to learn how users experience a product); **behavioral vs attitudinal** (what people do vs what they say); **task scenario** (a realistic goal and context the participant completes unaided); **prototype testing** (testing a prototype on real users); **user acceptance testing (UAT)** (end-user testing for approval before production release).

## Key facts

| Fact | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Usability study size | At least 5 participants | [Define Your Research Plan](https://trailhead.salesforce.com/content/learn/modules/ux-research-basics/define_your_research_plan) |
| Interview study size | Up to 30; start with 15 and check for patterns | [Define Your Research Plan](https://trailhead.salesforce.com/content/learn/modules/ux-research-basics/define_your_research_plan) |
| Usability testing | Measures tasks and performance | [Define Your Research Plan](https://trailhead.salesforce.com/content/learn/modules/ux-research-basics/define_your_research_plan) |
| Quantitative task data | Time to complete a task; number of errors | [Craft Your Questions](https://trailhead.salesforce.com/content/learn/modules/ux-research-basics/craft_your_questions) |
| Flow question | "Before we go to the next screen, what do you expect to see?" | [Craft Your Questions](https://trailhead.salesforce.com/content/learn/modules/ux-research-basics/craft_your_questions) |
| Group sessions | Individual scorecards before group discussion | [Create a Prototyping Plan](https://trailhead.salesforce.com/content/learn/modules/design-strategy-prototyping/create-prototyping-plan) |
| Iterating between sessions | Better model, no quantitative evidence | [Create a Prototyping Plan](https://trailhead.salesforce.com/content/learn/modules/design-strategy-prototyping/create-prototyping-plan) |
| Validation prototypes | Higher fidelity, strategy set | [Explore Key Prototyping Considerations](https://trailhead.salesforce.com/content/learn/modules/design-strategy-prototyping/explore-key-prototyping-considerations) |
| UAT | Sandbox, after QA, end users, pass or fail, sign-off | [Learn About User Acceptance Testing](https://trailhead.salesforce.com/content/learn/modules/user-acceptance-testing-video/learn-about-user-acceptance-testing) |

## Check yourself

- Why is a task-based usability test better than a survey for measuring speed?
- When should a team keep the same prototype version for every session?
- What is the minimum number of participants for a usability study?
- When does user acceptance testing happen?

## Sources

- [Define Your Research Plan](https://trailhead.salesforce.com/content/learn/modules/ux-research-basics/define_your_research_plan)
- [Craft Your Questions](https://trailhead.salesforce.com/content/learn/modules/ux-research-basics/craft_your_questions)
- [Collect Your Data](https://trailhead.salesforce.com/content/learn/modules/ux-research-basics/collect_your_data)
- [Create a Prototyping Plan](https://trailhead.salesforce.com/content/learn/modules/design-strategy-prototyping/create-prototyping-plan)
- [Get to Know Different Kinds of Prototyping](https://trailhead.salesforce.com/content/learn/modules/design-strategy-prototyping/get-to-know-different-kinds-of-prototyping)
- [Explore Key Prototyping Considerations](https://trailhead.salesforce.com/content/learn/modules/design-strategy-prototyping/explore-key-prototyping-considerations)
- [Learn About User Acceptance Testing](https://trailhead.salesforce.com/content/learn/modules/user-acceptance-testing-video/learn-about-user-acceptance-testing)

## About the full unit

The "Core concepts", "Exam traps" and "Worked scenario" sections of this unit, its 12 linked practice questions, and unlimited timed mock exams are included with the Platform User Experience Designer pack (USD $19): https://www.certifyforce.com/practice-exams