Confirmation Testing
Confirmation testing verifies that a previously reported defect has been successfully fixed by re-executing the test that originally exposed it.
“A type of change-related testing performed after fixing a defect to confirm that a failure caused by that defect does not reoccur.”
(Definition reproduced from the ISTQB Glossary. Copyright belongs to ISTQB.)
View the complete ISTQB GlossaryWhat is Confirmation Testing?
After developers resolve a defect, testers perform confirmation testing to ensure the specific problem no longer occurs before continuing with broader regression testing.
Purpose: Confirms the reported defect has been corrected.
Relationship to regression testing: Confirmation testing checks the specific fix, while regression testing looks for unintended side effects.
Real World Example
A regulated product team is preparing a release where Confirmation testing appears in reviews, test design conversations, or defect triage rather than as an isolated glossary word.
The risk is that the team treats Confirmation testing as interchangeable with nearby ISTQB terms. That makes test scope blurry and can lead to weak evidence for the release decision.
The tester anchors the discussion in the official definition, asks where the concept appears in the product, and designs examples that show the difference between Confirmation testing and similar ideas.
The page becomes useful in practice because Confirmation testing is connected to a specific testing decision, not memorized as a detached definition.
Practice Questions
Question 1
Which statement BEST describes Confirmation testing in the context of ISTQB terminology?
Question 2
A tester needs to explain Confirmation testing to a non‑technical stakeholder. Which approach is MOST appropriate?
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