Scope and Quality · tool 7 of 9
Acceptance Criteria and Definition of Done
Acceptance Criteria and Definition of Done: removes arguments about whether something is finished.
Best for: Any deliverable · Time: 30 min
Domain: Scope · Focus area: Executing
How it works
Acceptance criteria are specific to one item: the conditions it must meet. The definition of done applies to everything: tested, reviewed, documented, deployed. Together they make “done” a fact rather than an opinion.
- Write them before starting work.
- Make them testable, as yes or no.
- Agree them with the person who will accept.
How to apply it
- For each item, ask how we’ll know it works.
- Write three to five checks.
- Agree a team-wide done list.
- Reject “almost done”.
In practice
Done means code reviewed, tests pass, accessible by keyboard, help text updated, deployed to staging.
Pro tip
Nothing is 90% done. It’s either done or it isn’t.
Quick check
What’s the difference between the two?
Sources
- PMBOK® Guide, 8th edition, and The Standard for Project Management (PMI, 2025)
- K. Schwaber and J. Sutherland, The Scrum Guide (2020)
Last reviewed 2026-11-02 against the PMBOK® Guide, 8th edition · Practitioner review pending · How this guide is made