Genuine users of the software application undertake beta testing in a REAL environment. One type of User Acceptance Testing is beta testing. A small number of end-users of the product are given a beta version of the program in order to receive input on the product quality. Beta testing reduces the chances of a product failing and improves the product's quality by allowing customers to validate it.

Following are the different types of beta testing :

• Traditional Beta testing: Traditional Beta testing is distributing the product to the TARGET market and collecting all relevant data. This information can be used to improve the product.
• Public Beta Testing: The product is made available to the general public via web channels, and data can be gathered from anyone. Product improvements can be made based on customer input. Microsoft, for example, undertook the largest of all Beta Tests for its operating system Windows 8 PRIOR to its official release.
• Technical Beta Testing: A product is DELIVERED to a group of employees of a company and feedback/data is collected from the employees.
• Focused Beta Testing: A software product is distributed to the public for the purpose of GATHERING input on specific program features. For instance, the software's most important features.
• Post-release Beta Testing: After a software product is launched to the market, data is collected in order to improve the product for future releases.