When a program is first specified, we decide what behavior is expected out of it. Tests that are written to confirm that the program actually does what was expected are called acceptance tests. Acceptance tests can be written at any of the previously discussed levels, but most often you will see them at the integration or system level.

Acceptance tests tend to be the exception to the rule about progressing from unit tests to integration tests and then to system tests. Many program specifications describe the program at a fairly high level, and acceptance tests need to operate at the same level as that of the specification. It's not uncommon for the majority of system tests to be acceptance tests.

Acceptance tests are nice to have because they provide you with ongoing assurance that the program you're creating is actually the program that was specified.