What, at minimum, must be present for a user story to be added to a sprint?

• A. A user
• B. Acceptance Criteria
• C. An activity
• D. A purpose

Answer: (B)

Acceptance criteria specify the exact, testable conditions that must be satisfied for a user story to be considered complete. They provide a clear definition of done, guiding development and testing so everyone shares a common understanding of what has to be delivered. Without them, it’s easy for the team to disagree on when a story is finished or how it should be tested, which makes planning and sprint commitments risky. For a story to be added to a sprint, these criteria establish the boundaries of scope and acceptance, enabling reliable estimation and verification. For example, criteria might say that a login feature must allow valid users to sign in, redirect to the dashboard, display an error on invalid credentials, and handle security requirements. While describing who benefits or why the feature is needed can be helpful, those details don’t define the concrete deliverables or testing that prove the story is done.