'''Conformance testing''', or '''type testing''', is testing to determine whether a product or, system or just a medium complies with the requirements of a [[specification]], [[contract]] or [[regulation]]. ThisThat may apply to various technical terms as well as to pure formal terms with respect to obligations of the contractors. '''Conformity assessment''', also known as '''compliance assessment''',<ref name=rihc>{{cite web |last = [[International Committee for Information Technology Standards]] |first = |authorlink = |author2 = |title = Report on Issues for Harmonizing Conformity Assessment to Biometric Standards |work = |publisher = |date = |url = http://www.incits.org/tc_home/m1htm/docs/m1050067.pdf |format = |doi = |accessdate=2009-04-12 }}</ref><ref name=sfsm>{{cite web |last = [[International Software Benchmarking Standards Group]] |first = |authorlink = |author2 = |title = ISO Standard for Functional Size Measurement |work = |publisher = |date = |url = http://www.isbsg.org/ISBSGnew.nsf/WebPages/C5908EE2873DA659CA25734E00175B3C |format = |doi = |accessdate=2009-04-12}}</ref><ref name=trtm>{{cite web |last = [[NIST]] |first = |authorlink = |author2 = |title = Part 3 Testing Requirements - Chapter 5: Test Methods |work = |publisher = |date = |url = http://xsun.sdct.itl.nist.gov/tgdc/vvsg/part3/chapter05.php |format = |doi = |accessdate=2009-04-12}}</ref> is any activity to determine, directly or indirectly, that a process, product, or service meets relevant [[technical standard]]s and fulfills relevant requirements.<ref>[http://www.iso.ch/iso/en/CatalogueDetailPage.CatalogueDetail?CSNUMBER=39976&ICS1=1&ICS2=120&ICS3=&scopelist=CATALOGUE ISO/IEC Guide 2:2004]</ref>
Conformity assessment activities may include:
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Testing is often either [[event condition action|logical test]]ing or [[physical test]]ing. The test procedures may involve other criteria from [[test functions for optimization|mathematical testing]] or [[chemical test]]ing. Beyond simple conformance other requirements for efficiency, interoperability or compliance may apply.
To aid in the aim towards a conformance proof, various test procedures and test setups have been developed, either by either the standard's maintainers or external auditing organizations, specifically for testing conformance to standards. Conformance testing is performed preferably by independent organizations, which may be the standards body itself, to give sound assurance of compliance.
Products tested conformance may then become advertised as being certified by the testing organization as complying with the referred [[technical standard]]. Service providers, equipment manufacturers, and equipment suppliers rely on such qualified data to ensure [[Quality of Service]] (QoS) through this conformance process.
