What to Expect When Selected for a Beta Test
If you have been chosen for a Betabound-exclusive test, you know the excitement and anticipation that builds when you receive your selection email. If you have not been selected, you may be curious to see what happens when you do get picked. This blog post provides a summary of all the action items you will need to take once selected to make sure you are ready to go when the test starts!
Check the test start date
In your tester selection email, a test start date will be specified. Please double-check that you will be available when the test begins and for the entirety of the testing period. If you think you may be absent for any reason during the test, please contact the test manager as soon as possible using the email provided.
The faster you communicate any issues you may have with your participation, the easier it will be to figure out how you can still participate. If you fail to communicate, your chances of being picked for another test are significantly lowered.
Sign your tester agreements
With every private test on Betabound, you will be asked to sign at least one agreement to ensure that you are obligated to keep the information from the beta test a secret. After signing in to Betabound, you will typically be asked to sign two different documents: A non-disclosure agreement and a test participant agreement.
The document you’ll come across most often as a tester is a non-disclosure agreement . In product tests, the testers are promising not to talk about the products they’ve used or share their experiences within the test. This normally means not talking about their involvement in the test on social media (even to express excitement or thank the company), not taking pictures of the product, and not showing products or documents to others. It often means you can’t talk about the test even after it is over.
The second document you may see as a tester is a tester participation agreement (TPA). A TPA is a project-specific document that establishes the guidelines for participating in a product test or project. This is the document the company uses to communicate what you’ll be expected to do (or not do) during the test. By reading the TPA, you’ll understand the time and energy commitment the company is expecting from you, as well as any additional guidelines they expect you to follow.
What’s included in this document will vary widely depending on the company and the product. The document will often outline things like the duration of the test, your participation obligations throughout the test, as well as what you’re expected to do with the product after the test is over.
Verify any extra information needed
For some tests, filling out these two documents is all you need to do. For others, such as those that involve receiving a physical product, you will need to verify some additional information. This includes your shipping address, which you likely already filled out when making your profile and will need to be double-checked in case you happened to have moved between creating your account and getting accepted into the test. Other tests will ask for your email address or check that you have created an account on the client’s website or app.
Wait for the test to start
And that is all you need to do to get started!
In the meantime, make sure to keep an eye out for any instructions from the test manager about when you are allowed to unbox the beta unit (for a test with a physical product) if you receive it early, or any other updates that occur before testing. It is also a great idea to review the many ways to be a successful beta tester, especially if it is your first time beta testing.
Happy testing!