Validation and verification

Wrong data in means wrong information out. Validation is the computer checking that data is sensible and allowed before it accepts it. Verification checks that data was copied correctly from its source. Paper 1 asks most years which check is NOT validation: double entry, because it is verification.

By the end of this page you can

• Explain the difference between validation and verification
• Use double entry and proofreading to verify data
• Choose the right validation check for a field
• Answer scenario questions on data checks

Goals tick themselves off as you try the activities below.

Photo: Modjou, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped, computer maker’s logo blurred, resized, JPEG q72.

Every form typed in is a chance for a mistake. Validation and verification catch them.