What does compliance testing aim to achieve?

Compliance testing primarily aims to gather evidence of regulatory compliance. This type of testing is fundamentally about ensuring that an organization’s processes, systems, and controls adhere to the specific laws, regulations, standards, and internal policies that apply to its operations. By conducting compliance testing, organizations can identify whether they meet the necessary legal and regulatory requirements, which is critical for avoiding penalties, maintaining operational integrity, and delivering transparent reporting to stakeholders.

Compliance testing involves validating that controls are in place and functioning as intended to meet these obligations. The information obtained from this testing can help management understand the risk of non-compliance and take proactive measures to address any gaps or deficiencies that may exist. This forms a crucial part of an organization's governance, risk management, and compliance (GRC) framework.

In contrast, the other options focus on areas not directly related to assessing adherence to standards or regulations. User satisfaction pertains to user feedback and experiences with the system, performance enhancement is about optimizing systems for better efficiency or speed, and improving system architecture involves redesigning or restructuring system components for better integration and function, none of which directly evaluate compliance to regulations.