What is the first step in planning an A/B test?

• A. Launch the test immediately
• B. Define the specific problem or goal for the experiment
• C. Randomly assign users to groups
• D. Select the winner upfront

Answer: (B)

Defining the precise objective is the essential first step because it anchors everything you do next. When you articulate a specific, measurable goal for the test—like boosting a particular metric (conversion rate, add-to-cart rate, checkout completion, etc.) by a defined amount—you create a clear target for success. This clarity guides the hypothesis you’ll test, the variants you’ll create, the data you’ll collect, and how long you’ll run the experiment. Without a concrete goal, you risk chasing ideas that don’t move the business needle, and different stakeholders may track different metrics, leading to ambiguous or conflicting conclusions.

Launching the test right away skips the planning that ensures validity and relevance. Randomly assigning users to groups is a critical execution step, but it follows after you’ve established what you’re trying to improve and how you’ll measure it. Selecting the winner upfront undermines the purpose of experimentation by biasing results; you must let the data, not preconceptions, determine the outcome.