What is the purpose of the control?

[ChristinaAr3]

Hi everyone, I would like to discus the answer of the question for the exam for the Adobe Target Business Practitioner Professional as the answer in my opinion is wrong.

The exam question is: When creating an A/B test in Adobe Target, what is the primary purpose of a "control" in the test set up?
Correct anwer accoring to the exam is: To serve as the default content for users who are not part of the test.

Please tell me how this can be true as the users in the control of course are part of the test and counted in the total visitor. In my opinion the answer should be to measure the difference between the control and the variation but this option didn't even exist.

I would be super happy to receive any option on this one. Maybe I understood the question wrong.

Thank you!
Christina

[Vaibhav_Mathur]

Hi @ChristinaAr3 , 

This answer is correct because, in an A/B test, the control group represents the original experience or default content that users would encounter if the test were not running. The control is essential for comparing the impact of the new experience (referred to as the "variation") against the current setup.

The variation contains the test hypothesis, which is the new experience you are trying to validate. For example, if your hypothesis is that a different call-to-action button will increase conversions, the variation would reflect that change. Visitors who encounter the variation experience are the ones exposed to the test hypothesis—they are the true participants of the A/B test, as they help validate whether the hypothesis leads to better outcomes.

On the other hand, the control group serves as the benchmark or reference point. Visitors in the control group are not exposed to the test hypothesis - they continue to see the original content, which is considered the default. This allows for a direct comparison between the performance of the original experience (control) and the new experience (variation). By analyzing this comparison, you can determine whether the hypothesis-driven variation performs better, worse, or the same as the control.

I hope you find it helpful. 

Regards, 

Vaibhav Mathur

[ChristinaAr3]

Hi Vaibhav,

thank you very much for the explanation! I think to me the wording is just misleading. I understand and agree on everything you say about the original and variation. In my viewpoint any user who qualifies to enter the test is part of the test (in my opinion) whether they see the original content or the variation but of course it is a question of definition.

Thanks again for clarifying

[Krishna_Musku · Accepted solution]

Hello @ChristinaAr3, the answer is correct to serve the default content for users. See the explanation below.

Purpose of the Control:

• When creating an A/B test in Adobe Target, the primary purpose of a control in the test setup is to serve as the default content for users who are not part of the test.
• Users assigned to the control group see the original (unchanged) experience, allowing you to compare their behavior with those exposed to variations.
• The control group provides a baseline against which you measure the difference between the control and the variations.
• By comparing metrics (such as conversion rates) between the control and variations, you can assess the impact of changes made during testing.

Simply, I can say that the control group helps you understand the effectiveness of your variations by providing a reference point.

[ChristinaAr3]

Thanks very much for clarifying! To me the wording is just a bit misleading as the control traffic is part of the test after all, just served with the original content. Any user who qualifies for the targeting to enter a test is in my opinion part of the test, whether they see the original or the variation but that's just my personal viewpoint. Now I now the correct answer for the exam