There are many web browsers available on the Internet, and all of them undergo a test page to determine how well it can follow certain web standards.  The test is called "Acid3."

What is Acid3?

The Acid3 is a test page that checks how well a web browser follows certain web standards. 

This test is developed by the Web Standards Project (WaSP), a group of professional web developers who are dedicated in disseminating and encouraging the use of web standards recommended by the World Wide Web Consortium as well as other groups and standards bodies. 

They campaign for standards that would reduce the cost and complexity of development while increasing the accessibility and long-term viability of any document published on the Web. 

What is the importance of web standards?

The World Wide Web is a new technology and it can be accessed through different web browsers developed by different companies.  However, because the composition of each browser is not exactly the same, some websites may not appear properly. 

This is why several groups such as the World Wide Web Consortium push for a standardization of the Web by endorsing a set of standardized best practices for building web sites, as well as a philosophy of web design and development that include such methods.

How is Acid3 tested?

All you need to do is to go to the Acid3 web site and see the results.  When successful, the Acid3 test displays a gradually-increasing percentage counter with colored rectangles in the background.  The percentage displayed is based on the number of sub-tests passed. 

Also, the browser also has to render the page exactly like the reference page as rendered in the same browser (such as the one in the picture).  So far, only Safari 4 and Google Chrome have achieved a score of 100/ 100. 

Firefox 3.1 comes in close at 93/ 100.  Konqueror has a grade of 78/ 100 on its reference page, while Internet Explorer 7 has a dismal grade of 14/ 100.