Which of the following best describes the purpose of smoke tests?

The purpose of smoke tests is primarily to verify that the most important features of an application work as intended after a new build or update. This type of testing serves as a preliminary check that allows developers and testers to ensure that the core functionalities are functioning correctly before conducting more extensive testing. Essentially, smoke tests act as a quick health check of the application, confirming that it is stable enough for further testing efforts.

This testing is important because it helps identify critical issues early in the testing process, saving time and resources by preventing the continuation of more detailed testing on a broken build. While it provides a basic confirmation of functionality, it does not focus on detailed performance evaluation, in-depth compatibility assessments, or identifying all possible blockages, which would typically be covered in more comprehensive testing strategies.