A preference test is a sensory evaluation in which consumers taste two or more products and state which they prefer, the simplest and most commercially direct form of consumer testing. The classic paired-preference test presents two coded samples and asks for a choice, with statistical analysis revealing whether the preference is significant across the panel. Preference mapping extends the method, linking liking scores to descriptive sensory profiles to show which attributes drive choice. Unlike analytical difference tests with trained panels, preference tests use untrained consumers representative of the target market, since the question is liking, not description. Rigorous design controls serving order, coding, and environment to prevent bias. For product developers, preference testing is the final gate: a product can be technically excellent, but if consumers prefer the competitor’s, it fails.