Resumen: In this paper we introduce the sequential precedence test (SPT) for testing the equality of two continuous distribution functions, against the stochastically ordered alternative. This procedure replaces the classical precedence test (PT), used in life-testing experiments, by a sequence of tests which are applied at the failure times of one of the samples. This allows the possibility of stopping the experiment earlier than the PT. By means of extensive Monte Carlo simulations and real data, we show that the proposed methodology results in substantial saving of experimental time and cost, without compromising in power. Algorithms for the implementation of the SPT are included. Idioma: Inglés DOI: 10.1080/02331888.2013.857670 Año: 2015 Publicado en: STATISTICS 49, 1 (2015), 224-238 ISSN: 0233-1888 Factor impacto JCR: 0.53 (2015) Categ. JCR: STATISTICS & PROBABILITY rank: 97 / 123 = 0.789 (2015) - Q4 - T3 Factor impacto SCIMAGO: 0.703 - Statistics, Probability and Uncertainty (Q2) - Statistics and Probability (Q2)