Are you Preparing for software testing interview? To help you through interview, we given a collection of all essential questions and detailed answers. From understanding the fundamentals of verification and validation to advanced testing techniques. Here are 60+ essential manual testing interview questions and answers for freshers and experienced.
Manual testing interview questions and answers for all levels
1. What is Software Testing?
2. Explain the difference between Verification and Validation.
3. What are the different types of testing?
4. What is the difference between functional and non-functional testing?
5. Explain what is Black-box Testing.
6. What is a Test Case?
7. What are the components of a test case?
8. Explain what is a Test Plan.
9. What is the difference between Test Case and Test Scenario?
10. What is a Defect in software testing?
11. How do you prioritize test cases?
12. What is Regression Testing?
13. What is Smoke Testing?
14. What is Sanity Testing?
15. What is Exploratory Testing?
16. What is an API, and how do you test it manually?
17. Explain the concept of Boundary Value Analysis (BVA).
18. What is Equivalence Partitioning?
19. What are Test Metrics in Software Testing?
20. What is User Acceptance Testing (UAT)?
21. Explain the term “Defect Life Cycle.”
22. What are the key differences between Retesting and Regression Testing?
23. What is Ad-hoc Testing?
24. What are the types of Manual Testing Tools you are familiar with?
25. How do you determine when to stop testing?
26. Explain the term “End-to-End Testing.”
27. What is Acceptance Testing?
28. What is Accessibility Testing?
29. Explain Cross-browser Testing.
30. What is Compatibility Testing?
31. How do you document test results?
32. What is a Traceability Matrix?
33. Explain the key differences between White-box and Black-box testing.
34. How do you approach writing test cases for complex workflows?
35. What is Risk-based Testing?
36. How do you handle incomplete or unclear requirements?
37. Describe Boundary Value Analysis and its application.
38. What is Equivalence Partitioning, and why is it used?
39. How would you define and measure Test Coverage?
40. What are some metrics you have used to track testing progress?
41. Explain the Defect Life Cycle with an example.
42. How do you perform Root Cause Analysis for defects?
43. What is Exploratory Testing, and when do you use it?
44. How do you approach Regression Testing in Agile?
45. Describe the concept of End-to-End Testing.
46. What are Entry and Exit criteria in testing?
47. Explain the concept of Cross-browser Testing.
48. How do you create a Traceability Matrix?
49. What is a Test Plan, and what are its essential components?
50. What are API Testing methods you use in manual testing?
51. Describe Acceptance Testing and its types.
52. What is the difference between Severity and Priority?
53. What is Localization Testing?
54. Explain what is Defect Triage.
55. What are some defect-tracking tools you have used?
56. What is Compatibility Testing?
57. How do you ensure test case reusability?
58. How do you manage testing in an Agile environment?
59. Explain Accessibility Testing.
60. What is Mutation Testing?
61. How do you handle flakiness in testing?
62. What are some challenges in manual testing, and how do you overcome them?
62. What is the purpose of a Test Summary Report?
63. Describe API Load Testing and its purpose.
64. How do you handle changing requirements in a test project?
1. What is Software Testing?
Answer:
Software testing is the process of evaluating a software application to identify any differences between the actual outcome and the expected outcome, as well as to identify any defects. Testing ensures the quality, reliability, and performance of the software.
2. Explain the difference between Verification and Validation.
Answer:
Verification checks if the software is built according to requirements and specifications. It is a static process. Validation, on the other hand, checks if the final product works as expected. It is a dynamic process.
3. What are the different types of testing?
Answer: Some common types of testing include:
- Functional Testing
- Non-functional Testing
- Regression Testing
- Smoke Testing
- Sanity Testing
- Black-box Testing
- White-box Testing
4. What is the difference between functional and non-functional testing?
Answer:
Functional testing verifies the functionality of the software and checks if it meets specified requirements. Non-functional testing assesses aspects such as performance, usability, and reliability.
5. Explain what is Black-box Testing.
Answer:
Black-box testing focuses on testing the software’s functionality without any knowledge of the internal code structure. The tester evaluates the software based on input and output.
6. What is a Test Case?
Answer:
A test case is a document that describes an input, action, or event, and the expected response to determine if a feature of an application is working correctly.
7. What are the components of a test case?
Answer: The main components include:
- Test case ID
- Test description
- Pre-conditions
- Test steps
- Expected result
- Actual result
- Post-conditions
- Status (Pass/Fail)
8. Explain what is a Test Plan.
Answer:
A test plan is a document outlining the testing objectives, scope, approach, resources, schedule, and deliverables of the testing process.
9. What is the difference between Test Case and Test Scenario?
Answer:
A test case is a detailed document covering specific conditions to validate functionality, while a test scenario is a high-level document covering end-to-end functionality.
10. What is a Defect in software testing?
Answer:
A defect, or bug, is any discrepancy in the software where the actual outcome differs from the expected result.
11. How do you prioritize test cases?
Answer:
Test cases are prioritized based on factors like critical business functionality, usage frequency, and the likelihood of defects in that functionality.
12. What is Regression Testing?
Answer:
Regression testing ensures that recent code or environment changes have not negatively impacted existing functionality.
13. What is Smoke Testing?
Answer:
Smoke testing is a preliminary test to check the basic functionality of an application to ensure it’s ready for further testing.
14. What is Sanity Testing?
Answer:
Sanity testing is a narrow and focused test conducted to verify specific functionality after minor changes or bug fixes.
15. What is Exploratory Testing?
Answer:
Exploratory testing involves simultaneously learning, designing, and executing test cases without predefined documentation. It’s useful when requirements are incomplete.
16. What is an API, and how do you test it manually?
Answer:
An API allows applications to communicate. API testing involves verifying API endpoints manually by sending HTTP requests and validating the response against expected results.
17. Explain the concept of Boundary Value Analysis (BVA).
Answer:
BVA is a testing technique that involves testing at the boundaries of input ranges (e.g., minimum, maximum) to identify defects.
18. What is Equivalence Partitioning?
Answer:
Equivalence partitioning divides input data into equal partitions where each value should produce similar behavior, reducing the number of test cases.
19. What are Test Metrics in Software Testing?
Answer:
Test metrics are quantitative measures used to estimate progress, quality, and effectiveness of the testing process, such as defect density, test coverage, and test execution progress.
20. What is User Acceptance Testing (UAT)?
Answer:
UAT is the final testing phase where actual users test the software to confirm it meets their needs and works as expected.
21. Explain the term “Defect Life Cycle.”
Answer:
The defect life cycle is the journey a defect takes from identification to closure, including states like New, Assigned, Open, Fixed, Retested, and Closed.
22. What are the key differences between Retesting and Regression Testing?
Answer:
Retesting checks the defect fixes, while regression testing ensures recent changes have not affected other parts of the application.
23. What is Ad-hoc Testing?
Answer:
Ad-hoc testing is an informal testing approach without a structured plan, relying on the tester’s understanding and experience with the application.
24. What are the types of Manual Testing Tools you are familiar with?
Answer:
Common manual testing tools include JIRA, Bugzilla for defect tracking, and TestRail or Quality Center for test case management.
25. How do you determine when to stop testing?
Answer:
Testing can be stopped when deadlines are met, test cases are executed, defect rates fall below a certain level, and high-risk areas are adequately covered.
26. Explain the term “End-to-End Testing.”
Answer:
End-to-end testing validates the complete functionality of an application by testing the entire flow from start to finish, ensuring all integrations work as expected.
27. What is Acceptance Testing?
Answer:
Acceptance testing verifies that the software meets business requirements and is ready for deployment to end-users.
28. What is Accessibility Testing?
Answer:
Accessibility testing ensures the application is usable by people with disabilities, including those with visual, auditory, or cognitive impairments.
29. Explain Cross-browser Testing.
Answer:
Cross-browser testing checks whether a web application functions correctly across different browsers and platforms.
30. What is Compatibility Testing?
Answer:
Compatibility testing verifies that an application functions as expected across various environments, including operating systems, browsers, and devices.
31. How do you document test results?
Answer:
Test results are documented in test reports, including test case ID, test description, actual result, expected result, pass/fail status, and comments if any issues are found.
32. What is a Traceability Matrix?
Answer:
A traceability matrix maps requirements to their corresponding test cases, ensuring complete test coverage.
33. Explain the key differences between White-box and Black-box testing.
Answer:
White-box testing is done with knowledge of the internal code structure, focusing on code paths and conditions. Black-box testing involves testing without any knowledge of the code, focusing on functionality and user interactions.
34. How do you approach writing test cases for complex workflows?
Answer:
For complex workflows, I break down the process into smaller modules, identify all possible paths and edge cases, then write test cases for each module. I use flowcharts or decision tables to cover all scenarios.
35. What is Risk-based Testing?
Answer:
Risk-based testing prioritizes testing of features and functionalities based on the risk of failure and the impact on the business. High-risk areas receive the most attention.
36. How do you handle incomplete or unclear requirements?
Answer:
I clarify ambiguities with stakeholders, refer to similar projects, use assumptions for probable scenarios, and document these assumptions. Exploratory testing also helps cover unexpected cases.
37. Describe Boundary Value Analysis and its application.
Answer:
Boundary Value Analysis (BVA) involves testing at the boundary between partitions, typically the minimum and maximum values in a range, as these points are prone to errors.
38. What is Equivalence Partitioning, and why is it used?
Answer:
Equivalence Partitioning divides input data into valid and invalid partitions where each partition is expected to produce similar results, reducing the number of test cases while ensuring coverage.
39. How would you define and measure Test Coverage?
Answer:
Test coverage is a metric used to determine the extent to which testing covers the application’s functionality. It’s measured by tracking the number of executed test cases against total planned cases.
40. What are some metrics you have used to track testing progress?
Answer:
Common metrics include defect density, test case execution rate, test coverage percentage, defect removal efficiency, and test effort estimation variance.
41. Explain the Defect Life Cycle with an example.
Answer:
The defect life cycle includes states like New, Assigned, Open, Fixed, Retested, Verified, Closed, and Reopened. For example, if a defect is fixed but fails in retesting, it moves to Reopened.
42. How do you perform Root Cause Analysis for defects?
Answer:
I use techniques like the “5 Whys” to dig deeper into the causes, review logs, examine code paths, and sometimes work with developers to trace the defect back to its root cause.
43. What is Exploratory Testing, and when do you use it?
Answer: Exploratory testing is an unscripted testing approach where test design and execution happen simultaneously. It’s useful when requirements are unclear or during initial phases of testing.
44. How do you approach Regression Testing in Agile?
Answer:
In Agile, I prioritize critical functionality for regression testing. Automated tests cover repetitive regression cases, while manual testing covers new or high-impact areas.
45. Describe the concept of End-to-End Testing.
Answer:
End-to-end testing verifies the entire software flow from start to finish, covering integrations, databases, network communication, and other system dependencies.
46. What are Entry and Exit criteria in testing?
Answer:
Entry criteria define when to start testing (e.g., environment readiness, test plan approval), while exit criteria define when testing can stop (e.g., all high-priority defects fixed, 100% test case execution).
47. Explain the concept of Cross-browser Testing.
Answer:
Cross-browser testing ensures a web application works consistently across different browsers and versions by checking compatibility and UI consistency.
48. How do you create a Traceability Matrix?
Answer:
A traceability matrix maps requirements to test cases to ensure complete coverage, tracking each requirement and its corresponding test cases for traceability.
49. What is a Test Plan, and what are its essential components?
Answer:
A test plan outlines the testing strategy, including scope, objectives, resources, schedules, deliverables, risk management, and exit criteria.
50. What are API Testing methods you use in manual testing?
Answer:
For manual API testing, I use tools like Postman to send HTTP requests, validate response codes, headers, and payloads, and check error codes for edge cases.
51. Describe Acceptance Testing and its types.
Answer:
Acceptance Testing verifies if the software meets business needs. Types include User Acceptance Testing (UAT), Business Acceptance Testing (BAT), and Contract Acceptance Testing (CAT).
52. What is the difference between Severity and Priority?
Answer:
Severity refers to the defect’s impact on functionality, while priority indicates how urgently it should be fixed.
53. What is Localization Testing?
Answer:
Localization Testing verifies the software’s ability to adapt to local cultures, languages, and regional formats, ensuring the UI and functionality meet regional requirements.
54. Explain what is Defect Triage.
Answer:
Defect triage is the process of reviewing and prioritizing defects based on impact and urgency, ensuring that the most critical issues are addressed first.
55. What are some defect-tracking tools you have used?
Answer:
Popular tools include JIRA, Bugzilla, and Quality Center. I have used them to log defects, track statuses, and generate defect reports.
56. What is Compatibility Testing?
Answer:
Compatibility testing checks if the application functions correctly across different environments, such as browsers, operating systems, networks, and devices.
57. How do you ensure test case reusability?
Answer:
I create modular, well-documented test cases with clear steps, expected outcomes, and adaptable data inputs to facilitate reusability across projects.
58. How do you manage testing in an Agile environment?
Answer:
In Agile, I prioritize test cases based on user stories, conduct frequent regression tests, collaborate closely with the team, and participate in daily stand-ups to align testing with development.
59. Explain Accessibility Testing.
Answer:
Accessibility testing ensures that the software is usable by people with disabilities, adhering to WCAG standards, and is compatible with assistive tools like screen readers.
60. What is Mutation Testing?
Answer:
Mutation testing assesses the quality of test cases by introducing small code changes (mutants) to check if test cases can detect these modifications.
61. How do you handle flakiness in testing?
Answer:
I investigate flaky tests by identifying causes, such as environmental issues or race conditions, and either stabilize them or update the test suite to reduce dependencies.
62. What are some challenges in manual testing, and how do you overcome them?
Answer:
Common challenges include repetitive tasks, missed scenarios, and communication gaps. I address these by thorough planning, effective communication, and using exploratory testing for added coverage.
62. What is the purpose of a Test Summary Report?
Answer:
A test summary report provides an overview of testing activities, results, defect counts, coverage, and any open risks, helping stakeholders understand the application’s quality.
63. Describe API Load Testing and its purpose.
Answer:
API load testing evaluates how an API performs under high traffic by simulating multiple requests to measure response times, stability, and resource usage.
64. How do you handle changing requirements in a test project?
Answer: I adapt to changes by updating test cases to reflect the new requirements, re-prioritizing based on impact, and maintaining open communication with stakeholders.
These questions cover advanced concepts for experienced candidates, highlighting skills in risk management, complex test scenario planning, defect handling, and test case optimization.
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