Basic Manual Testing Interview Questions
Basic Manual Testing Interview Questions
Basic Manual Testing Interview Questions
Software testing is a mandatory process that guarantees that the software product is
safe and good enough to be released to the market. Here are some compelling
reasons to prove testing is needed:
It points out the defects and errors that were made during the development
phases.
Reduces the coding cycles by identifying issues at the initial stage of the
development.
Ensures that software application requires lower maintenance cost and results
in more accurate, consistent and reliable results.
Testing ensures that the customer finds the organization reliable and their
satisfaction in the application is maintained.
Makes sure that software is bug-free and the quality of the product meets the
market standard.
Ensures that the application doesn’t result in any failures.
Software testing is a huge domain but it can be broadly categorized into two areas
such as :
Manual Testing – This is the oldest type of software testing where the testers
manually execute test cases without using any test automation tools. It means
the software application is tested manually by QA testers.
Automation Testing – This is the process of using the assistance of tools,
scripts, and software to perform test cases by repeating pre-defined actions.
Test Automation focuses on replacing manual human activity with systems or
devices that enhance efficiency.
o Black Box Testing
o White Box Testing
o Unit Testing
o System Testing
o Integration Testing
o Acceptance Testing
Q7. Explain the difference between alpha testing and beta testing.
User Acceptance Testing – The final level, acceptance testing, or UAT (user
acceptance testing), determines whether or not the software is ready to be released.
How to do :
5. Defect Logging
A test case is a document that has a set of conditions or actions that are performed
on the software application in order to verify the expected functionality of the feature.
Test cases describe a specific idea that is to be tested, without detailing the exact
steps to be taken or data to be used. For example, in a test case, you document
something like ‘Test if coupons can be applied on actual price‘.
API testing is performed at the most critical layer of software architecture, the
Business Layer.
Verification Validation
It is a static analysis technique. Here, It is a dynamic analysis technique where
testing is done without executing the testing is done by executing the code.
code. Examples include – Reviews, Examples include functional and non-
Inspection, and walkthrough. functional testing techniques.
Q14. What’s the difference between a bug and a defect?
A bug is a just fault in the software that’s detected during testing time. A defect is a
variance between expected results and actual results, detected by the developer
after the product goes live.
Documenting the test cases will facilitate you to estimate the testing effort you will
need along with test coverage and tracking and tracing requirement. Some
commonly applied documentation artifacts associated with software testing are:
1. Test Plan
2. Test Scenario
3. Test Case
4. Traceability Matrix
With this, we have completed basic questions based on manual testing. In the next
part of this Manual Testing Interview Questions article, let’s discuss advanced level
questions related to manual testing.
There are a lot of cases when manual testing is best suited over automation testing,
like:
Q20. What are the phases involved in Software Testing Life Cycle?
The different phases involved in the software testing life cycle are:
Phases Explanation
QA team understands the requirement in terms of what
Requirement Analysis
we will testing & figure out the testable requirements.
In this phase, the test strategy is defined. Objective &
Test Planning
the scope of the project is determined.
Here, detailed test cases are defined and
Test Case Development developed. The testing team also prepares the test data
for testing.
It is a setup of software and hardware for the testing
Test Environment Setup
teams to execute test cases.
It is the process of executing the code and comparing
Test Execution
the expected and actual results.
It involves calling out the testing team member meeting
& evaluating cycle completion criteria based on test
Test Cycle Closure
coverage, quality, cost, time, critical business objectives,
and software.
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questions, please comment on your problems in the section below.
A good test engineer should have a ‘test to break’ attitude, an ability to take
the point of view of the customer
Strong desire for quality and attention to minute details
Tact and diplomacy to maintain a cooperative relationship with developers
Ability to communicate with both technical (developers) and non-technical
(customers, management) people
Prior experience in the software development industry is always a plus
Ability to judge the situations and make important decisions to test high-risk
areas of an application when time is limited
“Testing of a previously tested program to ensure that defects have not been
introduced or uncovered in unchanged areas of the software, as a result of the
changes made is called Regression Testing.”
A regression test is a system-wide test whose main purpose is to ensure that a small
change in one part of the system does not break existing functionality elsewhere in
the system. It is recommended to perform regression testing on the occurrence of
the following events:
If you wish to learn in-depth about Bug Life Cycle then you can refer this article
on Software Testing Tutorial.
A test harness is the gathering of software and test information arranged to test a
program unit by running it under changing conditions like stress, load, data-driven,
and monitoring its behavior and outputs. Test Harness contains two main parts:
Test Closure is a document which gives a summary of all the tests conducted during
the software development life cycle and also gives a detailed analysis of the bugs
removed and errors found. This memo contains the aggregate no. of experiments,
total no. of experiments executed, total no. of imperfections discovered, add total no.
of imperfections settled, total no. of bugs not settled, total no of bugs rejected and so
forth.
A critical bug is a bug that has got the tendency to affect a majority of the
functionality of the given application. It means a large piece of functionality or major
system component is completely broken and there is no workaround to move further.
Application cannot be distributed to the end client unless the critical bug is
addressed.
According to pesticide paradox, if the same tests are repeated over and over again,
eventually the same test cases will no longer find new bugs. Developers will be extra
careful in those places where testers found more defects and might not look into
other areas. Methods to prevent pesticide paradox:
To write a whole new set of test cases to exercise different parts of the
software.
To prepare new test cases and add them to the existing test cases.
Using these methods, it’s possible to find more defects in the area where defect
numbers dropped.
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questions, please comment on your problems in the section below.
Defect Cascading is the process of triggering other defects in the application. When
a defect goes unnoticed while testing, it invokes other defects. As a result, multiple
defects crop up in the later stages of development. If defect cascading continues to
affect other features in the application, identifying the affected feature becomes
challenging. You may make different test cases to solve this issue, even then it is
difficult and time-consuming.
Q33. What is black box testing, and what are the various techniques?
Black-Box Testing, also known as specification-based testing, analyses the
functionality of a software/application without knowing much about the internal
structure/design of the item. The purpose of this testing is to check the functionality
of the system as a whole to make sure that it works correctly and meets user
demands. Various black-box testing techniques are:
Equivalence Partitioning
Boundary Value Analysis
Decision Table Based Technique
Cause-effect Graphing
Use Case Testing
Q34. What is white box testing, and what are the various techniques?
Statement Coverage
Decision Coverage
Condition Coverage
Multiple Condition Coverage
Exploratory Testing
Error Guessing
Top-Down – Testing happens from top to bottom. That is, high-level modules are
tested first, and after that low-level modules. Lastly, the low-level modules are
incorporated into a high-level state to guarantee the framework is working as it is
expected to.
Bottom-Up – Testing happens from base levels to high-up levels. The lowest level
modules are tested first and afterward high-level state modules. Lastly, the high-level
state modules are coordinated to a low level to guarantee the framework is filling in
as it has been proposed to.
With this, we have completed theory questions. In the next part of this Manual
Testing Interview Questions article, let’s discuss some real-world scenario-based
questions.
Deciding when to stop testing can be quite difficult. Many modern software
applications are so complex and run in such an interdependent environment, that
complete testing can never be done. Some common factors in deciding when to stop
testing are:
Deadlines (release deadlines, testing deadlines, etc.)
Test cases completed with certain percentage passed
When the test budget is depleted
Coverage of code or functionality or requirements reaches a specified point
Bug rate falls below a certain level
When Beta or alpha testing period ends
Often testers encounter a bug that can’t be resolved at all. In such situations, the
best bet is for testers to go through the process of reporting whatever bugs or
blocking-type problems initially show up, with the focus being on critical bugs. Since
this type of problem can cause severe problems such as insufficient unit testing or
insufficient integration testing, poor design, improper build or release procedures, etc
managers should be notified and provided with some documentation as evidence of
the problem.
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questions, please comment on your problems in the section below.
Q41. How you test a product if the requirements are yet to freeze?
It’s possible that a requirement stack is not available for a piece of product. It might
take serious effort to determine if an application has significant unexpected
functionality, and it would indicate deeper problems in the software development
process. If the functionality isn’t necessary to the purpose of the application, it should
be removed. Else, create a test plan based on the assumptions made about the
product. But make sure you get all assumptions well documented in the test plan.
This is a very common problem in the software industry, especially considering the
new technologies that are being incorporated when developing the product. There is
no easy solution in this situation, you could:
• Hire good and skilled people
• Management should ‘ruthlessly prioritize’ quality issues and maintain focus on the
customer
• Everyone in the organization should be clear on what ‘quality’ means to the end-
user
‘Good code’ is code that works, that is bug-free, and is readable and maintainable.
Most organizations have coding ‘standards’ that all developers are supposed to
adhere to, but everyone has different ideas about what’s best, or what is too many or
too few rules. There are a lot of tools like traceability matrix which ensures the
requirements are mapped to the test cases. And when the execution of all test cases
finishes with success, it indicates that the code has met the requirement.
Q44. What are the cases when you’ll consider to choose automated
testing over manual testing?
Automated testing can be considered over manual testing during the following
situations:
Every high-functioning organization has a “master plan” that details how they are
supposed to operate and accomplish tasks. Software development and testing are
no different. Software configuration management (SCM) is a set of processes,
policies, and tools that organize, control, coordinate, and track:
code
documentation
problems
change requests
designs and tools
compilers and libraries
In system testing, all the components of the software are tested as a whole in order
to ensure that the overall product meets the requirements specified. So, no. The
system testing must start only if all units are in place and are working properly.
System testing usually happens before the UAT (User Acceptance Testing).
Q47. What are some best practices that you should follow when
writing test cases?
Few guidelines that you need to follow while writing test cases are:
Prioritize which test cases to write based on the project timelines and the risk
factors of your application.
Remember the 80/20 rule. To achieve the best coverage, 20% of your tests
should cover 80% of your application.
Don’t try to test cases in one attempt instead improvise them as you progress.
List down your test cases and classify them based on business scenarios and
functionality.
Make sure test cases are modular and test case steps are as granular as
possible.
Write test cases in such a way that others can understand them easily &
modify if required.
Always keep end-users’ requirements in the back of your mind because
ultimately the software designed is for the customer
Actively use a test management tool to manage stable release cycle.
Monitor your test cases regularly. Write unique test cases and remove
irrelevant & duplicate test cases.
Q48. Why is it that the boundary value analysis provides good test
cases?
The reason why boundary value analysis provides good test cases is that usually, a
greater number of errors occur at the boundaries rather than in the center of the
input domain for a test.
In boundary value analysis technique test cases are designed to include values at
the boundaries. If the input is within the boundary value, it is considered ‘Positive
testing.’ If the input is outside of the boundary value, it is considered ‘Negative
testing.’ It includes maximum, minimum, inside or outside edge, typical values or
error values.
Let’s suppose you are testing for an input box that accepts numbers from ’01 to 10′.
Using the boundary value analysis we can define three classes of test cases:
Test cases with test data exactly as the input boundaries of input: 1 and 10 (in
this case)
Values just below the extreme edges of input domains: 0 and 9
Test data with values just above the extreme edges of input domains: 2 and
11
It is impossible to build a software product which is 100% bug-free. You can just
minimize the error, flaw, failure or fault in a computer program or system that causes
it to produce an incorrect or unexpected result.
Here are the two principal reasons that make it impossible to test a program entirely.
That’s it, folks! With this, we have reached the end of this ‘Manual Testing Interview
Questions’. You could also take a look at Automation Testing Interview
Questions while you’re at it.
If you found this article relevant, check out the Software Testing Training by
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Testing Interview Questions” and we will get back to you.
1. Statement Coverage
2. Decision Coverage
1. Equivalence Partitioning
2. Boundary value analysis
3. Cause-effect graphing
1. Unit/component/program/module testing
2. Integration testing
3. System testing
4. Acceptance testing
Data Driven Testing (DDT): In data driven testing process, the application
is tested with multiple test data. The application is tested with a different set
of values.
Before Testing
During Testing
After the Testing
Tester, a Test
Execute the test cases
administrator
35. What does a typical test report contain? What are the
benefits of test reports?
A test report contains the following things:
Project Information
Test Objective
Test Summary
Defect
Continuous Improvement
Documentation
Tool Usage
Metrics
Responsibility by team members
Experienced SQA auditors
41. What is the step you would follow once you find the
defect?
Once a defect is found you would follow the step
c) The target line to which control flow is transferred at the end of the linear
sequence
a) It does not require processing source code and can be applied directly to
object code
b) Bugs are distributed evenly through the code, due to which percentage
of executable statements covered reflects the percentage of faults
discovered
d) String should be replaced only for the first occurrence of the string
49. How will you handle a conflict amongst your team
members?
I will talk individually to each person and note their concerns
I will find a solution to the common problems raised by team
members
I will hold a team meeting, reveal the solution and ask people to co-
operate
Central/Project test plan: It is the main test plan that outlines the
complete test strategy of the project. This plan is used till the end of
the software development lifecycle
Acceptance test plan: This document begins during the requirement
phase and is completed at the final delivery
System test plan: This plan starts during the design plan and
proceeds until the end of the project
Integration and Unit test plan: Both these test plans start during the
execution phase and last until the final delivery
54. Explain which test cases are written first black boxes
or white boxes?
Black box test cases are written first as to write black box test cases; it
requires project plan and requirement document all these documents are
easily available at the beginning of the project. While writing white box test
cases requires more architectural understanding and is not available at the
start of the project.
Project Name
Module Name
Defect detected on
Defect detected by
Defect ID and Name
Snapshot of the defect
Priority and Severity status
Defect resolved by
Defect resolved on
1. Planning
2. Kick-off
3. Preparation
4. Review meeting
5. Rework
6. Follow-up.
Read q
IF p+q> 100
ENDIF
IF p > 50
ENDIF
The main goal of Automation Testing is to reduce the number of test cases
to be run manually and not eliminate Manual Testing altogether.
2) When will you automate a test?
Repetitive Tasks
Smoke and Sanity Tests
Test with multiple data set
Regression test cases
5) What are the points that are covered while planning phase of
automation?
While writing the scripts for automation, you must consider following things,
10) What are the most popular tools for automation testing?
11) On what basis you can map the success of automation testing?
By following criteria, the success of automation testing can be mapped
The scripting language is VBScript. The tool gels well with HP ALM (Test
Management Tool) and HP LoadRunner (Performance Testing Tool).
Sikuli is comprised of
Sikuli Script
Visual Scripting API for Jython
Sikuli IDE
Sikuli Selenium
It cannot automate
It provides extensive support to automate flash objects
video player, audio
It has simple API
It has got complica
It uses a visual match to find elements on the screen.
It does not have vis
So, we can automate anything we see on the screen
It can automate on
It can automate the web as well as windows application
applications
What are the software testing principles?
There are seven principles in software testing:
Testing shows the presence of defects.
Exhaustive testing is not possible.
Early testing.
Defect clustering.
Pesticide paradox.
Testing is context-dependent.
Absence of errors fallacy.