Interviews are challenging. It feels like every question during the interview was meant to disqualify you. You spend time learning about the firm before to the interview. Prepare for the questions you anticipate with your confident responses. On the day of your interview, you arrive an hour early and consume an excessive amount of coffee.
Yes, interviews can be nerve-wracking even when everything goes well. We at founderactivity are here to assist ease some of your pre-interview jitters. To help you get ready for the big day, lets analyze some QA interview questions and answers and pulls the curtain on QA interviews.
What Is a Quality Assurance Engineer?
Engineers that specialize in quality assurance (QA) assist software development teams with the design, testing, implementation, and troubleshooting of applications. That implies that they are actively participating throughout the whole development process.
One of the biggest defenses against flaws in source code or other difficulties with software applications and other services is that they serve as the arbiters of a company’s standards.
Watch the video to gain more insight into what a day in a life of a QA engineer is like.
The Role of a QA Engineer
QA engineers need to be proficient bug searchers as well as informed about documentation. Knowing test methodologies, test management systems, automation tools, life cycles, and other concepts is crucial, as is creating the ideal test case each time.
If the developer is the chef preparing the dish, the quality assurance engineer is the FDA making sure the food complies with legal requirements. Everyone can agree that the end user will have a better overall experience as a result, which is a good objective.
The Testing Process
The testing phase might be wide in nature or more focused, depending on the area of concentration. However, the main results are the same: test the functionality, look for flaws, and stop bug leaking.
Depending on the type of software testing, testing procedures and methods will change. Several instances include:
- Black box testing
- White box testing
- Integration testing
- User acceptance testing (UAT)
- Automation testing
- Negative testing
- Performance testing
A QA engineer might identify both high priority and low priority issues during the bug release stage. The test data alone will give the development team data-driven and practical insights.
QA Interview Questions to prepare for
Let us assist you to get ready for the types of QA interview questions you could encounter. Whether they pertain to automation, your testing methodology or your personality.
The interviewer will frequently be curious in two things: your competence as a QA engineer and your method of testing. For QA professions, some interview questions can be cryptic or open-ended. This is so they can hear your strategy during the interview. They want to know what sort of worker you are and, more crucially, if you will blend in with their testing team.
Without further ado, here is a collection of typical QA interview questions and responses to help you come up with some possible answers.
1. Why should I hire you?
A frequent QA interview question among interviewers from throughout the world. This icebreaker question is not a trick question.
Make the most of this chance by putting your best foot forward. Describe your motivation for QA and why, owing to your special mix of skills and personality qualities. And also, why you will do the position on the quality assurance team better than anybody else. Do not worry about being too modest or self-critical in this situation. The purpose of the question is to discuss the applicant’s advantages.
2. What is Quality Assurance?
ANSWER – Quality Assurance is shortened QA. The goal of quality assurance (QA) is to make sure that the generated software complies with all the criteria and specifications stated in the SRS document.
3. What is the difference between Quality Assurance, Quality Control and Testing?
Finding flaws in the program and making recommendations to improve its quality is the process of quality control. The methods used by quality control are often established by quality assurance. Implementing quality control is mostly the testing team’s duty.
Finding flaws or problems is the process of testing. It verifies whether the software created by the development team complies with the standards established by the company and the needs set forth by the user.
Here, detecting defects is the primary goal, and the testing teams serve as the quality control gatekeepers.
ANSWER – Quality Assurance is the process of organizing, establishing, and executing the quality (test) procedures inside a team and organization. During this phase, the projects’ quality criteria are established and defined.
4. What is the difference between the QA and software testing?
ANSWER – Monitoring the quality of the “process” used to create the software is the responsibility of QA (Quality Assurance). Software testing is the process used to ensure that the operation of the finished product fulfills user demands.
5. What is a bug?
ANSWER – A software bug is any error, omission, or failure in the code that prevents the program function from working as intended.
6. How do you make sure a bug is fixed when it is discovered in a production environment?
ANSWER – The best course of action is to launch a regression test as soon as possible and develop a test case specifically for the problem. In this manner, the application will be specifically checked for that issue in the future.
7. What is bug leakage and bug release?
- When software or an application is given to the testing team with the knowledge that the flaw is included in the release, this is referred to as a bug release. The priority and severity of bugs are low at this time since they can be fixed before the final handover.
- When a flaw is found by customers or end users rather than being found by the testing team when the product is being tested, this is referred to as a “bug leak.”
8. Explain the steps for Bug Cycle?
- The tester reports the problem, which is given to the development manager with an open status.
- The development team will address the problem if it is a true defect.
- The fault will be denied and disregarded if it is not a legitimate flaw.
- The next stage will be to determine if it falls within the scope. Defects are delayed if the bug is not present in the current release.
- A duplicate status will be given if the tester notices the flaw or problem early.
- When a bug is delivered to a developer to address, it will get the status “IN-PROGRESS.”
- Once the flaw has been fixed, the status will change to FIXED, and if the product passes the last test, the tester will give the status of CLOSED.
9. Explain what is the difference between Regression testing and Retesting?
ANSWER – Regression testing determines if the functionality has been impacted in any way, whereas retesting confirms that the issues have been resolved.
| Regression | Retesting |
| Regression testing’s primary goal is to ensure that any code modifications have no negative effects on the functionality that are already in place. | Retesting is the process of doing testing on flaws that have been corrected. |
| It is general testing since it may be carried out whenever there are code changes. | This testing was intended. |
| On the test cases that succeeded, it is executed. | On the test cases that failed, it is executed. |
| Regression testing can be automated, however manual testing will be expensive and time-consuming. | We are unable to automate the test cases for Retesting. |
| Regression testing does not include defect verification. | Retesting includes defect verification. |
| Regression testing is carried out concurrently with retesting, depending on the resources that are available. | Regression testing is never conducted before retesting because retesting has a higher priority. |
10. What is the difference between severity and priority?
To manage your time effectively, you must be aware of these crucial distinctions. The difficulty of resolving the issue determines its severity. Priority refers to how critical a problem is to resolve.
A problem’s high severity does not always equate to its high importance, and vice versa.
ANSWER – A depiction of a high severity, low priority problem is as follows:
The program crashes when a seldom used function on outdated software that the majority of users cannot access is used.
ANSWER – A depiction of a low severity, high priority issue is as follows:
The erroneous company’s logo appears upon startup.
11. What is the difference between Assert and Verify commands in test automation?
The two instructions are quite similar to one another. Both examine the validity of the code conditions. The distinction lies in what follows.
- When an assert command fails, the test will pause and no more code will be executed.
- The remaining code will be executed even if a verify command fails.
12. When should QA start?
ANSWER – The project should begin QA activities right away. Setting a high standard for excellence has benefits that increase with time. The more difficulties that may be avoided early on in the software development process. The sooner QA analysts, testers and leaders are involved in the process. Static tests can be done before the software is fully functional.
13. What is the QA testing life cycle?
You can discuss the testing procedure that you are most accustomed to, although this is a common one.
- Requirements
- Planning
- Analysis
- Design
- Implementation
- Execution
- Conclusion
- Closure
14. What is a test plan?
ANSWER – A test plan is a written description of the desired test’s specifics. It outlines the necessary duties, potential hazards, potential remedies, and the resources it will utilize before the testing ever starts.
15. What does a test plan include?
Test plans should include:
- The extent
- The strategy
- Resources required
- Intended schedule of the test/s
16. Explain what should your QA documents include?
QA testing documentation has to have:
- List the number of defects found according to their severity.
- Detail each criterion or operational function Inspection reports
- Configurations
- A test strategy and a test case
- Report bugs
- User guides
- Produce distinct reports for management and users.
17. What would you include in an automation test plan?
Because developing a strategy for automated testing is a substantial undertaking, you are not required to get into every detail.
List a few key elements of a test plan instead, such as how the tests will be developed, how they will be executed, how errors will be handled, and how test automation reporting will be accomplished.
18. What is a Use case?
ANSWER – Use cases explain a function’s cause and effect. It ensures that the user activity and the system reaction are correctly communicating with one another.
19. What is a Test Strategy?
ANSWER – The test strategy outlines the testing phase of software development. The test strategy encompasses the complete testing phase of development as opposed to the test plan, which focuses on a single test. It also contains information about the testing tools, test groups, test priority, test record maintenance, and the test summary.
20. What is the difference between the Test Plan and Test Strategy?
ANSWER – The test plan, on the other hand, describes how testing should be done for a particular application that is a part of a project. The project manager frequently creates the test strategy since it is at a higher level. It shows the general approach to testing for the entire project.
21. Are test strategies and test plans the same document?
ANSWER – Incorrect. Test plans gather and arrange test cases.
These test strategies provide a description of the testing approach. Test strategies are often maintained by the QA manager or QA lead, although test plans are frequently managed by the QA testers.
22. What is a good test case?
ANSWER – A successful test case is one that identifies a flaw, to put it simply. A good test case might also be one that provides all the required information and coverage because not all test cases will identify flaws.
23. What are the contents of test plans and test cases?
- Testing objectives
- Testing scope
- Testing the frame
- The environment
- Reason for testing
- The criteria for entrance and exit
- Deliverables
- Risk factors
24. How do you define a format of writing a good test case?
ANSWER – A format of a test case includes
- Test case ID
- Test case description
- Severity
- Priority
- Environment
- Build version
- Steps to execute
- Expected results
- Actual results
25. What are some different kinds of testing?
- Regression testing
- Exploratory testing
- Functional testing
- Load testing
- Integration testing
- Unit testing
- Cross browser testing white box testing
- Black box testing
- Volume testing
- Alpha testing
- Beta testing
26. Explain stress testing, load testing and volume testing?
- Testing an application under a load that is both high and expected is known as load testing. The number of users, messages, requests, data, etc. that are present here is referred to as the load.
- Stress testing is the process of raising or accelerating the load applied to the system beyond what is typically tolerated.
- Volume testing is the process of determining if the system is capable of handling the necessary volumes of data, user requests, etc.
27. What do you think are some advantages of manual testing?
Several benefits of manual testing that you might mention include the following:
- Compared to automated testing, it could be less expensive.
- It may be simpler for new teams or QA novices to learn how to do manual tests, allowing for a quicker rollout.
- Short-term projects whose test scripts will not be reused frequently might benefit greatly from manual testing.
- When performing manual testing, you may evaluate the product from the perspective of the end user.
- When testing the GUI manually, it can seem more natural and produce more accurate results; automating the visual accessibility and preferences might be challenging.
28. What is the difference between functional and nonfunctional testing?
ANSWER – To verify that the program complies with requirements and specifications, functional testing examines the product’s core components. Non-functional testing examines features of the product such as load times, stress, and general performance that are significant but not essential.
29. What is meant by Verification and Validation?
- The process of assessing the finished product to see if the software satisfies business requirements is known as validation. The validation activity is the test execution that we carry out on a daily basis, including smoke testing, functional testing, regression testing, systems testing, etc.
- Verification is the process of assessing the intermediate work products produced over the software development lifecycle to determine whether we are on the right path to producing the intended outcome.
| Verification | Validation |
| Static testing is verification. | Dynamic testing is validation. |
| Before validation, verification testing is carried out. | Verification is followed by validation. |
| It is not related to running the code. | It entails running the code. |
| It involves activities such as reviews, walkthroughs, inspections, and desk checking, etc. | It involves methods such as black box testing, white box testing and non-functional testing. |
| It finds the bugs before the development cycle. | It finds the bugs after the development cycle. |
| It conforms to the requirements specified in the SRS document. | It checks whether it meets the specified requirements or not. |
| The QA team provides verification, ensuring that the program complies with the specifications as down in the SRS document. | Product testing is carried out by software testers. |
30. What are the different verification techniques you know?
ANSWER – Verification techniques are static. There are 3 verification techniques.
- Review: This technique involves having someone other than the author of the code or test cases review it. It is among the simplest and most effective approaches to guarantee coverage and quality.
- Inspection is a technical and methodical process to go at and fix flaws in the test artifact or code. Due to its discipline, it plays a variety of functions.
- Facilitate: the inspection meeting as a whole as the moderator.
- Recorder: The recorder takes notes during meetings and records any errors or other topics that are covered.
- Reader: Read the text or code aloud. Additionally, the leader is in charge of the whole inspection meeting.
- Author is the producer. They are ultimately in charge of updating their paper or code in accordance with the remarks.
- Reviewer: Each member of the team may be regarded as a reviewer. If the project requires it, a group of specialists may also fill this position.
- Walkthrough: The author of the document or code views the material during the walkthrough process and receives feedback.
31. Define the role of QA in Software Development?
ANSWER – By keeping an eye on the whole development process, the QA team persuades the quality. QA monitors results and modifies procedures as necessary to fulfill expectations.
- The QA team is in charge of keeping an eye on the development process as it is being carried out.
- The QA team’s duties include planning, testing, and process execution.
- The product’s quality assurance strategy is established by the QA Lead, who also establishes the timeline.
- The QA team informed the team members about the QA procedure.
- The QA team guarantees that test cases can be traced back to requirements.
32. Describe the dimensions of the risk in QA?
ANSWER – The risk components are;
- Schedule: Unrealistic timetables for developing a large piece of software in a given day.
- Client: Uncertain requirements, unclear requirements, and changing needs.
- Human Resources: Lack of adequate human resources with the required degree of expertise in the project. System
- Resources: Failure to acquire all necessary resources, including hardware and software tools or software licenses, will have a negative impact.
- Quality: The tested product’s quality will be impacted by several circumstances, such as a shortage of resources, a strict delivery timetable, and frequent modifications to the requirement.
33. What is the test ware?
ANSWER – Test gear refers to all the tools required to carry out the test. Test plans, test cases, test data, and any other materials required to conduct and create a test are all included in test gear.
34. What is Monkey testing?
ANSWER – A sort of black box testing called monkey testing is used to test an application by supplying random inputs to evaluate the system behavior, such as to see if the system is crashing or not. When a user gives random inputs to test the system behavior, this sort of testing is carried out automatically. To execute monkey testing, test cases are not required.
It may also be automated, meaning we can create scripts or programs to produce random inputs in order to monitor how the system behaves. When conducting stress or load testing, this method is helpful.
35. What are the differences between Preventive and Reactive approaches?
ANSWER –
Preventive Strategy: The Verification process is another name for the preventive approach. The strategy used to avoid problems is called preventive. In this method, tests are created early in the software development lifecycle, prior to the program being created. This strategy falls under the category of quality analysis and involves testers attempting to stop faults in their tracks.
Reactive Strategy: It is also referred to as the validation process. The goal of this strategy is to find flaws. The tests in this method are created to run after the program development. We want to identify the flaws in this method. It is governed
36. What is the Quality Audit?
ANSWER – A quality audit is a technique used for on-site processing quality system verification. Such as an inspection or examination. Quality auditing is the systematic examination of a quality system by a team of auditors, either internal or external. Periodically, quality audits are conducted to make sure the company has internal system monitoring methods that are clearly defined and connected to efficient action. A crucial management technique for confirming objective proof of procedures is the audit.
37. How do you decide when you have tested enough?
ANSWER – One of the most important questions is this one. Sometimes, as a project manager or project lead, we may have to cancel testing in order to launch the product sooner. In certain circumstances, we must determine if the product has received sufficient testing from the testers.
When deciding when to halt testing in real-time projects, various considerations must be taken into account:
- If the testing or release deadlines are met
- By inputting the determined test case pass rate.
- If the risk in the real-time project is below the permitted level.
- When all the critical bugs and roadblocks have been resolved.
- If our submission meets the requirements.
38. How to design test cases?
ANSWER – There are primarily two methods for creating test cases:
Black Box Analysis
The testers consider the program as a black box with inputs and outputs in this specification-based testing method. In “black box” testing, the testers are unaware of the internal workings of the program; instead, they are only aware of the functions it performs.
This kind of testing methodology is acceptable for all testing levels when the specification is present.
White Box Analysis
A testing method known as “white box testing” assesses the logic and internal organization of the code.
The testers should be able to code in order to do white box testing so that they can work with internal code. They investigate the internal code and identify the problematic unit.
39. What is Adhoc testing?
ANSWER – Adhoc testing is a casual method of software testing. It does not adhere to the established procedures such as test plans, test cases, requirement documentation, etc.
Ad hoc testing has the following traits:
- Ad hoc testing is done on an application after formal testing is finished.
- Primary goal is to malfunction the program without using a predetermined procedure.
- Ad hoc testers should be well knowledgeable about the product they are evaluating.
40. How is monkey testing different from Adhoc testing?
ANSWER –This unstructured approach is shared by both ad hoc testing and monkey testing, however just a basic understanding of the software is required for monkey testing. Adhoc testing requires testers to have a thorough understanding of the product, nevertheless.
41. What are the different levels in software testing?
Software testing is divided into four levels:
- Unit/Component testing
- Integration testing
- System testing
- Acceptance testing
Hypothetical QA Job Interview Questions
42. Using what criteria do you select testing tools?
43. How do you approach projects you have doubts about?
44. In what ways would you ensure that your team does not overlook details in the QA process?
45. How do you know a test was executed correctly?
46. What do you do if you discover your team is performing a test on a product even after finding a defect?
47. How would you create and sustain quality control?
48. How does one reduce the number of faults in a project?
49. How do you measure the success and coverage of your tests?
50. If a client found a sizable defect in a status report, how would you resolve the issue to stop it from occurring again?
51. If you joined our company, what three things would you do first?
What Should You Know About QA Engineer Jobs and the Interview Process?
Is there a guide or walkthrough for QA job interviews? is one question you could ask yourself. Yes, in a nutshell, but each interview will be unique. Every organization will have its own interview procedures, standards, and strategies. Although you cannot foresee what people will do, you may still plan for a variety of outcomes.
But ultimately, you should project confidence and let your potential employer know that this is where you want to be, particularly during the interview process, regardless of your aspirations for your future career.
How Long Does a QA Interview Take?
The length of a QA interview depends on a number of factors.. For example, is this a first-round interview or a final-round interview? Are you submitting an application for a junior post or one of the top positions available?
Furthermore, you cannot forecast the timing of an interview based on your likelihood of getting a job. The business may undertake in-depth interviews without consideration to who they choose for the position or may only do one as a bare minimum. But experience for senior QA engineers as opposed to associate level QA engineers absolutely matters.
What Is an Associate Level Engineer Interview Like?
They are aware that testing is a part of QA, but there are other kinds of testing
A candidate for associate level engineer will be less desirable if they do not broaden their understanding of various testing approaches. Such as acceptance, system, integration, usability, performance, load, and other testing. It is a necessary component of interview preparation and familiarity with the software QA industry.
What Is a Senior Level Engineer Interview Like?
A detailed response should be expected when asking a high level engineer a technical question during an interview. If you frequently receive a high level response instead, it indicates that they lack the relevant experience.
In an interview, make an effort to provide as much information. While responding to technical inquiries. When asked about automation, describe the framework, describe the techniques you had to use to get around maintainability concerns, talk about the challenges you had to troubleshoot.
What Do QA Interviewers Look for in Candidates?
You don’t have to be a phenomenal genius or a well-known specialist to convince a potential employer of your value. Many times, even if a candidate doesn’t meet all the requirements for a position, an employer wants someone who will fit in with the team and put forth effort.
The ideal attribute for candidates for QA jobs is a willingness to develop, learn, and push oneself. If you believe that this employment will just serve as a stepping stone for your career, that’s OK, but don’t mention it to the interviewer.
Basic Quality Assurance Job Requirements
Every position has minimal minimum requirements that applicants must fulfill. Generally speaking, QA engineer candidates should possess the following qualifications:
- A Bachelor’s Degree in a related field
- Knowledge of the SDLC and/or experience with software quality assurance
- Working familiarity with relevant tools, terms, and processes
A strong applicant also has to have the correct sort of résumé. Even if your resume passes the automatic checker, you’ll still need to include the proper quantity of information.
How to Write a Good QA Job Resume
Writing resumes of any form should always adhere to the KISS approach (Keep It Simple and Short). Too often, recruiters receive three-page resumes for entry-level positions. For senior level roles, two pages of a CV are acceptable, but three or more might hurt your chances of landing the QA job you’re after.
A few important QA Best practices for a job resume are:
- Use formatting to make the most of the space on the page.
- At the upper left, provide important details such your name, email address, and phone number.
- Include your college, your major, and your years of attendance for associate positions.
- On your résumé, provide the start and end dates for each employment.
- Include a list of the platforms, tools, and software you have used in the past, especially if they are exclusive to the firm you are applying to, like Parasoft’s C/C++ testing tools.
- When describing your work tasks and accomplishments, be precise.
- Include duties that demonstrate a wider variety of abilities than just “testing” to demonstrate to a potential employer what else you can offer to the table.
Avoid having too many gaps or switching jobs frequently. Both of these stick out to interviewers as red flags. You should modify your resume for each position you apply for in order to improve your chances of getting an interview.
INFOGRAPHIC
FAQs (QA Interview Questions)
How to prepare for QA interview questions?
The suitable technique to get ready for a QA interview is to examine your skills. Put your attention on your strengths and be aware of your deficiencies. Review your definitions, go over the preceding questions and answers. In addition to finding the most qualified applicant, the recruiting process also involves finding the correct culture match.
How long should the interview take?
The interviewer, the candidate, and how rapidly you move through the questions will all affect the result.
QA interviews can take a lot of time, whether they are for positions as a quality assurance engineer, analyst, manager, or lead. Frequently, there will be numerous rounds of interviews and a follow-up technical interview.
There may be several interviews throughout the employment process, most QA interviews typically last somewhere between and two hours.
In conclusion, to assist you in preparing for the upcoming interview, we have covered the most important QA Testing interview questions. For new applicants as well as QA Testing interview questions for experienced QA Engineers. These frequently asked QA interview questions will help you succeed in your job interview. You can use these interview questions to prepare for your viva (orals).
How many programmers does it take to change a light bulb?
None. It’s a hardware problem.
