Top List of QA Testing Interview Q&A for Experience Testers

Quality Assurance (QA) Testing is an integral part of software development, as it ensures that the final product meets the expected standards of quality. As the industry continues to evolve, QA testing is becoming increasingly important, and skilled QA testers are in high demand.

This is especially true for Automation Testing, as more companies are transitioning from manual testing to automated testing to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of their testing processes.

If you are an experienced tester looking to switch to automation testing or enhance your automation testing skills, then you are in the right place.

In this article, we will provide expert answers to some of the most commonly asked questions by experienced testers, including how to become a QA automation engineer, how to learn automation testing, and how to ace a QA testing interview.

We will also provide a Selenium tutorial for beginners, as Selenium is one of the most widely used tools for automation testing.

According to a report by MarketsandMarkets, the global automation testing market is expected to grow from $12.6 billion in 2018 to $48.8 billion by 2025, at a CAGR of 18.0% during the forecast period. This rapid growth can be attributed to the increasing adoption of agile and DevOps methodologies, which require continuous testing to ensure a faster time-to-market. As a result, companies are looking for skilled QA testers who can effectively use automation tools like Selenium to improve their testing processes.

So, if you want to stay ahead in the competitive world of software testing and make a successful transition from manual testing to automation testing, then read on to learn more about how to ace a QA testing interview and become an expert in automation testing.

1. What is your approach to testing a new feature or application?

You should ideally mention a systematic and structured approach to testing a new feature or application. Answer:

• Review the requirements and specifications to gain an understanding of what the feature is expected to do.
• Create test cases that cover all the expected functionalities and any edge cases.
• Prioritize the test cases based on their importance and the risk associated with their failure.
• Execute the test cases and log any defects that are found.
• Verify that the feature meets the requirements and specifications and that all defects are fixed.

2. How do you ensure that the requirements and user stories are correctly translated into test cases?

You should mention a process to verify that the requirements and user stories are correctly translated into test cases.

Answer:

• Review the requirements and user stories to gain an understanding of the expected functionality.
• Create test cases that cover all the expected functionalities and any edge cases.
• Verify that the test cases cover all the requirements and user stories.
• Review the test cases with the development team and other stakeholders to ensure that they are complete and accurate.

3. What testing methodologies have you worked with? Which one do you prefer and why?

You should mention the testing methodologies they have experience with and explain why they prefer one over the others. Some common testing methodologies include:

• Waterfall
• Agile
• Scrum
• Kanban

4. Can you describe your experience with writing test plans and test cases?

You Answer should describe their experience in writing test plans and test cases, which includes:

• Understanding the requirements and specifications of the project
• Creating a comprehensive list of test cases that cover all functionalities
• Prioritizing test cases based on their importance
• Documenting test results and communicating them with other team members

5. How do you prioritize your testing efforts when there is limited time available?

Your Answer should describe their approach to prioritizing testing efforts when there is limited time available. This could involve:

• Prioritizing high-risk test cases over low-risk ones
• Focusing on the most critical functionalities of the application
• Collaborating with stakeholders to determine which areas of the application should receive priority

6. Have you worked with any test management tools? Which ones do you have experience with?

Your Answer should describe any test management tools they have experience with, such as:

1. Jira
2. Trello
3. TestRail
4. HP Quality Center

They should also explain how they use these tools to manage their testing efforts, such as tracking test cases and logging defects.

7. How do you determine if a defect is a blocker or a minor issue?

Factors that may influence this decision could include:

• The impact of the defect on the application’s functionality
• The frequency with which the defect occurs
• The risk associated with the defect

8. Have you ever worked with any bug tracking tools? Which ones?

Answer: Bug tracking tools I have experience with, such as:

1. Jira
2. Bugzilla
3. Mantis
4. Redmine

They should also explain how they use these tools to track and manage defects, such as logging new defects, assigning them to team members, and tracking their status.

9. How do you ensure that the defects you find are properly reported and tracked?

• Log the defect in the bug tracking tool, including a clear description of the issue, steps to reproduce it, and any supporting materials (such as screenshots or log files).
• Assign the defect to the appropriate team member for investigation and resolution.
• Monitor the defect’s status regularly and follow up with the assignee to ensure that it is being addressed in a timely manner.
• Verify that the defect is fixed and properly tested before closing it.

10. How do you ensure that the testing you perform is thorough and complete?

Your should explain how they ensure that the testing they perform is thorough and complete.

Answer:

1. Develop a comprehensive test plan that covers all expected functionality and any edge cases.
2. Prioritize test cases based on their importance and the risk associated with their failure.
3. Conduct a thorough review of the requirements and specifications to ensure that all expected functionality is covered in the test plan.
4. Continuously evaluate and update the test plan as new information becomes available or as the application evolves.

11. How do you approach testing when there is limited or incomplete documentation?

Your should describe their approach to testing when there is limited or incomplete documentation.

Answer:

• Collaborate with the development team to gain a better understanding of the application’s functionality.
• Conduct exploratory testing to identify any areas of the application that are not covered in the existing documentation.
• Document any issues or gaps in the documentation and communicate them to the appropriate stakeholders.
• Work with the development team to ensure that the documentation is updated to reflect the application’s actual functionality.

12. Can you describe your experience with testing APIs or web services?

Your should describe their experience with testing APIs or web services.

Answer:

• Testing APIs using tools like Postman, SOAPUI, or REST Assured.
• Creating test cases that cover all expected API functionalities, such as input validation, error handling, and response validation.
• Collaborating with developers to identify and fix any issues found during API testing.
• Conducting performance testing on APIs to ensure that they can handle the expected traffic.

13. Have you ever worked with any test automation frameworks? Which ones?

The test automation frameworks I have experience with, such as:

1. Selenium
2. Appium
3. TestNG
4. Cucumber

Should also explain how they use these frameworks to automate testing efforts, such as creating test scripts and executing them as part of the continuous integration and delivery process.

14. Can you explain the difference between smoke testing and sanity testing?

Smoke testing is a quick and shallow test of the application’s critical functionalities, conducted to ensure that the application is stable enough to perform more detailed testing.
Sanity testing, on the other hand, is a more thorough and detailed test of specific functionalities, conducted to ensure that any issues found during smoke testing have been resolved and that the application is functioning as expected.

15. How do you collaborate with developers and other stakeholders during the testing process?

Answer:

• Regularly communicating with developers to ensure that they are aware of any issues found during testing.
• Participating in daily stand-up meetings to ensure that everyone is aware of the status of testing efforts and any issues that have arisen.
• Collaborating with product owners and other stakeholders to ensure that testing efforts are aligned with business objectives and priorities.

16. Can you describe your experience with testing in an Agile environment?

Answer:

• Working in short iterations or sprints, where testing is integrated throughout the development cycle.
• Participating in daily stand-up meetings to discuss progress, issues, and potential roadblocks.
• Collaborating with developers and product owners to ensure that testing efforts are aligned with business priorities.
  Using automated testing tools to support continuous integration and delivery.
• Conducting exploratory testing to identify new issues and edge cases.
  Conducting retrospective meetings to review the effectiveness of testing efforts and identify areas for improvement.

17. How do you approach regression testing?

Your answer should describe their approach to regression testing, which involves testing existing functionality after changes or updates have been made to the application. 

Answer: 

Develop a comprehensive regression test suite that covers all critical functionalities of the application.
Prioritize test cases based on the risk associated with their failure and the areas of the application that have been most heavily modified.
Conduct regression testing after each major release or update to the application.
Use automated testing tools to support regression testing efforts and reduce the amount of manual testing required.

18. Can you describe your experience with performance testing?

You should describe their experience with performance testing, which involves testing the application’s ability to handle expected traffic and user loads.

Answer:

Using tools like JMeter, LoadRunner, or Gatling to simulate user traffic and measure the application’s performance under different load conditions.
Developing test scenarios that cover different types of user interactions and workflows.
Analyzing performance metrics like response times, throughput, and error rates to identify areas for improvement.
Collaborating with developers to identify and address performance issues found during testing.

19. How do you ensure that testing efforts are aligned with business objectives and priorities?

Answer:

• Participating in regular meetings with product owners and other stakeholders to understand business priorities and objectives.
• Collaborating with developers to ensure that testing efforts are aligned with product roadmaps and release schedules.
• Prioritizing testing efforts based on business priorities and the potential impact of failure.
• Communicating testing progress and issues to stakeholders to ensure that they are aware of any potential roadblocks or delays.

20. How do you stay up-to-date with industry trends and best practices in software testing?

Answer:

• Participating in conferences, webinars, and other industry events.
• Reading industry publications, blogs, and forums to stay informed about new developments and emerging trends.
• Participating in training and certification programs to develop new skills and knowledge.
• Collaborating with other testers and industry professionals to share knowledge and best practices.