Assurance (QA) and software testing play crucial roles in ensuring that a software product is robust, reliable, and functions as intended. If you’re preparing for a QA interview, it’s important to understand key concepts, methodologies, and best practices in the field. Here, we’ve compiled a list of the top 40 QA interview questions and answers to help you get ready for your next job opportunity.
What is the difference between QA and software testing?
Quality Assurance (QA) focuses on improving the overall process of software development to ensure the final product meets quality standards. It is more process-oriented. On the other hand, software testing is about checking whether the developed software works correctly and meets the user’s needs, specifically looking at its functionality.
What is Testware?
Testware refers to all the materials, tools, and resources necessary for testing a software product. It includes test plans, test cases, test data, and test scripts.
What is the difference between build and release?
A build is a version of software that is given to the testing team for evaluation. It’s typically generated by the development team and may still have bugs. A release, however, refers to a version of software that has been approved by the QA team and handed over to the customer for production use.
What are the automation challenges that the SQA team faces?
Automated testing comes with its own challenges, including:
- Mastering the automation tool
- Reusing automation scripts across different test cases
- Adapting test cases for automation
- Automating complex test scenarios
What is bug leakage and bug release?
- Bug Release occurs when a defect is known but is allowed to be passed to the testing team for fixing later, typically because the defect’s severity is low.
- Bug Leakage happens when a defect is missed by the testing team but is later discovered by the end users after the software is deployed.
What is data-driven testing?
Data-driven testing is an approach where test cases are executed using a variety of input values that are stored in data files such as CSV, Excel, or database files. This allows testers to evaluate the software with different sets of data.
Explain the steps of the bug cycle.
The bug cycle involves several stages:
- Open: The bug is identified by the tester and assigned to the development team.
- Rejection/Approval: If the bug is valid, the development team works on fixing it. If not, it’s marked as rejected.
- Verification: The tester verifies if the bug is fixed after the development team works on it.
- Closure: Once the fix is validated, the bug is marked as closed.
What does a test strategy include?
A test strategy is a high-level document that outlines the testing approach for a project. It includes:
- Introduction
- Testing scope and objectives
- Resource and schedule planning
- Testing tools
- Risk management strategies
Mention the different types of software testing.
Various types of software testing include:
- Unit testing
- Integration testing
- Regression testing
- Smoke testing
- Functional testing
- Performance testing
- System testing
What is branch testing and boundary testing?
- Branch testing involves testing each decision branch of the code to ensure that every possible path is covered.
- Boundary testing focuses on testing the limits of the software inputs, ensuring that it behaves correctly on the boundaries (e.g., minimum and maximum values).
What are the contents of test plans and test cases?
A test plan outlines the testing approach and strategy. It includes:
- Objectives and scope of testing
- Test environment
- Criteria for pass/fail
- Risk factors
A test case includes specific conditions to test, such as:
- Test steps
- Prerequisites
- Test inputs
- Expected results
What is Agile testing and why is it important?
Agile testing is a methodology where testing is done in parallel with development in iterative cycles. Unlike traditional testing, where testing happens after development, Agile testing focuses on continuous customer feedback, fast delivery, and collaboration.
What is a Test case?
A test case is a documented set of conditions and actions used to verify if a software application performs as expected. It includes inputs, actions to perform, and expected results.
What is the strategy for an automation test plan?
A good automation test plan strategy includes:
- Identifying the right tools and framework
- Recording test scenarios
- Adding error handling to scripts
- Enhancing scripts with checkpoints and loops
- Debugging and rerunning the scripts
What is a quality audit?
A quality audit is a thorough and independent review to assess the effectiveness of the software quality control processes. It helps ensure that the testing and development process follows best practices and standards.
What are the tools used by a tester while testing?
Some of the common tools used in software testing include:
- Selenium (for automated testing)
- Firebug (for debugging)
- WinSCP (for file transfer)
- JIRA (for bug and project management)
Explain stress testing, load testing, and volume testing.
- Load Testing involves testing how the application performs under a heavy but expected load.
- Stress Testing involves testing how the system behaves under extreme or unexpected conditions.
- Volume Testing involves testing how the application handles large volumes of data.
What are the five common solutions for software development problems?
Some common solutions include:
- Clear and complete requirements gathering
- Realistic project schedules
- Adequate early testing
- Prototyping during the design phase
- Communication tools for the team
What is a ‘USE’ case and what does it include?
A USE case describes how users will interact with a system and how the system should respond. It includes:
- Flow of events
- Preconditions and post-conditions
- Special requirements
What is CRUD testing and how to test CRUD?
CRUD stands for Create, Read, Update, and Delete. To perform CRUD testing, you can use SQL queries to test if the system handles these operations correctly.
What is thread testing?
Thread testing is a top-down testing approach where components are integrated progressively as they are developed.
What is configuration management?
Configuration management is the process of managing and documenting any changes made during the software development lifecycle. It helps maintain the integrity of software products by tracking changes.
What is Ad Hoc testing?
Ad Hoc testing is an informal testing technique where the tester tries to find defects by randomly testing the system without predefined test cases.
List the roles of a Software Quality Assurance engineer.
Some common roles of a Software QA Engineer include:
- Writing source code
- Code review and management
- Test planning and execution
- Integration and release management
Explain test drivers and test stubs and why they are required.
- Test Driver is used in bottom-up testing, where it calls the component under test.
- Test Stub is used in top-down testing, where it simulates components that are yet to be implemented.
What is bug triage?
Bug triage is the process of analyzing, prioritizing, and assigning bugs to appropriate team members for resolution.
List various tools for supporting testing during software development.
Some popular tools for supporting software testing include:
- Test Management Tools: JIRA, Quality Center
- Defect Management Tools: Bugzilla, Test Director
- Automation Tools: QTP, WinRunner
What is a cause-effect graph?
A cause-effect graph visually represents the relationship between inputs and outputs, which can be used to design effective test cases.
What is a Test Metric in software testing?
Test Metrics refer to statistical measurements that provide insights into the testing process. They track things like:
- Total tests conducted
- Number of tests passed or failed
- Defect density
What is a traceability matrix?
A traceability matrix is used to map test cases to specific project requirements, ensuring all requirements are tested.
Explain the difference between Regression Testing and Retesting.
- Retesting is done to check whether a specific defect has been fixed.
- Regression Testing ensures that the fixes have not introduced new issues into the software.
List software quality practices throughout the software development cycle.
Software quality practices include:
- Code reviews
- Writing comprehensive test cases
- Risk-based testing
- Continuous integration and testing
What is the role of Test-Driven Development?
Test-Driven Development (TDD) involves writing tests before writing the actual code. It helps ensure that the code meets the requirements and performs as expected from the start.
What are the types of documents in Software Quality Assurance?
SQA documentation includes:
- Requirements documents
- Test plans and test cases
- Bug reports
- Test logs
What should your QA documents include?
QA documents should provide detailed information on:
- Defect severity levels
- Testing methodology
- Test plans
- Bug reports
- User manuals
What is MR (Modification Request) and what does it consist of?
An MR (Modification Request) is used to report defects or suggest improvements in the software. It includes details about the defect, such as its nature, severity, and impact.
What should a software QA document include?
Software QA documents should cover:
- Requirements and specifications
- Code changes
- Test plans and test cases
- Bug reports
How should validation activities be conducted?
Validation activities should involve:
- Independent evaluation by third-party teams
- Assigning non-technical staff to verify software functionality
- Continuous feedback from customers or users
What is the difference between positive and negative testing?
Positive testing involves testing the system with valid inputs to ensure it behaves as expected. Negative testing, on the other hand, tests the system with invalid inputs to ensure it handles errors gracefully and prevents system crashes.
What is the difference between Sanity Testing and Smoke Testing?
Smoke Testing is a preliminary testing process to ensure that the basic functionality of the application is working fine, typically done on the initial build. Sanity Testing is a subset of regression testing, done to ensure that specific functionality works correctly after changes have been made.
Preparing for a QA interview can be a challenging yet rewarding experience. Understanding the above 40 QA interview questions and their answers will give you a solid foundation in the fundamentals of QA testing. These concepts cover everything from testing methodologies, tools, and techniques to various testing practices. By mastering these topics, you will be well-equipped to excel in your next QA interview and take a step closer to landing your ideal job.