So, you’re excited about a career in software testing and have a manual testing interview coming up? That’s great! Manual testing is a crucial part of software development, and freshers with a good understanding of the basics are always in demand. This blog post will walk you through some of the most frequently asked interview questions for manual testing freshers. We’ll provide simple, clear answers so you can confidently demonstrate your knowledge and land that job!
Remember, interviewers want to see not just what you know, but also how you think. Focus on understanding the core concepts rather than just memorizing answers. Let’s get started!
1. What is Manual Testing?
Answer:
Manual testing is the process of testing software manually to find bugs or defects. Testers execute test cases without using any automation tools. They check if the software works as expected by following the requirements and reporting any issues.
2. What are the different types of manual testing?
Answer:
The main types of manual testing are:
- User Acceptance Testing (UAT): Testing to ensure the software meets user requirements.
- Functional Testing: Checking if the software works as per the requirements.
- Non-Functional Testing: Testing performance, usability, and reliability.
- Unit Testing: Testing individual components or units of the software.
- Integration Testing: Testing how different modules work together.
- System Testing: Testing the complete system as a whole.
3. What is a bug?
Answer:
A bug is an error or flaw in the software that causes it to behave unexpectedly or produce incorrect results. Testers report bugs to developers so they can fix them.
4. What is a test case?
Answer:
Verification: Checking if the software is built correctly as per the design and requirements. It answers the question, “Are we building the product right?”
Validation: Checking if the software meets the user’s needs and expectations. It answers the question, “Are we building the right product?”
6. What is the difference between retesting and regression testing?
Answer:
Retesting: Testing a specific bug after it has been fixed to ensure it is resolved.
Regression Testing: Testing the entire application to ensure that new changes or bug fixes have not introduced new issues or broken existing functionality.
7. What is a test plan?
Answer:
A test plan is a document that outlines the strategy, objectives, schedule, resources, and scope of testing. It acts as a guide for the testing process.
8. What is the difference between severity and priority?
Answer:
Severity: Indicates how serious the bug is and its impact on the software. For example, a crash is high severity.
Priority: Indicates how quickly the bug needs to be fixed. For example, a typo in the logo might be low severity but high priority.
9. What is exploratory testing?
Answer:
Exploratory testing is a type of testing where testers explore the software without predefined test cases. They use their creativity and knowledge to find bugs and understand the application.
10. What is the difference between smoke testing and sanity testing?
Answer:
Smoke Testing: A quick test to check if the basic functionality of the software is working. It is done to ensure the build is stable for further testing.
Sanity Testing: A narrow and deep test to check if a specific feature or bug fix is working as expected.
11. What is a defect life cycle?
Answer:
The defect life cycle is the process a bug goes through from the time it is found until it is fixed and closed. The stages include:
- Closed
- New
- Assigned
- Open
- Fixed
- Retest
- Verified
12. What is boundary value analysis?
Answer:
Boundary value analysis is a testing technique where test cases are designed to check the behavior of the software at the boundaries of input ranges. For example, if a field accepts values from 1 to 100, we test with 0, 1, 100, and 101.
13. What is equivalence partitioning?
Answer:
Equivalence partitioning is a technique where input data is divided into groups or partitions that are expected to behave similarly. Test cases are designed for each partition instead of testing every possible value.
14. What is the difference between functional and non-functional testing?
Answer:
Functional Testing: Tests what the software does (e.g., login functionality).
Non-Functional Testing: Tests how the software performs (e.g., speed, security, usability).
15. What is UAT (User Acceptance Testing)?
Answer:
UAT is the final phase of testing where end-users test the software to ensure it meets their requirements and is ready for release.
16. What is the difference between black-box testing and white-box testing?
Answer:
Black-Box Testing: Testing the software without knowing its internal code or structure. Testers focus on inputs and outputs.
White-Box Testing: Testing the software with knowledge of its internal code and structure. Testers check the logic and flow of the code.
17. What is a test scenario?
Answer:
A test scenario is a high-level description of what needs to be tested. It is a single line statement that gives an idea of the functionality to be tested. For example, “Test the login functionality.”
18. What is the difference between positive testing and negative testing?
Answer:
Positive Testing: Testing the software with valid inputs to check if it works as expected. For example, entering the correct username and password to log in.
Negative Testing: Testing the software with invalid inputs to check if it handles errors properly. For example, entering the wrong username or password to see if it shows an error message.
19. What is ad-hoc testing?
Answer:
Ad-hoc testing is informal testing done without any planning or documentation. Testers randomly test the application to find defects that may not be caught by formal test cases.
20. What is a build in software testing?
Answer:
A build is a version of the software that is given to the testing team. It includes all the features, bug fixes, and changes made by the developers.
21. What is the difference between static testing and dynamic testing?
Answer:
Static Testing: Testing the software without executing it. It includes reviewing documents, code, and designs.
Dynamic Testing: Testing the software by executing it. It includes functional and non-functional testing.
22. What is a traceability matrix?
Answer:
A traceability matrix is a document that maps and traces user requirements to test cases. It ensures that all requirements are covered by test cases and helps track the testing progress.
23. What is the difference between alpha testing and beta testing?
Answer:
Alpha Testing: Testing done by the internal team (developers or testers) before releasing the software to end-users.
Beta Testing: Testing done by a group of end-users in a real environment before the final release.
24. What is usability testing?
Answer:
Usability testing checks how user-friendly the software is. It focuses on the ease of use, navigation, and overall user experience.
25. What is load testing?
Answer:
Load testing checks how the software behaves under expected or peak load conditions. It helps identify performance bottlenecks.
26. What is the difference between a bug and a defect?
Answer:
Bug: A flaw or error in the software found during testing.
Defect: A flaw or error found by the end-user after the software is released.
27. What is the importance of documentation in testing?
Answer:
Documentation is important because it helps in:
- Ensuring consistency and clarity in the testing process.
- Understanding the requirements and test cases.
- Tracking the testing progress.
- Providing a reference for future testing.
28. What is the difference between test strategy and test plan?
Answer:
Test Strategy: A high-level document that defines the testing approach, objectives, and resources.
Test Plan: A detailed document that outlines the scope, schedule, and activities of testing for a specific project.
29. What is risk-based testing?
Answer:
Risk-based testing is a technique where testing is prioritized based on the risk of failure. High-risk areas are tested first to ensure critical functionalities are stable.
30. What is end-to-end testing?
Answer:
End-to-end testing is a type of testing where the entire application is tested from start to finish to ensure all components work together as expected in a real-world scenario.
31. What is the difference between a test environment and a production environment?
Answer:
Test Environment: A setup where testing is performed. It mimics the production environment but is used only for testing purposes.
Production Environment: The live environment where the final software is deployed and used by end-users.
32. What is the purpose of a test closure report?
Answer:
A test closure report summarizes the testing activities, including test coverage, defects found, defects fixed, and lessons learned. It is created at the end of the testing process to evaluate the quality of the software.
33. What is monkey testing?
Answer:
Monkey testing is a type of testing where the tester randomly tests the application without any specific test cases. The goal is to find unexpected bugs by performing random actions.
34. What is the difference between a test bed and a test harness?
Answer:
Test Bed: A test environment setup with hardware, software, and network configurations required for testing.
Test Harness: A set of tools and code used to automate the testing process, such as running test cases and generating reports.
35. What is the importance of defect reporting?
Answer:
Defect reporting is important because:
- It helps improve the software by identifying recurring issues.
- It helps developers understand and fix the issue.
- It ensures that all defects are tracked and resolved.
- It provides a record of the quality of the software.
36. What are the 7 principles of software testing?
Answer:
The 7 principles of software testing are:
- Absence-of-errors fallacy: Finding and fixing defects does not guarantee that the software is usable or meets user needs.
- Testing shows the presence of defects: Testing can show that defects are present, but it cannot prove that there are no defects.
- Exhaustive testing is impossible: It is not possible to test all combinations of inputs and scenarios.
- Early testing: Testing should start as early as possible in the software development life cycle (SDLC).
- Defect clustering: A small number of modules usually contain most of the defects.
- Pesticide paradox: Repeating the same tests over and over will not find new defects. Test cases need to be reviewed and updated regularly.
- Testing is context-dependent: Testing is done differently depending on the type of software (e.g., banking apps vs. games).
37. How do you write a good bug report?
Answer:
A good bug report should be clear and detailed. It should include:
- Severity of the bug (how serious it is).
- A clear title summarizing the problem.
- Steps to reproduce the bug.
- The expected result.
- The actual result (what happened instead).
- Screenshots or videos if possible.
- The environment where the bug occurred (like browser, operating system).
38. What are some qualities of a good software tester?
Answer:
Some good qualities include:
- Learning attitude: Software is always changing, so testers need to be willing to learn new things.
- Attention to detail: Noticing small problems.
- Analytical skills: Being able to understand how the software works and identify potential issues.
- Communication skills: Clearly explaining bugs and test results.
- Problem-solving skills: Finding creative ways to test the software.
- Patience: Testing can be repetitive, so patience is important.
39. Have you worked with any bug tracking tools? If so, which ones?
Answer:
(Be honest here. If you haven’t, that’s okay. You can say something like:) “As a fresher, I haven’t had direct experience with bug tracking tools in a professional setting. However, I understand their purpose and have explored some popular ones like Jira and Bugzilla. I’m eager to learn and use these tools in a real project.” (If you have used them, mention which ones and describe briefly how you used them – e.g., logging bugs, updating status, etc.)
40. What are some challenges faced by software testers?
Answer:
Some challenges include:
- Communication issues: Problems communicating with developers or other stakeholders.
- Tight deadlines: Having to test quickly with limited time.
- Changing requirements: Having to adapt to changes in the software.
- Complex software: Testing software with many features and interactions.
- Lack of information: Not having enough information about the software or requirements.
- Difficult bugs: Bugs that are hard to reproduce or understand.