50 Important Manual Testing Interview Questions

Manual Testing interview questions

As a software tester, one of the most important parts of the job is being able to effectively and efficiently test software for quality assurance. In order to do this, it’s essential to have a good understanding of the different testing techniques and methodologies used in software testing.

In this blog, we’ll be discussing some of the most common manual testing interview questions that you may encounter during your job search. We’ll be covering topics ranging from basic concepts to advanced testing techniques, and providing detailed answers to help you prepare for your next interview.

1. What is quality control, and how does it differ from quality assurance? Quality control refers to the process of ensuring that the product or service being delivered meets the desired level of quality. This is achieved through the use of testing and inspection techniques, and is typically performed after the product has been developed.

Quality assurance, on the other hand, is a process that ensures that quality is built into the product or service from the beginning. This is done through the use of standards, processes, and procedures that are designed to prevent defects from occurring in the first place.

2. What are the advantages of manual testing? Manual testing has a number of advantages, including:

• Greater attention to detail: Manual testing allows testers to closely examine the software, and identify issues that may be missed by automated testing tools.
• Improved creativity: Manual testing allows testers to explore the software in a more open-ended way, and identify potential issues that may not have been considered by the development team.
• Better usability testing: Manual testing allows testers to evaluate the software from the perspective of the end user, and identify any issues related to usability or user experience.

3. What exactly is manual software testing, and how does it differ from automated software testing? Manual software testing refers to the process of manually testing software applications to identify defects or issues. This is typically done by running the software and performing a series of tests to ensure that it is functioning as intended.

Automated software testing, on the other hand, involves the use of automated tools to run tests and identify issues. This is typically done by creating scripts or using test automation frameworks to run a series of pre-defined tests.

4. Explain what is software testing. Software testing is the process of evaluating a software application to ensure that it meets the desired level of quality. This is typically done by running a series of tests designed to identify defects or issues in the software.
5. On the other hand, what are the drawbacks to manual testing? Manual testing has a number of drawbacks, including:

• Time-consuming: Manual testing can be very time-consuming, especially for large or complex software applications.
• Limited scalability: Manual testing is difficult to scale, as it requires a human tester to perform the tests.
• Limited coverage: Manual testing may not be able to test every possible scenario, leading to the possibility of defects going undetected.

6. What kind of skills are needed for someone to become a software tester? Some of the key skills needed to become a software tester include:

• Attention to detail: Software testers need to be able to pay close attention to detail, and identify even small issues or defects.
• Strong communication skills: Testers need to be able to effectively communicate issues or defects to the development team, and work collaboratively to resolve them.
• Technical proficiency: Testers need to have a good understanding of the software being tested, as well as the testing tools and methodologies being used.
• Analytical thinking: Testers need to be able to think critically and logically, and identify potential issues or defects in the software.

7. What is SDLC? Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) is a process that is followed by software development teams to create, test, and deploy software. It involves planning, design, implementation, testing, and maintenance of software applications.
8. What is a test case? A test case is a document that contains a set of test steps, preconditions, and expected results designed to verify that a specific feature of the software works as expected.
9. What is a test scenario? A test scenario is a set of test cases that are grouped together to test a specific feature or functionality of the software.
10. What is a test plan? A test plan is a document that outlines the objectives, scope, approach, and resources for a software testing project.
11. What is test data? Test data is the set of inputs and outputs that are used in a software testing process to validate the functionality and performance of the software.
12. What is a test script? A test script is a set of instructions that are used to automate the execution of test cases.
13. What types of manual testing are there? Break them down. There are various types of manual testing, including:

• Functional testing
• Regression testing
• Integration testing
• System testing
• Acceptance testing
• Smoke testing
• Ad-hoc testing
• Exploratory testing
• Usability testing
• Accessibility testing

14. What is black box testing, and what are the various techniques? Black box testing is a testing technique that is used to test the functionality of a software application without knowing its internal workings. The various techniques used in black box testing include equivalence partitioning, boundary value analysis, decision table testing, state transition testing, and error guessing.
15. What is white box testing and its various techniques? White box testing is a testing technique that is used to test the internal workings of a software application. The various techniques used in white box testing include statement coverage, decision coverage, condition coverage, and path coverage.
16. Explain the difference between alpha testing and beta testing. Alpha testing is conducted by the software development team to test the software application in a controlled environment before releasing it to the beta testing stage. Beta testing is conducted by end-users in a real-world environment to identify any bugs or issues that may have been missed during the alpha testing phase.
17. What’s the difference between verification and validation? Verification is the process of ensuring that the software application is being built according to the specifications and requirements. Validation is the process of ensuring that the software application meets the needs and requirements of the end-users.
18. What’s a testbed? A testbed is an environment that is set up for testing software applications. It includes the hardware, software, and other tools required for the testing process.
19. What is Sanity testing? Sanity testing is a type of testing that is performed to ensure that the major functionalities of the software application are working as expected after making minor changes or fixes.
20. When should developers implement configuration management procedures? Developers should implement configuration management procedures as soon as they start developing the software application to ensure that all the changes made during the development process are tracked and managed properly.
21. List the four different test levels. The four different test levels include unit testing, integration testing, system testing, and acceptance testing.
22. What’s the difference between a bug and a defect? A bug is a coding error that causes the software application to behave unexpectedly or incorrectly. A defect is a deviation from the requirements or specifications that may or may not cause the software application to malfunction.
23. What about the difference between an error and a failure? An error is a mistake or fault made by a human, while a failure is a deviation of actual results from expected results.
24. What’s GUI testing?GUI testing refers to the process of testing the graphical user interface of a software application to ensure that it meets the specified requirements and functions as intended.

23. When should testing end? Testing should end when all the planned tests have been executed, and the results have been analyzed to ensure that the software meets the specified requirements and is of high quality. However, testing should never really “end” completely, as software is constantly evolving and requires ongoing testing to ensure its continued quality.
24. Why is Software Testing Required? Software testing is required to ensure that the software is functioning as intended, meeting the specified requirements, and is of high quality. Testing helps to identify defects and bugs in the software, which can be fixed before the software is released to the end-users, thereby minimizing the risk of business losses, legal liability, and damage to the reputation of the organization.
25. What are the different levels of manual testing? The different levels of manual testing are:

• Unit testing
• Integration testing
• System testing
• Acceptance testing

28. Explain the procedure for manual testing. The procedure for manual testing involves the following steps:

• Understanding the requirements and identifying the test scenarios
• Preparing the test cases
• Executing the test cases and recording the results
• Reporting and tracking defects
• Re-testing the defects after they are fixed

29. What is a test case? A test case is a document that outlines the steps to be followed and the expected result for a particular scenario or functionality in the software. It is used to ensure that the software is functioning as intended and meeting the specified requirements.
30. What’s the role of documentation in Manual Testing? Documentation plays an important role in manual testing, as it helps to ensure that the testing process is well-organized and efficient. It includes test plans, test cases, test scripts, and test reports, which help to ensure that the testing process is repeatable, consistent, and effective.
31. What are the different types of software testing? The different types of software testing are:

• Functional testing
• Non-functional testing
• Automated testing
• Manual testing
• Performance testing
• Security testing
• Compatibility testing
• Usability testing

32. Explain Functional Testing. Functional testing is a type of software testing that focuses on testing the functionality of the software by verifying whether it meets the specified requirements. It involves testing the features and functionalities of the software, including inputs, outputs, and the expected behavior of the software.
33. Explain Non-functional testing. Non-functional testing is a type of software testing that focuses on testing the non-functional aspects of the software, such as performance, scalability, reliability, and usability. It ensures that the software is not only functioning as intended but also meets the quality standards and performance requirements.
34. Mention a few advantages of Automated testing. Some advantages of automated testing are:

• Faster and more efficient testing process
• Greater testing accuracy and reliability
• Improved test coverage and quality
• Reduced testing time and cost
• Enables testing of repetitive tasks and scenarios

35. What is Regression Testing? Regression testing is a type of software testing that focuses on testing the changes made to the software to ensure that they have not introduced any new defects or impacted the existing functionality of the software. It involves re-executing the previously executed test cases to ensure that the changes have not caused any unintended effects.

35. What is Test Harness? A Test Harness is a collection of software tools and procedures that are used to test software products. It is designed to automate the testing process and provide a standardized approach to testing.
36. Differentiate between Positive and Negative Testing. Positive Testing involves testing the software application with valid inputs, whereas Negative Testing involves testing the software application with invalid inputs.
37. What is a Critical Bug? A Critical Bug is a software defect that has a significant impact on the functionality of the software product. It can result in system crashes, data loss, or other serious problems.
38. What is Test Closure? Test Closure is the final stage in the software testing process. It involves reviewing the test results, documenting the findings, and creating a report that summarizes the testing process and results.
39. Explain the defect life cycle. The Defect Life Cycle is the process by which software defects are identified, reported, tracked, and resolved. It typically includes the following stages: defect identification, defect reporting, defect triage, defect assignment, defect resolution, and defect verification.
40. What is the pesticide paradox? How to overcome it? The Pesticide Paradox refers to the phenomenon where repeating the same set of tests on a software application over and over again leads to the tests becoming less effective at detecting new bugs. To overcome this, it is important to regularly review and update the test cases, introduce new test cases, and apply different testing techniques.
41. What is API testing? API testing is a type of software testing that involves testing the Application Programming Interface (API) of a software product. It focuses on verifying that the API functions correctly and that it can handle various inputs and outputs.
42. What is System testing? System testing is a type of software testing that evaluates the complete system as a whole. It verifies that all components of the system are integrated and functioning correctly.
43. What is Acceptance testing? Acceptance testing is a type of software testing that evaluates whether a software product meets the customer’s requirements and expectations. It is typically performed by the customer or end-user to ensure that the software is ready for deployment.
44. Differentiate between bug leakage and bug release. Bug leakage is the situation where a software bug is detected by a customer or end-user, whereas bug release is the situation where a software bug is released into the production environment.
45. What do you mean by Defect Triage? Defect Triage is the process of evaluating software defects and determining their severity and priority. It involves reviewing the defects, assigning them to appropriate individuals or teams, and developing a plan for resolving them.
46. What is Integration Testing? What are its types? Integration Testing is a type of software testing that verifies that different modules of a software application are working together correctly. Its types include Big Bang Integration Testing, Incremental Integration Testing, and Top-Down and Bottom-Up Integration Testing.
47. What is a stub? A Stub is a piece of code used in software testing that simulates the behavior of a software component that the code being tested depends on. It allows the code being tested to be executed even if the dependent component is not yet available.
48. What is code coverage? Code coverage is a measure of how much of the software code has been tested during the testing process. It is typically expressed as a percentage, and it is used to evaluate the effectiveness of the testing process.

49. What is a cause-effect graph? A: A cause-effect graph is a graphical representation of the cause-and-effect relationships between different variables in a system. It is used in software testing to identify the input conditions that will cause a specific output or behavior in the system. It is also known as an Ishikawa diagram or fishbone diagram.

50.When should testing end? Testing should end when all the planned tests have been executed, and the results have been analyzed to ensure that the software meets the specified requirements and is of high quality. However, testing should never really “end” completely, as software is constantly evolving and requires ongoing testing to ensure its continued quality.

51.Why is Software Testing Required? Software testing is required to ensure that the software is functioning as intended, meeting the specified requirements, and is of high quality. Testing helps to identify defects and bugs in the software, which can be fixed before the software is released to the end-users, thereby minimizing the risk of business losses, legal liability, and damage to the reputation of the organization.

52.What is code coverage? Code coverage is a measure of how much of the software code has been tested during the testing process. It is typically expressed as a percentage, and it is used to evaluate the effectiveness of the testing process.

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