Software Testing Interview Questions For Freshers

Here are 25 interview questions that a QA Software Engineer fresher may be asked during a job interview:

1. What do you know about software testing?
2. What are some of the software testing methodologies?
3. What is the difference between verification and validation?
4. What is the difference between black box and white box testing?
5. What are the different levels of testing?
6. How would you prioritize test cases?
7. What is regression testing?
8. What are some common software defects?
9. How do you track and manage defects?
10. What is a test plan, and why is it important?
11. What is the difference between a test case and a test scenario?
12. How do you ensure that your testing is thorough?
13. What is exploratory testing, and when is it used?
14. What is user acceptance testing, and when is it performed?
15. What is the difference between functional and non-functional testing?
16. What is load testing, and why is it important?
17. How do you approach testing mobile applications?
18. What is automation testing, and when is it used?
19. What programming languages and tools are you familiar with?
20. Have you worked with any bug tracking or test management tools?
21. What is continuous integration, and how does it relate to testing?
22. What is your experience with Agile development methodologies?
23. How do you handle communication with developers and other team members?
24. What is your approach to troubleshooting issues during testing?
25. Can you describe a challenging testing problem you faced and how you overcame it?

Remember, these are just some examples of questions that may be asked during a QA Software Engineer fresher interview. It’s important to prepare by researching the company and the role, practicing your responses to common questions, and being confident and professional during the interview.

1. What do you know about software testing?

Software testing is the process of evaluating software products to ensure that they meet the requirements, specifications, and quality standards of the customer or end-user. It is a critical aspect of software development that involves identifying defects or bugs in the software and providing feedback to the development team to improve the product’s quality.

Software testing can be done manually or through automation tools. It involves various types of testing, such as functional testing, performance testing, security testing, and usability testing, among others. The goal of software testing is to identify and fix any issues before the software is released to the end-users, ensuring that the product is reliable, efficient, and user-friendly.

2. What are some of the software testing methodologies?

There are several software testing methodologies, including:

1. Waterfall Model: This methodology follows a sequential approach to software development, where testing is done after the development phase is completed.
2. Agile Model: This methodology is a flexible and iterative approach to software development, where testing is done throughout the development cycle.
3. V-Model: This methodology is an extension of the Waterfall Model and involves testing at every stage of the development cycle, including requirement analysis, design, development, and testing.
4. Scrum: This methodology is an Agile approach that emphasizes teamwork, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
5. DevOps: This methodology combines development and operations teams to streamline the software development process and increase the speed of software releases.
6. Exploratory Testing: This methodology involves testing without a specific test plan or script, where the tester explores the software’s functionality and features to identify defects.
7. Risk-Based Testing: This methodology involves prioritizing testing based on the risks associated with different parts of the software.

Each methodology has its advantages and disadvantages, and the choice of methodology depends on the project’s requirements and constraints.

3. What is the difference between verification and validation?

Verification and validation are two terms used in software testing to ensure the quality of a product. Here are their definitions and differences:

1. Verification: Verification is the process of checking whether the software meets its design specifications and requirements. It is typically done by reviewing documents, designs, and code to ensure that the product matches the intended functionality. Verification is focused on ensuring that the product is being built right.
2. Validation: Validation is the process of checking whether the software meets the customer’s needs and expectations. It is typically done by testing the product against user requirements and performing user acceptance testing. Validation is focused on ensuring that the right product is being built.

In summary, verification is focused on checking whether the product is being built correctly, while validation is focused on checking whether the right product is being built. Both verification and validation are important aspects of software testing and are typically performed throughout the software development life cycle.

4. What is the difference between black box and white box testing?

Black box testing and white box testing are two methods of software testing that differ in the level of access to the internal workings of the software being tested. Here are their definitions and differences:

1. Black box testing: Black box testing is a method of software testing in which the tester has no knowledge of the internal workings of the software being tested. The tester treats the software as a “black box” and tests it based on its external inputs and outputs. The focus of black box testing is on testing the software’s functionality and features, and the tester is not concerned with how the software achieves its results.
2. White box testing: White box testing is a method of software testing in which the tester has access to the internal workings of the software being tested. The tester can review the source code, algorithms, and other internal components of the software to understand how it works. The focus of white box testing is on testing the software’s internal structure, logic, and code quality.

In summary, black box testing focuses on the software’s external behavior and functionality, while white box testing focuses on the software’s internal workings and implementation. Both methods are important in software testing and are often used together to ensure comprehensive testing of the software.

5. What are the different levels of testing?

There are typically four levels of testing that are performed in software testing, each with a different objective and focus. They are:

1. Unit Testing: Unit testing is the process of testing individual components or modules of the software to ensure that they function as expected. It is the first level of testing and is performed by developers to test code at the smallest possible level.
2. Integration Testing: Integration testing is the process of testing how different modules or components of the software interact with each other to ensure that the system functions as a whole. It is performed after unit testing and before system testing.
3. System Testing: System testing is the process of testing the entire system as a whole to ensure that it meets the requirements and specifications. It is performed after integration testing and before user acceptance testing.
4. Integration Testing: User acceptance testing is the process of testing the system from an end-user perspective to ensure that it meets the user’s requirements and expectations. It is typically performed by the end-users or a designated group of users.

Other types of testing, such as regression testing, performance testing, and security testing, are also performed at various levels of testing to ensure comprehensive testing of the software.

6. How would you prioritize test cases?

Prioritizing test cases is an important aspect of software testing, as it helps to ensure that the most critical and high-risk areas of the software are thoroughly tested. Here are some steps that can be followed to prioritize test cases:

1. Identify the critical and high-risk areas of the software based on the business requirements, user expectations, and system architecture.
2. Categorize the test cases based on their priority, such as high, medium, and low.
3. Assign weights or points to each test case based on its importance and impact on the system.
4. Determine the testing effort required for each test case, including the time and resources required to execute the test case.
5. Consider the dependencies between test cases and prioritize them accordingly.
6. Use risk analysis techniques, such as Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA), to identify and prioritize test cases based on their potential impact on the system.
7. Continuously re-evaluate and adjust the priority of test cases based on the feedback from the development team and the test results.

By following these steps, test cases can be prioritized based on their importance, risk, and impact on the software, which can help to ensure comprehensive testing of the system.

7. What is regression testing?

Regression testing is the process of retesting the software after changes or modifications have been made to it to ensure that no new defects or issues have been introduced. The purpose of regression testing is to verify that the changes made to the software have not affected its existing functionality, and that it continues to work as expected.

Regression testing is typically performed as part of the software development life cycle, and it can be performed at any level of testing. It is important to perform regression testing because changes made to one part of the software can have unintended consequences on other parts of the system. Regression testing ensures that any unintended side-effects of changes made to the software are identified and fixed before they can cause issues in the production environment.

Regression testing can be performed manually or through automation, depending on the complexity of the software and the size of the regression test suite. The regression test suite typically includes a set of test cases that cover the most critical and high-risk areas of the software.

8. What are some common software defects?

Here are some common software defects that are often found during software testing:

1. Functional defects: These are defects that affect the functionality or behavior of the software. For example, if a feature does not work as intended, it could be considered a functional defect.
2. Performance defects: These are defects that affect the performance of the software, such as slow response times, high memory usage, or long load times.
3. Security defects: These are defects that affect the security of the software, such as vulnerabilities that allow unauthorized access or data breaches.
4. Compatibility defects: These are defects that affect the compatibility of the software with other systems, devices, or software.
5. Usability defects: These are defects that affect the usability or user experience of the software, such as confusing user interfaces or poor design.
6. Configuration defects: These are defects that result from incorrect configuration of the software, such as incorrect settings or configurations that result in system failures.
7. Installation defects: These are defects that occur during the installation process of the software, such as incorrect installation, missing components, or dependencies.

By identifying and addressing these common software defects, software testing can help to improve the quality and reliability of the software.

9. How do you track and manage defects?

Tracking and managing defects is an important part of software testing, as it helps to ensure that defects are identified, reported, and resolved in a timely manner. Here are some steps that can be followed to track and manage defects:

1. Identify and log the defect: Once a defect is found, it should be identified and logged in a defect tracking tool, such as JIRA or Bugzilla. The defect should be given a unique ID and detailed information, such as the steps to reproduce the defect, the severity of the defect, and the expected behavior.
2. Prioritize the defect: The defect should be prioritized based on its severity and impact on the software. High-priority defects that affect critical functionality should be addressed first.
3. Assign the defect: The defect should be assigned to the appropriate person or team responsible for fixing the defect. This could be a developer, a testing team member, or a system administrator.
4. Track the defect: The status of the defect should be tracked in the defect tracking tool, from the time it is identified until it is resolved. The status should be updated regularly, and the defect should be retested once it is fixed.
5. Communicate the defect: The defect should be communicated to the relevant stakeholders, such as the project manager or the development team, to ensure that everyone is aware of the defect and its status.
6. Close the defect: Once the defect is fixed and tested, it should be closed in the defect tracking tool. The resolution and root cause of the defect should be documented for future reference.

By following these steps, defects can be tracked and managed effectively, which can help to ensure that the software is of high quality and meets the expectations of the end users.

10. What is a test plan, and why is it important?

A test plan is a document that outlines the approach, objectives, scope, and schedule of testing activities for a software project. It serves as a roadmap for the testing team, providing guidance on how to conduct testing and what needs to be tested.

A test plan is important for several reasons:

1. It helps to ensure that testing activities are structured and systematic: By outlining the testing approach and objectives, a test plan helps to ensure that testing activities are well-organized and consistent.
2. It helps to identify testing requirements: The test plan helps to identify the testing requirements, including the resources needed, the testing environment, and the tools required for testing.
3. It helps to ensure that testing is comprehensive: The test plan outlines the scope of testing, ensuring that all critical areas of the software are tested and no important functionality is missed.
4. It helps to ensure that testing is completed on time: By providing a schedule for testing activities, the test plan helps to ensure that testing is completed on time and within budget.
5. It helps to communicate testing objectives and progress: The test plan provides a clear picture of the testing objectives and progress to stakeholders, including the project manager, the development team, and the end-users.

Overall, a well-written test plan is an essential part of the software testing process, as it provides a clear roadmap for testing activities and helps to ensure that testing is comprehensive, well-organized, and completed on time.