30 Manual Testing interview questions from glass door

Here are 30 manual testing interview questions commonly encountered in interviews, compiled from various sources including Glassdoor:

1. What is the difference between Quality Assurance (QA), Quality Control (QC), and Software Testing?

   • QA focuses on improving the processes to deliver Quality Products.

   • QC involves the activities that ensure the verification of a developed product.

   • Software Testing is the process of evaluating a system to identify any gaps, errors, or missing requirements.

2. Can you explain the Software Testing Life Cycle (STLC)?

   • The STLC includes phases such as Requirement Analysis, Test Planning, Test Case Development, Environment Setup, Test Execution, and Test Closure.

3. What is the difference between Smoke Testing and Sanity Testing?

   • Smoke Testing is a preliminary test to check the basic functionality of the application.

   • Sanity Testing is a subset of regression testing to verify that a specific section of the application is still working after a bug fix.

4. Define Regression Testing and explain its importance.

   • Regression Testing ensures that recent code changes have not adversely affected existing functionalities.

5. What is User Acceptance Testing (UAT)?

   • UAT is the final phase of testing where the end-users verify if the system meets their requirements and is ready for production.

6. Explain the concept of Boundary Value Analysis (BVA).

   • BVA is a testing technique that involves creating test cases for values at the boundaries of input domains.

7. What is Equivalence Partitioning?

   • Equivalence Partitioning divides input data into equivalent classes to reduce the total number of test cases.

8. Describe the difference between Verification and Validation in testing.

   • Verification checks if the product is being built correctly, while Validation checks if the right product is being built.

9. What are the key components of a Test Plan?

   • Objectives, Scope, Test Strategy, Resources, Schedule, Test Deliverables, and Risk Assessment.

10. How do you prioritize test cases in a project?

    • Test cases are prioritized based on business impact, critical functionalities, and areas with high defect rates.

11. What is the purpose of a Requirement Traceability Matrix (RTM)?

    • RTM ensures that all requirements are covered by test cases, maintaining traceability.

12. Can you explain the difference between Functional and Non-Functional Testing?

    • Functional Testing verifies what the system does, while Non-Functional Testing checks how the system performs under various conditions.

13. What is the role of a manual tester in Agile methodologies?

    • In Agile, a manual tester collaborates with the team to continuously test new features, provide quick feedback, and adapt to changing requirements.

14. Describe a challenging bug you encountered and how you resolved it.

    • [Your personal experience here.]

15. What is Exploratory Testing, and when is it used?

    • Exploratory Testing involves simultaneous learning, test design, and execution. It's used when requirements are incomplete or when there’s limited time.

16. How do you ensure complete test coverage?

    • By creating comprehensive test cases, using RTM, and employing test design techniques like BVA and Equivalence Partitioning.

17. What are some common challenges in manual testing?

    • Repetitive tasks, human error, limited test coverage, and difficulty in testing large data volumes.

18. How do you handle situations where developers disagree with your reported bugs?

    • Provide detailed evidence, steps to reproduce, and collaborate to understand their perspective and reach a consensus.

19. What is Ad-hoc Testing?

    • Ad-hoc Testing is an informal testing method without any formal test plans or cases, aiming to find defects by random checking.

20. Explain the concept of Defect Life Cycle.

    • The stages a defect goes through from identification to closure, including New, Assigned, Open, Fixed, Retested, and Closed.

21. What is the difference between Test Case and Test Scenario?

    • A Test Case is a set of actions executed to verify a particular feature, while a Test Scenario is a high-level description of what to test.

22. How do you test a web application manually?

    • By verifying UI elements, functionality, security aspects, browser compatibility, and performance.

23. What is Compatibility Testing?

    • Testing to ensure the application works as intended across different devices, browsers, and operating systems.

24. Describe the importance of Test Data in manual testing.

    • Test Data is crucial for validating the functionality and performance of an application under various conditions.

25. What is the difference between Alpha and Beta Testing?

    • Alpha Testing is conducted internally before release, while Beta Testing is performed by real users in a real environment.

26. How do you stay updated with the latest testing tools and methodologies?

    • Through continuous learning, attending workshops, webinars, and participating in testing communities.

27. What is Risk-Based Testing?

    • Prioritizing testing efforts based on the potential risk of failure in different areas of the application.

28. How do you document your test cases?

    • Using a standardized format including Test Case ID, Description, Preconditions, Steps, Expected Results, and Actual Results.

29. What are some best practices for manual testing?

    • Clear understanding of requirements, creating detailed test cases, prioritizing testing efforts, and effective communication with the team.

30. Why is manual testing still important despite the rise of automation?

    • Manual testing is essential for exploratory, usability, and ad-hoc testing where human intuition and creativity are vital.

These questions cover a broad range of topics and are designed to assess both your theoretical knowledge and practical experience in manual testing. Preparing thoughtful answers and relating them to your personal experiences will help you stand out in your interview.