Manual software testing is a process where human testers manually run test cases and then generate the resulting test reports. With automation software testing, these functions are executed by automation tools such as test scripts and code. If you are seeking a career in software testing, then here in this article we have listed down 50 manual testing interview questions.
Well, in the field of software testing, there are two main types of software testing: manual testing and automated testing. Manual testing is performed by a human tester, who interacts with good testing performed by a computer program, which can run tests much faster than a human tester.
In this article, we’ve covered the Toisn’t easy on the ing, Regression Testing, and Test Harness. Utilizing it can boost your confidence before that big interview! Whether you are a fresher or an experienced IT professional, this article gives you all the confidence you need to ace your next software tester Interview.
Manual Testing Interview Questions for Freshers
In this section, we have compiled the most frequently asked manual software testing questions for freshers. So, if you are a newbie in the software testing world, then explore this section to know what types of questions you will face during the software tester job profile
1. What is Manual Software Testing?
Manual Testing is a type of software testing process where test cases are executed manually without using any automated tool.
- The tester verifies the software functionality manually.
- The tester has a list of all the test cases that need to be manually tested. They go through each test case and manually verify the output.
- It is inefficient in comparison to automated testing, slow, and not repeatable in a consistent manner.
- Manual testing is prone to human misjudgment.
2. What are the Advantages of Manual Testing?
- Better for Short-Lifecycle Projects: Manual testing is better for projects with short life cycles.
- Time and cost-efficiency: It is better to opt for manual testing for small, easy projects to save time, money, and resources.
- A good product-oriented option for GUI testing: Manual testing can be done accurately for GUI Testing.
- Easy to learn: It is easy to learn for new testers.
- Uses human intelligence: Manual testing allows testers to use their higher cognitive abilities to detect errors. This helps them to find errors that may be missed during automated testing.
- Detect errors outside the code: Manual testing helps testers to locate bugs that do not affect the code such as server response time.
3. What are the Drawbacks of Manual Testing?
- Time-consuming: Manual testing requires time as the tester executes test cases manually and testing complex programs could take some time.
- Human error: Manual testing is prone to human error. By making mistakes when executing test cases, testers may come up with erroneous results.
- Difficult to measure: It is difficult to assess the efficiency of the manual testing process as it is difficult to keep track of the quality of the test cases executed, errors discovered, and test coverage attained.
- Costly: Manual testing can be expensive, particularly for big, complex projects, or when frequent releases are required.
4. List key challenges of Manual Testing.
Below are some of the key challenges of manual testing:
- Lack of standard documentation: Lack of standard documentation to understand the application fully to have a better insight into the application makes it difficult for the tester to create test cases for manual testing efficiently.
- Unavailability of skilled testers: Manual testing depends on Human intelligence, and analytical skills to design test cases that can ensure the best coverage.
- Deciding test cases order: It is very important to prioritize, and categorize the test cases and decide the order in which to execute the test cases.
- Ability to know when to stop testing: A tester needs to have product-oriented knowledge and the ability to decide when to stop testing the application to save time and effort.
5. How Manual Testing is different from Automated Testing?
Manual testing is a software testing process in which a tester tests each test case one by one in an individual manner. Whereas in automated testing, the tester utilizes tools and scripts to automate testing efforts.
In manual testing, the tester executes test cases manually.
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In automated testing, the tester uses tools and scripts to automate the process of testing.
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Manual testing works by requiring analysts and QA engineers to be involved in everything right from test case creation to actual test execution.
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Automated testing involves testers writing test scripts that automate test case execution.
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Manual testing is better at handling complex scenarios.
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Automated testing is much faster and covers many permutations.
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Manual testing is slow and tedious.
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Automated testing requires coding and test maintenance.
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It isn’t easy to ensure sufficient test coverage.
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It is easy to ensure sufficient test coverage.
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6. Who is a Manual Tester?
The manual tester is a professional who is responsible for conducting quality checks on the software applications without using automation tools. They are responsible for manually checking the software for errors and fixing them. They must have appropriate skills to be able to meet the company’s requirements.
7. What is the role of documentation in Manual Testing?
Documentation plays a vital role in manual testing. It is important to document all steps taken in the testing process to ensure sufficient test coverage and accurate results. It provides an audit trail, which can be used to evaluate past test results and identify areas of improvement. It also serves as a reference for other testers who may be unfamiliar with the system.
8. What are the Priority and Severity in Software Testing?
Priority is the order in which the developer should resolve the defect, on the other hand, Severity is the degree of impact that defect has on the operation of the product.
- Priority indicates how soon the bug is fixed and severity shows the seriousness of the defect on the product functionality.
- Priority is driven by the business values and Severity is driven by the functionality of the product.
9. What is Test Harness?
Test Harness is a collection of stubs, drivers, and other supporting tools that are required to automate the test execution. It executes tests using a test library and generates test reports.
- It helps automate the testing procedures and thus increases the productivity of the system through automation.
- A test harness is a collection of numerous things to test software and report its results.
- It helps developers to measure the cove coverage at a code level.
10. What is a Test Bed?
Test Bed is a test execution environment that is configured for testing. It consists of specific hardware, software, operating system, network configuration, other system software, and application software.
11. What is test data?
Test data is data that is used by test cases to determine if the software working correctly or not. It is collected into a document known as a test data document so that testers can easily access it when they run their tests.
12. What is Quality Control(QC) in testing?
Quality Control is a set of methods that are used by the organization to ensure the quality of software by identifying defects and correcting defects in the developed software.
- It provides the identification of defects.
- It is product-oriented.
- It is a reactive process.
- The testing team is responsible for Quality Control.
13. What is Test Closure?
Test closure is a document that provides a summary of all the tests covered during the software development lifecycle.
- It includes various activities like test completion reporting, a summary of test results as well and the test completion matrix.
- It gives us an outline of the tests conducted during the software testing and details of the errors and bugs found and resolved during the testing phase.
14. What is Random Testing?
Random testing also known as Monkey Testing is a type of software testing in which the system is tested with the help of generating random and independent inputs and test cases.
- It is performed where the defects are not identified at regular intervals.
- It saves time and effort than actual test efforts.
In this section, we have compiled the top manual testing interview questions for intermediate. So if you have one or two years of experience, then this section is totally for these types of software testers.
15. What is Defect Cascading?
Defect cascading in software testing means when one defect leads to the discovery of other defects. It often occurs because the original defect was not fixed properly. This cascading causes a chain reaction of errors, making it difficult to source of the problem.
- It can lead to many issues like minor performance slowdowns, system crashes, etc making it a severe risk to developers and testers.
- Understanding defect cascading can help to prevent them from happening in their process.
16. What is a Test Driver?
Test drivers are used in Bottom-up integration testing to simulate the behavior of the upper-level modules that are not yet integrated.
- They act as temporary replacements for a calling module.
- They give the same output as that of the actual product.
- They are used when the software needs to interact with an external system and are usually more complex than stubs.
17. What is a Stub?
Stubs are used in Top-Down integration testing thus increasing the efficiency of the testing process.
- They are developed by software developers to use them in place of modules, if the respective modules are not developed, missing in the developing stage, or currently unavailable.
- It simulates a module that has all the capabilities of the unavailable module.
18. What is Defect Triage?
Defect triage is a procedure that involves detecting and prioritizing problems, allocating them to development, and tracking them.
- The goal is to evaluate, prioritize, and assign the resolution of defects.
- It is also known as bug triage.
- It is based on the severity and priority of the defects in software.
19. What is API Testing?
API testing is a type of software testing that validates APIs. It aims to check the functionality, reliability, performance, and security of the programming interfaces.
- It verifies that the API returns the correct response for different input values.
- It ensures that the different components of a system can communicate with each other correctly and that the system can handle a large volume of requests.
20. What is Alpha Testing?
Alpha Testing is a type of software testing performed to identify bugs before releasing the product to real users or the public. It is one of the user acceptance tests that is done near the end of the development of the software.
- It is generally performed by the homestead software engineers or quality assurance staff.
- It is used to identify and resolve critical bugs and issues in the software before it is released to the public.
- It is performed in a controlled environment like a lab or a test network and is used to simulate real-world use cases.
21. What is Beta Testing?
Beta testing is the process of testing a software product or service in a real-world environment before its official release. It helps identify bugs and errors that may have been missed during the development process.
- During beta testing, the software is made available to a selected group of users who are willing to test the product and provide feedback to the developers.
- The beta testers typically use the software in various ways, attempting to find any issues, bugs, or usability problems.
- They then provide feedback on their experience, reporting any problems or issues encountered.
22. What are the types of Manual Testing?
Manual testing is of the following different types:
- Black box testing: Black box testing is a software testing method that focuses on testing the functionality of the software without dealing with the internal structures or workings.
- White box testing: White box testing is a software testing method that tests the internal structure of the application as opposed to its functionality.
- Unit testing: Unit testing is a software testing method in which the smallest testable parts of the application called units are tested for proper operation.
- System testing: System testing is a software testing method in which the QA team evaluates how the various components of an application interact together in a fully integrated system.
- Integration testing: Integration testing is a type of software testing method in which different modules or units of a software application are tested as a combined entity.
- Acceptance testing: Acceptance testing is a type of software testing method that is performed after system testing and before making the system available for actual use.
23. List the roles and responsibilities of Manual testers.
Below are some of the roles and responsibilities of Manual Tester:
- Analyzing client requirements.
- Reviewing written code for compliance with project specifications and requirements.
- Creating a test environment for executing the test cases.
- Organizing and conducting review meetings.
- Detecting and fixing bugs.
- Monitor system errors and discuss them with the team.
24. Describe Manual Testing Process.
Manual testing is a process of identifying bugs and errors in software without the use of automated tools. Below is the process of manual testing:
- Identify the scope of testing: The first step is to identify the scope of testing and the scope can vary from a functionality to an end-to-end system.
- Design test cases: The next step is to design test cases including test scenarios, data, expected results, and all other details that are necessary to perform the tests on the identified scope.
- Execute test cases: After designing the test cases, testers execute the test cases to find the discrepancies between the actual result and the expected result.
- Record results: Testers should record the results for further analysis.
25. What are the different levels of Manual Testing?
Different levels of Manual Testing are:
- Unit Testing: Unit testing is a process of testing the individual pieces of code within the system called units. The main focus is on the functional accuracy of the standalone modules.
- Integration Testing: Integration testing involves combining and testing the individual units to see if they work together as expected or not.
- System Testing: System testing involves testing all the components of the product as a whole to ensure that overall product requirements are met or not.
- User Acceptance Testing: User Acceptance Testing is the final step in the testing process that determines if the software is ready for release or not.
26. What are the Skills required for Manual Testing?
Some of the important skills required for manual testing are:
- A strong analytical ability.
- Ability to report test results professionally.
- Familiarity with agile methodologies.
- Ability to write test cases for manual testing.
- Knowledge of concepts required for manual testing like SDLC, STLC, SQL, etc.
- Understanding of manual testing tools like JIRA, JMeter, etc.
- Understanding of test management tools and test tracking tools.
27. When to use Manual Testing over Automation Testing?
There are many scenarios when manual testing can be opted over automation testing in a project:
- Adhoc Testing: Adhoc testing can be achieved using manual testing as there is not no specific approach and is performed without planning and documentation. In ad hoc testing the understanding and insight of the tester plays an important role.
- Exploratory test: Exploratory testing depends upon the tester’s knowledge, experience, and logical skills, so human involvement is a must here and manual testing is the best choice for exploratory tests.
- Usability testing: In Usability testing human observation plays a very important role as it is measured by the tester how user-friendly, and efficient the software is for the end users. So manual testing is an appropriate choice for usability testing.
- Short lifecycle projects: Automation testing is not appropriate for short-term projects as it requires high investment and planning and manual testing on the other hand aims to save time and resources.
28. What are Manual Testing Tools?
Manual testing is a software testing method in which the tester manually executes the test cases without the use of automated technologies. The tools that help in this process are known as manual testing tools. Some examples of manual testing tools are Bugzilla, JMeter, JIRA, etc.
Manual Testing Interview Questions for Experienced
This section contains manual testing interview questions for experienced. So, if you have years of experience and are looking for change, then explore this section. Here you will find all the interview questions for the software testing experience profile.
29. List some Manual Testing Tools.
Below are some of the commonly used Manual Testing tools:
- Trac: Trac is one of the most powerful manual testing tools that is developed in Python and is a web-based program. It is compatible with a variety of databases like SQLite, MySQL, MS-SQL, etc.
- TestLink: TestLink is a high-quality product that has more functions in a comparable package. It is simple to use as the program is available to use through a browser.
- JMeter: JMeter is an open-source tool for performance testing of static and dynamic resources and dynamic web applications. It has an easy-to-use and clear interface accepting JVMs from Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, and other platforms.
- Bugzilla: Bugzilla is an open-source application that helps customers and clients to keep track of issues. It has a simple-to-use Google-style bug search that also searches the complete text of a bug.
- Load Runner: It is the most commonly used performance testing tool that is used to categorize the most prevalent causes of performance problems rapidly. It is compatible with a variety of development tools and protocol stacks and it helps to lower the cost of distributed load testing.
30. What are the best practices for writing test cases for Manual Testing?
Below are some of the best practices that can be followed for writing the test cases:
- Prioritize test cases: Prioritize which test cases to build based on the application’s risk considerations and project timeframes.
- Follow the 80/20 rule: To ensure sufficient coverage, it is better to have 20% of the test cases cover 80% of the application.
- Categorize test cases: List all the test cases and categorize the test cases according to business scenarios and functionality.
- Design modular test cases: Make sure that the test cases are modular and as detailed as possible.
- Remove duplicate test cases: Remove irrelevant and duplicate test cases.
31. Can Automation Testing replace Manual Testing?
Automation testing cannot completely replace Manual testing as it is not possible to automate everything. Manual testing can be used in situations where automation isn’t possible. Both automated and manual testing have their advantages and disadvantages.
32. List the differences between the Test Case and Test Scenario.
A test case is a detailed document that provides details about the testing strategy, testing process, preconditions, and expected output.
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A test scenario gives one-line information about what to test and is derived from the use case.
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These are low-level actions.
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These are high-level actions.
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The purpose is to verify the test scenario by implementing the steps.
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The purpose of the test scenario is to cover the end-to-end functionality of software functionality.
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It takes more time.
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It takes less time.
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It can be obtained from test scenarios.
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It can be obtained from the use case.
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33. What is Smoke Testing?
Smoke testing also known as Build Verification Testing is a software testing method that is performed at the beginning of the development process to make sure that the most critical functions of the software applications are working correctly.
- It is done to quickly identify and fix the major issues before more detailed testing is performed.
- The goal is to determine whether the build is stable enough to proceed with further testing.
34. What is Regression Testing?
Regression testing is a software testing process of testing previously tested programs to ensure that the defects have not been introduced or uncovered in unchanged areas of the software as a result of the changes made in the software.
35. List the differences between Sanity Testing and Smoke Testing.
Sanity testing is performed to check whether the new functionality/ bug has been fixed.
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Smoke testing is performed to make sure that the critical functionality of the system is working correctly.
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The goal of sanity testing is to verify rationality.
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The goal of smoke testing is to verify stability.
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Sanity testing isn’t documented.
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Smoke testing is documented.
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Testers perform sanity testing.
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Software developers or testers perform smoke testing.
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The software build is relatively stable at the time of sanity testing.
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The software build may be either stable or unstable during smoke testing.
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36. What is Top-Down Integration Testing?
Top-down integration Testing is an Integration testing technique in which testing is done by integrating two or more modules by moving down from top to bottom through the control flow of the architecture structure.
- High-level modules are tested first and then the low-level modules are tested.
- Stubs are the modules that act as temporary replacements for the called module.
37. List the differences between Regression and Retesting.
Regression testing is done to ensure that the changes have not affected the unchanged part of the product.
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Retesting is done to ensure that the test cases which failed in the last execution are fixed.
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The purpose of regression testing is to check that the new code changes should not have any side effects on the existing functionalities.
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The purpose of retesting is to check whether the functionality has been restored following a bug fix.
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Automating regression testing is possible as Manual testing can be time-consuming and expensive.
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Automating test cases for retesting is not possible.
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Regression testing is done for passed test cases.
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Retesting is done for failed test cases.
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Defect Verification is not part of regression testing.
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Defect Verification is part of retesting.
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38. List some Test Management Tools.
- QACoverage: QACoverage is a test management tool that is cost-effective, boosts test productivity, and provides visibility to better handle the QA process. It provides the ability to upload 1000 requirements and test cases from Excel spreadsheets in seconds and supports complete traceability between requirements, test cases, and defects.
- TestRail: TestRail is a web-based test case management tool that helps teams organize testing efforts and get real-time insights into testing activity. It helps to capture details about test cases with screenshots and expected results. It is possible to compare results across multiple test runs, configurations, and milestones.
- SpiraTest: SpiraTest is a test management tool from Infectra that helps agile teams deliver high-quality software faster and with greater confidence. It helps users manage all their tests, requirements, and bugs in one place. It allows for easy importing of data from many modern applications.
- Testiny: Testiny is a test management tool that aims to make manual testing and QA management as seamless as possible. It helps testers perform tests without adding bulky overhead to the testing process.
- TestMonitor: TestMonitor is an end-to-end test management tool that supports advanced test case design capable of supporting thousands of cases. It supports comprehensive result tracking and smart reporting with many filter and visualization options.
39. What is Bug Lifecycle?
Bug lifecycle also known as Defect Life Cycle is the life cycle of a defect or bug from which it goes through covering a specific set of states in its entire life. The below diagram illustrates the actual workflow of the Defect Life Cycle:
The above diagram shows different states of Defect in the Defect Life Cycle and these are as follows :
- New: When any new defect is identified by the tester, it falls into a ‘New’ state. It is the first state of the Bug Life Cycle.
- Assigned: Defects that are in the status of ‘New’ will be approved and that newly identified defect will be assigned to the development team to work on the defect and resolve that.
- Open: In this ‘Open’ state the defect is being addressed by the developer team and the developer team works on the defect for fixing the bug. Based on some specific reason if the developer team feels that the defect is not appropriate then it is transferred to either the ‘Rejected’ or �rred’ state.
- Fixed: After necessary changes of codes or after fixing the identified bug developer team marks the state as ???? ixed’.
- Pending Retest: During the fixing of the defect is completed, the developer team passes new code to the testing team for a retest. The code/application is pending for retesting at the Tester side so the status is assigned as ‘Pending Retest’.
- Retest: At this stage, the tester starts work of retesting the defect to check whether the defect is fixed by the developer or not, and the status is marked as ‘Retesting’.
- Reopen: After ‘Retesting’ if the tester team finds that the bug continues like previously even after the developer team has fixed the bug, then the status of the bug is again changed to ‘Reopened’. Once again bug goes to the ‘Open’ state and goes through the life cycle again. This means it goes for Re-fixing by the developer team.
- Verified: The tester re-tests the bug after it got fixed by the developer team and if the tester does not find any kind of defect/bug then the bug is fixed and the status assigned is ‘Verified’.
- Closed: It is the final state of the Defect Cycle, after fixing the defect by the developer team when testing found that the bug had been resolved and did not persist they marked the defect as a ???? lost’ state.
40. List some Bug Tracking Tools.
- JIRA: One of the most essential bug-tracking tools is Jira. Jira is an open-source platform used in manual testing for bug tracking, project management, and problem tracking. Jira contains a variety of capabilities such as reporting, recording, and workflow. We can monitor all types of faults and issues connected to software that is created by the test engineer in Jira.
- BugHerd: BugHerd is the simplest way to monitor issues, collect feedback, and manage web page feedback. It also saves information like the browser, CSS selector data, operating system, and even a screenshot to help quickly recreate and fix errors. It is the most user-friendly tool for tracking problems and managing website feedback.
- Bugzilla: Bugzilla is an open-source program that is used to assist the customer and client in keeping track of issues. It is also used as a test management tool since it allows us to quickly connect other test case management solutions such as ALM, Quality Centre, and so on.
- Axosoft: Axosoft is a bug-tracking solution that may be used with hosted or on-premises applications. It is a Scrum team project management tool.
- Backlog: Backlog is a web-based error/bug tracking and project management application designed for software development teams. The tool comes with a variety of features, including subtasks and detailed status charts, as well as iOS and Android apps.
41. List the differences between Quality Assurance (QA) and Quality Control (QC).
QA is a group of activities that ensures that the quality of processes used during software development is always maintained.
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QC is a group of activities to detect defects in the developed software.
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QA focuses on assuring that the quality requested will be achieved.
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QC focuses on fulfilling the quality request.
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QA is process-oriented.
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QC is product-oriented.
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QA is a managerial tool.
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QC is a corrective tool.
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Verification
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Validation
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42. What is Pesticide Paradox?
Pesticide paradox means if the same tests are repeated over and over again then the same test cases will no longer find new bugs. Some of the methods to prevent pesticide paradoxes are to write a whole new set of test cases to exercise different parts of the software or to prepare new test cases and add them to the existing test cases.
43. What is a Critical Bug?
A critical bug is a bug that tends to affect the majority of the functionality of the given application or software. The software cannot be released unless the critical bug is addressed.
44. What makes a good test engineer?
A good test engineer should have the following traits:
- Detail Oriented and organized.
- Has excellent problem-solving skills.
- Has strong communication and collaboration skills.
- A good test engineer must be up to date on the latest technologies.
45. List the differences between Alpha testing and Beta testing.
Alpha Testing is a type of software testing performed to identify bugs before releasing the product to real users or the public.
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Beta testing is the process of testing a software product or service in a real-world environment before its official release.
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Alpha testing is performed by testers who are usually employees of the organization.
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Beta testing is performed by clients who are not part of the organization.
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Alpha testing involves both white box and black box testing.
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Beta testing involves black box testing.
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Reliability and security testing are not checked in alpha testing.
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Reliability, security, and robustness are checked during beta testing.
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Alpha testing requires a testing environment or lab.
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Reliability, security, and robustness are checked during beta testing.
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Real-Time Interview Questions on Manual Testing
46. How many test cases can be executed in a day in Manual Testing?
It depends upon the test case complexity and the size. Some test cases have few steps and some have more test steps.
47. How do you derive test cases?
It depends upon the project, sometimes we derive test cases from requirements and sometimes from use cases.
48. How much time is required to write a test case?
This depends upon the complexity of the software project.
49. Were you involved in Test plan documentation in your career?
Yes, I was involved in test plan documentation in my last project. I have identified Entry criteria, exit criteria, features to be tested, etc.
50. Why did you choose Software Testing as a career?
I would love to be a Software tester because I love solving puzzles and testing is like solving a puzzle, not only finding bugs but breaking into the system through stress testing.
Conclusion: The End of Manual Testing?
Is Manual Testing Coming to an End? this question is in every mind of the manual tester by seeing the growth of automation testing and we know all know automation testing is a step ahead of manual testing in many terms such as automation testing is time efficient etc.
As technology advances, many manual testers are wondering about the future of their job. While automated testing is becoming more popular, manual testing still has a place in the industry. However, manual testing will likely become a “junior partner” and only handle tasks that automated testing cannot yet handle. As technology continues to improve, automated testing is expected to become even more prevalent and eventually replace most manual testing.
Manual Testing Interview Questions – FAQs
1. How do I prepare for a manual test interview?
To prepare for a manual testing interview, it is important to review the fundamentals of manual testing, understand different testing techniques, and practice with sample test cases. Additionally, familiarize yourself with common interview questions and be ready to discuss your experience and problem-solving skills.
2. What are the important questions in manual testing?
Important questions in manual testing can cover a range of topics, including test case design, test execution, defect tracking, and test documentation. Some common questions may include explaining the difference between smoke testing and regression testing, discussing the importance of boundary value analysis, or describing the steps involved in the bug life cycle.
3. What is manual testing in an interview?
In an interview, manual testing refers to the process of testing software applications manually, without the use of automated tools. It involves executing test cases, identifying defects, and verifying that the software meets the specified requirements. Interviewers may ask about your understanding of manual testing concepts, methodologies, and best practices.
4. What are the skills for manual testing?
Skills required for manual testing include a strong understanding of software testing concepts, knowledge of different testing techniques, attention to detail, analytical thinking, and good communication skills. Additionally, proficiency in test case design, bug tracking, and test documentation is important. Familiarity with testing tools and the ability to work well in a team are also valuable skills for manual testers.
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