Manual Testing Interview Questions

In the manual testing process, test cases are carried out manually without the aid of any automated tools. Testers will manually run the test cases from the standpoint of the end user. Prior to automation testing, any recently developed software must undergo manual testing. It checks to see if the application functions as specified in the requirement specification or not.

This article gives an overview of Manual Testing and the most common Manual Testing Interview questions asked in technical interviews. If you're looking for a reference guide before your interview, you've come to the right place. Over 50 Manual Testing Interview Questions and Answers are discussed in this blog.

Manual Testing Interview Questions and Answers For Freshers

Following are some manual testing interview questions for freshers which will help you with your upcoming interview.

1. What is Manual Testing?

Manual testing is a test method in which a QA manually evaluates a software programme to find defects. The goal is to find bugs or defects, ensuring the product is error-free, and guarantee it meets the functional requirements.

2. What are the benefits of testing?

The following are some of the reasons why Software Testing is necessary:

• Testing ensures that the product functions as intended for the stakeholders.
   
• Defects that could have been avoided and leaked to the end-user/customer without proper testing give the development company a bad name.
   
• Testing ensures that the product functions as intended for the stakeholders.
   
• Saves time during development by detecting issues early on.
   
• The testing team brings a new perspective to the software development process.

3. When is it appropriate to stop testing?

When one or more of the following conditions are met, testing (both manual and automated) can be terminated.

• After the last known bug fix with the agreed-upon pass-percentage value, the testing phase can be terminated.
   
• When the testing deadline is met – When deadlines are met, and no high-priority issues remain in the system, testing can be stopped.
   
• MTBF (Mean Time Between Failure) – MTBF is the time between two inherent failures. If the MTBF is long, the testing phase can be terminated based on stakeholder decisions.
   
• Based on the code coverage value, the testing phase can be terminated when the automated code coverage reaches a particular threshold value with a sufficient pass percentage and no critical bugs.

4. What are the most important types of manual testing?

 The following are some of the most often utilized manual testing techniques:

• The customer or end-user performs User Acceptance Testing (UAT) to ensure the program meets the agreed-upon requirements. 
• Black Box Testing: Also known as behavioral testing, this method examines an application's functionality from the standpoint of the end user.
• White Box Testing: Also known as transparent box testing or structural testing, this is a way of testing an application's internal structures or workings.

5. What is Quality Assurance, and what are the various activities?

Quality assurance is a process-driven approach to ensuring that the product development process is correct and meets all standards. It is regarded as a precautionary measure. This is because it identifies a flaw in the software development process. It entails document review, test case review, walk-throughs, and inspection.

6. What exactly is the distinction between verification and validation?

The main distinctions between verification and validation are as follows:

Verification

• Evaluating various artifacts and the process of software development is referred to as verification.This is done to ensure that the developed product meets the required standards.
• It is a static process of document analysis rather than the actual end product.
• Verification is a systematic approach.
• Responds to the question, "Are we building the product correctly?"
• Errors discovered during verification require less cost/resources to fix than errors found during validation.

Validation

• Validation is the process of ensuring that the software product developed meets the specified business requirements.
• It entails running a software product to perform dynamic testing.
• Validation is a product-focused strategy.
• Responds to the question, "Are we making the right product?"
• Errors discovered during validation necessitate additional costs and resources. When an error is discovered later, the cost of repairing it increases.

7. What are some of the disadvantages of manual testing?

Manual testing has the following flaws:

• Human error is possible.
• Some tasks may be challenging to complete manually, necessitating more time.
• The cost accumulates, making it more costly in the long run.
• Manual testing is difficult to replicate because it cannot be recorded.

8. What are some of the benefits of manual testing?

Manual testing has the following advantages:

• It is less expensive.
• You get accurate and quick visual feedback.
• It's ideal for trying out small changes.
• It's suitable for impromptu testing.
• Automation tools are not required knowledge for testers.
• It's ideal for UI testing.

9. What qualifications are required to work as a manual software tester?

 Manual software testers must have the following abilities:

• Skills in problem-solving.
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal.
• Detail-oriented.
• Capable of dealing with stress.
• Can work both independently and in groups.
• Skills in organization.
• Associated technical abilities.

10. What are the various kinds of testing?

Testing can be divided into two categories.

• Functional testing entails confirming that the system's functional specifications are correct.
   
• Non-functional testing – Non-functional testing involves evaluating non-functional system requirements such as performance, scalability, security, endurance, portability, etc.
   
• It can be classified as follows based on how the testing is carried out.
   
• Black box testing – Black box testing requires the tester to be unaware of the system's internal architecture or implementation. The tester interacts with the system through the interface, providing input and validating the received output.
   
• White box testing – White box testing examines the system's internal architecture and source code quality using various criteria such as code optimization, coverage, and reusability. 
   
• Gray box testing entails a tester having limited access to the system's internal architecture, such as design documents or database structure. This data aids the tester in performing a more thorough test of the application.

11. What's the main difference between alpha and beta testing?

The main difference between alpha and beta testing is:

• Alpha testing is software testing used to find bugs before a product is released to users or the general public. User acceptance testing is also known as alpha testing.
   
• Beta testing is done in a natural environment by real software application users. User acceptance testing is also known as beta testing.

12. What types of manual testing are there?

Manual testing comes in four levels:

• Unit testing is a method of logically isolating the smallest piece of code in a system, referred to as a unit. The focus is primarily on the standalone module's functional correctness.
   
• Individual units are combined and tested to see if they work together as intended. The main goal is to check the modules' interface.
   
• System testing entails testing all software components to ensure that the final product meets the specified requirements. Usability testing, regression testing, and functional testing are just a few of the many types of system testing available.
   
• Acceptance testing, also known as UAT (user acceptance testing), is the final stage that determines whether the software is ready for release.

13. In manual testing, what does a testbed mean?

A testbed is a testing environment. It's a testing environment that includes the hardware and any software required to run the program under test. Hardware, software, network configuration, a test application, and other related software make up the system.

14. What do you understand by the term test case?

A test case is a specific scenario or set of conditions used to test a software application or system to ensure it functions correctly and meets its requirements. A test case typically includes a set of inputs, expected outputs, and execution conditions that a tester will follow to verify the correct behaviour of the system or application under test. 

A test case aims to identify defects or errors in the system being tested and to ensure that it is reliable, functional, and meets the desired quality standards. Test cases can be automated or executed manually and are an essential component of software testing and quality assurance processes.

15. Describe the Software Testing Life Cycle (STLC).

 All activities performed during software testing are referred to as the software testing life cycle. Among the phrases are:

• Requirement analysis and validation – The scope of testing is defined, and the requirements documents are analyzed and validated during this phase.
   
• Test planning – This phase defines the test plan strategy, the estimation of test effort, the automation strategy, and the tool selection.
   
• Test Design and Analysis – The creation of test cases, the preparation of test data, and the implementation of automation scripts are all covered in this section.
   
• Setup of the test environment – A test environment that closely resembles the real-world environment is created.
   
• Test execution – Test cases are prepared, bugs are reported, and the system is retested once the issues have been resolved.

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16. What does the test case entail?

A test case is a document that contains a set of conditions or actions that are executed on the software application to verify the feature's expected functionality.

Test cases describe a specific idea that will be tested but do not specify the exact steps or data used. For instance, you might write, "Test if coupons can be applied to actual price in a test case."

17. What makes a bug different from a defect?

A bug is a software flaw discovered during testing. A defect is a discrepancy between expected and actual results found after the product has gone live by the developer.

18. What part of Manual Testing does documentation play?

Documentation is essential for successful software testing. Specifications, designs, business rules, inspection reports, configurations, code changes, test plans, test cases, bug reports, and user manuals should be documented.

The testing effort, coverage, and tracking and tracing requirements can be estimated by documenting test cases. 

The following are some examples of software testing documentation artifacts:

• Test Plan
   
• Test Scenario
   
• Test Case
   
• Traceability Matrix

19. What are some of the drawbacks to automated testing?

Some disadvantages of automation testing include: 

• Writing test scripts requires skilled automation testing experts.
   
• Writing scripts requires extra effort upfront.
   
• Automation scripts are only used to verify the tests that have been coded. These tests may miss some obvious and easily detectable human errors (manual QA).
   
• Even minor changes in the application necessitate script updates and maintenance.

20. What is performance testing, and why is it important?

Performance testing is non-functional testing in which the system's performance is assessed under expected or increased loads. Response time, reliability, resource utilization, scalability, and other performance parameters are evaluated during performance testing. Load, Stress, Endurance, Spike, and Volume testing are the various types of performance testing.

21. What is a test plan?

An answer is that a test plan is a formal document that outlines the scope of testing, the approach to be used, the resources needed, and a time estimate for completing the testing process. It's derived from the specifications (Software Requirement Specifications).

22. When should manual testing be preferred over automated testing?

There are many situations where manual testing is preferable to automation testing, such as:

• Short-term projects: Automated tests are supposed to save time and resources, but designing and maintaining them takes time. Manual testing, for example, can be much more efficient if you're building a small promotional website.
   
• Ad-hoc Testing: Ad-hoc testing does not have a set method. Ad-hoc testing is a completely unplanned method and relies solely on the tester's knowledge and insight. This can be accomplished through manual testing.
   
• Exploratory Testing: This type of testing necessitates the tester's knowledge, experience, analytical, logical, and creative abilities, as well as intuition. Exploratory testing requires human participation.
   
• Usability testing involves determining how user-friendly, efficient, or convenient the software or product is for end-users. The most important factor is human observation, so manual testing seems more appropriate.

23. What is test harness, exactly?

A test harness is a collection of software and test data used to put a program unit to the test by putting it through stress, load, and data-driven data while monitoring its behavior and outputs. 

The Test Harness is divided into two sections:

• An engine for running tests
• Script repository for testing

24. What does "test closure" mean?

A test closure document is a document that summarizes all of the tests carried out during the software development life cycle, as well as a detailed analysis of the bugs and errors found. The total number of experiments, total number of experiments executed, the total number of imperfections found, the total number of faults settled, the total number of bugs not dropped, the total number of bugs rejected, and so on are included in this memo.

25. What does Static Testing entail?

Static testing is a type of testing used to review the work products or documentation produced throughout the project. It enables the initial phase of testing to review specifications, business requirements, documentation, processes, and functional requirements.

So that the testers involved can better understand the requirements before beginning the testing lifecycle, which will aid in the delivery of a high-quality product.

Manual Testing Interview Questions for Experienced

Following are some advanced level manual testing interview questions and answers which will help you with your upcoming interview.

26. What is white box testing and its various techniques?

This is a method of testing an application's internal framework or workings. It is also known as transparent box testing or structural testing. White box analysis includes examining the system's internal architecture and/or implementation, as well as the quality of its source code. Statement Coverage and Decision Coverage are two of its techniques.

27. What function does documentation play in manual testing?

Documentation is an essential component of manual testing. To ensure extensive test coverage and reliable findings, all steps in the procedure for testing must be documented. Documentation creates an audit trail that may be utilized to assess previous test results and highlight areas for improvement.

28. What is the difference between testing from the top-down and bottom-up?

Testing is carried out in a top-down manner. Specifically, high-level modules are tested first, followed by low-level modules. Finally, the low-level modules are merged into a high-level state to ensure that the framework functions appropriately.

Testing is carried out from the bottom up. After that, high-level state modules are tested. Finally, low-level state modules are coordinated with high-level ones to ensure that the framework fills in as expected.

29. When do you think the testing should be completed?

Ending testing is based on a few criteria:

• The number of bugs has dropped below a predetermined threshold.
   
• The deadlines for testing or release have come.
   
• The budget for testing is depleted
  .
• A certain number of test cases have been successful.
   
• The alpha and beta testing phases are now complete.
   
• Code, functionality, or requirements coverage has been met at a predetermined point.

30. What does Dynamic Testing entail?

Testing is done manually or automatically executing or running the application under test.

31. How would you describe the various specification-based test design techniques?

Black-box testing is another term for specification-based test design techniques. It entails testing based on the system's specifications without knowledge of the system's internal architecture. The following are the various types of specification-based or black box testing techniques:

• Equivalence partitioning organizes test data into logical groups or equivalence classes, assuming that all data items in the classes have the same impact on the application. 
   
• Boundary value analysis uses the equivalence classes' boundary values as the test input.
   
• Decision tables – Decision tables are used in testing to show how the application behaves when different input values are used.
   
• Cause-and-effect graph – A graphical representation of the result or outcome and all the factors influencing it.
   
• Testing based on the state machine model is known as state transition testing.
   
• Testing using use cases is known as use case testing.

32. Describe Functional Testing.

Black-box testing includes functional testing. It focuses on the functional requirements of the software rather than its underlying implementation. A functional requirement is the required behavior of the system in terms of input and output.

It compares software to functional needs or specifications while neglecting non-functional factors such as performance, usability, and dependability.

33. Describe Non-Functional Testing.

Non-functional testing investigates the system's non-functional requirements, which are system traits or qualities specifically specified by the client. Among them are performance, security, scalability, and usability. Non-functional testing comes after functional testing.

34. What exactly is a cause-and-effect diagram?

The input, cause, and output, or effect, are all graphically represented in cause-effect graph testing. This method employs various notations to represent AND, OR, NOT and other relationships between input and output conditions.

35. What is the purpose of state transition testing?

State transition testing is a state machine-based black box test design technique. State transition testing is based on the idea that a system can be defined as a collection of multiple states, with each state transitioning to the next due to an external event.

36. What exactly is a stub?

Lower-level modules are frequently left out of top-down integration testing because testing/integration begins with top-level modules. Stubs or dummy modules are used in these cases to simulate module behavior by providing a hard-coded or expected output based on the input values.

37. What is equivalence class partitioning? 

Equivalence class partitioning is a software testing technique that involves dividing the input domain of a software component into groups or partitions that should exhibit similar behaviour. This technique helps reduce the number of test cases required to test the software by selecting one test case from each partition to represent the behaviour of all other test cases in the same partition. 

By using equivalence class partitioning, defects in the software can be identified, and the quality of the testing process can be improved. This technique is commonly used in black-box testing to improve efficiency and effectiveness.

38. How do you perform risk-based testing?

Risk-based testing involves identifying and assessing the risks associated with the software application and prioritizing testing efforts accordingly. Test cases are designed to cover the high-risk areas of the application first.

39. What is sanity testing, hoe is it helpful for manual testers?

Sanity testing is a quick and basic level of testing performed to determine whether a software application is stable enough for further testing. It is important in manual testing because it helps to identify any major defects or issues that might hinder the testing process. 

Sanity testing helps to save time and effort by identifying critical issues early in the testing process, allowing testers to prioritise the defects and focus on testing the most important functionalities of the application. By performing sanity testing, manual testers can ensure that the application is ready for more detailed and thorough testing.

40. How do you create effective test cases?

Effective test cases are created by identifying the requirements, understanding the end-users, and designing test cases that cover all possible scenarios and edge cases.

41. What is a defect triage process?

Defect triage is a process of prioritizing and managing defects. It involves analyzing and categorizing defects, assigning them to the appropriate team, and setting priorities for fixing them.

42. What is exploratory testing, and when should it be used? 

Exploratory testing is a type of testing that involves simultaneous learning, test design, and test execution. It should be used when requirements are not well-defined, or when the tester wants to gain a deeper understanding of the application.

43. How do you measure test coverage? 

Test coverage is measured by determining the percentage of code, requirements, or features that have been tested. It can be calculated using tools like code coverage analysis, traceability matrices, or test management software.

44. What is the difference between positive and negative testing? 

Positive testing involves testing the application with valid inputs, while negative testing involves testing the application with invalid or unexpected inputs.

45. What is a defect life cycle, and how does it work? 

A defect life cycle is a process of identifying, tracking, and resolving defects. It typically involves stages like open, assigned, fixed, verified, and closed, with each stage representing a different status of the defect.

46. How do you ensure test data is accurate and representative of production data? 

Test data can be made accurate and representative of production data by using tools to generate realistic data, or by using production data scrubbed of sensitive information.

47. How do you ensure testing is done on time and within budget? 

Testing can be done on time and within budget by setting clear goals, prioritizing testing efforts, using effective test management tools, and working closely with the development team.

48. What is the difference between regression testing and retesting? 

Regression testing involves testing the application after changes have been made to ensure that existing functionality has not been affected, while retesting involves testing a defect after it has been fixed to ensure that it has been resolved.

49. What is the difference between smoke testing and sanity testing? 

Smoke testing is a type of testing that checks whether the application is stable enough for further testing, while sanity testing checks whether the changes made to the application are working as expected.

50. What is the difference between functional testing and integration testing? 

Functional testing verifies whether the application is working as expected, while integration testing verifies whether different components of the application are working together seamlessly.