Manual Testing Interview Questions -->
1. What is functional testing?
Answer: Functional testing verifies that features and web elements (e.g., buttons, checkboxes,
dropdowns) work as expected.
Example: Clicking the "Print" button should open a print dialog, and selecting "Print" should send the
document to the printer.
2. What is non-functional testing?
Answer: Non-functional testing assesses aspects like performance, reliability, security, and scalability
rather than specific features.
Example: Checking how fast a calculator app processes large inputs or how quickly a webpage loads
images.
3. What is a Requirement Traceability Matrix (RTM)?
Answer: RTM is a document that links test cases to requirements, ensuring every requirement is
covered by a corresponding test case.
Purpose: It helps track test coverage and ensures no requirements are missed.
4. What columns are present in a test case template?
Answer: A test case template typically includes:
Test Case ID – Unique identifier for the test case
RTM ID – Links the test case to the Requirement Traceability Matrix
Test Scenario – A brief description of what to test (e.g., user login)
Pre-requisites – Conditions that must be met before the test (e.g., login page is loaded)
Test Steps – Actions to execute the test
Test Data – Data used in the test (e.g., username/password)
Expected Result – What should happen after the test
Actual Result – What actually happened
Status – Pass or fail based on the comparison of actual vs expected result
Remarks – Notes or issues if the test fails
5. What are the techniques used in test design?
Answer: Common test design techniques include:
Equivalence Partitioning – Divides input data into equivalent partitions to reduce test cases
Boundary Value Analysis – Tests at the boundaries of input ranges
Decision Table – Tests combinations of inputs and their corresponding outcomes
State Transition – Tests different states and transitions of the system
Error Guessing – Relies on tester’s experience to guess potential defects
6. What is Regression Testing?
Answer: Regression testing checks that code changes, such as bug fixes, haven't negatively impacted
existing functionality. It ensures no new defects are introduced after changes.
7. What is Alpha Testing?
Answer: Alpha testing is a type of acceptance testing conducted by internal employees of the
organization that developed the application. It verifies that identified issues are resolved before the
software is released to clients.
8. What is Beta Testing?
Answer: Beta testing occurs at the client’s site after the application is deployed. It assesses usability,
functionality, and reliability, gathering feedback from actual users.
9. What is Sanity Testing?
Answer: Sanity testing is performed after a build is released to ensure that bug fixes are effective and
that existing functionality is intact. If new issues are found during sanity tests, testers can reject the
build.
Example: If a "Remember Me" checkbox is fixed but the "Forgot Password" link stops working, that’s
a new defect.
10. What is Smoke Testing?
Answer: Smoke testing involves preliminary checks on a software build to ensure critical
functionalities are working. It confirms that the main features are operational and that there are no
major issues that would prevent further testing.
Example: If a dropdown list in a form doesn't show items, the build can be rejected before further
testing.
Q11 How do you decide which test cases to consider for Regression Testing?
Answer: Selection of test cases for regression testing should be based on the following
Failed Test Cases: Prioritize testing the cases that previously failed due to a defect, ensuring they now
pass.
Integration Tests: Include tests that verify how different modules work together after changes.
Boundary Value Scenarios: Test boundary conditions to ensure that changes haven’t affected edge
cases.
Component Functionality: Test related components to ensure that fixing one issue hasn't introduced
new defects.
End-to-End Tests: Consider tests that involve change requests or resolved issues after the release.
Most Important: Always ask the developer what changes they’ve made and how those changes
might impact other modules or areas of the application.
Q12. Scenario: After a new build is released, a bug related to user login has been fixed. How do you
approach regression testing for this?
Answer: Start by retesting the failed test cases related to the login bug. Then, test the components
linked to user authentication, like password resets, "Remember Me" functionality, and session
management. Also, verify the login process under different conditions (e.g., incorrect passwords,
session timeouts) to ensure the bug fix hasn’t caused other issues.
Q13. Scenario: The development team implemented a new feature for filtering products in an e-
commerce app. What regression tests should be run?
Answer: Besides testing the new filtering feature, run regression tests for related components such
as product search, cart functionality, and checkout. Ensure that filters don’t break existing sorting or
pagination features. Also, verify that boundary conditions like filter reset and pagination limits work
correctly.
14. What do you mean by Priority and Severity?
Answer:
Severity refers to how much a defect affects the functionality of an application. It reflects the
technical impact of the issue on the system.
Priority refers to how soon the defect should be fixed. It reflects the urgency of the issue from a
business perspective.
If there is a mistake in the company logo, what is the Priority and Severity? Justify your answer.
Answer: A mistake in the company logo doesn’t affect the product’s functionality, so it has low
severity. However, since it can negatively impact the brand’s identity and customer trust, it’s
considered high priority as it needs to be fixed quickly to avoid damaging the company’s image.
15. What is Defect Cascading?
Answer: Defect cascading occurs when one defect leads to the discovery of more defects during
integration testing. Fixing a primary defect can often reveal additional, hidden issues within the
system.
16. What is a Latent Defect?
Answer: A latent defect is a hidden issue that goes unnoticed during testing and may only surface
after the software is released. It typically only becomes visible when a specific task or scenario
triggers it.
17. What is Fault Masking? Explain with an example.
Answer: Fault masking happens when one defect hides another defect.
Example: Suppose there is a defect in an e-commerce website’s discount calculation. However, the
fault is masked because the final amount shown in the cart always rounds the number to the nearest
dollar. This hides the underlying discount calculation error, preventing it from being noticed. Only
when the rounding issue is fixed would the original defect in the discount calculation become visible.
18. Explain the difference between Latent and Masked Defects.
Latent Defect: This is a hidden defect that hasn’t been discovered because the specific conditions to
trigger it have not occurred yet.
Masked Defect: This is a defect that remains hidden because another defect is preventing the system
from executing the code where the masked defect exists.
Example:
A latent defect might be found when users attempt a rare operation in the software, causing the
defect to surface for the first time.
A masked defect could be hidden behind a login page error. The defect in the login prevents users
from accessing other parts of the system where the masked defect exists. Once the login issue is
fixed, the hidden (masked) defect may be found.
19. What are the basic components of a defect report format?
A defect report typically includes the following:
Defect ID: Unique identifier in the bug tracking system.
Project/Product Name: The software being tested.
Version/Build: The version or build where the defect is found.
Module: The specific part of the software.
Summary: A brief description of the defect.
Steps to Reproduce: How to recreate the defect.
Actual vs. Expected Result: What happened vs. what should have happened.
Severity: How seriously the defect impacts functionality (Critical, Major, Minor, Trivial).
Priority: How urgent it is to fix the defect.
Tester: Who found the defect.
Assigned To: Developer responsible for fixing it.
Status: Where the defect is in the bug life cycle (New, Open, In Progress, Resolved, Closed).
20. What is Defect Triage?
Defect triage is the process of determining which defects should be fixed first. This is based on
factors like defect severity, the risk it poses, and how long it will take to resolve. During a triage
meeting, stakeholders (testers, developers, and managers) discuss and assign priority to the defects,
ensuring critical issues are fixed promptly.
