Everyone wants to hire the best candidate who can considerably contribute to their business. However, not everyone knows how to carry out a job interview and which questions to ask. In this article, you’ll find the most common QA interview questions, along with answers.
Remember that QA team members hold different positions, including QA engineers, test analysts, test architects, test managers, and team leaders. Every job requires specific knowledge and experience, though there is a set of relevant questions for any QA team member. Let’s explore them.
1. What Is Software Quality Assurance?
Answer: It’s a practice of monitoring different software development processes, methods, activities, and work items and ensuring that their quality is high. Software quality is about how close developed products are to previously established requirements and expected results.
2. Explain The Difference Between Verification And Validation.
Answer: When we verify, we ask, “Are we building the product right?” When we validate, we ask, “Are we building the right product?” Verification tests whether the developed product meets previously established requirements. Validation tests whether the developed product adequately addresses the business needs.
3. What Is A Software Testing Life Cycle?
Answer: It’s a set of steps that must be taken in a specific sequence in order to check software quality and determine areas for improvement. Here is this sequence:
- Check the requirements
- Plan how the test will be conducted
- Develop the test case
- Execute the test
- Write and submit reports
4. What Is A Bug? How To Fix All Bugs?
Answer: A bug is an error, mistake, or failure in code that prevents the product from functioning correctly. Bugs can be viewed as discrepancies between actual software behavior and requirements or expected results.
Of course, it’s impossible to fix all bugs. However, testing is necessary to reduce their number and ensure that the developed product runs smoothly.
5. Highlight The Difference Between Black, White, And Grey Box Testing.
Answer: Black box testing is a software testing strategy where a tester doesn’t have access to the source code. It’s about testing as a user.
On the other hand, white box testing is a strategy where a tester has access to the source code. It’s about testing as a developer.
Grey box testing is a mix of the strategies mentioned above where a tester has limited access to the source code.
6. What Is Negative Testing? How Does It Differ From Positive Testing?
Answer: Negative testing ensures that the developed product runs smoothly even if such issues as invalid input and unexpected user behavior occur. This strategy focuses on whether the product gracefully handles various issues. In contrast, positive testing ensures that the application works as expected.
7. What Is Risk Analysis In Software Testing?
Answer: It’s an action taken to identify potential risks that can make a negative impact on the quality, timeliness, and cost of any project. The risk analysis process consists of the following steps:
- Identify the risk
- Analyze its impact
- Take countermeasures
8. Illustrate The Difference Between A Test Case And A Test Plan.
Answer: Test cases are documents that run a singular test scenario. Test plans are much more comprehensive documents that define all major activities within a testing project. The former includes test data, inputs, scenarios, descriptions, expected results, and actual results. The latter includes projects’ scope, goals, target market, resources, deliverables, ways to handle main risks, etc.
Conclusion
The questions mentioned above check only candidates’ hard skills. Remember to check their soft skills as well. Before the interview, you should also specify what exact responsibilities you expect your candidate to fulfill and ask additional questions concerning them.