Interview?

Are you ready for this new job?  Can I hear you saying: Yes Yes Yes  right? 

Now we can't guarantee that you will be asked all these questions but few will be asked.

Below are few interview questions with answers. Remember you are not alone on this journey to a new and successful career. We are here for you.

Enjoy 😃

1. Can you tell me about yourself?

Answer: In my QA career, I have been working on various system platforms and operating systems like Windows 95, Windows 2000, Windows XP and UNIX. I have tested applications developed in Java, C++, Visual Basic and so on. I have tested Web-based applications as well as client server applications.

As a QA person, I have written Test Plans, Test Cases, attended walkthrough meetings with the Business Analysts, Project Managers, Business Managers and QA Leads. Attended requirement review meetings and provided feedback to the Business Analysts. I have worked in different databases like Oracle and DB2, wrote SQL queries to retrieve data from the database.

As far as different types of testing is concerned, I have performed Smoke Testing, Functional Testing, Backend Testing, BlackBox Testing, Integration Testing, Regression Testing and UAT (User Acceptance Testing) Testing. I have participated in Load Testing and Stress Testing.

I have written defects as they are found using ALM. Once the defects were fixed, retested them and if the passed, closed them. If the defects were not fixed, then reopened them. I have also attended the defect assessment meetings as necessary.

In the meantime, a continuous interaction with developers was necessary.

This is pretty much what I have been doing as a QA person.

2. What did you do in your last project?

In my last project, the application was a web-based application developed in Java platform. As a QA Person, I wrote Test Plans from the requirement documents and Use Cases. I performed Smoke Testing, Functional Testing, Backend Testing, BlackBox Testing, Integration Testing, Regression Testing and UAT (User Acceptance Testing). I have participated in Load Testing and Stress Testing. I attended several walkthrough meetings for requirement reviews and provided feedback to the Business Analysts. Mostly, I was in the backend testing, which required writing SQL queries directly to the database.

Besides these, I wrote defects using ALM. Once the defects were fixed, retested them and if the passed, closed them. If the defects were not fixed, then reopened them.

3. Have you written Test Plan? What is a Test Plan? What does it include?

Yes.

What is a Test Plan?

A Test Plan is a document describing the scope, approach, resources, and schedule of intended testing activities. It identifies test items, the features to be tested, the testing tasks and who will do each task (roles and responsibilities) and any risks and its solutions.

What does it include? A Test Plan includes Heading, Revision History, Table of Contents, Introduction, Scope, Approach, Overview, different types of testing that will be carried out, what software and hardware will be required, issues, risks, assumptions and sign off section.

Click here to see how a complete Test_Plan_Sample looks like.

4.  Have you written a Test Case?

Yes.

What is a Test Case? What does it include?

A Test Case is a document that describes step by step process how to test the application. A Test Case includes Test Case ID, Steps Description, Expected Output, Actual Output, Pass/Fail, Remarks.

5.  How many Test Cases did you write in your last project?

Answer:  I wrote about 1100 Test Cases in my last project. (The reasonable number of Test Cases varies from 500 to thousands. The number 1100 test cases can be completed in a 6 month project duration).

6.  What document did you refer to write the Test Cases?

Requirement document. (NOTE: It can also be Use Cases, or Design Document)

(Note: It depends company to company. In some companies, they use Use Cases. In some companies, they use Requirement Documents and in some companies, they use Design Document. However, in practical scenario, most of the companies have requirement document at least). 

7.  Did you have a situation where you did not have any documents (no requirement document, no Use Cases, or no Design Document) and you had to write the Test Cases? How did you write the Test Cases?

Yes. I have been to that kind of scenarios several times. There were companies where they had no documents at all. In that case, I had to discuss the application scenario and functionalities with the Business Analysts or developer. I kind of prepared a document in consultation with Business Analysts and Developers and then started writing Test Cases.

8.  What is Software Development Life Cycle?

The systems (or software) development life cycle (SDLC) is a conceptual model used in project management that describes the stages involved in an information system development project, from an initial feasibility study through maintenance of the completed application.

It includes the following different stages:

1.  Requirement phase
2.  Design phase
3.  Coding (programming)
4.  Testing
5.  Release (Production)
6.  Maintenance (Support)

9.  What is Business Requirement Document (BRD)?

It is a document that describes the details of the application functionalities which is required by the user. This document is written by the Business Analysts.

What is Software Testing Life Cycle (STLC)?

The testing of software has its own life cycle.  It starts with study and analyzing the requirements.  Here is the software testing life cycle:

1.  Requirement Study
2.  Test Planning
3.  Writing Test Cases
4.  Review the Test Cases
5.  Executing the Test Cases
6.  Bug logging and tracking
7.  Close or Reopen bugs

10.What is Business Design Document?

It is the document which describes the application functionalities of the user in detail. This document is the further details of the Business Requirement Document. This is a very crucial step in the SDLC. Sometimes the Business Requirement Document and Business Design Document can be lumped together to make only one Business Requirement Document.

What is Code Generation or Program?

Coding is the process of translating the Business Design Document into the machine readable form. If the design is done in detailed manner, the Code Generation can be done without much application. Programming tools like Compilers, Interpreters and Debuggers are used to generate the code thru different high level language like C, C++, Pascal, Java.

11.  What is a Module?

A ‘Module’ is a software component that has a specific task. It can be a ‘link’ which can go inside to its component detail.

12.  What is meant by Walk-thru meeting?

Before start working in a module and/or after accomplishing the testing of a module, the tester calls a meeting to disseminate his findings or to share his queries to other tester or leads of the company working on the same application that is called the Walk-thru meeting.

13.  What is Build?

When each of the different modules of software is prepared, they are put in a single folder by the Configuration Management Team (CMT) and it is called the ‘Build’.  In other word, the developers put their code in the shared location (folder) and all those code (modules) are combined together so that it is a complete application that works.

What is meant by the Build Deployment?

When the Build so prepared by the CMT is sent to different Test Environments, it is called the Build Deployment.

14.  What is Test Strategy?

A test strategy is an outline that describes the testing portion of the software development cycle. It is created to inform project managers, testers, and developers about some key issues of the testing process. This includes the testing objective, methods of testing new functions, total time and resources required for the project, and the testing environment.

The test strategy describes how the product risks of the stakeholders are mitigated at the test-level, which types of test are to be performed, and which entry and exit criteria apply. (source: Wikipedia)

The test strategy is created based on development design documents.. It is written by the Test Manager or Lead.

The following are some of the components that the Test Strategy includes:

1 Test Levels.  2 Roles and Responsibilities.  3 Environment Requirements.  4 Testing Tools. 5 Risks and Mitigation. 6 Test Schedule. 7 Regression Test Approach.  8 Test Groups. 9 Test Priorities. 10 Test Status Collections and Reporting. 11 Test Records Maintenance. 12 Requirements traceability matrix. 13 Test Summary

Are Test Plan and Test Strategy same type of document?

No. They are different documents. Test Plan is a document that collects and organizes test cases by functional areas and/or types of testing in a form that can be presented to the other teams and/or customer where as the Test Strategy is the documented approach to testing. Test Plan is prepared by the tester whereas the Test Strategy is prepared by the QA Manager or QA lead.

Both are important pieces of Quality Assurance processes since they help communicate the test approach scope and ensure test coverage while improving the efficiency of the testing effort.

15.  What does the Test Strategy include?

It includes introduction, scope, resource and schedule for test activities, acceptance criteria, test environment, test tools, test priorities, test planning, executing a test pass and types of test to be performed.