ame - Shreyans Saklecha
N
Email - saklechashreyans1999@gmail.com
A Quick Interview Guide:
Q
Roadmap to Success in Quality
Assurance Interviews
💼
Compiled for Aspiring QA Engineers & Testers
🚀
A Strategic Resource to Help You Crack Your Next Interview
repared by: Shreyans Saklecha
P
Email :saklechashreyans1999@gmail.com
LinkedIn -https://www.linkedin.com/in/shreyans-saklecha/
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ame - Shreyans Saklecha
N
Email - saklechashreyans1999@gmail.com
❓ 1. What is Quality Assurance (QA)?
uality Assurance (QA)is apreventive, process-oriented approachto ensure
Q
the software product meets defined quality standards and stakeholder
expectations. Rather than only finding bugs, QA emphasizesbuilding quality into
every phaseo f the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC).
QA activities involve:
● Establishing and followingstandardized processes
● Proactively identifying risksand areas of improvement
● Validating processes, not just the end product
I t encompasses tasks such as audits, reviews, process evaluations, and test
planning, with the primary goal beingdefect preventionrather than defect
detection. QA ensures the product isfunctionally sound,user-friendly, and
aligned with business objectives, improving reliability and customer satisfaction.
❓ 2. What is the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC)?
heSoftware Development Life Cycle (SDLC)is a structured methodology used to
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guide the development of high-quality software through well-defined phases. It
provides asystematic planfor building and maintaining software systems
efficiently.
🧩 Key Phases of SDLC:
1. Requirement Analysis – Gather and analyze business and user requirements
2. System Design– Define architecture, components, and data flow
3. Implementation– Developers write and integrate code
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ame - Shreyans Saklecha
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4. Testing– Validate the software against requirements
5. Deployment– Deliver the software to the production environment
6. Maintenance– Provide support and apply updates post-release
ifferent SDLC models includeWaterfall,Agile,V-Model, andSpiral, selected
D
based on project type, risk, and customer needs. The ultimate aim is to ensure
delivery ofhigh-quality, reliable, and maintainable softwareo n time and within
budget.
❓ 3. What is the Software Testing Life Cycle (STLC)?
heSoftware Testing Life Cycle (STLC)is a structured process followed by QA
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teams to validate the quality of the software. It definesa series of stepsexecuted to
ensure that testing is thorough, traceable, and aligned with project goals.
🧪 Key Phases of STLC:
1. Requirement Analysis – Identify testable requirements
2. Test Planning– Define scope, objectives, resources, and timelines
3. Test Case Design– Write detailed test cases and prepare test data
4. Test Environment Setup– Prepare necessary hardware and software
5. Test Execution– Run test cases, report and retest defects
6. Test Closure– Review test metrics, document findings, and finalize testing
S TLC iscomplementary to SDLC, but focused exclusively on improving software
quality via systematic and well-documented testing practices.
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ame - Shreyans Saklecha
N
Email - saklechashreyans1999@gmail.com
❓ 4. What is Functional Testing?
unctional Testingis a form ofblack-box testingthat validates whether the
F
software behaves as expected, based on the specified business requirements. It is
focused on verifying“what” the system does, not “how” it does it.
🔍 Features of Functional Testing:
● T
ests are created usingrequirements,user stories, andacceptance
c riteria
● Includesinput validation,error messages, andUI/UX flows
● Examples:Smoke testing,Sanity testing,Integration testing,UAT
esters simulate user behavior and observe how the application responds. This
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ensures the product performs correctly in real-world usage scenarios.
❓ 5. What does Exploratory Testing mean?
xploratory Testingis asimultaneous learning, test design, and execution
E
approach. Instead of following pre-written test cases, testersinteract freelywith
the system, using their domain expertise and intuition to discover bugs.
🧠 Characteristics:
● No predefined scripts; tests evolve in real-time
● Testers explore the system usingc reativityandanalytical skills
● G
reat foruncovering UI/UX issues,corner cases, andunexpected
behaviors
I t’s particularly effective when documentation is incomplete or deadlines are tight.
The process may be structured usingsession-based test management (SBTM)for
traceability.
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ame - Shreyans Saklecha
N
Email - saklechashreyans1999@gmail.com
❓ 6. What are the drawbacks of Exploratory Testing?
hileExploratory Testingencourages flexibility and rapid feedback, it also poses
W
some challenges:
⚠️ Limitations:
● 🗂️
Lack of documentation: Difficult to reproduce issues if steps are not
recorded
● 🔄Low repeatability: Inconsistent test paths across sessions
● 👤
Tester-dependent: Effectiveness varies based on experience and domain
understanding
● ❌
Risk of missed coverage: Critical paths may go untested without a
checklist
o mitigate these, teams can combine exploratory testing withscriptedo r
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automatedtesting for broader coverage and reliability.
❓ 7. What does Regression Testing mean?
egression Testingis conducted to ensure thatnew code changes do not
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negatively affect existing featureso f the software. It involves re-executing
previously passed test cases to confirm that the software’s core functionality
remains intact.
🔁 When to Apply:
● After bug fixes or feature enhancements
● During release cycles or after configuration updates
🛠️ Best Practices:
● Maintain an updatedregression test suite
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ame - Shreyans Saklecha
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● Automatehigh-impact and repetitive regression cases
● Useprioritizationto focus on business-critical functionality
egression testing is crucial inAgile and CI/CD environments, where frequent
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deployments demand continuous verification.
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❓ 8. What does Confirmation Testing mean?
onfirmation Testing, also known asRe-testing, is the process of validating that a
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previously reported defect has been successfully fixed by the development team. It
is typically conducted immediately after a defect status changes to “Fixed” or
“Ready for QA.”
✅ Characteristics:
● Targets theexact issueand theexact stepsused to reproduce it earlier
● Validates that the fix works as expected
● F
ocusesonlyo n the fixed bug – does not assess related areas (unlike
regression testing)
xample: If a login bug was reported due to incorrect error handling,
E
confirmation testing will specifically re-test the login failure scenario
using the same inputs.
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ame - Shreyans Saklecha
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Email - saklechashreyans1999@gmail.com
❓ 9. What do the Test Cases mean?
est Casesare structured documents or units of testing that definewhat to test,
T
how to test, andwhat the expected outcome should be. They are essential for
verifying that a specific feature or functionality behaves as intended.
✍️ A Standard Test Case Includes:
● Test Case ID
● Objective / Description
● Preconditions
● Input Data
● Test Steps
● Expected Result
● Actual Result (during execution)
● Status (Pass/Fail)
ell-written test cases ensureconsistency,traceability, and
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repeatability, especially in large or complex applications.
❓ 10. What are the differences between Test Cases and Test Scenarios?
Feature Test Scenario Test Case
Definition H
igh-level functionality to be etailed steps to validate the
D
tested scenario
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ame - Shreyans Saklecha
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Purpose Defines “What to test” Defines “How to test”
Scope road; can include multiple test N
B arrow; targets a specific condition
conditions o r behavior
Detail LevelLess detailed Very detailed and structured
Example “Verify login functionality” “ Enter valid credentials and click
Login button”
est scenarios help inplanning coverage, while test cases are used for
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execution and automation.
❓ 11. What is Severity?
everityrefers to theimpacta defect has on the system's operation, functionality,
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o r user experience. It indicates how badly the system is affected due to a particular
bug or issue.
🔴 Common Severity Levels:
● Critical – Complete system failure or crash (e.g., unable to log in)
● Major– Major functionality broken (e.g., checkout fails)
● Minor– Partial or non-blocking issue (e.g., misaligned button)
● Trivial– Very low impact, like typos or visual inconsistencies
S everity is generally decided by theQA Engineerbased on the
technical seriousnesso f the issue.
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ame - Shreyans Saklecha
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Email - saklechashreyans1999@gmail.com
❓ 12. What is Priority?
rioritydetermines theorder in which a defect should be resolved, often driven
P
by business goals, release schedules, and customer impact. It doesn’t always align
with severity.
📊 Common Priority Levels:
● High – Needs immediate attention (e.g., crash on payment page)
● Medium– Important, but can wait for the next sprint
● Low– Can be fixed later or scheduled for future release
riority is decided byProject Managers,Product Owners, orTeam
P
Leadsto align defect fixing with the project timeline and objectives.
❓ 13. Give the differences between Severity and Priority
Attribute Severity Priority
Meaning Impact on system functionality Urgency to fix the defect
ecided
D QA/Test Engineer Product Owner / Project Lead
By
Focus Technical consequence Business urgency
Example pp crashes on edge case
A ix a homepage typo before demo
F
(Critical Severity) (High Priority)
Levels Critical, Major, Minor, Trivial High, Medium, Low
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ame - Shreyans Saklecha
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Email - saklechashreyans1999@gmail.com
defect can behigh severity but low priority, orlow severity but
A
high priority, depending on the business context.
❓ 14. What does the Defect Life Cycle mean?
heDefect Life Cycle(also called theBug Life Cycle) describes the various stages
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a defect passes through from discovery to closure. This cycle ensures transparency
and traceability of how a defect is handled and resolved in a structured way.
🔄 Typical Stages in the Defect Life Cycle:
1. New – A tester discovers a bug and logs it.
2. Assigned– The defect is assigned to a developer.
3. Open– The developer acknowledges and begins investigating the bug.
4. Fixed– The developer applies the code fix.
5. Retest– QA retests to confirm the bug is resolved.
6. Verified– The fix is successful and verified.
7. Closed– The defect is marked as closed.
8. Reopened– If the issue persists after fixing.
9. R
ejected/Deferred/Duplicate– Based on triage decisions (not a bug, fix
postponed, or bug already exists).
✅
This lifecycle ensures defects are addressed systematically, fostering
accountability and quality.
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ame - Shreyans Saklecha
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Email - saklechashreyans1999@gmail.com
❓ 15. What is the role of a QA Engineer in Agile Development?
I n Agile methodology, a QA Engineer is not a passive afterthought but anintegral
part of the development team. QA engineers are involved from the beginning of
each sprint and play a critical role in delivering high-quality, shippable software.
👨💻 Key Responsibilities of Agile QA:
● Participating insprint planning, backlog grooming, and daily stand-ups.
● Writingacceptance criteriaand defining theDefinition of Done (DoD).
● Designing and executingtest casesfor user stories during development.
● Performingexploratory testing,regression testing, andautomation.
● C
ollaborating closely with developers and product owners forfast
feedback.
● Maintainingtest documentation, dashboards, and automation suites.
🧠
The goal is toembed quality at every stageo f development, not
just test after coding is complete.
❓ 16. What is Cross-Browser Testing?
ross-Browser Testingis the process of verifying whether a web application
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behaves and appears consistently across different browsers, browser versions, and
o perating systems.
🧪 This testing ensures:
● ✅ Uniform rendering of HTML/CSS across browsers.
● ✅ Functionality of JavaScript and dynamic elements.
● ✅ Responsive design on desktops, tablets, and mobiles.
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ame - Shreyans Saklecha
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● ✅ No browser-specific bugs that affect the user experience.
🔍 Common Targets for Testing:
● Google Chrome (Windows/Mac/Linux)
● Mozilla Firefox
● Safari (Mac/iOS)
● Microsoft Edge
● Opera
● Mobile browsers on Android and iOS
🔧 Popular Tools:
rowserStack,Sauce Labs,Lambdatest, and open-source tools like
● B
Selenium Grid.
🔁
Cross-browser testing is essential for delivering aconsistent and
accessibleuser experience across all platforms.
❓ 17. What is the difference between Black-box and White-box Testing?
Here is a side-by-side comparison of these two essential testing methodologies:
Feature Black-box Testing White-box Testing
Access to Code No access needed Full access to code required
ho Performs QA/Testers, end users
W evelopers, technically skilled
D
It? testers
Test Focus Validating functionality erifying logic, code paths, and
V
internal behavior
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ame - Shreyans Saklecha
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Basis Requirements, user stories ode structure, branches, and
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control flow
Techniques quivalence partitioning,
E S tatement, path, and branch
boundary testing coverage
Examples Functional, UI, system testing nit testing, static analysis, security
U
testing
⚖️
Black-box testing answers“Does it work?”, while white-box testing
answers“How does it work?”
❓ 18. Explain the concept of Behavior-Driven Development (BDD)
ehavior-Driven Development (BDD)is an Agile software development practice
B
that encouragescollaborationamong developers, testers, and business
stakeholders throughshared understandingo f system behavior.
🔍 Core Concepts:
● Tests are written innatural language (English-like syntax).
● UsesGherkin syntaxwithGiven–When–Thenformat.
● B
ridges the gap betweentechnical teams and non-technical
stakeholders.
● Promotes“Specification by Example”.
● E
ncouragestest-first development, closely aligned with TDD (Test Driven
Development).
📝 Example:
Scenario: Successful login with valid credentials
Given the user is on the login page
When they enter valid credentials
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ame - Shreyans Saklecha
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Then they should be redirected to the dashboard
🔧 Common BDD Tools:
● Cucumber (Java/Ruby)
● SpecFlow(.NET)
● Behave(Python)
● JBehave,Gauge
🤝
BDD facilitates better communication,fewer misunderstandings,
andhigher product quality.
❓ 19. How can we measure the effectiveness of testing?
esting effectiveness can be evaluated usingquantitative metricsthat assess both
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defect managementandtest coverage.
📊 Key Metrics to Track:
efect Detection Percentage (DDP) = (Defects detected during testing / Total
● D
defects found) × 100
● T
est Coverage= (Number of requirements covered by tests / Total
requirements) × 100
● Defect Leakage= Bugs found post-release
● Test Case Effectiveness= Ratio of valid defects found via test cases
● Automation Coverage= % of test cases that are automated
● Mean Time to Detect (MTTD)andMean Time to Repair (MTTR)
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ame - Shreyans Saklecha
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📈
These insights allow teams toimprove test planning, risk
management, andoverall QA strategy.
❓ 20. How can we ensure a smooth release process?
successful and smooth release is the result ofcollaborative planning,
A
comprehensive testing, androbust automation.
✅ Best Practices:
● 🔄 Conduct thoroughregression and sanity tests.
● 🔐 Includesecurity, performance, and accessibilitytesting.
● ⚙️ Integrate testing intoCI/CD pipelines.
● 📄 Maintain detailedrelease documentationandc hecklists.
● 🛑 Plan forrollback optionsin case of failures.
● 🤝 InvolveDevOps, QA, and product teamsduring the release phase.
● ✅ Conductpost-release validationsand monitor KPIs.
🚀
A successful release isn’t just about delivery — it’s aboutreliability,
performance, and user trust.
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