Top 30 Most Common Manual Testing Interview Questions For Freshers You Should Prepare For

Written by
James Miller, Career Coach
Landing your first role in software testing can feel like a significant step, and preparing for interviews is key to success. As a fresher, you'll likely face questions designed to gauge your foundational knowledge, understanding of core concepts, and enthusiasm for the field of quality assurance. Manual testing serves as the bedrock for many entry-level roles, making it crucial to master the basics. This article breaks down the top 30 most common manual testing interview questions for freshers, providing concise and effective ways to answer them, helping you build confidence and demonstrate your potential to prospective employers. By focusing on these core areas, you can significantly enhance your preparation and increase your chances of acing your manual testing interview questions for freshers.
What Are Manual Testing Interview Questions for Freshers?
Manual testing interview questions for freshers are queries posed by interviewers to evaluate a candidate's understanding of fundamental software testing principles and practices, specifically those related to manual execution. These questions cover topics like basic definitions (what is testing, what is a test case), common testing types (smoke, sanity, regression), the software and testing lifecycles (SDLC, STLC), defect reporting, and the difference between related concepts like verification vs. validation or QA vs. testing. They are designed to assess if a fresher has grasped the theoretical concepts learned in courses or self-study and can articulate them clearly, laying the groundwork for understanding more complex manual testing processes. Preparing for manual testing interview questions for freshers is essential for demonstrating a solid knowledge base.
Why Do Interviewers Ask Manual Testing Interview Questions for Freshers?
Interviewers ask manual testing interview questions for freshers for several key reasons. Firstly, they want to verify that the candidate has a solid theoretical foundation in software testing principles. As freshers often lack practical experience, demonstrating a strong grasp of concepts like SDLC, STLC, test case structure, and defect reporting is crucial. Secondly, these questions help assess the candidate's communication skills – their ability to explain technical concepts clearly and concisely. Thirdly, understanding basic manual testing concepts indicates a candidate's potential to learn and grow within a quality assurance team. Finally, it helps gauge their passion and genuine interest in software testing as a career path. Mastering manual testing interview questions for freshers is vital for making a strong first impression.
What is Manual Testing?
Difference Between Manual Testing and Automated Testing?
What is Software Testing?
What is the Difference Between Verification and Validation?
What is SDLC?
What is STLC?
What are the Different Phases of Software Testing?
What is a Test Case?
What is a Test Scenario?
What is a Test Plan?
What is the Difference Between Quality Assurance (QA) and Testing?
What is the Difference Between Smoke Testing and Sanity Testing?
What are Exit and Entry Criteria in Testing?
What is Regression Testing?
What is Retesting?
What is a Defect Life Cycle?
What is Test Data?
What is a Test Suite?
What is White Box Testing?
What is Black Box Testing?
What is Gray Box Testing?
What is Dynamic Testing?
What is Static Testing?
What is a Blocker?
What is a Test Bed?
How to Prioritize Test Cases?
What is Positive and Negative Testing?
What is Exploratory Testing?
What are the Types of Software Testing?
How Do You Report a Defect?
Preview List
1. What is Manual Testing?
Why you might get asked this:
This is a fundamental question to understand if you know the core definition of manual testing and its place in the QA process for manual testing interview questions for freshers.
How to answer:
Define manual testing simply as executing tests without automation tools, requiring human effort to observe and verify software behavior.
Example answer:
Manual testing is testing software by hand, without using any automation tools. A tester executes test cases manually, interacts with the application as an end-user would, and verifies that it functions according to requirements.
2. Difference Between Manual Testing and Automated Testing?
Why you might get asked this:
Tests your understanding of the two main approaches to testing and their respective use cases, common in manual testing interview questions for freshers.
How to answer:
Explain that manual testing is human-driven, good for usability and exploratory testing. Automated testing uses tools/scripts, suitable for repetitive and regression tests.
Example answer:
Manual testing involves human testers executing tests. Automated testing uses scripts and tools. Manual is flexible for exploring new features; automated is efficient for repetitive tests like regression, saving time and resources.
3. What is Software Testing?
Why you might get asked this:
A foundational question to ensure you understand the overall purpose and goal of the software testing process, crucial for manual testing interview questions for freshers.
How to answer:
Define software testing as the process of evaluating a software application to find defects and ensure it meets specified requirements and user needs.
Example answer:
Software testing is the process of evaluating a software application to find defects or bugs. Its main goal is to ensure the software meets technical requirements, functions correctly, and satisfies user expectations before release.
4. What is the Difference Between Verification and Validation?
Why you might get asked this:
This checks your grasp of two distinct, but related, quality concepts in the development lifecycle, often asked in manual testing interview questions for freshers.
How to answer:
Explain verification as "Are we building the product right?" (process-focused, static) and validation as "Are we building the right product?" (product-focused, dynamic).
Example answer:
Verification is a static process ensuring the software meets specifications ("Are we building the product right?"). Validation is a dynamic process ensuring the software meets user needs ("Are we building the right product?").
5. What is SDLC?
Why you might get asked this:
Evaluates your knowledge of the complete software development process framework, which provides context for testing activities, common in manual testing interview questions for freshers.
How to answer:
Define SDLC as the Software Development Life Cycle, a structured process for software development from conception to maintenance, listing key phases.
Example answer:
SDLC stands for Software Development Life Cycle. It's a framework defining phases for software development, including requirement gathering, design, coding, testing, deployment, and maintenance. Testing is a crucial phase within the SDLC.
6. What is STLC?
Why you might get asked this:
Tests your understanding of the structured process specifically within the testing domain, showing you know where testing fits in, relevant for manual testing interview questions for freshers.
How to answer:
Define STLC as the Software Testing Life Cycle, a sequence of testing activities within the SDLC, listing its typical phases.
Example answer:
STLC stands for Software Testing Life Cycle. It's a defined process for testing within the SDLC. Its phases include requirement analysis, test planning, test case development, environment setup, test execution, and test closure.
7. What are the Different Phases of Software Testing?
Why you might get asked this:
Asks about the specific steps involved in the testing process itself, detailing the STLC phases, a common topic for manual testing interview questions for freshers.
How to answer:
List and briefly describe the main phases of the STLC, such as requirement analysis, test planning, test case development, environment setup, execution, and reporting/closure.
Example answer:
The main phases are Requirement Analysis (understanding what to test), Test Planning (defining scope, strategy), Test Case Development (writing test cases), Test Environment Setup (preparing the test bed), Test Execution (running tests), and Test Cycle Closure (reporting findings).
8. What is a Test Case?
Why you might get asked this:
A fundamental term in testing; you must know what the basic unit of testing work is, critical for manual testing interview questions for freshers.
How to answer:
Define a test case as a documented set of steps, conditions, and expected results used to verify a specific function or requirement of the software.
Example answer:
A test case is a set of actions performed on software to verify a specific feature or function. It typically includes steps to execute, test data, preconditions, expected results, and postconditions.
9. What is a Test Scenario?
Why you might get asked this:
Checks your understanding of a higher-level concept that groups related test cases, showing you can think broadly about functionality, useful for manual testing interview questions for freshers.
How to answer:
Define a test scenario as a high-level summary of what to test, representing a potential user action or a functional path through the application.
Example answer:
A test scenario is a high-level description of a testable requirement or function, covering a specific user action or flow. For example, "Verify user login functionality" is a test scenario, which might contain multiple test cases.
10. What is a Test Plan?
Why you might get asked this:
Evaluates your knowledge of the foundational document that guides the entire testing effort, important for understanding project scope in manual testing interview questions for freshers.
How to answer:
Define a test plan as a comprehensive document outlining the scope, objectives, approach, resources, schedule, and deliverables of the testing project.
Example answer:
A test plan is a detailed document that describes the scope, objectives, strategy, resources, and schedule for testing activities. It's a roadmap for the testing team and is created during the test planning phase.
11. What is the Difference Between Quality Assurance (QA) and Testing?
Why you might get asked this:
Tests your understanding of the broader quality management concept versus the specific activity of finding bugs, common in manual testing interview questions for freshers.
How to answer:
Explain QA as process-oriented, focused on preventing defects throughout the lifecycle. Testing is product-oriented, focused on identifying defects in the final product.
Example answer:
QA (Quality Assurance) is process-focused, aiming to prevent defects by improving processes ("preventing bugs"). Testing is product-focused, aiming to identify defects in the software ("finding bugs"). Testing is part of QA.
12. What is the Difference Between Smoke Testing and Sanity Testing?
Why you might get asked this:
Checks your knowledge of two types of quick, essential tests performed at different points, relevant for understanding build stability in manual testing interview questions for freshers.
How to answer:
Describe smoke testing as verifying core functionality after a build deployment (broad, shallow). Describe sanity testing as a quick check after a bug fix or small change (narrow, deep).
Example answer:
Smoke testing verifies the most critical functions of a new build to ensure stability (broad). Sanity testing is a quick check on a specific module or functionality after a minor change or bug fix (narrow).
13. What are Exit and Entry Criteria in Testing?
Why you might get asked this:
Tests your understanding of the conditions that start and stop testing activities, crucial for managing test cycles in manual testing interview questions for freshers.
How to answer:
Define entry criteria as the minimum conditions that must be met before starting a testing phase. Define exit criteria as the conditions that must be met to conclude a testing phase.
Example answer:
Entry criteria are conditions required to start testing, e.g., a stable build is available. Exit criteria are conditions to stop testing, e.g., all critical bugs fixed, test cases executed with required pass rate.
14. What is Regression Testing?
Why you might get asked this:
A very common testing type; understanding regression is essential for maintaining software quality over time, frequently asked in manual testing interview questions for freshers.
How to answer:
Define regression testing as re-running existing test cases to ensure that recent code changes or bug fixes have not introduced new defects into previously working functionality.
Example answer:
Regression testing is performed to ensure that adding new features, fixing bugs, or making configuration changes hasn't negatively impacted existing functionality. It involves re-executing previously passed test cases.
15. What is Retesting?
Why you might get asked this:
Distinguishes your understanding of verifying a fix versus checking broader stability, important for defect lifecycle management in manual testing interview questions for freshers.
How to answer:
Define retesting as specifically testing a defect fix to verify that the bug is resolved and the affected functionality now works as expected.
Example answer:
Retesting is specifically testing a defect (bug) after it has been fixed by the development team. The purpose is solely to confirm that the original bug is no longer present.
16. What is a Defect Life Cycle?
Why you might get asked this:
Tests your understanding of how a bug progresses from discovery to closure, demonstrating your awareness of the workflow in manual testing interview questions for freshers.
How to answer:
Describe the sequence of states a defect goes through, such as New, Assigned, Open, Fixed, Retested, Closed, Reopened, and Rejected.
Example answer:
The defect life cycle tracks a defect's journey. It typically includes states like New (reported), Assigned (to developer), Open (being worked on), Fixed (code changed), Retested (verified by tester), Closed (verified fix), or Reopened/Rejected.
17. What is Test Data?
Why you might get asked this:
Checks your understanding of the inputs needed to execute test cases effectively, crucial for setting up test environments in manual testing interview questions for freshers.
How to answer:
Define test data as the input values and conditions used to execute a test case and verify the software's behavior.
Example answer:
Test data is the input given to the software application during testing. This data is used to execute test cases, verify specific conditions, and check if the output matches the expected result.
18. What is a Test Suite?
Why you might get asked this:
Tests your knowledge of how individual test cases are organized for execution, relevant for test execution planning in manual testing interview questions for freshers.
How to answer:
Define a test suite as a collection of multiple test cases that are grouped together to test a particular feature, module, or release.
Example answer:
A test suite is a group of test cases collected together to test a specific part of the software or a particular type of testing, like regression or integration testing.
19. What is White Box Testing?
Why you might get asked this:
Introduces one of the fundamental testing methodologies, checking if you know testing based on internal structure, a core concept for manual testing interview questions for freshers.
How to answer:
Define White Box Testing as testing based on knowledge of the internal structure or code of the application, focusing on logic and paths.
Example answer:
White Box Testing, also known as structural or code-based testing, involves testing with knowledge of the internal workings of the application. Testers examine the code structure to design test cases that cover different paths and conditions.
20. What is Black Box Testing?
Why you might get asked this:
Introduces the primary methodology used in manual testing, where the focus is on functionality without seeing the code, essential for manual testing interview questions for freshers.
How to answer:
Define Black Box Testing as testing where the tester does not have knowledge of the internal code or structure, focusing solely on inputs and outputs based on requirements.
Example answer:
Black Box Testing is a method where the tester doesn't know the internal code structure. Testing is based purely on requirements and functionality – providing input and verifying the output against expected results, like testing a login form.
21. What is Gray Box Testing?
Why you might get asked this:
Shows you understand a hybrid approach, combining internal knowledge with external behavior testing, relevant for various scenarios in manual testing interview questions for freshers.
How to answer:
Define Gray Box Testing as a combination of White Box and Black Box testing, where the tester has limited knowledge of the internal structure but tests from a user perspective.
Example answer:
Gray Box Testing is a partial-knowledge approach. The tester might know some internal details (like architecture or data structures) but tests from the user interface, combining insights from both black box and white box methods.
22. What is Dynamic Testing?
Why you might get asked this:
Distinguishes testing that involves running the software from static analysis, a basic classification in manual testing interview questions for freshers.
How to answer:
Define dynamic testing as testing performed by executing the code of the application to observe its behavior in real-time.
Example answer:
Dynamic testing involves executing the software code to observe its behavior and identify defects. This includes running the application and interacting with it through various test cases and scenarios.
23. What is Static Testing?
Why you might get asked this:
Tests your knowledge of defect prevention and early detection activities that don't require code execution, important for comprehensive quality understanding in manual testing interview questions for freshers.
How to answer:
Define static testing as testing performed without executing the code, typically involving reviews of documents (requirements, design) and code walkthroughs.
Example answer:
Static testing involves examining work products like requirements, design documents, or code without executing the program. Techniques include reviews, walkthroughs, and inspections, helping find defects early.
24. What is a Blocker?
Why you might get asked this:
Checks your understanding of defect severity and prioritization, essential for effective communication and issue management in manual testing interview questions for freshers.
How to answer:
Define a blocker as a critical defect that completely prevents a tester from proceeding with further testing or makes a core function unusable.
Example answer:
A blocker is a defect of the highest severity that stops the testing process dead in its tracks or prevents a critical function from being tested or used. For example, the application crashing on launch.
25. What is a Test Bed?
Why you might get asked this:
Evaluates your understanding of the environment and setup required for testing, a practical concept for manual testing interview questions for freshers.
How to answer:
Define a test bed as the configured environment for testing, including necessary hardware, software, network configuration, and test data.
Example answer:
A test bed is the environment set up for testing. It includes the specific hardware, operating system, software versions, network setup, and data needed to execute tests under defined conditions.
26. How to Prioritize Test Cases?
Why you might get asked this:
Tests your ability to think strategically about which tests are most important to run first, relevant for efficient testing in manual testing interview questions for freshers.
How to answer:
Explain prioritization based on factors like business impact, frequency of use, critical functionalities, risk level, and areas with a history of defects.
Example answer:
Test cases are prioritized based on risk, critical functionality, business impact, and frequency of use. High-priority cases cover core functions and high-risk areas, ensuring the most important parts are stable first.
27. What is Positive and Negative Testing?
Why you might get asked this:
Checks your understanding of different approaches to validating system behavior, covering both expected and unexpected inputs, common in manual testing interview questions for freshers.
How to answer:
Define positive testing as using valid inputs to ensure the software works as expected. Define negative testing as using invalid or unexpected inputs to ensure the software handles them gracefully (e.g., shows an error).
Example answer:
Positive testing uses valid inputs to verify that the system performs the required function correctly. Negative testing uses invalid or unexpected inputs to check that the system handles errors gracefully or rejects incorrect data.
28. What is Exploratory Testing?
Why you might get asked this:
Tests your knowledge of a dynamic, less formal testing type often used alongside scripted testing, relevant for manual testing interview questions for freshers.
How to answer:
Define exploratory testing as simultaneous test design and execution where the tester uses their knowledge, creativity, and experience to explore the application and find defects without predefined test cases.
Example answer:
Exploratory testing is where testers spontaneously explore the application during testing. They don't follow a strict script but use their skills and intuition to discover how the software works and find bugs in real-time.
29. What are the Types of Software Testing?
Why you might get asked this:
Evaluates your overall knowledge of the landscape of software testing approaches beyond just manual or automated, useful for manual testing interview questions for freshers.
How to answer:
List several common types of testing, categorizing them where appropriate (e.g., Functional, Non-Functional, Manual, Automated, Black Box, White Box, Integration, System, Regression, Smoke, Sanity).
Example answer:
Software testing types include Functional (like unit, integration, system), Non-Functional (like performance, security), Manual, Automated, Black Box, White Box, Regression, Smoke, Sanity, and User Acceptance Testing.
30. How Do You Report a Defect?
Why you might get asked this:
A practical and essential skill for any tester; this question checks if you know the necessary components of a good bug report, crucial for manual testing interview questions for freshers.
How to answer:
Describe the process of logging a defect in a tracking tool, including essential information like a clear summary, steps to reproduce, actual result, expected result, environment details, and severity/priority.
Example answer:
To report a defect, I would log it in a bug tracking tool. Key information includes a unique ID, a clear summary, detailed steps to reproduce, actual vs. expected results, environment (OS, browser), severity/priority, and attachments like screenshots or logs.
Other Tips to Prepare for a Manual Testing Interview Questions for Freshers
Beyond memorizing answers to common manual testing interview questions for freshers, consider practical steps to stand out. Practice explaining concepts verbally. "The difference between knowing something and being able to explain it clearly is huge," says tech lead Jane Doe. Work through examples in your head: if asked about test cases, think of a simple login screen and how you'd test it. Explore basic defect tracking tools like Jira or Bugzilla to understand their interface, as most companies use one. Familiarity with tools, even superficially, shows initiative.
Consider using resources like the Verve AI Interview Copilot, available at https://vervecopilot.com, to practice answering manual testing interview questions for freshers. This AI tool can simulate interview scenarios and provide feedback on your responses. Preparing with Verve AI Interview Copilot helps refine your articulation and boost confidence. Remember that enthusiasm and a willingness to learn are highly valued in freshers. Show your passion for quality and your readiness to contribute. Leverage tools like Verve AI Interview Copilot to turn practice into polished performance for manual testing interview questions for freshers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1: Do I need coding skills for manual testing?
A1: Basic coding isn't required for manual testing, but understanding programming concepts can be helpful for understanding issues.
Q2: How important is communication in manual testing?
A2: Communication is vital for discussing requirements, reporting bugs clearly, and collaborating with developers and team members.
Q3: Should freshers know about agile methodology?
A3: Yes, basic knowledge of Agile and Scrum is beneficial as most companies follow these methodologies.
Q4: What is a typical day like for a manual tester?
A4: A typical day involves executing test cases, reporting defects, retesting fixes, attending team meetings, and updating documentation.
Q5: How do I show passion for testing?
A5: Talk about your interest in finding issues, ensuring quality, and how you approach problem-solving during the interview.