Top 30 Most Common Manual Testing Interview Questions You Should Prepare For
Written by
James Miller, Career Coach
Landing a role in software quality assurance, especially in manual testing, requires demonstrating a strong understanding of core concepts, methodologies, and practical approaches. Manual testing interview questions are designed to assess your foundational knowledge, analytical skills, and how you would handle real-world testing scenarios. Preparing for these questions is crucial for showcasing your capabilities and increasing your chances of success. This guide covers the most frequently asked manual testing interview questions, offering insights into why they are asked and how to answer effectively, giving you a solid edge in your job search for manual testing positions. Master these manual testing interview questions to boost your confidence.
What Are Manual Testing Interview Questions?
Manual testing interview questions are inquiries posed during job interviews for quality assurance roles that primarily involve manual testing activities. They cover a broad range of topics from fundamental definitions like "What is manual testing?" and "What is a test case?" to more complex subjects such as defect management, testing methodologies (like agile testing), test design techniques (equivalence partitioning, boundary value analysis), and your experience with testing tools. These manual testing interview questions aim to gauge your technical knowledge, problem-solving abilities, and your fit within the testing team and organizational culture, proving your readiness for a manual testing role.
Why Do Interviewers Ask Manual Testing Interview Questions?
Interviewers ask manual testing interview questions for several key reasons. Firstly, they need to verify your foundational knowledge of software testing principles and practices, specifically in a manual context. This includes understanding the software development lifecycle, different testing types, and core testing documentation. Secondly, they assess your analytical and critical thinking skills – how you approach problem-solving, identify defects, and ensure quality manually. Thirdly, these questions evaluate your practical experience and how you apply theoretical knowledge in real-world testing scenarios. Finally, discussing manual testing interview questions helps interviewers understand your communication skills, your ability to articulate complex ideas clearly, and your enthusiasm for a career in manual testing.
Preview List
What is software testing?
What is manual testing?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of manual testing?
What is a test case?
What are the different types of software testing?
Explain the difference between verification and validation.
What are the levels of testing?
What is the difference between severity and priority?
What is a bug or defect life cycle?
What is a test plan?
What is a test scenario?
What is regression testing?
What is the difference between smoke testing and sanity testing?
What are test stubs and drivers?
What tools do you use for manual testing?
What is exploratory testing?
How do you prioritize test cases?
What is boundary value analysis?
What is equivalence partitioning?
What is user acceptance testing (UAT)?
How do you handle ambiguous or incomplete requirements?
What is a defect report? What does it include?
What is the difference between functional and non-functional testing?
What is test coverage?
What are test metrics?
What is the difference between alpha and beta testing?
What steps do you follow when you find a bug?
What is the role of a test case in manual testing?
How would you test a product if the requirements are yet to freeze?
When do you decide to stop testing?
1. What is software testing?
Why you might get asked this:
This is a foundational question to check your basic understanding of the software quality assurance discipline and your view on its purpose.
How to answer:
Define software testing clearly, mentioning its goal in ensuring quality, meeting requirements, and identifying defects before release.
Example answer:
Software testing is the process of evaluating a software application to ensure it meets specified requirements, functions as expected, and is free of defects. Its primary goal is to find bugs early and ensure the quality and reliability of the product before it reaches users.
2. What is manual testing?
Why you might get asked this:
Interviewers want to confirm you know the specific area you're applying for and its distinction from automation.
How to answer:
Explain that manual testing involves a human executing tests step-by-step without using automated tools, focusing on exploration and user perspective.
Example answer:
Manual testing is a type of software testing where testers manually execute test cases and explore the application to find defects. It requires human observation, analysis, and judgment to verify functionality and usability without reliance on automation scripts.
3. What are the advantages and disadvantages of manual testing?
Why you might get asked this:
This assesses your critical understanding of manual testing's place in the testing landscape and its trade-offs.
How to answer:
List key benefits like flexibility and suitability for exploratory testing, and drawbacks like time consumption and proneness to human error.
Example answer:
Advantages include flexibility for exploratory and usability testing, easier setup, and adaptability. Disadvantages are that it's time-consuming, potentially prone to human error, less efficient for repetitive tasks, and can be expensive in the long run for large projects.
4. What is a test case?
Why you might get asked this:
A fundamental concept in manual testing, understanding test cases is essential for structured testing.
How to answer:
Define a test case as a detailed set of steps, inputs, and expected results used to verify a specific feature or scenario.
Example answer:
A test case is a document that specifies the conditions, input data, execution steps, and expected outcome to verify a particular feature or functionality of a software application. It's a structured approach to ensure thorough testing.
5. What are the different types of software testing?
Why you might get asked this:
This question tests your breadth of knowledge regarding various testing categories and their purposes.
How to answer:
List and briefly describe several common types, including functional (like system, integration) and non-functional (like performance, usability).
Example answer:
Common types include functional testing (unit, integration, system, acceptance), and non-functional testing (performance, security, usability). Others are regression testing, smoke testing, sanity testing, and exploratory testing.
6. Explain the difference between verification and validation.
Why you might get asked this:
A classic theoretical question that checks your grasp of quality assurance principles.
How to answer:
Clearly distinguish verification (building the product right, checking specs) from validation (building the right product, meeting user needs).
Example answer:
Verification is a static analysis method that checks if the software is being built correctly according to specifications ("Are we building the product right?"). Validation is a dynamic process that ensures the software meets the user's needs and requirements ("Are we building the right product?").
7. What are the levels of testing?
Why you might get asked this:
This assesses your understanding of the testing process lifecycle, from components to the complete system.
How to answer:
Describe the standard levels: unit, integration, system, and acceptance testing, explaining the focus of each.
Example answer:
The levels of testing are typically: Unit testing (individual components), Integration testing (interactions between components), System testing (the complete integrated system), and Acceptance testing (verifying the system meets user/business requirements).
8. What is the difference between severity and priority?
Why you might get asked this:
Crucial for defect management, interviewers want to see if you understand how bugs are classified and addressed.
How to answer:
Define severity as the impact of the defect on functionality and priority as the urgency of fixing it based on business need.
Example answer:
Severity describes the impact a defect has on the application's functionality (e.g., high, medium, low). Priority indicates the order or urgency in which a defect should be fixed, based on business value or risk (e.g., critical, high, medium, low).
9. What is a bug or defect life cycle?
Why you might get asked this:
Tests your knowledge of the process a defect follows from discovery to resolution.
How to answer:
Outline the typical stages a bug goes through in a tracking system (e.g., New, Assigned, Open, Fixed, Retest, Closed/Rejected).
Example answer:
The bug life cycle is the journey a defect takes: New -> Assigned -> Open -> Fixed -> Retest -> Closed or Reopened. Other states like Deferred or Rejected might also exist depending on the process.
10. What is a test plan?
Why you might get asked this:
Demonstrates your understanding of the strategic documentation required before starting testing.
How to answer:
Describe a test plan as a detailed document outlining the scope, objectives, approach, resources, schedule, and deliverables for a testing project.
Example answer:
A test plan is a comprehensive document that details the scope, objectives, resources, schedule, entry and exit criteria, and overall approach for a specific testing effort. It acts as a blueprint for the testing activities.
11. What is a test scenario?
Why you might get asked this:
Checks your ability to think about testing from a high-level, user-centric perspective before detailing test cases.
How to answer:
Explain a test scenario as a high-level description of a potential user action or system function that needs testing.
Example answer:
A test scenario is a high-level representation of a possible user interaction or functional requirement that needs to be tested. For example, 'Test login functionality' is a scenario, which would then be broken down into multiple test cases.
12. What is regression testing?
Why you might get asked this:
Essential for maintaining software quality during development cycles, checking for unintended side effects.
How to answer:
Define regression testing as verifying that recent code changes haven't negatively impacted existing, previously working features.
Example answer:
Regression testing is performed to ensure that recent code changes, bug fixes, or new features have not introduced new defects into previously functional areas of the software. It confirms that the system still works correctly after modifications.
13. What is the difference between smoke testing and sanity testing?
Why you might get asked this:
Tests your understanding of two specific types of build verification testing.
How to answer:
Explain smoke testing (basic critical functions, build stability) and sanity testing (subset of regression, specific new/changed areas).
Example answer:
Smoke testing is a quick, broad test to check if the most critical functionalities of a build are working. Sanity testing is a narrow, deeper test focusing on specific areas affected by recent changes or bug fixes to ensure they work as expected.
14. What are test stubs and drivers?
Why you might get asked this:
Assesses your understanding of how to test individual modules or integrated components when parts of the system aren't fully developed.
How to answer:
Define stubs (simulate lower-level modules called by the tested module) and drivers (simulate higher-level modules that call the tested module).
Example answer:
Test stubs are dummy programs that simulate the behavior of lower-level modules called by the module being tested. Test drivers are dummy programs that simulate the behavior of higher-level modules that call the module being tested, used for integration testing.
15. What tools do you use for manual testing?
Why you might get asked this:
Interviewers want to know your practical experience with common QA tools used in manual testing workflows.
How to answer:
Mention tools for defect tracking (like JIRA), test case management (TestRail, Excel), and execution environments (browsers, devices).
Example answer:
For manual testing, I commonly use tools like JIRA for logging and tracking defects, TestRail or sometimes even structured Excel sheets for managing test cases, and various browsers and mobile devices for cross-platform compatibility testing.
16. What is exploratory testing?
Why you might get asked this:
This tests your ability to think creatively and investigate the software beyond predefined steps.
How to answer:
Describe exploratory testing as a method where testing involves simultaneous learning, test design, and test execution without pre-scripted test cases, focusing on discovery.
Example answer:
Exploratory testing is an approach where the tester actively learns the application, designs tests, and executes them simultaneously. It's unscripted and relies on the tester's knowledge, creativity, and intuition to find defects, often revealing issues missed by formal test cases.
17. How do you prioritize test cases?
Why you might get asked this:
Important for managing time and resources effectively, focusing on the most critical areas first.
How to answer:
Explain prioritizing based on risk, impact on core functionality, business criticality, frequency of use, and historical defect data.
Example answer:
Test cases are typically prioritized based on factors like the severity of potential defects they might uncover, the frequency of use of the feature, business impact, and areas that have had high defect density in the past. High-risk and core functionalities are tested first.
18. What is boundary value analysis?
Why you might get asked this:
One of the fundamental test design techniques; shows your ability to choose effective test inputs.
How to answer:
Define it as testing inputs at the boundaries or edges of valid and invalid partitions for a given input range.
Example answer:
Boundary Value Analysis is a test design technique focusing on inputs at the boundaries of valid and invalid ranges. If a valid range is 1-100, you'd test values like 0, 1, 2, 99, 100, and 101 to find defects at the edges.
19. What is equivalence partitioning?
Why you might get asked this:
Another core test design technique; demonstrates your ability to reduce the number of test cases efficiently.
How to answer:
Explain it as dividing input data into partitions where all values within a partition are expected to behave similarly, requiring only one test case per partition.
Example answer:
Equivalence Partitioning is a technique that divides input data into groups or partitions where all inputs in a partition are expected to produce the same output. You select one test case from each valid and invalid partition, significantly reducing the number of tests needed.
20. What is user acceptance testing (UAT)?
Why you might get asked this:
Tests your understanding of the final phase of testing involving the end-users or clients.
How to answer:
Describe UAT as the final stage where actual users or clients test the software in a real-world environment to confirm it meets their requirements and is ready for deployment.
Example answer:
User Acceptance Testing (UAT) is the final phase of testing where the intended users or customers use the software to ensure it satisfies their needs and requirements in a realistic environment. It validates the end-to-end business flow and confirms readiness for production.
21. How do you handle ambiguous or incomplete requirements?
Why you might get asked this:
Assesses your proactive communication and problem-solving skills in unclear situations.
How to answer:
Explain your process: seek clarification from stakeholders, document assumptions, and potentially use exploratory testing until requirements are clear.
Example answer:
When faced with ambiguous requirements, I would first seek clarification from the product owner or stakeholders. I'd document any assumptions made for testing purposes and communicate them. Sometimes, exploratory testing helps uncover potential issues related to the ambiguity.
22. What is a defect report? What does it include?
Why you might get asked this:
Tests your knowledge of essential documentation for bug tracking and communication.
How to answer:
Define a defect report and list key information it contains, such as ID, summary, steps to reproduce, environment, severity, priority, and status.
Example answer:
A defect report is a document detailing a found bug. It includes a unique ID, a clear summary, detailed steps to reproduce the issue, the environment where it occurred, severity and priority levels, expected vs. actual results, and the current status of the bug.
23. What is the difference between functional and non-functional testing?
Why you might get asked this:
Checks your understanding of the two main categories of software testing based on what is being tested.
How to answer:
Explain functional testing (verifying features/actions work correctly according to specs) vs. non-functional testing (checking performance, usability, security, reliability, etc.).
Example answer:
Functional testing verifies that each function of the software performs according to the specifications (e.g., clicking a button performs the expected action). Non-functional testing evaluates system attributes like performance, usability, reliability, and security – how the system operates.
24. What is test coverage?
Why you might get asked this:
Assesses your understanding of how to measure the thoroughness of your testing efforts.
How to answer:
Define test coverage as a metric indicating the degree to which testing covers the application's code or requirements.
Example answer:
Test coverage is a metric used to determine the extent to which testing has covered the software's code or requirements. It's often expressed as a percentage and helps identify areas that haven't been adequately tested.
25. What are test metrics?
Why you might get asked this:
Tests your awareness of using data to track testing progress, quality, and efficiency.
How to answer:
Define test metrics as quantitative measures used to monitor and evaluate testing progress, quality, and team performance. Give examples.
Example answer:
Test metrics are quantitative measures used to assess the progress, quality, and effectiveness of the testing process. Examples include test case execution status (pass/fail), defect density, defect fix rate, and test coverage percentage.
26. What is the difference between alpha and beta testing?
Why you might get asked this:
Checks your knowledge of different stages of release-candidate testing.
How to answer:
Explain alpha testing (internal, simulated environment) and beta testing (external users, real environment).
Example answer:
Alpha testing is performed by internal testing teams or staff members within the organization, often in a simulated production environment, before the product is released externally. Beta testing is conducted by real end-users in a real environment outside the organization before the final release.
27. What steps do you follow when you find a bug?
Why you might get asked this:
A practical question to assess your bug reporting process and attention to detail.
How to answer:
Describe your standard procedure: verify/reproduce the bug, document it comprehensively, assign severity/priority, and report it using the designated tool.
Example answer:
When I find a bug, I first try to reproduce it to confirm it's a consistent issue. Then, I document it thoroughly in the bug tracking system, including clear steps to reproduce, environment details, expected vs. actual results, and I assign an appropriate severity and priority before submitting it.
28. What is the role of a test case in manual testing?
Why you might get asked this:
Reiterates the importance of structured testing in a manual context.
How to answer:
Explain that test cases provide a structured, repeatable way to verify specific functionalities and ensure comprehensive coverage.
Example answer:
In manual testing, a test case serves as a step-by-step guide for the tester. It ensures that specific features or functionalities are verified systematically, makes testing repeatable, and helps track what has been tested and the results.
29. How would you test a product if the requirements are yet to freeze?
Why you might get asked this:
Tests your adaptability, especially in agile or dynamic environments with evolving requirements.
How to answer:
Mention focusing on available requirements, using agile approaches, prioritizing based on known user stories, and conducting exploratory testing.
Example answer:
In such a dynamic environment, I would work closely with stakeholders, possibly following an Agile approach. I would focus on testing the parts with clearer requirements, prioritize testing based on anticipated core functionalities or user stories, and use exploratory testing to understand the system as it evolves.
30. When do you decide to stop testing?
Why you might get asked this:
This question assesses your understanding of testing exit criteria and balancing quality with project constraints.
How to answer:
Explain that stopping criteria are often based on factors like meeting test plan objectives, achieving required test coverage, defect rates falling below a threshold, project deadlines, or budget constraints.
Example answer:
The decision to stop testing is usually based on predefined exit criteria outlined in the test plan. This typically includes reaching the planned test coverage, the number of open defects being within an acceptable limit, critical test cases passing, meeting project deadlines, and budget considerations.
Other Tips to Prepare for a Manual Testing Interview
Beyond mastering specific manual testing interview questions, holistic preparation is key. Familiarize yourself with the company's domain and products; tailor your answers to showcase relevant experience. Practice explaining your past projects, highlighting your contributions to quality assurance, especially in manual testing efforts. "Preparation through practice is the key to confidence," notes a seasoned QA lead. Be ready to discuss your process for test case design, defect reporting, and collaborating with developers. Consider using tools like the Verve AI Interview Copilot (https://vervecopilot.com) to practice answering manual testing interview questions in a simulated environment and receive feedback. Utilize Verve AI Interview Copilot to refine your responses and boost your readiness for common manual testing interview questions. Remember to ask insightful questions about the team, process, and challenges. Leveraging resources like Verve AI Interview Copilot can significantly enhance your preparation. "Understanding the 'why' behind each testing activity is as important as knowing the 'how'," advises another QA expert.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1: What is the difference between QA and testing? A1: QA is process-oriented, preventing defects; testing is product-oriented, finding defects.
Q2: What is a test harness? A2: A test harness is a collection of software and test data configured to test a program unit by running it under various conditions.
Q3: What is negative testing? A3: Negative testing verifies that the software handles invalid input and unexpected user behavior gracefully, without crashing or errors.
Q4: What is retesting? A4: Retesting is performing the same test again after a defect has been fixed to confirm the issue is resolved.
Q5: How do you ensure test case quality? A5: By ensuring they are clear, concise, atomic, traceable to requirements, and reviewed by peers.
Q6: What is a traceability matrix? A6: A document mapping requirements to test cases to ensure all requirements are covered by tests.
