Top Most Software QA Testing Interview Questions
Q – 1 Explain a good test engineer?
Ans- A good test engineer because he Has a “test to break” attitude, Takes the point of view of the customer, Has a strong desire for quality, Has an attention to detail, He’s also Tactful and diplomatic and Has good a communication skill, both oral and written. And he Has previous software development experience, too.
Good test engineers have a “test to break” attitude, they take the point of view of the customer, have a strong desire for quality and an attention to detail. Tact and diplomacy are useful in maintaining a cooperative relationship with developers and an ability to communicate with both technical and non-technical people.
Previous software development experience is also helpful as it provides a deeper understanding of the software development process, gives the test engineer an appreciation for the developers’ point of view and reduces the learning curve in automated test tool programming.
Q – 2 What is Constant?
Ans- In software or software testing, a constant is a meaningful name that represents a number, or string, that does not change. Constants are variables that remain the same, i.e. constant, throughout the execution of a program.
Why do we, developers, use constants? Because if we have code that contains constant values that keep reappearing, or, if we have code that depends on certain numbers that are difficult to remember, we can improve both the readability and maintainability of our code, by using constants.
To give you an example, we declare a constant and we call it “Pi”. We set it to 3.14159265, and use it throughout our code. Constants, such as Pi, as the name implies, store values that remain constant throughout the execution of our program.
Keep in mind that, unlike variables which can be read from and written to, constants are read-only. Although constants resemble variables, we cannot modify or assign new values to them, as we can to variables, but we can make constants public or private. We can also specify what data type they are.
Q – 3 What is TestDirector?
Ans- TestDirector®, also known as Mercury TestDirector®, is a software tool made for software QA professionals. Mercury TestDirector®, as the name implies, is a product made by Mercury Interactive Corporation, 379 North Whisman Road, Mountain View, California 94043 USA.
Mercury’s other products include the Mercury QuickTest Professional™, Mercury WinRunner™, also known as WinRunner™, and Mercury Business Process Testing™.
Q – 4 What is Data integrity?
Ans- Data integrity is one of the six fundamental components of information security. Data integrity is the completeness, soundness, and wholeness of the data that also complies with the intention of the creators of the data.
In databases, important data – including customer information, order database, and pricing tables – may be stored. In databases, data integrity is achieved by preventing accidental, or deliberate, or unauthorized insertion, or modification, or destruction of data.
Q – 5 What is PDR – Peer Design Review?
Ans- PDR is an acronym. In the world of software QA or testing, it stands for “peer design review”, informally known as “peer review”.
Q – 6 What is waiver?
Ans- In software QA, a waiver is an authorization to accept software that has been submitted for inspection, found to depart from specified requirements, but is nevertheless considered suitable for use “as is”, or after rework by an approved method.
Q – 7 What is virtual address?
Ans- In virtual storage systems, virtual addresses are assigned to auxiliary storage locations. The use of virtual addresses allow those locations to be accessed as though they were part of the main storage.
Q – 8 What is version description document (VDD)?
Ans- Version description document (VDD) is a document that accompanies and identifies a given version of a software product. Typically the VDD includes the description and identification of the software, identification of the changes incorporated into this version, and the installation and operating information unique to this version of the software.
Q – 9 What is A document version?
Ans- A document version is an initial release (or complete re-release) of a document, as opposed to a revision resulting from issuing change pages to a previous release.
Q – 10 What is A variant?
Ans- “Variants” are versions of a program. Variants result from the application of software diversity.
Q – 11 What is Variable trace?
Ans- 1. “Variable trace” is a (computer) record of the names and the values of variables accessed and/or changed during the execution of a computer program.
2. “Value trace” is same as variable trace. It is a (computer) record of the names and values of variables accessed and/or changed during the execution of a computer program.
Q – 12 What is a utility?
Ans- “Utility” is a software tool designed to perform some frequently used support function. For example, one utility is a program to print files.
Q – 13 What is Interface Analysis?
Ans- Checks the interfaces between program elements for consistency and adherence to predefined rules or axioms.
Q – 14 What is a user guide?
Ans- The “user guide” is the same as the user manual. The user guide is a document that presents information necessary to employ a system or component to obtain the desired results. Typically, what is described are system and component capabilities, limitations, options, permitted inputs, expected outputs, error messages, and special instructions.
Q – 15 What is A user friendly software?
Ans- A computer program is “user friendly”, when it is designed with ease of use, as one of the primary objectives of its design.
Q – 16 What is User documentation?
Ans- “User documentation” is a document that describes the way a software product or system should be used to obtain the desired results.
Q – 17 What is Upwardly compatible software?
Ans- “Upwardly compatible software” is software that is compatible with a later or more complex version of itself. For example, an upwardly compatible software is able to handle files created by a later version of itself.
Q – 18 What is CMM and CMMI?
Ans- CMM = ‘Capability Maturity Model’, now called the CMMI (‘Capability Maturity Model Integration’), developed by the SEI. It’s a model of 5 levels of process ‘maturity’ that determine effectiveness in delivering quality software. It is geared to large organizations such as large U.S. Defense Department contractors.
However, many of the QA processes involved are appropriate to any organization, and if reasonably applied can be helpful. Organizations can receive CMMI ratings by undergoing assessments by qualified auditors.
Level 1 –
characterized by chaos, periodic panics, and heroic efforts required by individuals to successfully complete projects. Few if any processes in place; successes may not be repeatable.
Level 2 –
software project tracking, requirements management, realistic planning, and configuration management processes are in place; successful practices can be repeated.
Level 3 –
standard software development and maintenance processes are integrated throughout an organization; a Software Engineering Process Group is is in place to oversee software processes, and training programs are used to ensure understanding and compliance.
Level 4 –
metrics are used to track productivity, processes, and products. Project performance is predictable, and quality is consistently high.
Level 5 –
the focus is on continouous process improvement. The impact of new processes and technologies can be predicted and effectively implemented when required.
Perspective on CMM ratings: During 1997-2001, 1018 organizations were assessed. Of those, 27% were rated at Level 1, 39% at 2, 23% at 3, 6% at 4, and 5% at 5. (For ratings during the period 1992-96, 62% were at Level 1, 23% at 2, 13% at 3, 2% at 4, and 0.4% at 5.)
The median size of organizations was 100 software engineering/maintenance personnel; 32% of organizations were U.S. federal contractors or agencies. For those rated at Level 1, the most problematical key process area was in Software Quality Assurance.
Q – 19 Explain Configuration management?
Ans- Configuration management (CM) covers the tools and processes used to control, coordinate and track code, requirements, documentation, problems, change requests, designs, tools, compilers, libraries, patches, changes made to them and who makes the changes.
Rob Davis has had experience with a full range of CM tools and concepts, and can easily adapt to your software tool and process needs.
Q – 20 What is A Test Configuration Manager?
Ans- Test Configuration Managers maintain test environments, scripts, software and test data. Depending on the project, one person may wear more than one hat. For instance, Test Engineers may also wear the hat of a Test Configuration Manager.
Q – 21 What is A Database Administrator?
Ans- Test Build Managers, System Administrators and Database Administrators deliver current software versions to the test environment, install the application’s software and apply software patches, to both the application and the operating system, set-up, maintain and back up test environment hardware.
Depending on the project, one person may wear more than one hat. For instance, a Test Engineer may also wear the hat of a Database Administrator.
Q – 22 What is a Test Build Manager?
Ans-
Test Build Managers deliver current software versions to the test environment, install the application’s software and apply software patches, to both the application and the operating system, set-up, maintain and back up test environment hardware.
Depending on the project, one person may wear more than one hat. For instance, a Test Engineer may also wear the hat of a Test Build Manager.
Q – 23 What is QA engineer?
Ans- QA engineers, are test engineers but we do more than just testing. Good QA engineers understand the entire software development process and how it fits into the business approach and the goals of the organization. Communication skills and the ability to understand various sides of issues are important.
We, QA engineers, are successful if people listen to us, if people use our tests, if people think that we’re useful, and if we’re happy doing our work. I would love to see QA departments staffed with experienced software developers who coach development teams to write better code. But I’ve never seen it. Instead of coaching, we, QA engineers, tend to be process people.
Q – 24 What is Process and procedures?
Ans- Detailed and well-written processes and procedures ensure the correct steps are being executed to facilitate a successful completion of a task. They also ensure a process is repeatable.
Q – 25 Test report?
Ans- A document describing the conduct and results of the testing carried out for a system or system component.
Q – 26 What is Test Objective?
Ans- An identified set of software features to be measured under specified conditions by comparing actual behavior with the required behavior described in the software documentation.
Q – 27 What is Test Executive?
Ans- Another term for test harness.
Q – 28 What is Technical Review?
Ans- A review that refers to content of the technical material being reviewed.
Q – 29 Explain Test plan?
Ans-
1. Documentation specifying the scope, approach, resources, and schedule of intended testing activities. It identifies test items, the features to be tested, the testing tasks, responsibilities, required, resources, and any risks requiring contingency planning.
or
A formal or informal plan to be followed to assure the controlled testing of the product under test.
2. A software project test plan is a document that describes the objectives, scope, approach and focus of a software testing effort. The process of preparing a test plan is a useful way to think through the efforts needed to validate the acceptability of a software product.
The completed document will help people outside the test group understand the why and how of product validation. It should be thorough enough to be useful, but not so thorough that none outside the test group will be able to read it.
Q – 30 What is Test log?
Ans- A chronological record of all relevant details about the execution of a test.
Q – 31 What is Test incident report?
Ans- A document reporting on any event that occurs during testing that requires further investigation.
Q – 32 What is Test documentation?
Ans- Documentation describing plans for, or results of, the testing of a system or component, Types include test case specification, test incident report, test log, test plan, test procedure, test report.
Q – 33 Explain Good design?
Ans- Design could mean to many things, but often refers to functional design or internal design. Good functional design is indicated by software functionality can be traced back to customer and end-user requirements.
Good internal design is indicated by software code whose overall structure is clear, understandable, easily modifiable and maintainable; is robust with sufficient error handling and status logging capability; and works correctly when implemented.
Q – 34 What is Test scenario?
Ans- The terms “test scenario” and “test case” are often used synonymously. Test scenarios are test cases or test scripts, and the sequence in which they are to be executed. Test scenarios are test cases that ensure that all business process flows are tested from end to end.
Test scenarios are independent tests, or a series of tests that follow each other, where each of them dependent upon the output of the previous one. Test scenarios are prepared by reviewing functional requirements, and preparing logical groups of functions that can be further broken into test procedures.
Test scenarios are designed to represent both typical and unusual situations that may occur in the application. Test engineers define unit test requirements and unit test scenarios. Test engineers also execute unit test scenarios.
It is the test team that, with assistance of developers and clients, develops test scenarios for integration and system testing. Test scenarios are executed through the use of test procedures or scripts. Test procedures or scripts define a series of steps necessary to perform one or more test scenarios. Test procedures or scripts may cover multiple test scenarios.
Q – 35 Explain Test case?
Ans- 1. Documentation specifying inputs, predicted results, and a set of execution conditions for a test item.
A test case is a document that describes an input, action, or event and an expected response, to determine if a feature of an application is working correctly. A test case should contain particulars such as test case identifier, test case name, objective, test conditions/setup, input data requirements, steps, and expected results.
Note that the process of developing test cases can help find problems in the requirements or design of an application, since it requires completely thinking through the operation of the application. For this reason, it’s useful to prepare test cases early in the development cycle if possible.
or
The definition of test case differs from company to company, engineer to engineer, and even project to project. A test case usually includes an identified set of information about observable states, conditions, events, and data, including inputs and expected outputs.
2. A test case is a document that describes an input, action, or event and its expected result, in order to determine if a feature of an application is working correctly. A test case should contain particulars such as a…
* Test case identifier;
* Test case name;
* Objective;
* Test conditions/setup;
* Input data requirements/steps, and
* Expected results.
Please note, the process of developing test cases can help find problems in the requirements or design of an application, since it requires you to completely think through the operation of the application. For this reason, it is useful to prepare test cases early in the development cycle, if possible.
Q – 36 What is System Test?
Ans- An activity in which a system or component is executed under specified conditions, the results are observed or recorded and an evaluation is made of some aspect of the system or component.
Q – 37 What is Software Review?
Ans- An evaluation of software elements to ascertain discrepancies from planned results and to recommend improvement. This evaluation follows a formal process.
Q – 38 What is Software Risk?
Ans- A measure of the probability and severity of undesired effects. Often taken as the simple product of probability and consequence.
Q – 39 What is Software fault?
Ans- Software faults are hidden programming errors. Software faults are errors in the correctness of the semantics of computer programs.
Q – 40 What is System?
Ans- A collection of people, machines, and methods organized to accomplish a set of specified functions.
Q – 41 What is Software failure?
Ans- Software failure occurs when the software does not do what the user expects to see.
Q – 42 What is Eexception?
Ans- An event that causes suspension of normal program execution. Types include addressing exception, data exception, operation exception, overflow exception, protection exception, and underflow exception.
Q – 43 What is Error guessing?
Ans- Test data selection technique. The selection criterion is to pick values that seem likely to cause errors.
Q – 44 What is Crash?
Ans- The sudden and complete failure of a computer system or component.
Q – 45 Explain Inspection?
Ans- An inspection is more formalized than a ‘walkthrough’, typically with 3-8 people including a moderator, reader, and a recorder to take notes.
The subject of the inspection is typically a document such as a requirements spec or a test plan, and the purpose is to find problems and see what’s missing, not to fix anything. Attendees should prepare for this type of meeting by reading thru the document; most problems will be found during this preparation.
The result of the inspection meeting should be a written report. Thorough preparation for inspections is difficult, painstaking work, but is one of the most cost effective methods of ensuring quality. Employees who are most skilled at inspections are like the ‘eldest brother’ in the parable in ‘Why is it often hard for management to get serious about quality assurance?’.
Their skill may have low visibility but they are extremely valuable to any software development organization, since bug prevention is far more cost-effective than bug detection.
or
1) A formal evaluation technique in which software requirements, design, or code are examined in detail by a person or group other than the author to detect faults, violations of development standards, and other problems.
2) A quality improvement process for written material that consists of two dominant components: product (document) improvement and process improvement (document production and inspection). Instrument: To install or insert devices or instructions into hardware or software to monitor the operation of a system or component.
An inspection is a formal meeting, more formalized than a walk-through and typically consists of 3-10 people including a moderator, reader (the author of whatever is being reviewed) and a recorder (to make notes in the document). The subject of the inspection is typically a document, such as a requirements document or a test plan.
The purpose of an inspection is to find problems and see what is missing, not to fix anything. The result of the meeting should be documented in a written report.
Attendees should prepare for this type of meeting by reading through the document, before the meeting starts; most problems are found during this preparation. Preparation for inspections is difficult, but is one of the most cost-effective methods of ensuring quality, since bug prevention is more cost effective than bug detection.
Q – 46 What is Bottom-Up Strategy?
Ans- Bottom-up approach, as the name suggests, is the opposite of the Top-down method.
This process starts with building and testing the low level modules first, working its way up the hierarchy.
Because the modules at the low levels are very specific, we may need to combine several of them into what is sometimes called a cluster or build in order to test them properly.
Then to test these builds, a test driver has to be written and put in place.
The advantage of Bottom-up integration is that there is no need for program stubs as we start developing and testing with the actual modules.
Starting at the bottom of the hierarchy also means that the critical modules are usually build first and therefore any errors in these modules are discovered early in the process.
As with Top-down integration, there are some drawbacks to this procedure.
In order to test the modules we have to build the test drivers which are more complex than stubs. And in addition to that they themselves have to be tested. So more effort is required.
A major disadvantage to Bottom-up integration is that no working model can be presented or tested until many modules have been built.
Q – 47 Explain bug life cycle?
Ans- Bug life cycles are similar to software development life cycles. At any time during the software development life cycle errors can be made during the gathering of requirements, requirements analysis, functional design, internal design, documentation planning, document preparation, coding, unit testing, test planning, integration, testing, maintenance, updates, re-testing and phase-out.
Bug life cycle begins when a programmer, software developer, or architect makes a mistake, creates an unintentional software defect, i.e. bug, and ends when the bug is fixed, and the bug is no longer in existence.
What should be done after a bug is found? When a bug is found, it needs to be communicated and assigned to developers that can fix it. After the problem is resolved, fixes should be re-tested.
Additionally, determinations should be made regarding requirements, software, hardware, safety impact, etc., for regression testing to check the fixes didn’t create other problems elsewhere.
If a problem-tracking system is in place, it should encapsulate these determinations. A variety of commercial, problem-tracking, management software tools are available. These tools, with the detailed input of software test engineers, will give the team complete information so developers can understand the bug, get an idea of its severity, reproduce it and fix it.
Q – 48 Explain Equivalence Partitioning?
Ans- Input data of a program is divided into different categories so that test cases can be developed for each category of input data. The goal of equivalence partitioning is to come out with test cases so that errors are uncovered and test cases can be carried out more efficiently. The different categories of input data are called Equivalence Classes.
Q – 49 Explain Boundary value analysis?
Ans- A selection technique in which test data are chosen to lie along “boundaries” of the input domain [or output range] classes, data structures, procedure parameters, etc. Choices often include maximum, minimum, and trivial values or parameters. This technique is often called stress testing.
or
A test data selection technique in which values are chosen to lie along data extremes. Boundary values include maximum, mini-mum, just inside/outside boundaries, typical values, and error values.
Q – 50 Explain Audit?
Ans-
(1)An independent examination of a work product or set of work products to assess compliance with specifications, standards, contractual agreements, or other criteria.
(2)To conduct an independent review and examination of system records and activities in order to test the adequacy and effectiveness of data security and data integrity procedures, to ensure compliance with established policy and operational procedures, and to recommend any necessary changes.
Q – 51 What is software life cycle?
Ans- Software life cycle begins when a software product is first conceived and ends when it is no longer in use. It includes aspects such as initial concept, requirements analysis, functional design, internal design, documentation planning, test planning, coding, document preparation, integration, testing, maintenance, updates, retesting, phase-out, and other aspects.
Q – 52 What is software verification?
Ans- In general the demonstration of consistency, completeness, and correctness of the software at each stage and between each stage of the development life cycle.
Q – 53 What is Validation and verification testing?
Ans- Used as an entity to define a procedure of review, analysis, and testing throughout the software life cycle to discover errors, determine functionality, and ensure the production of quality software.
Q – 54 Explain Walk-through?
Ans- A walk-through (in software QA) is an informal meeting for evaluation or informational purposes. A walk-through is also a process at an abstract level. It’s the process of inspecting software code by following paths through the code (as determined by input conditions and choices made along the way).
The purpose of code walk-throughs (in software development) is to ensure the code fits the purpose. Walk-throughs also offer opportunities to assess an individual’s or team’s competency.
A walk-through is also a static analysis technique in which a programmer leads participants through a segment of documentation or code, and the participants ask questions, and make comments about possible errors, violations of development standards, and other issues.
Q – 55 What is SEI – Software Engineering Institute?
Ans-
SEI = ‘Software Engineering Institute’ at Carnegie-Mellon University; initiated by the U.S. Defense Department to help improve software development processes.
Q – 56 What is IEEE – Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers?
Ans- IEEE = ‘Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers’ – among other things, creates standards such as ‘IEEE Standard for Software Test Documentation’ (IEEE/ANSI Standard 829), ‘IEEE Standard of Software Unit Testing (IEEE/ANSI Standard 1008), ‘IEEE Standard for Software Quality Assurance Plans’ (IEEE/ANSI Standard 730), and others.
Q – 57 What is Syntax?
Ans-
1) The relationship among characters or groups of characters independent of their meanings or the manner of their interpretation and use;
2) the structure of expressions in a language; and
3) the rules governing the structure of the language.
Q – 58 Explain Process?
Ans- The work effort that produces a product. This includes efforts of people and equipment guided by policies, standards, and procedures.
Q – 59 What is Procedure?
Ans- The step-by-step method followed to ensure that standards are met.
Q – 60 What is Problem?
Ans- Any deviation from defined standards. Same as defect.