I have got many request for the manual testing interview questions. So, here are some of the interview questions which you would like to know about.
Q1. What is a test plan?
A: 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.
Q2. What is configuration management?
A: 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. Rob Davis can easily adapt to your software tool and process needs.
Q3. What if the software is so buggy it can't be tested at all?
A: In this situation the best bet is to have test engineers go through the process of reporting whatever bugs or problems initially show up, with the focus being on critical bugs. Since this type of problem can severely affect schedules and indicates deeper problems in the software development process, such as insufficient unit testing, insufficient integration testing, poor design, improper build or release procedures, managers should be notified and provided with some documentation as evidence of the problem.
Q4. How do you know when to stop testing?
A: This can be difficult to determine. Many modern software applications are so complex and run in such an interdependent environment, that complete testing can never be done. Common factors in deciding when to stop are...
A: 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.
Q2. What is configuration management?
A: 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. Rob Davis can easily adapt to your software tool and process needs.
Q3. What if the software is so buggy it can't be tested at all?
A: In this situation the best bet is to have test engineers go through the process of reporting whatever bugs or problems initially show up, with the focus being on critical bugs. Since this type of problem can severely affect schedules and indicates deeper problems in the software development process, such as insufficient unit testing, insufficient integration testing, poor design, improper build or release procedures, managers should be notified and provided with some documentation as evidence of the problem.
Q4. How do you know when to stop testing?
A: This can be difficult to determine. Many modern software applications are so complex and run in such an interdependent environment, that complete testing can never be done. Common factors in deciding when to stop are...
- Deadlines, e.g. release deadlines, testing deadlines;
- Test cases completed with certain percentage passed;
- Test budget has been depleted;
- Coverage of code, functionality, or requirements reaches a specified point;
- Bug rate falls below a certain level; or
- Beta or alpha testing period ends.
Q5.
What if there isn't enough time for thorough testing?
A: Since it's rarely possible to test every possible aspect of an application, every possible combination of events, every dependency, or everything that could go wrong, risk analysis is appropriate to most software development projects. Use risk analysis to determine where testing should be focused. This requires judgment skills, common sense and experience. The checklist should include answers to the following questions:
A: Since it's rarely possible to test every possible aspect of an application, every possible combination of events, every dependency, or everything that could go wrong, risk analysis is appropriate to most software development projects. Use risk analysis to determine where testing should be focused. This requires judgment skills, common sense and experience. The checklist should include answers to the following questions:
·Which
functionality is most important to the project's intended purpose?
·Which
functionality is most visible to the user?
·Which
functionality has the largest safety impact?
·Which
functionality has the largest financial impact on users?
·Which
aspects of the application are most important to the customer?
·Which
aspects of the application can be tested early in the development cycle?
·Which
parts of the code are most complex and thus most subject to errors?
·Which
parts of the application were developed in rush or panic mode?
·Which
aspects of similar/related previous projects caused problems?
·Which
aspects of similar/related previous projects had large maintenance expenses?
·Which
parts of the requirements and design are unclear or poorly thought out?
·What do
the developers think are the highest-risk aspects of the application?
·What
kinds of problems would cause the worst publicity?
·What
kinds of problems would cause the most customer service complaints?
·What
kinds of tests could easily cover multiple functionalities?
·Which
tests will have the best high-risk-coverage to time-required ratio?
Q6. What if the project isn't big
enough to justify extensive testing?
A: Consider the impact of project errors, not the size of the project. However, if extensive testing is still not justified, risk analysis is again needed and the considerations listed under "What if there isn't enough time for thorough testing?" do apply. The test engineer then should do "ad hoc" testing, or write up a limited test plan based on the risk analysis.
Q7. What can be done if requirements are changing continuously?
A: Work with management early on to understand how requirements might change, so that alternate test plans and strategies can be worked out in advance. It is helpful if the application's initial design allows for some adaptability, so that later changes do not require redoing the application from scratch. Additionally, try to...
A: Consider the impact of project errors, not the size of the project. However, if extensive testing is still not justified, risk analysis is again needed and the considerations listed under "What if there isn't enough time for thorough testing?" do apply. The test engineer then should do "ad hoc" testing, or write up a limited test plan based on the risk analysis.
Q7. What can be done if requirements are changing continuously?
A: Work with management early on to understand how requirements might change, so that alternate test plans and strategies can be worked out in advance. It is helpful if the application's initial design allows for some adaptability, so that later changes do not require redoing the application from scratch. Additionally, try to...
·
Ensure the code is well commented and well documented; this makes
changes easier for the developers.
·
Use rapid prototyping whenever possible; this will help customers
feel sure of their requirements and minimize changes.
·
In the project's initial schedule, allow for some extra time to
commensurate with probable changes.
·
Move new requirements to a 'Phase 2' version of an application and
use the original requirements for the
'Phase 1' version.
·
Negotiate to allow only easily implemented new requirements into
the project; move more difficult, new requirements into future versions of the
application.
·
Ensure customers and management understand scheduling impacts,
inherent risks and costs of significant requirements changes. Then let
management or the customers decide if the changes are warranted; after all,
that's their job.
·
Balance the effort put into setting up automated testing with the
expected effort required to redo them
to deal with changes.
·
Design some flexibility into automated test scripts;
·
Focus initial automated testing on application aspects that are
most likely to remain unchanged;
·
Devote appropriate effort to risk analysis of changes, in order to
minimize regression- testing needs;
·
Design some flexibility into test cases; this is not easily done;
the best bet is to minimize the detail in the test cases, or set up only
higher-level generic-type test plans;
·
Focus less on detailed test plans and test cases and more on
ad-hoc testing with an understanding of the added risk this entails.
Q8. What if the application has functionality that wasn't in the requirements?
A: It may take serious effort to determine if an application has significant unexpected or hidden functionality, which it would indicate deeper problems in the software development process. If the functionality isn't necessary to the purpose of the application, it should be removed, as it may have unknown impacts or dependencies that were not taken into account by the designer or the customer.
If not removed, design information will be needed to determine added testing needs or regression testing needs. Management should be made aware of any significant added risks as a result of the unexpected functionality. If the functionality only affects areas, such as minor improvements in the user interface, it may not be a significant risk.
Q9. What is a "bug life cycle"?
A: 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. a bug, and ends when the bug is fixed, and the bug is no longer in existence.
Q10.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.