Top 100 Manual Testing Interview Questions and Answers

Manual Testing Interview Questions and Answers

This world of cybersecurity is continuously enhancing with the latest cybersecurity trends.  In this continuously changing cybersecurity world, manual testing has become an integral part of the highly essential process in software development, confirming that applications functionalize precisely prior to release.  In case you are planning for a manual testing interview, this could be life-changing if you take the comprehensive guide to help you with the Top 100 Manual Testing Interview Questions and Answers through this amazing blog post.

Basic Manual Testing Interview Questions

1: What is Software Testing?

The process of assessing and confirming that a software program satisfies its specifications and operates as intended is known as software testing. It entails running the program to find any errors or flaws.

2: What is Manual Testing?

Software testers who use manual testing carry out test cases by hand without the aid of automation technologies. Ad-hoc testing, usability testing, and exploratory testing all require it.

3: Why is Manual Testing Important?

Finds usability problems that automation would overlook.

Facilitates exploratory testing without the need for preset scripts.

Improves the user experience.

Beneficial for minor projects that undergo frequent modifications.

4: What are the Different Types of Manual Testing?

Functional Testing,

Non-functional Testing,

Smoke Testing,

Sanity Testing,

Regression Testing,

Exploratory Testing,

User Acceptance Testing (UAT), etc.

5: What is the Difference Between Manual and Automated Testing?

Aspect	Manual Testing	Automation Testing
Execution Method	Performed manually by testers	Uses tools and scripts for execution
Speed	Slower due to manual execution	Faster execution with automation tools
Accuracy	Prone to human errors	More accurate and reliable
Cost	Lower initial cost but high effort	Higher initial cost but cost-effective long-term
Best for	Exploratory, usability testing	Regression, load, and performance testing

Intermediate Manual Testing Interview Questions

6: What is SDLC (Software Development Life Cycle)?

The planning, development, testing, and deployment of software is known as the SDLC. The primary stages consist of:

Requirement Analysis,

Design,

Development,

Testing,

Deployment,

Maintenance, etc.

7: What is STLC (Software Testing Life Cycle)?

The STLC is the procedure used for testing, and it consists of:

Requirement Analysis,

Test Planning,

Test Case Development,

Environment Setup,

Test Execution,

Test Closure, etc.

8: What are the Different Levels of Testing?

Unit Testing – Testing separate parts.

Integration Testing – Examining how different components interact.

System Testing – Assessing the entire system.

User Acceptance Testing (UAT) – Confirming that the program satisfies corporate needs.

9: What is the Difference Between Test Case and Test Scenario?

Test Case	Test Scenario
A detailed set of instructions to test a specific feature	A high-level description of what needs to be tested
Includes steps, inputs, expected results	Focuses on end-to-end testing without detailed steps
Example: Verify login with valid credentials	Example: Check login functionality

10: What is a Test Plan?

A test plan can be termed a document that details the testing strategy, objectives, schedule, resources, and scope of testing for a particular project.

11: What is Smoke Testing?

Smoke testing can be defined as a preliminary test to verify that the critical operations of an application are functioning prior to proceeding with detailed testing.

12: What is Sanity Testing?

Before carrying out more thorough testing, sanity testing is a fast test to ensure that recently added functionality or bug patches are operating as intended.

13: What is Regression Testing?

Regression testing ensures that updates to an application’s code don’t interfere with its current functioning.

14: What is Ad-hoc Testing?

Ad-hoc testing is a non-formal testing procedure that is carried out without the use of formal test cases. It seeks out unforeseen flaws.

15: What is Exploratory Testing?

Without using pre-written test cases, exploratory testing enables testers to examine the application and find flaws using their instincts and experience.

Advanced Manual Testing Interview Questions

16: What is a Defect Life Cycle?

The various phases a problem goes through are represented by the defect life cycle (bug life cycle), which includes:

New – Defect identified.

Assigned – Assigned to a developer.

In Progress – The Developer is working on fixing it.

Fixed – The bug is fixed.

Retest – The Tester verifies the fix.

Closed – Bug is resolved or marked as duplicate/rejected.

17: What is the Difference Between Verification and Validation?

Verification	Validation
Ensures that the product is designed correctly	Ensures that the product meets the user’s requirements
Involves reviews, walkthroughs, inspections	Involves executing test cases
Example: Reviewing requirement documents	Example: Checking login functionality in a real system

18: What are the Key Components of a Good Test Case?

Test Case ID

Test Description

Pre-conditions

Test Steps

Expected Result

Actual Result

Status (Pass/Fail)

19: What is Boundary Value Analysis?

Testing the limits of input values (such as min/max) is the main goal of the testing method known as boundary value analysis, or BVA.

20: What is Equivalence Partitioning?

Equivalency To cut down on the number of test cases, partitioning separates input data into valid and invalid partitions.

Situational & Behavioral Manual Testing Questions

21: How do you Prioritize Test Cases?

First, high-risk functionalities

Traits that are most commonly used,

Attributes that have a significant business impact.

22: What Would You Do If You Find a Critical Bug Just Before Release?

Report the bug right away.

Consult with interested parties.

Consider potential workarounds.

If needed, recommend postponing the release.

23: Have You Ever Found a Bug That Was Hard to Reproduce? How Did You Handle It?

Keep track of every step that led to the bug.

Take screenshots and record log files.

Experiment with various test settings.

Work together with developers.

24: How Do You Handle Conflicts with Developers About Defects?

Give detailed bug reports.

Present proof (logs, screenshots).

Talk about and make clear the requirements.

Keep your demeanor professional.

25: How Do You Ensure Test Coverage?

Requirement Traceability Matrix (RTM)

Test case reviews

Exploratory testing

Advanced Manual Testing Concepts

26: What is the Difference Between Functional and Non-Functional Testing?

Functional Testing	Non-Functional Testing
Tests the functionality of an application.	Tests the performance, security, usability, etc.
Focuses on “what” the system does.	Focuses on “how” the system performs.
Example: Login feature validation.	Example: Checking system response time.

27: What is Usability Testing?

Usability testing assesses a software application’s usability. It contributes to better accessibility, navigability, and ease of use.

28: What is Compatibility Testing?

An application’s compatibility across various browsers, operating systems, devices, and network contexts is guaranteed by compatibility testing.

29: What is Performance Testing?

Performance testing assesses how quickly, responsively, and steadily an application operates under various load scenarios. It consists of:

Load Testing,

Stress Testing,

Soak Testing.

30: What is Security Testing?

To make sure an application is safe from risks like hacking, data leaks, and unauthorized access, security testing finds weaknesses in the program.

31: What is Risk-Based Testing?

Test cases are ranked according to the probability and significance of faults in crucial capabilities in risk-based testing.

32: What is an Alpha and Beta Test?

Alpha Testing: Carried out by internal testers prior to program release.

Beta Testing: Conducted prior to the formal launch by actual users.

33: What is the Difference Between Retesting and Regression Testing?

Retesting	Regression Testing
Tests a fixed defect	Tests existing functionality after changes
Performed on specific test cases	Covers a broader scope
Example: Verifying a fixed login issue	Example: Checking if recent code changes break any existing functionality

34: What is a Test Strategy?

A high-level document that outlines the entire testing technique, goals, scope, and resources needed is called a test strategy.

35: What is an Entry and Exit Criteria in Testing?

Entry Criteria: Requirements that must be fulfilled before testing starts, such as the preparation of test cases and requirement documentation.

Exit Criteria: Requirements that must be fulfilled (e.g., all critical defects rectified, test cases completed) before testing is finished.

Defect Management Questions

36: What is Defect Severity and Defect Priority?

Defect Severity	Defect Priority
Impact of the defect on the application	The urgency of fixing the defect
Example: Crash on login is high severity	Example: A minor UI issue may be low priority

37: How Do You Log a Defect in a Bug Tracking Tool?

Step to reproduce,

Expected vs. actual result,

Screenshots/ logs,

Environment details, etc.

38: What is a Showstopper Bug?

A serious flaw that stops additional testing or application use is known as a showstopper bug.

39: What is a Defect Triage?

The process of reviewing, ranking, and assigning faults for repair according to their impact and severity is known as Defect Triage.

40: What is the Difference Between a Bug, Defect, and Error?

Term	Definition
Bug	Found during testing before release
Defect	Found in production by users
Error	A mistake in code by the developer

Test Case Design Techniques

41: What is the Difference Between Positive and Negative Testing?

Positive Testing	Negative Testing
Tests valid inputs	Tests invalid inputs
Ensures the system works as expected	Ensures the system handles errors correctly
Example: Entering a correct password	Example: Entering special characters in a username field

42: What is Decision Table Testing?

To guarantee thorough test coverage, decision table testing employs a table to depict various input situations and their anticipated results.

43: What is Pairwise Testing?

In order to maximize test coverage, pairwise testing is a combinatorial technique that evaluates several combinations of input variables.

44: What is Error Guessing?

Without documented test cases, error guessing uses a tester’s intuition and experience to identify flaws.

45: What is Use Case Testing?

Utilizing business use cases or real-world scenarios, use case testing assesses how the application behaves

SQL and Database Testing Questions

46: What is Database Testing?

Database testing guarantees that the data validity, integrity, and structure of the database satisfy the needs of the application.

47: Explain what is software testing

Software testing is the process of evaluating a software application to ensure it meets stakeholder requirements, functions correctly, and is free of defects. It involves assessing the software’s performance, features, quality, usability, and completeness. Ultimately, software testing serves as a quality control measure to verify that the product meets expected standards.

48: How Do You Verify Data Integrity in a Database?

Verify the integrity of the references (foreign keys).

Verify the consistency of the data across tables.

Use SQL queries to make sure the data is retrieved accurately.

49: What is ACID in Database Testing?

ACID stands for:

Atomicity – Transactions are all-or-nothing.

Consistency – Data remains valid before and after transactions.

Isolation – Transactions occur independently.

Durability – Data is permanently stored.

50: What is the Difference Between JOIN and UNION?

JOIN	UNION
Combines data from multiple tables	Merges results from multiple queries
Works on related tables with foreign keys	Works on separate result sets
Example: INNER JOIN	Example: UNION ALL