Looking for Software Testing Jobs? Practice these Questions!

Many become a bundle of nerves as they prepare for the interview. With every passing day, you start imagining how things can go wrong and end up getting the heebie-jeebies. 

Well, not anymore! In this article, you’ll find a bunch of software testing interview questions that you can prepare ahead of time to pass with flying colors.

Why Is The Role of Software Tester So Important?

It is proudly claimed that software testers don’t make software, but they certainly make it better. Software testing is the process of verifying whether a computer system or program meets the specified requirements and produces the desired results. According to ANSI/IEEE 1059 standards, it is the process of analyzing a software item to detect the differences between existing and required conditions. It goes on to evaluate the features of the software. 

Both software testers and analysts are an essential part of any product team. Because the ultimate aim is to ensure a superior user experience by eliminating bugs and other issues. If you have already started applying for software testing jobs, here are a few things that can help you prepare better and crack the interview.

How Do Companies Hire Software Testing Engineers?

Companies hiring software testing engineers often adhere to a standard procedure of conducting a telephonic interview followed by a face-to-face one or written test or both. 

• Telephonic Interviews: It is best to treat a telephonic interview as your first chance to impress the interviewer. Recruiters use this round to narrow down the pool of applicants for the next round of interviews. To ace telephone interviews, learn more about the organization and show what you bring to the table. 

• Written Test: Use mock tests available online to prepare yourself. Consider practicing SQL tests as well. Testers often use SQL to create, access and manipulate databases. You can also use SQL to create databases, tables, stored procedures, execute queries, retrieve, insert, update, or delete data against a database. 

Some of the commonly-asked questions during an SQL test are:

• What is a database?

• What is a data warehouse?

• What is a table in a database? 

• What is SQL?

• What kind of statements does SQL support? etc.

What Kind of Question Can You Expect In A Software Testing Interview?

Let's take a look at some software testing interview questions that you can expect.

Here are some of the common areas from where you can expect a question or two:

• Projects you earlier worked on

• Tools you have used

• Your ability to collaborate with others

• How you approach software testing

• Your knowledge of software testing terms and techniques

Some of the commonly asked questions in an interview are: 

• What are the different levels of testing?

• What are verification and validation in software testing?

• What are the different methods of testing? (Black-box testing, white-box testing, grey-box testing)

• Differences between functional testing and non-functional testing

• What is static testing?

• What is dynamic testing?

• What is the test case?

• What is the difference between smoke testing and sanity testing?

If you are looking to work in Selenium automation testing, then the requisite skills would be:

• Test architecture

• Test design

• Performance testing

• Configuration management

• Manual testing agility & interaction

• Communication between teams

• Troubleshooting

• Agile, DevOps, and continuous delivery

Some of the commonly asked questions on Selenium are: 

• Explain the various Selenium components: Selenium IDE, Selenium Grid, Selenium RC, and Web Driver

• Differentiate between assert and verify command in Selenium

• Types of testing that Selenium supports

A Rational Functional Tester can expect software test engineer interview questions like:

• What is the use of a Rational Functional Tester?

• The test automation procedure followed by the Rational Functional Tester

• How many development platforms and languages are available for a Functional Tester?  

How Do Recruiters Evaluate A Software Tester?

Besides being curious and having a deep interest in the domain, a Software Tester must be inquisitive. You should constantly be researching newer and better ways of doing things and should be practicing one's reporting and exploratory testing skills. 

Another skill that you must nail is the ability to spot issues and prevent them from happening. You should also try new tools frequently to understand if they can help you perform better. Your ability to collaborate is one of the most important things recruiters look for. During the interview, be yourself; the interviewer would want to get an idea of what your personality is and whether you will be a good fit with the team.

How Can A Software Tester Prepare for An Interview?

• Prepare A CV: Whether you want to nail a video interview or a face-to-face one, the first and most important thing is your CV. Make sure that you describe your skills, expertise, and strengths at length. Depending on the role and responsibilities, you should modify your CV. 

• Check The Job Profile: The second most important thing is to spend time understanding the job profile. This will help you to understand whether the requirement is for manual testing or automation testing or both. If you have worked on similar things earlier, jot them down and be ready to share factual information with the recruiters. 

• Project Sheet: The third step is to create a project information sheet that contains details of your previous employer, project, name of the software being developed, a list of basic architecture details such as platform, language, database, client base; your role/title; team information; the SDLC and framework used; list of the people in the team and others you interacted with; tools used; tasks – regular; tasks – a one-off.

• Company Background: Before you go for the interview, it is important for you to learn more about the company and the kind of work they do. If possible, try to know more about the technologies they use, their requirements, etc.

• Be Ready to Talk About Your Experience: Take time to practice talking about your previous experience. As you speak about the projects you worked on earlier, don’t forget to mention the technologies and testing methods you used. Use this opportunity to speak more about the projects relevant to the role you applied for.

Key Tips to Remember For A Software Testing Interview

Some basic things should be kept in mind in preparation for an interview: 

• Dressing appropriately is important, be it for a virtual or an in-person interview. Different companies tend towards either business or casual dressing, and it’s good to learn about their preferred style beforehand. Well-fitting pressed clothing helps to create a positive impression.

• Body language is an extremely important part of proper job interview etiquette. Sit up straight. Maintain eye contact; this indicates that you’re listening.

Today, software plays critical roles across all aspects of the lives of common people as well as industries. This makes the smooth and fail-proof functioning of software vital, and this is why software testing is something that the software sector cannot do without. 

According to Global Market Insights, the software testing market size across geographies around the world, exceeded $40 billion in 2019 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of over 6% from 2020 to 2026. Clearly, there is an immense future for software testing jobs.

So, if you think you want to explore opportunities in this industry, give it your best shot, and all the best with your preparations!