48 Automation Testing Interview Questions [for QA Engineers & Testers]

By Usama Ahmad | November 24, 2021

Whether you're interviewing for a software engineer or an automation testing engineer role, there's a strong possibility you'll be asked questions about automation testing during the interview. While the interviewer may ask certain task-specific questions to evaluate your eligibility for the job. You can improve your chances of getting hired by preparing your responses to these sorts of questions in advance.

This post will cover frequent automation testing interview questions and sample responses to assist you in your preparation.

Definitions

What is Automation Testing?

Automation testing is the process of software testing in which a tester performs tests automatically using a tool or a framework rather than manually going through and running each test case individually.

The primary objective of Automation Testing is to minimize the number of test cases that must be performed manually, not to eliminate manual testing. This definition is quite helpful and is commonly asked in automation testing interview questions.

Sign up for UI-licious now

What is a Test Environment?

A test environment helps the tester develop repetitive test configurations that remain consistent with the release of new software versions. The test environment also includes the testbed, which is the data used to test the program. This data enables the tester to validate test cases that need a specific configuration.

The test environment is often a mirror clone of the production environment. A mirror copy enables the tester to reliably replicate customer-reported defects and gives the developers the precise steps required to solve them.

The following are some conditions for a successful testing environment:

What is a Test Framework?

In general, a framework is a collection of guidelines. An automation testing framework is a collection of standards, assumptions, ideas, and coding techniques for constructing an execution environment in which tests will be automated.

An automated testing framework is responsible for developing a test harness that includes a means for connecting to the application under test, reading data from a file, running the test cases, and reporting on test execution. An automated testing framework should be self-contained and simple to use, update, and expand. The test framework is a commonly asked subject in automation testing interview questions.

What is an Automated Test Script?

An automated test script is a small program written in a programming language that executes a series of instructions on an application under test in order to determine whether it meets the requirements.

When executed, this software returns a pass or fail result depending on whether the application meets the specified requirements.

What are the Types of Automation Testing?

There are several testing methodologies, but not all of them can be automated - i.e exploratory testing. Here are some types that can be asked by the interviewer when it comes to automation testing interview questions.

What is Browser Automation?

Browser automation is the process of automatically running a web application in a browser and doing certain operations automatically, exactly like a normal user would. Browser testing enables you to test with the speed and precision that a human tester would not be able to achieve. Protractor, Cypress, and Selenium are all well-known in-browser testing tools, however, UIlicious is also considered as a great option. UIlicious is a simple-to-use tool that works well with any web project. Citing this product during an interview can communicate to the recruiter that you are knowledgeable about strategies to boost your own productivity or the team's performance.

Several of the tasks performed by browser automation include the following:

What is Cross-Browser Testing?

When developing online apps, you never know which browsers your consumers will use. As a result, it is critical to test the web application or website across various main browsers and operating systems.

Cross-browser testing is a subset of browser automation testing in which the tester ensures that the online application operates correctly across many browsers. Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Internet Explorer, and Safari are just a few popular browsers.

The purpose of cross-browser testing is to start the program on various browsers running on a variety of other operating systems, such as Windows, Mac OS, and Linux, and verify that it functions as intended. The tester examines the application's design/rendering, functionality, and device-specific capabilities.

While this is not always the case, sophisticated solutions exist that enable testers to automate cross-browser testing.

What is Automated Regression Testing?

Software development is never perfect. The developers are regularly adding new features and services, as well as correcting errors. There is a possibility that all of this new code may break previously functioning services.

Regression testing is a method for ensuring that new features do not compromise existing functionality. Its purpose is to guarantee that previously written and tested functionality continues to operate correctly with the addition of new code. Automated regression testing is when a tester does regression testing automatically utilizing testing frameworks and tools.

In automated regression testing, a tester performs the regression test suite after each product release. If the tests are successful, the tester moves on to additional forms of testing. However, it is pointless to continue testing until the developers resolve the faulty regression tests if it fails. As a result, they save the tester time and assure the software's quality before release. When developing online apps, you never know which browsers your consumers will use. As a result, it is critical to test the web application or website across various main browsers and operating systems. Regression testing is a crucial kind of testing that may be included within the QA automation testing interview questions.

What is the Test Automation Pyramid?

Martin Fowler coined the term "test automation pyramid" in 2012. It's a strategy for considering how to best use various forms of test automation in order to maximize their worth.

The test pyramid's primary goal is to have several unit tests and a few comprehensive tests for the graphical user interface.

GUI testing is quite fragile. The user interface is continually evolving. A software improvement easily splits into several tests that must be updated, adding to the team's workload. Testing the UI is time-consuming and results in longer build times. You can run it on a limited number of PCs where you have a license for the GUI testing tool.

As a result, the test pyramid proposes that you should have a higher proportion of automated unit tests than conventional UI automation testing. Additionally, it includes an intermediary layer of service tests that may provide many of the advantages of end-to-end UI testing without the complications associated with working with UI frameworks. When it comes to testing automation, It can be included within test automation interview questions.

What is UI Testing?

The user interface of the software is the sole thing that users see, touch, and feel. They are unconcerned about the software's backend code, database, or frameworks. Developing an application with a faulty, inconsistent user interface is often enough to cause consumers to abandon the application.

The UI testing process guarantees that the program provides a consistent user experience and that no visual or graphical components on the screen are damaged. Additionally, rigorous UI testing ensures that the user interface is simple, avoids frequent errors, and prevents people from accomplishing their tasks.

Automated Testing

What is a Test Automation Platform?

A test automation platform is a technology or framework that enables the automated testing of software. It automates the whole process via the use of software and scripts produced by developers or testers.

Typically, a test automation platform includes all of the capabilities necessary to get started with automated testing. It relieves you from using a variety of tools and enables them to communicate with one another. Test automation systems are often used in complicated or extensive software projects when manual testing on all of the product's capabilities is difficult or time-consuming. UIlicious, an easy-to-use tool that can be used on any web project, is one such platform. Mentioning this tool during an interview can indicate to the interviewer that you are knowledgeable about strategies to boost your personal productivity or the team's performance.

What are the phases in an Automation Testing Life Cycle?

The steps of the automation testing life cycle are as follows.

Why do you think we need Automation Testing?

Automation testing may assist us in a variety of situations:

Should you Automate all tests?

While test automation provides several benefits, automating all types of testing is impractical. Certain types of testing, such as user interface, usability, and accessibility testing, can only be performed by a human tester.

Another sort of testing is exploratory testing, in which a human tester adds more value than an automated test. In exploratory testing, a tester randomly examines software precisely as an end-user would, looking for flaws, UI inconsistencies, or hidden issues that developers may have missed.

Automated testing is advantageous for big projects requiring complex computations and for repetitive test cases. For often changing features and infrequently executed test cases, a human tester gives a higher return on investment than automation.

What’s the difference between Manual Testing and Automation Testing?

Factors

Manual Testing

Automation Testing

Human Intervention Level

Without the help of automation, a person manually performs the test cases one by one.

Without human intervention, tests are conducted by a testing tool or framework.

Test Suitability

Appropriate for tests that are not repeatable and need human imagination, involvement, and domain knowledge.

This is advantageous for repetitive testing involving software features that do not change regularly.

Advantage

This is advantageous for accessibility and usability testing since the tester can evaluate the software from the perspective of an end-user.

Excellent for testing regression problems and ensuring that the product does not break due to new updates.

Test Duration

Can be time-consuming and tedious, as well as susceptible to human mistakes and misjudgment.

Automated tests are done by software; they are quick and error-free, assuming we are testing the correct item.

Scope of Testing

It is possible to test software in a randomized fashion, which is referred to as exploratory testing.

Automated testing does not allow for exploratory testing.

UI Aspect

A human tester is excellent at detecting UI issues and inconsistencies.

Unless specifically trained to do so, automated testing is incapable of detecting and reporting UI issues.

On the same topic: Manual Testing vs. Test Automation: Which One is the Best for You?

Will Automated Testing replace Manual Testing in the future?

Definitely Not! Not yet, at least. Manual testing is still necessary.

It's difficult to tell exactly, but technology is advancing at a fast pace, and autonomy has grown more prominent in our lives. As a result, automation technologies will develop, and artificial intelligence will play a big role in the quality assurance industry.

We live in an era where both ways of testing have a role. A good QA team requires a balance of automated and manual testing. Additionally, it may be beneficial for a tester to shift between manual and automated testing on occasion. This subject can be included in QA automation interview questions as it relates to the QA industry.

When do you need to automate a test?

Automation is preferable in the following situations.

Typically, the choice is made based on the return on investment (Return on Investment)

What factors determine the effectiveness of Automation Testing?

Several variables contribute to the performance of automation testing.

Which test cases can be automated?

The following are examples of test cases that may be automated:

Smoke test cases: Build verification testing is another term for smoke testing. Each time a new build is published, smoke test cases are performed to ensure that the build is in decent condition to accept for testing.

Regression test cases: Regression testing is the process of ensuring that previously built modules continue to perform as intended after the addition of a new module or the rectification of a bug.

Regression test cases are critical in an incremental software development methodology that adds new functionality at each increment phase. Each incremental step is subjected to regression testing in this situation.

Complex Calculation test cases: This category includes test cases that need some complex computations to validate a field for an application. Since complex calculations are more open to human mistakes, they provide more accurate results when automated.

Data-driven test cases: Test cases with the same set of repeated processes with different data are referred to as data-driven test cases. Automated testing is a rapid and cost-effective solution for these types of test scenarios.

Non-functional test cases: Test cases such as load testing and performance tests need a virtual environment with multiple users and hardware or software configurations.

Manually configuring several environments for each combination or number of users is challenging. Automated technologies make it simple to construct this environment and conduct non-functional testing.

Sign up for UI-licious now

When will you avoid Automated Testing?

While automation provides several benefits, automating all of your testings is not a smart idea. Here are several instances where a human tester may do much better than an automated test suite at testing software.

What are the disadvantages of Manual Testing?

The disadvantages of Manual Testing are as follows:

What are some risks associated with Automation Testing?

While test automation has several advantages, like increased efficiency and repeatability, there are a few hazards that a team should be aware of.

Negative Return on Investment: Automated testing needs a substantial amount of code and the purchase of expensive tools. Developers and testers invest significant effort in learning how to write automated tests and apply them.

However, once implemented, the team may discover that the testing technique is ineffective since the software is complicated and continually changing configuration and features. They must regularly update the tests.

Keeping up with technological advancements: As with every piece of software, automation testing tools and frameworks evolve with time. Automation technologies have a high learning curve and need previous programming skills.

Instead of selecting and effectively utilizing a tool, the development/testing team learns and experiments with new tools and technologies. In this instance, the automated testing may fail to deliver on its initial promise.

Risk of Maintenance: The risk of Maintenance Code for test automation is no exception. Automated testing has failed if developers and testers spend most of their time working on the automation framework rather than developing new features and addressing defects in the program.

Is Automation Testing useful in Agile Methodology?

Automation testing is advantageous for doing regression, smoke, and sanity tests. All of these forms of testing occur towards the end of the cycle in the conventional waterfall model, and in certain cases, if the application receives few upgrades, we may not even need to do regression testing.

Alternatively, with agile methodologies, each iteration demands the execution of a regression test case when new functionality is introduced.

Additionally, the regression suite grows after each sprint as functional test cases from the current sprint module are added to the regression suite for the next sprint.

Thus, automation testing is very beneficial in agile methodologies since it enables the sprint to achieve maximum test coverage in the shortest amount of time possible.

When Automation Testing is not useful in Agile Methodology?

Automation testing is ineffective for agile approaches under the following circumstances:

Can we do Automation Testing without a framework?

Yes, we can automate testing without the need for a framework. We just need to comprehend the automation tool we are using and implement the steps in the programming language that the tool supports.

If we automate test cases without a framework, the programming scripts for test cases will be inconsistent.

A framework is necessary to establish a set of principles that everyone must follow to ensure the clarity, reusability, and consistency of test scripts. Additionally, a framework provides a centralized location for reporting and logging features.

Automation Tools and Frameworks

What are the different types of Testing Frameworks?

Several framework types are available which are as follows:

How do you choose an Automation Testing Solution?

Automation testing requires the use of software tools or frameworks. There are several solutions from which to choose.

Here are some criteria for evaluating these tools.

Programmable (code-based) or non-programmable tools: While some tools need programming knowledge, others do not, enabling a tester who is not a developer to generate test cases with visual support. You should make your selection based on your team's expertise and skill set.

Open Source vs. Commercial: The cost of tools varies significantly depending on the features they provide. Commercial tools might be costly, but they provide technical assistance. While open-source software is free, you must do your research when resolving issues.

Simplicity of handling: Some automated testing methods are complicated to use and need considerable training to be utilized. Some are simpler to operate and may be used straight out of the box.

UIlicious, Selenium, Katalon Studio, UFT, TestComplete, and Testim are just a few of the most popular automation tools. When selecting one, you should analyze your project's testing needs, discuss your team, and evaluate their abilities, expertise, and comfort level with the tool.

Additionally, you should evaluate the tool's return on investment periodically and be prepared to switch if necessary.

What is the structure of a Test Automation Framework? What are its important modules?

Usually, the structure should include the following: (It would differ from project to project)

The following are critical components of an automation testing framework:

What are the primary features of a good Automation Testing Solution?

The primary features of automation testing solution includes

One of the most frequently used tools that cover all of the above capabilities is UIlicious, a simple-to-use tool that can be used on any web project. Mentioning this tool during an interview can convey to the interviewer that you are familiar with strategies to boost your workplace efficiency or the team's performance.

Selenium

What is Selenium?

Selenium is a public (open source) library for test automation. It is used to automate the management of Web and mobile environments. It is comprised of:

Selenium scripting is supported in the following languages: Java, C#, Python, Ruby, PHP, Perl, and JavaScript.

How familiar are you with Selenium?

The interviewer may ask you this question to ascertain your proficiency with the open-source Selenium framework. Organizations often reduce resource expenditures by using free technologies, and Selenium's framework can be used to automate testing. However, if you have minimal expertise with Selenium, explain what you know about comparable frameworks to the interviewer. Additionally, share your knowledge with the interviewer if you have prior experience working with the Selenium framework.

What are the different components of Selenium?

Selenium is not a single tool or a framework. It is a collection of tools that operate in combination with one another or alone to perform various kinds of automation testing. Selenium is composed of four primary components.

What are some of the alternatives to Selenium?

Selenium has long been one of the most popular test automation technologies, with many teams choosing it. It is, however, a very technical tool that requires a lot of practice, and it may not be appropriate for all test projects. Several popular alternatives have evolved in recent years, as noted below:

Cucumber: It's an open-source testing tool that enables the creation of tests in a simple, primary language that everybody in the team can understand.

It emphasizes behavior-driven development, in which a human-readable specification of the functionality guides testing.

Cypress: Cypress is an entirely free and open-source testing framework. It is developed in JavaScript and has lately gained popularity due to its simplicity and extensive capabilities that enable browser testing.

Cypress simplifies the process of developing and debugging unit tests, end-to-end tests, and integration tests. Additionally, it facilitates the creation of screenshots and recordings to aid in the reproduction of bugs.

Robot Framework: Robot Framework is an open-source automation framework with a generic design. It is suitable for automated testing and robotic process automation (RPA)

Robot Framework

What is a Robot Framework?

Robot Framework is a rapidly growing open-source framework for robotic process automation (RPA). Robotic process automation (RPA) attempts to replicate human activities and interactions via software. As with actual people, robotic automation can comprehend (to a certain degree) what is shown on the screen, manipulate keys and buttons, go to links, and retrieve data.

The Robot Framework is developed in Python and is platform-independent. The majority of the ecosystem's libraries are likewise open-source. It has a modular design that is extensible with the addition of other libraries. It stores the test data in files using a framework-specific syntax. Numerous similar tests are included in a test suite.

What are the test library APIs provided by the Robot Framework?

Three test library APIs are available in the Robot Framework.

Other Frameworks

What is QTP?

QTP (Quick Test Professional) is currently known as HP UFT. It is a commercial automation tool that supports a broad range of test environments, including but not limited to Web, Desktop, SAP, Delphi, Net, ActiveX, Flex, Java, Oracle, Mobile, PeopleSoft, PowerBuilder, Siebel, Stingray, and Visual Basic.

VBScript is the scripting language utilized. The solution integrates well with HP ALM (Test Management tool) and HP LoadRunner (Performance Testing Tool).

Business Process Testing, a keyword-driven framework, XML support, strong checkpoints, and test results are all prominent elements of QTP.

What is Protractor?

Protractor is an open-source automated testing platform that enables you to test your web applications end-to-end. It is based on WebDriverJS. Google developed Protractor, which is mainly used for testing Angular apps.

Protractor performs tests against the web application in real-world web browsers. Additionally, it interacts with the program in the same way that an end-user would, by clicking buttons, links, filling out forms, and comparing the result to the desired result.

Since Protractor is built on the Selenium WebDriver, it makes cross-browser testing simple. It has a simpler API than Selenium, which means that the learning curve is not as steep. Developers may immediately get acquainted with it and begin building end-to-end user interface tests. Additionally, you may use Protractor to capture screenshots and compare them.

What is Sikuli?

Sikuli is a technology that automates graphical user interfaces via the "Visual Image Match" approach. All web components in Sikuli should be captured as images and included in the project.

Sikuli is composed of the following components:

The practical use of Sikuli is as follows:

Decisions and Best Practices

What are the best practices in test automation?

The following are some of the best practices that software development and the testing team should follow to achieve the highest possible software quality.

Determine which tasks to automate: Some tests, such as usability, accessibility, exploratory testing, or non-repetitive test cases that vary often, cannot be automated. Assign test cases in accordance with your abilities and expertise. When splitting test cases, consider the tester's abilities and experience and the difficulty and intensity of the functionality being tested.

Eliminating Uncertainty: The whole purpose of test automation is to provide dependable, accurate, and consistent tests that offer helpful feedback to the tester. If tests fail due to test-script errors or false positives, the ROI on test automation begins to decline.

Selecting the appropriate frameworks and tools.: There are several technologies available for automating testing. Selecting the incorrect tool for the job at hand will result in wasted effort and false confidence in releasing software that may fail in production.

Maintaining test logs in a bug database: Utilizing a bug database is an excellent practice regardless of whether a team uses test automation. Whenever a new defect is discovered, whether by an automation tool or by testers, it should be logged in a bug tracking tool along with the specific steps required to replicate the bug and other relevant information.

Why do you need Cross-Browser Testing?

You cannot guarantee which browsers/platforms/devices your users will use to access your program while developing web apps. Some people may be using Google Chrome on their Android smartphones, while others may be using Firefox on their Windows desktop computers or Safari on their Macbooks.

Cross-browser testing verifies that your online application functions correctly across many browser versions and platforms, and devices. It guarantees that consumers have the same experience and functionality regardless of whatever browser they are using. It enables you to reach a broad audience and allows users to migrate between browsers and devices while maintaining the same user experience, enhancing customer satisfaction, and developing a loyal user base.

What are some development practices to follow when writing Automated Tests?

When developing automated tests, the same software development rules apply. The following are some of the best practices for testing.

Attempting to validate the tests will fail

Avoid Code Duplication (DRY)

Keep Functions Simple

Create Clear Documentation

What are the steps involved in the Automation Process?

The stages involved in the automation process are as follows.

How would you select a test case for Automation?

The interviewer may ask this question to assess your proficiency in determining the frequency with which a test case should be executed, deciding whether a test case is essential for business functions and features, analyzing the results of an automated test, and managing the time required to run the test to achieve automation. Selecting test cases for automation is a frequently encountered topic in QA automation engineer interview questions. In addition, you can also consider the following example response as well:

“I'd evaluate first if the test case is critical to the business or whether it's just for an end-to-end scenario. Then, I'd schedule the execution frequency based on the automation requirements and start the test run, monitoring for problems. As the automated test completes, I would review the findings within a time range comparable to the time required for human execution.”

Do you think that App Testing can be done exclusively at the UI levels?

Today, as we transition to an Agile methodology, testing is not restricted to the user interface layer. Early feedback is critical to the success of an agile project. Focusing only on the UI layer effectively delays testing until the UI is built and accessible for testing.

Rather than that, we may test even before the UI is designed. We may test the APIs or methods directly using tools such as UILicious and FitNesse.

In this manner, we can provide input much more quickly and test even before the UI is designed. This technique enables us to simply test the graphical aspects of minor, aesthetic modifications or UI validations, assisting developers by providing more time to address errors.

How many test cases can you automate per day?

The number is determined by the test cases' level of complexity. When the complexity of the test cases was minimal, I could automate between five and six test cases every day. Occasionally, for complex cases, I was able to automate just one test case.

Additionally, I have separated my test cases into distinct components such as taking input, doing the calculation, and verifying the outcome in the case of challenging scenarios that took two or more days to complete.

Examples and Use Cases

How will you do Automation Testing on a web application login page?

Assuming a tester has established the test environment and a test tool such as Selenium, the following steps outline how to automate the login feature.

  1. Manually test the login page to ensure that you understand all of the input fields, checkboxes, and buttons. Keep track of the pages to which the user is routed upon successful and unsuccessful logins.

  2. Create a test dataset including all possible username/password combinations. The inputs vary in length and include alphanumeric characters.

  3. Create test cases to simulate multiple user paths in a real-world situation. Keep a running list of the anticipated outcomes for each test case.

  4. Configure each test case in the test tool to be manually triggered, using the test data supplied in step 2. Keep track of any instances when the actual output differs from the intended outcome.

  5. Verify and confirm the success/failure messages and redirects that occur after each login attempt.

How do you automate the testing of CAPTCHA?

CAPTCHA testing cannot be automated which is the core objective of every effective CAPTCHA technique. By definition, it cannot be automated by a computer. If it could, then it is not a suitable challenge for your application.

If, however, you need to test a CAPTCHA-enabled application, you must collaborate with the development team to provide a workaround or back door that enables the automated test to pass the CAPTCHA test. It is critical to use this alternative only in a test environment and not in production.

Management and Organization

Who should be responsible for test automation?

As a team is intended to be a unified entity charged with the duty of deploying a high-quality software system, it is the job of the team to create, run, and maintain test scripts. That implies developers and QA should cooperate and use one another's strengths to properly do automated testing.

Each group has a unique set of skills. Some have more technical testers, while others have quality-focused developers. Some have testers with development backgrounds, while others have testers with development backgrounds. As a result, it is not a good idea to restrict automated testing to a single department. Rather than that, communication and teamwork are critical components of a successful automated testing approach. For test automation interview questions, it is one of the widely asked subjects.

Conclusion

These are the fundamental questions, regardless of the automation tool or programming language used. Automation testing interview questions can also ask for information about the tool and programming language with which you have worked.

Since the majority of automation testing interview questions focus on the framework you develop, it is advised that you carefully develop and understand your test framework. If I am doing an interview, and the applicant has responded to my framework question, I like to ask a language-specific question as well.

If the company you're interviewing for hasn't implemented a test automation solution yet, or if they're open to innovative technologies that could save them time and improve the way their teams work, we invite you to mention UIlicious during your interview.

You can test our service for free for 7 days to get familiar with it. Even if it only takes a few minutes to realize that our solution is much simpler and more flexible than the most commonly used frameworks.

We hope this article will help you land the job you applied for!


Photo by LinkedIn Sales Solutions

About Usama Ahmad

Usama Ahmad is a Technical Writer with a passion for information technology.

Similar Posts