Top Manual Testing Interview Questions and Answers for Freshers & Experienced
Manual testing continues to be a cornerstone of the software development life cycle, especially in environments where human observation and critical thinking cannot be replaced by automation. Whether you’re just starting your career or have several years of experience in QA, preparing for interviews means mastering both theoretical and practical aspects of manual testing.
This guide on manual testing interview questions has been meticulously curated to help both freshers and experienced professionals prepare for a wide range of interviews. From basic manual testing interview questions to more advanced scenarios tailored for candidates with 3 to 5 years of experience, this article will empower you with comprehensive answers and explanations.
Table Of Content
What is Manual Testing?
Section 1: Manual Testing Interview Questions for Freshers
Section 2: Manual Testing Interview Questions for 3 Years Experience
Section 3: Manual Testing Interview Questions for 4 Years Experience
Section 4: Manual Testing Interview Questions for 5 Years Experience
Section 5: Scenario-Based Software Testing Interview Questions
Final Tips to Ace Manual Testing Interviews
Conclusion
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Manual Testing?
Before diving into manual testing interview questions, it is crucial to understand what manual testing entails. Manual testing is a type of software testing where test cases are executed manually by a tester without the use of any automated tools. The goal is to identify bugs, issues, and functionality mismatches to ensure the software application is defect-free.
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Section 1: Manual Testing Interview Questions for Freshers
1. What is Software Testing?
Answer: Software testing is the process of evaluating a software application to detect the differences between the actual output and the expected output. It involves the execution of a software component or system to identify bugs, errors, or missing requirements.
This question is frequently seen in manual testing interview questions for freshers as it establishes a foundational understanding of software QA.
2. What are the types of software testing?
Answer: There are two main categories:
- Manual Testing
- Automation Testing
Within these, several types include:
- Unit Testing
- Integration Testing
- System Testing
- Acceptance Testing
- Regression Testing
- Smoke Testing
- Sanity Testing
Understanding testing types is vital for software testing interview questions asked in entry-level positions.
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3. What is the difference between verification and validation?
Answer:
- Verification checks whether the product is designed correctly.
- Validation checks whether the designed product is working correctly.
This is one of the basic manual testing interview questions that showcases your understanding of core QA principles.
4. What is a Test Case?
Answer: A test case is a set of conditions or variables under which a tester will determine whether a system under test satisfies requirements and works correctly.
This often appears in manual testing interview questions for freshers because it is a fundamental aspect of test execution.
5. What is a Test Plan?
Answer: A test plan is a document that describes the scope, approach, resources, and schedule of intended testing activities. It serves as a blueprint for the testing process.
6. What is the difference between a bug, a defect, and an error?
Answer:
- Error: A mistake made by a developer.
- Defect: A flaw in the application found during testing.
- Bug: A defect that is accepted by the development team and will be fixed.
You’ll find such distinctions covered often in manual testing interview questions for freshers and juniors.
7. What is Regression Testing?
Answer: Regression Testing is performed to verify that a code change does not impact the existing functionality of the software. It is especially important after enhancements or bug fixes.
8. What is Smoke Testing?
Answer: Smoke Testing, also known as Build Verification Testing, is a shallow and wide approach where all areas of the application are tested without going deep. It ensures that critical functionalities are working.
This is typically included in both basic manual testing interview questions and software testing interview questions for all experience levels.
9. What is Sanity Testing?
Answer: Sanity Testing is a subset of regression testing, performed to check whether a specific functionality is working after a bug fix or code change.
10. What is the role of QA in SDLC?
Answer: QA plays a pivotal role throughout the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) by planning test strategies, writing test cases, executing tests, reporting bugs, and ensuring product quality.
This concept is frequently discussed in manual testing interview questions for freshers to test your understanding of project workflows.
Section 2: Manual Testing Interview Questions for 3 Years Experience
Once you gain a few years in the QA field, your responsibilities expand. Hence, manual testing interview questions for 3 years of experience focus more on test planning, execution strategies, and issue resolution.
11. How do you prioritise test cases?
Answer: Test case prioritisation is based on:
- Business impact
- Customer requirements
- Critical functionalities
- Risk factors
- Past defect density
12. What are the key components of a Test Plan?
Answer: A comprehensive test plan includes:
- Test objectives
- Scope
- Test strategy
- Environment setup
- Resource allocation
- Schedule and timelines
- Exit and entry criteria
This is commonly asked in manual testing interview questions for 3 years experience because professionals are expected to contribute to test planning.
13. What is exploratory testing?
Answer: Exploratory Testing involves simultaneous test design and execution. It’s done without predefined test cases and relies heavily on the tester’s intuition, experience, and knowledge of the application.
This is gaining popularity in software testing interview questions for experienced candidates due to its real-world relevance.
14. How do you handle changing requirements during testing?
Answer: This requires:
- Impact analysis of the change
- Updating test cases accordingly
- Communicating with stakeholders
- Reprioritising test efforts
- Retesting and regression testing
15. What is the Defect Life Cycle?
Answer: The stages of a defect from identification to closure include:
- New
- Assigned
- Open
- Fixed
- Retested
- Verified
- Closed
- Reopened (if needed)
Defect Life Cycle questions are quite popular in manual testing interview questions for professionals with practical bug-tracking experience.
16. What are Boundary Value Analysis and Equivalence Partitioning?
Answer:
- Boundary Value Analysis (BVA): Focuses on testing the boundaries between partitions.
- Equivalence Partitioning: Divides input data into valid and invalid partitions for more efficient testing.
These techniques are vital for answering both basic manual testing interview questions and advanced ones.
17. How do you log a defect?
Answer: A defect report should include:
- Summary
- Steps to reproduce
- Expected and actual results
- Environment details
- Severity and priority
- Screenshots (if applicable)
This is part of the hands-on manual testing interview questions for 3 years experience.
18. What are the severity and priority of defects?
Answer:
- Severity: Impact on the functionality.
- Priority: Urgency to fix the bug.
Example:
- High Severity, Low Priority: A crash in a rarely used feature.
- Low Severity, High Priority: Spelling error in the company name on the homepage.
19. What is the difference between positive and negative testing?
Answer:
- Positive Testing: Verifies that the application works with valid inputs.
- Negative Testing: Checks the system’s behaviour with invalid or unexpected inputs.
20. How do you ensure complete test coverage?
Answer: Techniques include:
- Requirement Traceability Matrix (RTM)
- Using checklists
- Peer reviews
- Test coverage tools (for automation)
- Prioritisation of test scenarios
This is an essential part of manual testing interview questions, as coverage is critical to QA success.
Section 3: Manual Testing Interview Questions for 4 Years Experience
As you reach 4 years into your QA career, you are expected to manage complex test scenarios, lead small teams, and contribute to test strategies. The manual testing interview questions for 4 years of experience revolve around system-level thinking, test design techniques, and real-world problem-solving.
21. What is the difference between Test Strategy and Test Plan?
Answer:
- Test Strategy is a high-level document created by the project manager that outlines the overall approach to testing. It covers testing objectives, tools, and scope.
- A Test Plan is a detailed document derived from the strategy and is created by the QA lead or tester. It includes the schedule, resources, test cases, and risks.
This distinction is frequently seen in manual testing interview questions for 4 years experience.
22. How do you manage test data?
Answer:
Test data can be managed by:
- Creating mock datasets
- Using production data with anonymisation
- Writing SQL queries to fetch records
- Automating data setup with scripts
Interviewers want to know if you can handle test environments effectively—a crucial skill for mid-level testers.
23. What is Compatibility Testing?
Answer:
Compatibility Testing ensures that the application performs as expected across different:
- Operating Systems
- Browsers
- Devices
- Networks
This is often asked in manual testing interview questions for professionals dealing with responsive or multi-platform applications.
24. What is Localisation and Globalisation Testing?
Answer:
- Localisation Testing: Ensures the application works well in a specific locale, with translations, formats, and currencies.
- Globalisation Testing: Ensures the application can function globally and is adaptable to different regions.
25. Describe a challenging defect you found and how you resolved it.
Answer:
Give a real-world example involving:
- An intermittent issue
- Steps to reproduce
- Collaboration with developers
- Logs, screenshots, or test cases used
- Final resolution
Such scenario-based manual testing interview questions for 4 years experience evaluate your analytical and communication skills.
26. What is Risk-Based Testing?
Answer:
Risk-based testing involves identifying the most critical areas of the application and prioritising them for testing. It helps optimise resources and test coverage.
27. How do you ensure cross-team collaboration?
Answer:
- Regular stand-ups
- Transparent bug reporting
- Effective documentation
- Use of tools like JIRA, Confluence, and TestRail
Mid-level testers are expected to coordinate well with developers, product managers, and other stakeholders.
Section 4: Manual Testing Interview Questions for 5 Years Experience
Professionals with 5+ years of experience are often evaluated for senior QA roles or test lead positions. Hence, manual testing interview questions for 5 years of experience test your leadership abilities, process improvements, and domain expertise.
28. How do you mentor junior testers?
Answer:
- Pair testing
- Review their test cases and reports
- Conduct knowledge-sharing sessions
- Provide feedback constructively
This is key in manual testing interview questions for 5 years experience, especially for team leads.
29. How do you handle missed defects that reach production?
Answer:
- Perform RCA (Root Cause Analysis)
- Update or create missing test cases
- Revisit and revise test plans
- Learn from the mistake and document preventive actions
This is a common scenario in manual testing interview questions for senior roles.
30. How do you measure the effectiveness of testing?
Answer:
Use the following metrics:
- Defect leakage
- Defect removal efficiency
- Test case pass/fail percentage
- Test coverage
- Requirement coverage
31. What is the role of QA in Agile?
Answer:
In Agile, QA is involved in:
- Sprint planning
- Writing acceptance criteria
- Creating test cases alongside development
- Continuous testing
- Attending retrospectives and daily stand-ups
32. How do you approach testing for performance and scalability?
Answer:
Although manual testing has limited scope here, testers:
- Monitor response times
- Simulate multiple users manually for basic checks
- Use tools (for automation, where applicable) like JMeter (if allowed)
33. What challenges have you faced in test planning?
Answer:
Examples may include:
- Changing requirements
- Time constraints
- Unstable test environments
- Communication gaps
Provide a resolution plan to demonstrate leadership potential.
34. What is a Requirement Traceability Matrix (RTM)?
Answer:
RTM maps test cases to requirements. It ensures:
- No test case is missed
- Complete coverage
- Easy tracking of test coverage
Highly expected in manual testing interview questions for 5 years of experience.
35. What is the difference between Static Testing and Dynamic Testing
Answer:
- Static Testing: Done without executing code (e.g., reviews, walkthroughs).
- Dynamic Testing: Involves actual execution of code to verify behaviour.
This conceptual clarity is vital in basic manual testing interview questions and advanced ones.
Section 5: Scenario-Based Software Testing Interview Questions
These real-life scenarios are increasingly popular in both manual testing interview questions for freshers and experienced professionals.
36. You’re testing a login page. What test cases will you write?
Answer:
- Valid username and password
- Invalid credentials
- Blank fields
- SQL injection
- Password masking
- Session timeout
37. What would you do if your developer says a bug is “not reproducible”?
Answer:
- Re-check steps and logs
- Try on different environments or browsers
- Pair test with the developer
- Record the screen if needed
38. You find a critical bug at the end of the test cycle. What next?
Answer:
- Log the bug with high severity and priority
- Inform stakeholders immediately
- Suggest regression testing post-fix
- Escalate if required
39. How do you test a web form?
Answer:
- Field validation
- Mandatory vs optional fields
- Input data types
- Button behaviour
- Field length limits
- UI alignment
40. Describe your daily tasks as a manual tester.
Answer:
- Review requirements
- Write and execute test cases
- Log and track defects
- Attend Agile ceremonies
- Communicate with team members
Final Tips to Ace Manual Testing Interviews
Here are some bonus suggestions to prepare for any level of manual testing interview questions:
- Understand the SDLC and STLC thoroughly
- Be confident in your bug reporting and documentation skills
- Master testing techniques like BVA, EP, and Decision Tables
- Prepare real-world testing examples and challenges you’ve faced
- Keep updated with the latest QA trends, even in manual testing
Conclusion
Whether you’re preparing for manual testing interview questions for freshers, or diving into manual testing interview questions for 3 years of experience, 4 years, or 5 years experience, this guide is designed to give you a competitive edge.
Manual testing might seem basic in an era of automation, but it remains a critical skill for quality assurance. With strong fundamentals and practical insights into software testing interview questions, you can land the job you’re aiming for, regardless of your level of experience.
