What is software testing?

The process of evaluating a system to find defects and to verify that it meets the specified requirements and the user's actual need.

Why is testing necessary if developers test their own code?

Developers test that the code does what they intended. Testing checks whether what they intended was correct, whether it survives contact with real inputs, and whether it broke something else.

What is the difference between verification and validation?

Verification asks whether we are building the product right, against the specification, usually through reviews and static checks. Validation asks whether we built the right product, through execution against the user's need.

What is quality assurance versus quality control?

QA is process-oriented and preventive: standards, reviews, process definition. QC is product-oriented and detective: actually testing the built software.

What is the difference between an error, a defect, a bug and a failure?

A human makes an error, which introduces a defect in the code, which when executed causes a failure. "Bug" is the informal word for a defect.

What are the seven principles of testing?

Testing shows the presence of defects not their absence; exhaustive testing is impossible; early testing saves cost; defects cluster; the pesticide paradox means repeated tests stop finding new defects; testing is context dependent; and absence of errors is a fallacy.

What is the pesticide paradox?

Running the same tests repeatedly stops finding new defects. Test cases have to be reviewed and revised regularly to keep finding new ones.

What is defect clustering?

A small number of modules usually contain most of the defects, which is why testing effort should be weighted by risk rather than spread evenly.

What is the cost of fixing a defect at different stages?

It rises sharply the later it is found: cheapest in requirements, most expensive in production. This is the argument for early involvement of testing.

What is static testing?

Examining artefacts without executing code: requirement reviews, design reviews, code walkthroughs, inspections and static analysis.

What is dynamic testing?

Testing by executing the software with inputs and comparing actual behaviour to expected.

What is black box testing?

Testing based on requirements and specifications, without knowledge of the internal code structure.

What is white box testing?

Testing based on internal structure and code paths, including statement, branch and path coverage.

What is grey box testing?

Testing with partial knowledge of internals, for example knowing the database schema or the API contract while testing through the user interface.

What is positive and negative testing?

Positive testing confirms the system works with valid input. Negative testing confirms it handles invalid input gracefully instead of breaking.

The software development life cycle: requirement gathering, analysis, design, implementation, testing, deployment and maintenance.

The software testing life cycle: requirement analysis, test planning, test case design, test environment setup, test execution, and test closure.

What is the entry and exit criteria of a test phase?

Entry criteria are the conditions that must be met before the phase can begin, such as a stable build and a ready environment. Exit criteria are the conditions for declaring it complete, such as coverage achieved and no open critical defects.

What is the waterfall model, and what is its main weakness for testing?

Sequential phases with testing near the end. The weakness is that defects in requirements are found last, when they are most expensive.

Each development phase has a corresponding test phase planned in parallel: requirements with acceptance testing, design with system testing, and so on. Test design starts early even though execution is later.

What is the agile model?

Iterative delivery in short sprints with continuous feedback, where testing happens within every sprint rather than as a separate final phase.

What is a test plan, and what does it contain?

A document defining scope, objectives, approach, resources, schedule, environment, entry and exit criteria, risks and deliverables for a test effort.

What is a test strategy, and how is it different from a test plan?

A test strategy is higher level and usually organisation or product wide, describing the overall approach. A test plan is project specific and operational.

What is a requirement traceability matrix?

A mapping from requirements to test cases and defects, used to prove coverage and to see what is affected when a requirement changes.

What is a test scenario versus a test case?

A scenario is a high-level description of what to test, for example "verify login". A test case is a specific executable instance with steps, data and an expected result.

What does a good test case contain?

Test case ID, title, preconditions, test data, steps, expected result, actual result, status, priority and the requirement it traces to.

What is test coverage?

The extent to which the tests exercise the requirements, code or risk areas. Requirement coverage and code coverage measure different things and neither alone means the software is tested.

What is a test closure report?

The summary at the end of a test cycle: what was executed, pass and fail counts, open defects by severity, coverage achieved, risks accepted and lessons learned.

What is a test bed or test environment?

The hardware, software, data and configuration on which testing is performed, ideally as close to production as practical.

What is test data management?

Creating, maintaining and masking the data required for testing, so tests are repeatable and no production personal data is exposed.

What are the four levels of testing?

Unit, integration, system and acceptance.

What is unit testing?

Testing an individual component or function in isolation, usually written and run by developers.

What is integration testing?

Testing the interfaces between integrated components to find defects in their interaction.

What is the difference between top-down and bottom-up integration?

Top-down tests higher modules first using stubs for lower ones. Bottom-up tests lower modules first using drivers for higher ones.

What is a stub and what is a driver?

A stub replaces a called module that is not ready. A driver replaces a calling module that is not ready.

What is system testing?

End-to-end testing of the complete integrated system against the specified requirements.

What is user acceptance testing?

Testing by the business or end users to confirm the system meets their needs and is fit to release. Alpha UAT happens internally, beta happens with real users.

What is smoke testing?

A shallow, wide check that the critical paths of a new build work at all, run to decide whether the build is worth testing further.

What is sanity testing?

A narrow, deep check of a specific fix or change to confirm it works before proceeding to full regression.

What is regression testing?

Re-running existing tests after a change to confirm nothing that previously worked has broken.

What is retesting, and how does it differ from regression?

Retesting confirms a specific reported defect is fixed. Regression checks that the fix did not break anything else. Retesting uses failed cases; regression uses passed ones.

How do you select tests for a regression suite when time is short?

Prioritise by risk: critical business flows, modules touched by the change and their dependencies, historically defect-prone areas, and recently fixed defects.

What is exploratory testing?

Simultaneous learning, test design and execution, guided by the tester's judgment rather than by pre-written cases. It is structured through charters and time-boxed sessions.

What is ad hoc testing?

Unstructured testing with no plan or documentation, done to find defects that formal cases miss. It is not a substitute for a test suite.

What is monkey testing?

Feeding random input to the system to see if it crashes.

What is usability testing?

Evaluating how easily a real user can accomplish their goal, measured through observed task completion, time and errors rather than opinion.

What is accessibility testing?

Checking that people with disabilities can use the software, against standards such as WCAG: keyboard operability, screen reader support, colour contrast and alternative text.

What is compatibility testing?

Verifying the application works across the intended browsers, operating systems, devices, screen sizes and network conditions.

What is localisation testing versus internationalisation testing?

Localisation checks a specific locale's language, formats and content. Internationalisation checks the application is capable of supporting multiple locales at all.

What is performance testing, and what are its main types?

Testing behaviour under load. Load testing at expected volume, stress testing beyond it to find the breaking point, spike testing with sudden surges, endurance testing over long durations, and volume testing with large data.

What is security testing at a manual tester's level?

Checking authentication and authorisation boundaries, session handling, input validation for injection, sensitive data exposure in responses and URLs, and access to another user's records by changing an identifier.

Interview Preparation· August 12, 2026

100+ Manual Testing Interview Questions and Answers

100+ manual testing interview questions and answers for QA freshers and experienced testers: SDLC and STLC, test case design, defect life cycle, agile testing, API and database testing, JIRA, and the scenario questions interviewers actually ask.

By Rohit Goyal

Founder, ResumeGuru · NRI Resume Strategist

A manual testing interview in India follows a predictable path. Fundamentals and terminology first, then test design techniques, then the defect life cycle, then agile process, then scenario questions where you are handed a feature and asked what you would test. Freshers get more of the first two; experienced testers get more of the last two.

This set covers all of them, including the SQL and API questions that now appear in almost every QA interview even for manual roles. Use it with the interview preparation guide, and check your resume against the QA and testing resume samples before you go in.

Interview questions & answers

Testing fundamentals

SDLC, STLC and models

Levels and types of testing

Test design techniques

Defect life cycle and reporting

Agile, tools and process

API, database and scenario questions

Related resume samples

Keep reading

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100+ Manual Testing Interview Questions and Answers

Interview questions & answers

Testing fundamentals

SDLC, STLC and models

Levels and types of testing

Test design techniques

Defect life cycle and reporting

Agile, tools and process

API, database and scenario questions

Related resume samples

PMO Resume Sample: Craft a Standout Resume for Project Management Office Roles

Logistics Resume Sample: Build a Job-Winning Resume for the Supply Chain Industry

Computer Science Students Resume: Best Sample & Tips to Get Hired

Physician Assistant Resume Sample: Stand Out in a Competitive Healthcare Job Market

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Your career data is yours. Full stop.

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