38 Interview Questions About Automated Testing (With Examples)
Whether you’re interviewing for a job as a software engineer or an automation testing engineer, the hiring manager is likely to ask you about automation testing. Even though the interviewer may talk about different things, they may ask you some task-specific questions to see if you have the right skills to do well on the job. If you think ahead about how to answer these kinds of questions, you can increase your chances of getting the job. Questions About Automated Testing
This article goes over 38 common automation testing interview questions, shows you how to answer them, and gives you tips on how to make a good impression on the hiring manager.
10 beginner automation testing interview questions
If you are applying for an entry-level job that involves automation testing, the interviewer may ask you some basic questions to see how familiar you are with the idea. Here are 10 questions you may encounter:
- Can you explain to me what it means to test with automation?
- What is an automated test script, and when would you want to use one?
- What are the benefits of using a test automation framework?
- Can you name the five different types of test automation frameworks?
- How do you know how well or how well automation testing works?
- Can you tell me three times when automation shouldn’t be used to test?
- What steps do you need to take before you can use automation testing successfully?
- How do you ensure accurate documentation during automation testing?
- Could you tell me how automatic testing and manual testing are different in some of the most important ways?
- What is a hybrid framework for testing? What would you do with one?
10 Interview Questions for Intermediate-Level Testing Automation
You could apply for automation testing jobs that require more skills and knowledge if you want to move up in your career. Here are 10 questions for an interview at an intermediate level to help you prepare:
- Can you think of three times when testing by hand would be better than testing by computer?
- How do you set up testing that is done automatically?
- How does code-driven automated testing work?
- How would you automate testing of graphical user interfaces (GUIs)? What kinds of programming languages would you use?
- How do you decide which automated testing tool to use for each project?
- What do you look for in a good tool for automating testing?
- Explain the differences between vendor tools, open-source tools, and in-house tools.
- Tell me about automation testing’s most important modules.
- Would you use automation to run tests that you didn’t plan?
- What do you do during the planning phase of automation?
10 advanced automation testing interview questions
When hiring for senior-level automation testing jobs, hiring managers often ask more difficult questions to find out if a candidate has the right skills. Here are some of the questions you might get:
- Does “white box” or “black box” testing apply to testing with automation?
- Can you think of three problems that come up when you try to make an automation testing framework?
- What are some of the best things about TestNG?
- Why do you want to use TestNG instead of JUnit?
- How wouldn’t we be able to use automation testing with the agile method?
- What are some problems with using automated testing, and how can they be fixed?
- Explain why it’s important to have a modular, reusable, and consistent automation testing framework.
- How much experience do you have putting together automation testing frameworks and different kinds of apps?
- What is “testing based on data”? How might you use it?
- What can you do to improve automation testing’s return on investment (ROI)?
How to answer 8 questions about testing automation with examples
Automation testing, like most specialized jobs, has its own set of questions that hiring managers can use to see how skilled you are. Here are eight interview questions you might be asked about automation testing, along with sample answers you can use to prepare your own:
1. What are some benefits of testing that is done automatically?
This is a basic question about automation testing that the hiring manager may ask you during the interview. How you answer will show the interviewer if you know what automation testing is and how it can be used in the workplace. If the interviewer asks you this question, try to tie your answer to the goals of the organization. What I mean is this:
Example: “Automation testing can help a business in a lot of ways. For example, the results of automation tests can lead to lower costs for the business, free up team members to work on other tasks, and help managers give resources to the right departments. I’m sure I can help us get these benefits by using automation testing.
2. What kinds of frameworks have you used in the past?
If the hiring manager asks you this, talk about the different frameworks you’ve worked with and the ones you know about and want to learn more about. This can show the interviewer that you are willing to learn about new frameworks to improve your skills, even if you have only worked with one or two. What I mean is this:
“At my job right now, I use linear scripting and hybrid frameworks almost all the time. I’ve used these two frameworks for more than six years. I also know how to use keyword-driven and data-driven frameworks, but I want to keep learning about them so I can improve my skills.
3. How many test cases do you automate in a day?
If someone asked you this, the answer could be up to you. For example, you might spend your whole workday automating a single test that has a much bigger impact than 100 smaller tests. If you only do a few tests each day, explain what you do and how it helps the company. Make sure your answer shows how good your projects were and what they did. Here’s one answer to your question:
“The difficulty of the test cases determines how many I can usually automate in a day.” I could probably automate five to six simple test cases a day. For more complicated situations, I could only automate one or two test cases per day. I would also organize the project by breaking the most complicated test cases into parts like getting input, doing calculations, and checking output. It took me two days to finish some of these test cases, but the results were much more important to the company.
4. Do you know anything about Selenium?
This question could be asked by the interviewer to see how well you know how to use the free Selenium framework. Businesses can save money on resources by using free tools. Selenium can be used to automate testing without spending any money. But if you don’t know much about Selenium, talk about what you know about other frameworks and say that you want to learn more about Selenium. Tell us about your experiences if you’ve worked with the Selenium framework. Here’s one answer to your question:
Example: “Selenium supports functional and regression testing, as well as a few different scripting languages, like Java and PHP. I know about both types of testing and the scripting languages that Selenium can use. But I have only worked on six Selenium test cases. I hope to use it again because I liked figuring out how it worked.”
5. How would you choose a test case that is done automatically?
The interviewer might ask you this question to see if you can figure out how often a test case is run. Your answer can also show if you know why a test case is important for business features and functions. Tell me how you would look at the results of an automated test and how you would handle the time it takes to get there. Think about the answer below:
Example: “First, I would find out if the test case is important to the business or if it’s just a way to show how things work from beginning to end. Then, I’d decide how often to run the tests based on what automation needed and start the test run while keeping an eye out for bugs. When the automation test is done, I would look at the results in the same amount of time it would take to do it by hand.”
6. How do you decide which tools to use for automation testing?
The interviewer might ask this to find out how you make decisions and how you use different tools for automation testing. Use this chance to show how skilled you are and how quickly you can finish similar tasks. Think about the answer below:
Example: “I would start by looking at the requirements to decide which testing scenarios I want to automate. Then I’d look into the tools that fit the project’s needs. Then I would see if the budget can pay for the tools and skilled workers I need. Lastly, I would compare the needed tools to make sure they meet key criteria and choose tools that fit within the company’s budget.
7. What kinds of tests would you not automate?
If you are asked this question, think about the skills you use to decide whether or not automation testing is a good idea. You can save time, money, and resources for the company if you know when not to use automation testing. The potential employer might ask you this to see if you can choose the right tools and resources for the job. Take a look at the answer below as an example:
Example: “I wouldn’t automate test cases that don’t come up very often or that can be done faster by hand. I also wouldn’t use automation testing for exploratory and usability testing, because these kinds of tests could be a waste of time and money.
8. Do you have any questions for me?
This is a general interview question that can be used for any job. You can use it to learn more about the job and the company hiring you. You could, for example, ask what frameworks the team prefers, what kinds of tests you might be automating, and what kinds of tasks you would be in charge of if you were hired. What I mean is this:
Example: “What kinds of frameworks does the team like to use for automation testing, and what resources or tools do you give them to do their work?”
How to do an interview for testing automation
Here are a few more tips to help you prepare for your test automation interview:
Learn more about the job you’re interested in.
If you know more about what the job you’re applying for wants from you, you’ll be better prepared to answer any questions about the job that might come up. For example, look over any skills you might need to do well in the field, such as programming and coding, as well as the tools you might use if you get the job.
