Top 20 Manual Testing Interview Questions and Answers

Top 20 Manual Software Testing Interview Questions and Answers

Are you preparing for a Manual Software Testing interview? Whether you are a beginner or an experienced tester, these frequently asked software testing interview questions will help you ace your next interview.

Let’s get started!

1. What does Software Testing mean?

Software testing is the process of evaluating a system to ensure it meets business requirements and is free from defects. It assesses various aspects like usability, accuracy, completeness, and efficiency to guarantee a high-quality software product.

2. Why is Software Testing required?

Software Testing is essential because humans make mistakes. Even skilled programmers can introduce errors during development. Testing helps identify and fix defects early, preventing software failures.

📌 Example:
A developer may mistakenly introduce a logic error while coding a feature. Without testing, this could cause the application to malfunction.

3. When should the testing process start?

The testing process should start at the beginning of the project. Once requirements are finalized, testers should begin planning test cases and identifying potential gaps in functionality. Early testing helps in reducing development costs and ensures higher software quality.

4. What does Quality Assurance mean in Software Testing?

Quality Assurance (QA) refers to the proactive process of defining and monitoring testing standards. It ensures that the software development process follows the best quality practices to prevent defects. QA is a preventive measure.

5. What does Quality Control mean in Software Testing?

Quality Control (QC) focuses on detecting and fixing defects in the software. It is a corrective process that ensures the final product meets quality standards. QC activities include test execution, bug reporting, and defect verification.

6. What does Validation mean in Software Testing?

Validation ensures the software meets business needs and user expectations. It involves:

• Functional Testing (checks if features work as expected).
• Non-Functional Testing (evaluates performance, security, and usability).

7. What is the difference between a Test Plan and Test Strategy?

• Test Strategy: A high-level document created by the Project Manager that outlines the overall testing approach.
• Test Plan: A detailed document that specifies how testing will be conducted for a particular application.

8. What is White Box Testing?

White Box Testing is a testing technique where the tester has knowledge of the internal code structure. It requires programming skills to design test cases. Developers usually perform this type of testing.

9. What is Black Box Testing?

Black Box Testing is a testing technique where the tester does not require knowledge of the internal code. Testers evaluate the software based on user requirements and expected outputs.

10. What is the Positive Testing approach?

Positive Testing ensures that a software system functions correctly under normal conditions. The goal is to verify if the software meets all requirements.

11. What is the Negative Testing approach?

Negative Testing checks how the software behaves when given unexpected inputs or used incorrectly. It helps identify edge cases and potential security vulnerabilities.

12. What are Test Cases?

A Test Case is a structured document containing test inputs, execution steps, and expected results. Well-written test cases help in:
✅ Identifying defects
✅ Ensuring software quality
✅ Validating requirements

13. What are the different types of software testing?

Here are the most common types of software testing:
✅ Unit Testing
✅ Integration Testing
✅ Regression Testing
✅ Smoke Testing
✅ Functional Testing
✅ Performance Testing
✅ Load Testing
✅ Stress Testing
✅ Alpha & Beta Testing
✅ System Testing

14. What is Functional Testing?

Functional Testing ensures that the software behaves as per the given requirements. It focuses on validating business logic, UI, and APIs.

📌 Examples:
✅ Regression Testing
✅ Smoke Testing
✅ Integration Testing

15. What is Non-Functional Testing?

Non-Functional Testing evaluates software based on performance, usability, and security rather than functional correctness.

📌 Examples:
✅ Load Testing
✅ Stress Testing
✅ Endurance Testing

16. What is Alpha Testing?

Alpha Testing is conducted before releasing software to real users. It helps identify and fix bugs before launching the product.

17. What is Beta Testing?

Beta Testing involves real users testing the software in a real-world environment. It helps gather feedback and ensure a smooth user experience before the official launch.

18. What is Gamma Testing?

Gamma Testing is the final stage of testing before software release. It focuses on security, stability, and compliance with market requirements.

19) What is the primary difference between Debugging & Testing?

Testing focuses on identifying defects in a product by evaluating its functionality, while debugging involves locating and fixing the specific part of the code causing the issue. Testing is typically performed by testers to detect bugs, whereas debugging is carried out by developers to resolve them.

20. What is STLC (Software Testing Life Cycle)?

The Software Testing Life Cycle (STLC) defines the structured process for conducting software testing.

STLC Phases:

1️⃣ Requirement Analysis – Understanding the software requirements
2️⃣ Test Planning – Creating the test strategy and test plan
3️⃣ Test Case Development – Writing test cases and preparing test data
4️⃣ Test Environment Setup – Setting up the testing infrastructure
5️⃣ Test Execution – Running test cases and reporting defects
6️⃣ Test Closure – Analyzing test results and closing testing activities