Top 101 Software Testing Interview Questions (With Answers)

Updated 21 July 2022

The Indeed Editorial Team comprises a diverse and talented team of writers, researchers and subject matter experts equipped with Indeed's data and insights to deliver useful tips to help guide your career journey.

A software tester is a professional who evaluates programs for errors or issues. Hiring managers may ask software testing interview questions during meetings with candidates to determine their skills. If you are a candidate for a software testing position, you can benefit from reviewing interview questions and practising your answers. In this article, we list 101 software testing interview questions, with a few example answers and outline the steps you can follow to prepare for your interview.

Common software testing interview questions

These are some software testing interview questions you may encounter when pursuing a tester position:

General interview questions

These are some general interview questions your potential employer may use to get to know you:

What motivates you about software testing?
Tell me about yourself.
Can you describe your first software test?
Tell me what you know about software testing.
Can you tell me about some of your passions?
Are you working on any personal projects?
Where do you see yourself in five years?
Which aspects of software testing do you like most?
How did you hear about this position?
Do you have a favourite software or program?
What do you like about this company?
Can you tell me about this organisation?
What are the unique attributes you can contribute to the company?
Describe to me your biggest weaknesses.
Tell me a little about some of your strengths.
What are you looking for in a career?
Can you tell me about your working style?
Do you have a preferred management style?
How do you implement time management for software testing projects?
What kind of management philosophies or structures do you most prefer working within?
How are you planning to meet your career goals?
Tell me about your most impressive professional achievements.
How do you describe success?
How might you respond to an unsatisfied client?
How do you resolve a conflict between yourself and others?
What is your process for time management?
How do you improve your leadership skills?
What is your favourite kind of person to work with?

Questions about experience, education and certification

These are some questions that focus on experience and background:

Tell me about your software testing background.
How long have you been working in software testing?
Tell me about the testing formats you have used.
How familiar are you with automated software testing tools?
Which automated software tools have you used most?
Do you have experience with manual software testing?
Tell me about a typical day in your previous position.
What kinds of software testing training do you have?
What are your certifications?
How do your certifications strengthen your skills and abilities?
Do you have any technology degrees?
Are you expecting to pursue advanced technology degrees in the future?
What are your favourite methods for software testing?
Are you interested in pursuing any more certifications?
What certifications do you think could improve your software testing?
Where did you attend school? How long?
Did you pursue any minors in school?
Do you have any non-technology degrees?
What is the most important thing you learned in your program?
When did you graduate with your degree?
Have you completed any internships since earning your degree?
How have internships helped you develop your skills?
In your experience, which soft skills are most useful as a software tester?
What is the biggest team you have worked with? And the smallest?
Have you used automated, manual or continuous testing the most?
Who was the best software testing teacher you had and why?

Questions to assess your software testing skills and abilities

These are some questions that aim to gauge your testing skills:

What is black box testing?
Can you explain white box testing to me?
How would you teach a new software tester about grey box testing?
Tell me about the differences between black, white and grey-box testing.
Explain to me why a software tester may prefer to design tests in the beginning.
Describe what a wrong defect is.
How would you teach someone what a missing defect is?
What is your method for managing defects?
Can you tell me about extra defects?
What are the differences between software testing defects?
At what point in the process do you consider testing to be done?
How would you teach an intern to perform software testing?
Explain to me why software testing is an important part of the process.
Can you detail the waterfall software development model to me?
Do you think it is possible to exhaustively test software?
Tell me about the software testing you excel in.
What is smoke testing, and when would you use it?
Tell me about regression testing.
What do you think is the best time to use regression testing?
What are the differences between unit testing and integration testing?
When would you use unit testing?
When would you use integration testing?
How do you feel about a developer testing their own software?
Tell me about the software testing life cycle.
What is security testing?
When would you use security testing?
What is the difference between usability testing and security testing?
At what point in the process would you perform usability testing?
Can you tell me about stress testing?
When would you perform stress testing for software?
What is the difference between stress testing and user-acceptance testing?
When do you perform user-acceptance testing?
Who performs the user-acceptance testing?
What are the differences between alpha and beta user-acceptance testing?
How do you create a user test case?
What is your process for confirming client approval?
Can you tell me about the differences between manual, automated and continuous software testing?
When would you use manual testing?
When would you use automated testing?
Continuous testing is most useful for what kinds of projects?
Tell me what you know about accessibility testing.
What do you know about age testing?
What is a test plan?
What is end-to-end testing?

Example answers for software testing interview questions

These are some sample answers you can use to practise answering technology and program testing interview questions:

1. What are some various software tests you can perform?

The employer may want to know about your background knowledge. You might list the software tests you have performed before as well as other software tests you know about. There are many tests you perform, and knowing about a variety of tests can help an interviewer gauge your competence in the job.

Example answer: "I have performed all kinds of software tests. Unit testing, system testing, performance, load and stress testing, usability testing, interface testing, to name a few. I also understand what we use most tests for and can adapt to the different processes used in each. I have performed more black-box tests than white-box tests but understand the benefits of both."

2. What does the software testing process consist of?

Because every type of software test differs, your answer can be unique from other applicants. The interviewer asks this question to gauge your understanding of the basics of the software testing process. Consider speaking about the general process that could be related to most software tests and your understanding that each test contains distinct steps.

Example answer: "Each type of software test has different scenarios and best practices. Every software test requires a planning stage and test case development. You set up the test environment and execute the test based on the parameters and rules set in the planning stage. After closing the test cycle, the results are analysed and recorded.”

3. What are some possible causes of a project's failure?

Your answer to this question reveals how you react to failure and can be a way to show how you adapt to change. Failures occur within software testing, and the interviewer might want to know your understanding of the issues that could occur during a software testing project. Consider speaking about a failure you have encountered in a previous job.

Example answer: "I have encountered issues during past software testing projects. Many of the failures included time and budget limitations. Rarely has the testing environment been set up improperly, but that has happened before as well. The testing environment can change, but sometimes a limited budget is what can lead to the failure of a project."

Frequently asked questions about software testers

These are some answers to commonly asked questions about this profession:

How do you prepare for a software tester interview?

To prepare for your interview, review the job description and your qualifications. Practise answering the software tester interview questions above with friends, family or colleagues. Develop questions for your interviewer before meeting with them. Prepare your outfit and transportation for the interview so you can be on time and presentable.

How much does a software tester earn?

How much a software tester earns can depend on factors like education and experience. The average salary for a tester is ₹4,98,346 per year. The highest paying city for software testers is Bengaluru, Karnataka. The average salary of a tester in Bengaluru is ₹7,14.113.

What do software testers do?

Software testers have many responsibilities, including:

Review business objectives
Communicate with clients
Develop testing processes

Salary figures reflect data listed on Indeed Salaries at time of writing. Salaries may vary depending on the hiring organisation and a candidate's experience, academic background and location.