The questions were asked by Lucent Technologies for Software Tester (in some companies SQA - Software Quality Assurance) position.
- What programming language are you using?
- What C++ libraries are you proficient with?
- Which argorithm do you like the most? Why?
- How do you debug SSH?
- What is the QA process?
- How do you train another QA engineer?
- What bug tracking tools you have used? Have you used any free tools?
- How do you start your QA if there are no system requirements?
- Have you used MSVC? What do you think of it?
- There are 3 lights (in one room) and 3 swtiches (in another room), one for each, if you only enter into the light room once. How can you find out which switch corresponds to which light?
- What is your weakness?
- Why do you think you are suited for this job?
- If there is a day, when you find yourself not fitting in our team, what will you do?
- What makes you think you are qualified for this job?
- Do you like music? Which composers are your favourite?
- What kind of PC games you like most? Why?
- Are you familiar with collboration tools? Which communication method do you prefer for talk, email and chat?
- When will you be available to start work?
- What security tools have you used?
- Tell me about yourself.
- Tell me about your experience with this type of work
- What do you like and dislike about our company?
- Why do you want to work for us?
- What should we hire you? What can you do for us? What can you do that others can not?
- What is the job’s most attractive and least attractive factor?
- What do you look for in a job?
- Please give me your definition of software test engineer.
- How long whould it take you to make a meaningful contribution to our firm?
- How long would you stay with us?
- Are you thinking of going back to school or college?
- What kind of programs/machines or equipment have you worked with?
- You may be overqualified for this position we have to offer.
- Give me an example of a project you handled from start to finish.
- What was your last employer’s opinion of you?
- Can you work under pressure, deadline etc?
- Do you have any questions?
- What is it you liked and disliked about your last job?
43 Comments on Software tester interview questions
These are certainly NOT the questions which are asked in a software Tester interview. I have been in Quality engineering for 1.5 years and have given interview in prestigious companies. These are the question which might be asked to a fresher or to a programmer who wants to shoft to testing but cetainlu not to an experienced software tester.
thrashmode, if you have something to share, I will gladly accept. If you leave your list, I will publish it on the site.
These are more like basic programming related questions, a few about QA and some backwards ways to get at some testing knowledge, but mostly just general good questions.
What seems to be missing is a “How would you test this <item of choice>?” with the main objectives of the question being assesement of the depth of knowledge of the testing process including realization that you not only need to test that the object meets the specifications provided to you but that the specifications are correct in the first place.
Also a very important question that seemed to be brushed over in the above example is to explain a project you worked on in the past with other people. Important information to get from this project is what role the person took in the project, how the person dealt with problems that arose, how they dealt with disperity between the skill and participation level of the contributors and whether or not they thought the project was successful and why.
I just got back from a QA Testing interview, and all they asked is if I downloaded MP3’s off the net for albums I don’t own. I said I have, and they ended the interview right there.
Hi,
Today i saw this site and looked very promising for the job seeker!.
However i am learning vc++ and good at ATL-COM , MFC’S [only basics].
I want those set of Questions which will b asked on ATL-COM AND MFC’S.
pLS. if any one have those set forward it to my mail with the subject line “FAQ ON VC++- iNTERVIW” . I’LL B GREATEFULL
tHAN q
i want to chat with with a experienced software tester ,because as iam new to testing field,iwant to gain a knowledge in testing.if it possible
Please write down some questions asked during an interview for a software Development engineer in Tesst position. Most questions I have found are : How would you test a salt shaker, a toaster, elevator, pen etc. The main idea is to be able to come up with questions about what can be wrong with it.
I would like to know some programming related testing questions as well.
Thank you.
Previously I am asked a question like this. If I am installing a software, what would be the valid Test Cases. I have told him the Test Cases related to general navigations, performance related. But he is not satisfied. He is stressing on the most relevant Test Case which I am not aware as of now. Please find it out and tell me if possible. Looking forward for you help.
Thanks
I am new to testing field, can somebody guide me? I was into development for last 3 yrs so knows how to do Unit testing.
How to start etc?
i am new to testing and i am a 2003 pass out. so i want to get a fake exp. of about 1.5 yrs and attend the interviews . can i do that? as per my knowledge many of the candidates have done the same and they have even cleared the iviews! plzz let me know abt this issue
what do you undersatnd by black box testing ?
Could anybody send answer for this question Please?
There are 3 lights (in one room) and 3 swtiches (in another room), one for each, if you only enter into the light room once. How can you find out which switch corresponds to which light?
Here’s the answer to the 3 lights question :
I will go to the room, swtich on 1 light, then wait for 10 mins or so in the same room (there is no waiting time specified), then I will switch on another light (there is no limit to how many lights you can switch on once you go into the room), the immdly goto the room where the lights actually are, touch the two illuminated lights. The one that is hotter was lighted when the 1st switch was turned on, the 2nd iluminated was with the the second switch i lighted. and the thirt switch which is off is for the light which is off.
i need some more guidance regarding automation testing pracically as it is been asked in every company
I encountered the light logic problem at a Cisco interview a few years back but in a slightly modified form.
answer is correct.
Please tell me how Satelite colour navigation screens work, including their layout in terms of installations and the linking, if there are any navigation sub-stations please state them, thank you.
About there comment I really find your answers quality and mostly presise.
looking forward to your answer in answering my question.
Niceday
Junior, South Africa
hey guys,
I just finished a course on Software Testing and badly need to learn a lot to do well at interviews.could any one help me out with the resourses like forums,ebooks and FAQ’s I can find on the internet.I also went throug the stuff that is published here,but that’s not enough.
Thank you,
Abhishek
I am going to start a qa training programme for a company. I have no idea what SQA is ? what will be my job functions and how is it as a career
To number 18:- The QA is not testing job, QA role allows you to underline the quality of the published software. may be you are going to underline the issues of software risks or quality of software performance etc.
IMPORTANT:- I went to this interview where they asked me these questiosn which i would like to publish on this site.
1)- If you have been asked to reduce the LifeCycle model, which phase you wouldn’t use and why
2)- Where does the test phase fit in the cycle model
3)- Give me any 4 types of testing methods and different between each other.
4)- Which test method would you use to test Infrastructure system and why.
5)- What is the different between Software Engineer and Software Tester (the reason they asked me this question because I have some Software Engineer experince and went for Software tester interview)
—-> Hope these question might help you for your future interview
Kind regards
ASH
the information which is provided is not adequate, i want the questions relating to software engineering in testing interview.
thank you.
I’ve been asked a very specific question on how I would test two different products (in terms of different techniques), one of which was a web-based product with a database and another one was a server-side product with no database that processes XML documents. I have lots of experience testing front-end products, but not as much of the back-end. I said that I would emulate data flow with some script (like a Perl script) and verify the system output. I mentioned unit test for code coverage, back-end scripts that would capture performance and load issues. And then I said I’d run integrated tests with client software. I think my interviewer expected something else. What are the specific techniques for testing GUI-less products? Please advise.
earlier test concepts were not highlited, current market requires lot of testers why?
hi all , I am appearing for different interviews , I would like to know that what kind of “case studies” they as to do in written examinations.
for example in one interview they ask me to write testcases for validating email address & test cases on “chair”.
so what are the other similar questions generally they ask?
or if you are conducting interview what will be your favorites?
lokking forwards for your responce.
thank you,
nilesh
I am currently a QA Analyst with a small software company and was not asked many of the questions listed above when I was interviewed. They seem to be geared more to engineers rather than testers. I can recommend an excellent book on software testing called “Testing Computer Software” Second Edition by Cem Kaner. It describes many of the things people have asked about in this forum. He also offers a free online course that is very good at http://www.testingeducation.org/
Here’s a link to a qa forums site although they haze people if they post questions about test/interview questions. Use the search feature and you will get much more than you expected. http://www.qaforums.com/
Hope this helps you all.
Some of the questions posted have some legal implications that definitely need to be pointed out.
What kind of PC games you like most? Why?
Just because the general belief that there is a high correlation between engineers and gamers doesn’t mean that if they play games they will be any better or any worse than a non-gamer. This questions would for sure get an interviewer into the courts based on non-relavent job information being asked
How long would you stay with us?
This taps into contract employment rather than at-will employment. Who cares how long an employee stays with you, they need not make a commitment because the employer will make no qualms letting the employee go due to “at-will”. Make sure your questions are job relavent and applicable to the tasks…
Answer 21)
i said
This can be tested quite easily as its a UI following simple regression, test cases to test functionality, scripting(tool) to make it faster.
This to can be tested easily following simple regression (writting queries for db), test cases to test functionality (for xml processing and db), scripting (perl,shell both for db and xml processing etc).
I was asked questions related to SQL queries,SDLC and questions related to testing such as what do u mean by regression testing , how would u differentiate between system,integration and regression testing , questions related to tools such as winrunner as i had a experience on that
dear sir
i am new to vc++ technology.
I have to import dispatch function using class wizard in my class. Can u guide me?
The questions have to be designed depending on few criteria. Few are are as follows:-
1. Years experience
2. Testing Type
3. Personal interview
4. Technical Interview
These questions seem to be assorted.
The interviewer cannot expect programming skills from a black box tester but can expect process related from a white box tester. It all depends on the profile of the candidate.
i am a from a non it background, couple of days ago i went to an institute of repute find out about software testing as a career. the training fees are quite steep. i was thinking of a career change to st , but after going thru the list of probable questions i am having second thots .. is it possible to know enough to start working after a 45 day course .. i have basic working knowledge of computers , provided phone support on computer hardware for around 4 months.. any advice from someone experienced would be appreciated
what is functional testing?
What is key element of Test plan?
How do you know requirement is testable?
How do you digging out the changes in requirments?
Answer to 31:
It is basically blackbox testing geared towards the the functional requirements of the application.The application is checked against the functional requirement document.Tests that are run during the functional testing are:
Correctness,Boundary conditions,State transistions.
Answer to 11:
In blackbox testing,Testers wont concentrate on the internal workings of the application or object that are being tested.They will be or just have to know the inputs to the application and the expecte doutput.No knowledge of programming language is required as Code examination is not required.
Difficulties that might occur:
test cases can be very repetitive or redundant.
sometimes can be unrealistic and very difficult to design.
What is queued and non-queued Messages?
Hi,
Can anybody provide me the FAQ’s for VC++(MFC,SDK),com,dcom,atl.
Thanks in advance
hello all,
i am trying on testing from past 4 months, and i am not facing these type of questions, dey r asking real time questions like “wat is project flow” .
and i have one question like ” V model draw back ”
could u tell me.
regards,
kris.
Hai everybody,
Kris asked that what is the draw back of V-model?
V-model is suitable only for small organizations or companies. It is not at all suitable for the bigger compaies or huge applications.
Hai Pinak here is ur answer
what is the diference b/w system testing, intergration testing, and regression testing?
System T:This is ased on overall requirements specifications,covers all combined parts of a system i.e system as a whole is tested.
it is also called as End to End testing or login to logout testing.
here design modifications may takes place.
Integration Testing: After finishing all the modules, they will integrate all the modules and check , r they working fine.
There are two approaches for this
1. top down approach
2. Bottom up approach
Bottom up approach is always beneficial
Regression Testing: Thsi is the retesting of the application. it will be done in two conditions.
1. if is there any code change in the application.
2. After all the bugs has fixed.
Regression testing is a retesting of the application after fixing all the bugs, to check whether the added functionalities affected any already existing functionalities. or the code change has regressed any new bugs.
for this usually automation tools will be used.
I had a QA interview with Invatron System corp & all they ask me was to explain DB project that I did in University. Just one question!! & than i had to give a written test that consisted of four question 1. on DB, select name & id from a table and id has priority 1… 2. create test cases… 3. is there a problem in the given interface…4. why is the input 10+30 = 50 incorrct
i want to chat with with a experienced software tester ,because as iam new to testing field,iwant to gain a knowledge in testing.if it possible .
i am new to testing . so i want to get a fake exp. of about 1.5 yrs and attend the interviews . can i do that? as per my knowledge many of the candidates have done the same and they have even cleared the iviews! plzz let me know abt this issue.
Hi all,
What is the QA process?
Answer:A planned and systematic set of activities necessary to provide adequate confidence that requirements are properly established and products or services conform to specified requirements, and An activity that establishes and evaluates the processes to produce the products, helps to establish processes, Sets up measurements programs to evaluate processes, Identifies weaknesses in processes and improves them, QA is the responsibility of the entire team, Prevents the introduction of issues or defects.
B.Sharada wrote:
>>
July 21st, 2006 at 12:59 am
Hai everybody,
Kris asked that what is the draw back of V-model?
V-model is suitable only for small organizations or companies. It is not at all suitable for the bigger compaies or huge applications.
<<
I find this quite entertaining. Most defence projects use the V-model, in fact I was invovled in a 2-Billion-dollar program based on it. The reason why is that the v-model caters for multiple level sof specification, to break down huge requirements (like there will be an aircraft) into smaller requirements (such as, there will be an airframe, there will be a mission console, there will be countermeasures, there will be a communications subsystem).
Next you’ll say that Agile is only for huge projects or infrastructure projects :) :) :)
MikeG