Top 21 Test Lead/Manager Interview Questions & Answers in 2024

Editorial Team

Test Lead Manager Interview Questions & Answers

We have compiled top 20 test lead/manager manager interview questions that might be asked in an interview to test various aspects of test management skills, with tips and a sample answer for each of them. These test lead/manager interview questions will help employers to assess whether each candidate has the required knowledge and experience in performing testing.

1. What Are The Responsibilities Of The Test Manager?

Through the question, the interviewer will try to understand how well you are aware of the tasks a test manager has to undertake and how efficiently you can manage the responsibilities.

Tip 1: Your answer should focus on the various roles a test manager has to undertake, right from forming a testing team until the completion of the project.

Tip 2: Be specific about how testing is crucial in an organization and as a professional, how you can manage the process efficiently.

Sample Answer

Test Manager plays a crucial role in the success of any project in an organization. They are fully accountable for the failure and success of any project.

A test manager is responsible for managing the testing team, defining the scope of testing, managing, and allocating resources for testing, apply appropriate testing matrix, analyze the outcome, and suggest changes.

2. What Is A Traceability Matrix?

The interviewer wants to assess how well you can understand a client’s requirements and trace the testing process’s success as per these requirements.

Tip 1: Start your answer by explaining why there is a need for traceability matrix in the testing process.

Tip 2: Explain in brief the types of traceability matrices in the testing process.

Sample Answer

A tester is responsible for understanding the requirements of the clients and create test cases. They are also tasked to oversee that each test scenario is tested as per the requirements. This is where Requirement Traceability Matrix (RTM) comes into play.

The RTM ensures that all the requirements are tested in accordance with the verification process. The report co-relates given baseline documents and maps the connection between them.

3. What Do You Understand By The Test Plan?

Here, the interviewer wants to know if you are familiar with the documentation process of the test plan scope and testing procedure or not.

Tip 1: Briefly describe to the interviewer what test plan is and why is it important.

Tip 2: Cover the types of test plans in your answer.

Sample Answer

A test plan is a detailed document that serves as a blueprint to efficiently conduct project testing. It describes the testing strategy, objectives, resources required to undertake the testing task, test schedule and estimations, and expected result.

4. What Are The Key Challenges Of Software Testing?

Challenges are everywhere, even in software testing. With this question, the interviewer will try to understand whether you are aware of the challenges a test manager can face while conducting the test.

Tip 1: Your answer should reflect your sound knowledge on the subject.

Tip 2: Demonstrate your experience of tackling and managing these challenges.

Sample Answer

The technological advancements have changed the dynamics of a Test Manager. It has also resulted in new challenges like facilitation of quality, quality assurance culture, the merger of software development and testing. 

Both manual and automation testing bring a unique set of challenges. The most common ones include deciding on the right process, juggling with non-testable requirements, fluctuating requirements, and testing a product in the latter phase of development.

5. How Do You Expect Your Day To Be As A QA Lead?

The interviewer wants to know how well you understand the role of a QA lead and how well you can manage an unforeseen event.

Tip 1: Walk the interviewer through your day and how to perform each task.

Tip 2: Give the interviewer assurance that you are willing to take up challenges they may arise at any time of the day.

Sample Answer

For a QA lead, each day is different. However, my ideal day is likely to include establishing QA processes and metrics, setting QA aspects of release, and mentoring my team to deliver the best results. I’ll also coordinate with the development team to track progress, whenever need be.

6. Will QA Lead Also Be Expected To Write Test Cases?

The purpose of this question is to understand whether you are aware of the duties of a QA lead and QA team and how willing you are to undertake tasks out of your duties.

Tip 1: Outline whose task it is to write test cases in your answer.

Tip 2: Reflect on your answer that you can efficiently take over the task of writing a test case.

Sample Answer

For many, it is difficult to understand the scope of work of a QA lead and QA team. While the QA lead is responsible for allocating tasks and providing the template, it is the work of a QA team member to write a test case. Still, if need be, I would be okay in writing test cases.

7. Why Is Testing Necessary?

If you are applying for the job of a Test Manager, you would be expected to know why there is a need to perform testing.

Tip 1: Keep your answer brief and to the point.

Tip 2: Incorporate examples in your answer if possible.

Sample Answer

In a software lifecycle, testing is an essential step. Testing is done to pinout the defects and mistakes in the software, ensure the quality of the end product, and produce a more cost-efficient solution.

8. Did You Get An Opportunity To Lead The Testing Project In Your Previous Role?

The interviewer will try to understand whether you have prior experience to lead a testing project and the ability to manage a team.

Tip 1: Even if you haven’t led a testing team before, ensure from your answer that you are capable of it.

Tip 2: If you have prior experience, explain your roles in brief.

Sample Answer

Yes, while serving my last company, I was in charge of a testing project wherein I had to lead a testing team of 10 people. While leading the team, I developed some new tools & processes to ensure meeting the project goals on time.

9. Are You Familiar With Testing Tools?

It is a question to assess how sound your technical knowledge is.

Tip 1: Give a brief answer to demonstrate that you have the technical know-how of testing tools.

Tip 2: Support your answer with the name of the tools you are comfortable working with.

Sample Answer

Yes, I am familiar with testing tools and use them regularly. I am comfortable operating Mantis, HPE Unified Functional Testing, and a few other tools. I’m also open to learning other advanced tools that can help me streamline my work better.

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10. What Are Your Views On Automation?

The interviewer is trying to understand how adaptive you are to changes and how compatible you are working with automatic tools to execute your test cases.

Tip 1: Give a brief answer.

Tip 2: Provide reasons to justify your views.

Sample Answer

Automation testing requires no human intervention – it increases test coverage, boosts up the time of test execution, and enables dealing with business-critical test cases more professionally. Automation testing tools come handy in scenarios where testers have to deal with a large amount of data and strict timelines are involved.

11. Say You Have To Assess The Progress And Effectiveness Of The Test Effort. What Steps Will You Follow?

Knowing how to evaluate a test result is as important as knowing how to conduct it. Here, your analysis and evaluation skills will be put to test.

Tip 1: Before stating the steps, think about it over your mind.

Tip 2: Demonstrate with examples.

Sample Answer

First, I will identify the objectives of the testing. With the objectives previously drawn, I will analyze the test scope, strategy to conduct the test, identify what tools I would need to undertake the task.

12. Are You Aware PDCA Model?

The interviewer wants to learn how efficient you are at solving testing problems.

Tip 1: Briefly describe the model in 2- 3 lines.

Tip 2: Demonstrate where you have implemented the model before.

Sample Answer

Yes, I am familiar with the PDCA model and have used it to resolve testing issues in the past. PDCA stands for Plan Do Check Act and it is used to conduct a quality check. This 4-step iterative method is ideal to refine products and processes and bring continuous improvements.

13. Is There Any Difference Between Agile and Scrum? Which One Will You Prefer?

Here, the interviewer wants to test your technical knowledge on the concept of agile and scrum.

Tip 1: Briefly, state the differences between the two.

Tip 2: Give examples to support your answer.

Sample Answer

Agile is a software development and testing approach where the product is developed and tested incrementally to incorporate constructive changes with minimal issues. Scrum, on the other hand, is a way to implement agile where new software capability is rolled out every 2-4 weeks.

While agile software development is an approach to achieving higher customer satisfaction, scrum is a method to successfully implement the agile model.

14. State Some Key Elements In A Bug Report?

Through your answer, the interviewer will try to assess your bug reporting skills.

Tip 1: Describe the need to create a bug report.

Tip 2: Briefly state the steps involved in writing a bug report.

Sample Answer

A good bug report should include the bug name, mention whether it is reproducible or not. State the bugs specifically to avoid confusion and it should also have visual proofs to simplify validation. A bug report should be short and concise.

15. What Steps Will You Follow To Overcome The Challenges Due To The Unavailability Of Proper Documentation For Testing?

Here, the interviewer is trying to assess whether you possess problem-solving abilities or not.

Tip 1: Be clear with the challenges.

Tip 2: Define the steps briefly.

Sample Answer

Firstly, I will gather all the available documents and try to assess it. I will have a discussion with the business analyst to understand the functionality of the product to be delivered. Thereafter, I’ll ensure proper documentation to make things better in the future.

16. What Is The Difference Between Retesting And Regression Testing?

It is one of the most common questions asked in the interview. Here, the interviewer wants to understand if you are familiar with the concepts.

Tip 1: Give your answer in brief points.

Tip 2: Include examples.

Sample Answer

Re-testing is done on the test cases that couldn’t successfully pass through the testing process. On the other hand, regression testing is a type of software testing that ensures a change of code does not impact the existing software functionality.

17. What Is Exploratory Testing And When Should It Be Performed?

By the answer you give, the interviewer will try to evaluate whether you can successfully conduct the test or not.

Tip 1: Give a brief description of the test.

Tip 2: State the scenarios clearly.

Sample Answer

An exploratory test is conducted to discover, identify, and understand a situation. It is undertaken when there is an early iteration is needed or there is a new tester in the team.

18. What Do You Think Is The Role Of Quality Assurance In Project Development?

Through your answer, the interviewer will make an idea of how well you know the importance of QA in project development.

Tip 1: Give short answers to underline the importance of QA.

Tip 2: Try to demonstrate how you as a Test Manager, will ensure QA in project development.

Sample Answer

Quality Assurance is an important part of project development. Without QA, it is next to impossible to develop quality software that can address the need of the client. It ensures that the developed product is accurate and aligns with the client’s end goals.

19. State The Severity And Priority Of A Defect?

Another technical question to evaluate your understanding of the subject.

Tip 1: Explain each term in brief.

Tip2: Try to draw out differences between both terms by giving examples.

Sample Answer

Severity defines up to what extent a defect can hamper the functionality of the software. On the other hand, priority defines the order in which detected defects should be resolved.

20. What Are The Criteria Will You Follow For Selecting A Test Case For Automation?

This question will not only determine how well you understand automation but will also tell how well you can handle the transition.

Tip 1: Start your answer by stating the importance of automating test cases.

Tip 2: State what approach you will take to automate the process and why.

Sample Answer

First, I will form the parameter to evaluate which test case needs automation. It can be based on the type of data, environment, dependency, business logic, or anything else. As per the parameter, I will study each test case and decide which one to automate.

21. Do You Think Automation Testing Can Fully Replace Manual Testing?

This question is to know how well you are aware of automation and its limitation.

Tip 1: Describe in short why you think it can or cannot.

 Tip 2: Give an appropriate example to justify your point.

Sample Answer:

Automation has become a buzz word in the technology world and developers and testers are finding ways to automate their process. However, fully automating the entire testing process is still a far-fetched thought. Artificial Intelligence still lacks in cognitive thinking which is crucial in testing.

Conclusion

These are but a few test management interview questions that you need to prepare yourself before attending an interview. Hopefully these interview questions on test management will help you land your next dream job.