Top 25 Automation Testing Interview Questions & Answers 2024

Editorial Team

Automation Testing Interview Questions

Automation testing is an essential part of software testing. It helps expedite the software validation process and increases testing coverage. There are various tools and frameworks that a tester needs to use to enter test data into a system under test, compare actual and expected results, and then come up with a detailed report that helps evaluate a project’s performance.

A tester needs to have experience and skills to perform automation testing effectively. This article explores questions that are mostly asked in an automation testing interview and a sample answer to each of them.

1. What Things Can You Automate?

I mainly automate regression test suite, test data creation, build deployment, smoke/sanitary test suite, behind the GUI automation like testing of APIs and methods. Automation of these tests significantly increases the depth and scope of the tests and improves the software quality.

2. What Are the Qualities That an Automation Tester Should Poses to Be Effective?

The tester should evaluate and understand priorities. He/she should understand what they need to test and what they don’t, what to automate and what to test manually. Should have the ability to ask questions to evaluate the requirements, changes they need to do, and the bug to fix. Moreover, the tester should be able to initialize data and test for a product’s behavior or application.

3. How Do You Identify the Tool Suitable for Automation Testing in Your Project?

To ensure appropriate tools for automation, I analyze the project’s requirements then evaluate the testing areas that I intend to automate. I then find the tools in line with my project requirements, analyze my budget for the automation tool, and choose the tools within my budget.

After that, I check if I have the skilled resources for the tool then compare each tool for major criteria such as the number of testing types the tool can support, the language, and the platforms the tool can support.

4. What Are the Roles of an Automation Tester?

The tester evaluates the requirements of a project and comes up with a query list. In the case of incomplete requirements, he/she re-evaluates their questions and prepare relevant ones to give more information and aid in performing the tests effectively. He/she writes and executes test cases to check for system bugs such as UI and usability issues, perform exploratory testing, and evaluate the consistency across the browsers, operating systems, and devices.

5. What is a Framework?

Framework refers to a set of the format of the whole automation suite. It’s also referred to as the guideline that makes it easy to maintain and advance a structure. The guidelines in a framework include coding standards, handling logins reporting of data, handling test data, handling properties and environment files, and handling and maintaining elements such as object repository in QTP.

6. What Are the Qualities of a Good Framework?

A good framework should be modular, meaning that it can easily adapt to changes and is reusable. The testers should use popular utilities and write them in a common file that the testers can use for all the scripts. The framework should also be independent, meaning that the scripts should be independent of each other, not to affect the other if it fails. Furthermore, it should be consistent such that the testers write the suite following all the allowed coding practices.

7. What are the Different Types of Automation Tools That You Are Aware of?

Automation tools include paid tools such as QTP, open-source tools like JMeter and Selenium. They also include Rational Robot, RFT, Ranorex, and Load Runner. These tools effectively aid in performing the test automation process.

8. What Is the Structure of a Framework?

Different projects have different framework structures. But generally, a framework should have:

  • A source(src) folder that has original test scripts
  • A library(lib) folder that has the entire libraries and common methods
  • A class folder that has the entire class file in case of java
  • A file with URL, environment together with login information
  • A log folder that has the entire log files
  • A web element Ids folder

9. Why Would You Store Large Information in a Separate File and Not Directly in The Code?

The major fields used in automation are URL, passwords, and logins. The tools do change according to environment and authorization. In the case where I need to hardcore the information in a code, I have to change each file with a reference. However, if the files are more than 100, then the process becomes tedious and difficult. Thus I maintain the information in a separate file to make the updating process easy.

10. What Are the Various Types of Framework?

There are different frameworks in automation, including keyword-driven framework, hybrid framework, linear scripting, and data-driven framework. A tester needs to utilize these frameworks to increase the team’s test speed, efficiency and improve test accuracy.

11. What are The Good Coding Practices While automating?

While automating, it’s essential to add relevant comments, keep the test data in a separate file, follow the coding convention language, evaluate the reusable methods, and note them in a different file. This practice ensures the software is free from bugs and works properly to increase productivity. Additionally, they create good customer relationships and provide quality products.

12. What are The Tests Which Shouldn’t Be Automated?

The tests that don’t require automation include usability tests, explanatory tests, tests executed quickly when conducted manually, and never executed tests. It’s important to test them manually to see the errors and rectify them since automation testing may not be effective in checking the errors in the test.

13. Do You Think That Testing Can Be Done Only at The UI Level?

We are currently changing to the agile model where testing isn’t confined to the UI layer. Agile projects require faster feedback, and focusing on the UI layer only, means that we have to wait until UI is developed and available to test. We can directly test with API or use other tools like FitNesse and cucumber. The tests give us early feedback even before the development of UI. The methods help us to test only GUI aspects of some UI validation and give the developers more time to fix bugs.

14. What Holds the Testers Back to Do Automation? How Can You Overcome It?

Testers do not code, and it becomes very difficult for them to learn coding/programming the time they need to automate. However, I can overcome this challenge by collaborating with developers while automating, having sufficient management support, and dedicating my time and mind to automation. Moreover, I can consider automation as the entire team’s responsibility and not the testers alone.

15. When Would You Prefer Manual Testing Over Automation Testing?

I prefer manual testing rather than automation testing when the project is short-term, and if it will be costly and time-consuming to craft scripts compared to manual. I would also use manual testing if the module/application has just been developed, thus has no previous test cases. Additionally, I will use it when I need to perform usability, Ad-hoc, or explanatory testing and when the project needs to be flexible.

16. Why Are You Interested in This Role?

I enjoy performing automation testing, and my major aim is to ensure accurate tests that will increase your organization’s productivity. I will advocate for end-users and ensure we deliver quality products. Furthermore, I will collaborate with other testers to ensure we find any bug before we deliver software which will, in turn, create a great reputation for your business and lead to loyal customers.

17. Describe a Time You Failed in This Role and The Lessons You Learned

I was employed by a service-based company as an automation tester immediately after I stepped out of college. The manager gave me my first project, which they had started a long time ago, and I was to complete it. He then gave me a list of test automation scripts to work on.

There was no cooperation from the management since the higher-ups of the project were to leave the organization. The management was busy with upcoming sprints. I was stuck on the project, and I had no one to consult with. I tried my best, but the project failed.

The lack of visibility in the organization disturbed me. I mustered courage, went to the manager, and told him about the issue. He then called a meeting the following day and discussed the tools, trends, and practices related to automation. From the discussions, I learned a lot and started working on the project, which became successful. I learned to always speak when there is a situation that can make a company fail.

18. How Do You Stay Motivated at Work?

I always set clear goals while working on a project. The goals motivate me to work extra hard and achieve them. I also love working as a team, where each member has their task which they are working on. In automation testing, one test may rely on the other, thus pushes me to add extra efforts to my task, not delay other tasks that depend on my results.

19. Describe The Daily Routine of an Automation Tester

A tester collects all the requirement specifications, documents, and works with developers. He/she documents test cases and conditions and then runs either manual or automated tests to discover bugs and reports. The tester carries out these routines to ensure he doesn’t compromise the quality of his work.

20. Describe Briefly Your Automation Testing Experience

I have over 10 years of experience in automation testing. I possess relevant skills in regression testing, DevTestOps, data-driven testing, continuous integration, and codeless testing. I previously worked with a service-based company, where I worked tirelessly to ensure its success.

I ensured teamwork among the testers. We worked on a project in which I ensured the team effectively utilized the resources. The result was increased productivity and better product quality. I was awarded the best employer of the company due to my hard work.

21. What Is the Biggest Challenge That You Foresee in This Job?

The greatest challenge is when the team doesn’t pay attention to test report analysis. If team members are reluctant and perform the analysis report improperly, then the analysis will have unattended faults, wasted time, efforts, and resources. Some tests may fail while others succeed. Thus, all the testers must examine test reports for faults and evaluate the reason keenly. After that, unmask hidden problems and ensure not to overlook the masking by other issues.

22. What Kind of Strategies and Mindset is Required for This Role?

Testers need to have a positive mind and be willing to learn and accept corrections from the team members. They need to run and verify automated test keenly before adding to the regression line. Additionally, the testers need to define a set of excellent practices that make test cases resistant to changes in the system they are automating.

23. What Major Challenges Did You Face During Your Last Role? How Did You Handle It?

The major challenge was the lack of collaboration from the team. Automation testing requires collaboration from the team members and effective communication for the process to be effective. That wasn’t the case with my team members. They were uncooperative, thus made it difficult to evaluate test automation objectives and in setting goals. I saw the red lights from the ineffective communication and talked with the team about it. They realized the importance of working as a team and decided to collaborate.

24. What’s a QTP?

QTP is also called HP UFT and is a beneficial automation tool that supports various test environments, SAP, Web, Delphi, Oracle, Desktop, PowerBuilder, PeopleSoft, etc. Its scripting words are VBScript and gels fine with HP ALM and HP load Runner.

25. Is Automation Testing a White Box or Black Box Testing?

Automation testing majorly depends on the environment in which the automation takes place. Thus it can be both white or black box type of testing. It becomes a black test if the testers periodically test the application when they don’t know the low-level plan or code of an application. Additionally, it can be a white box if the automated test scripts require admission to the database details applied in the application.

Conclusion

Practicing these questions before entering an interview room will give you the confidence and courage to answer the interviewer’s questions. The questions do interrelate, and hence you can easily use these ideas to answer the questions and pass the interview. You additionally need to have excellent communication skills, be eloquent and confident to outdo your competitors.