Junior QA Interview Questions: 50+ Questions with Expert Answers

Parul Dhingra13+ Years ExperienceHire Me

Senior Quality Analyst

Updated: 1/23/2026

Landing your first QA role can feel daunting. Interviewers want to assess whether you understand testing fundamentals, can think critically about software quality, and have the right mindset for the job.

This guide covers the questions you're most likely to face in entry-level QA interviews, along with strategies for answering them effectively.

Testing Fundamentals

Q: What is software testing?

Answer: Software testing is the process of evaluating software to find defects, verify it meets requirements, and ensure it delivers value to users. Testing involves executing the software with the intent of finding bugs before users do.

But testing is more than bug-finding. It's about:

• Verifying the software works as specified
• Validating it meets user needs
• Providing information about quality to stakeholders
• Building confidence in the software's reliability

Q: What's the difference between QA, QC, and Testing?

Answer:

QA is proactive - improving processes to prevent defects. QC is reactive - finding defects that exist. Testing is a QC activity focused specifically on executing software.

Q: Why is testing important?

Answer: Testing is important because:

1. Finding bugs early saves money - Defects found in production cost significantly more to fix than those found during development
2. User trust - Buggy software damages reputation and user confidence
3. Security - Testing helps identify vulnerabilities before they're exploited
4. Compliance - Many industries require evidence of testing for regulatory compliance
5. Informed decisions - Testing provides data that helps stakeholders decide when to release

Q: What is a test case?

Answer: A test case is a set of conditions and steps used to verify a specific functionality. It includes:

• Test Case ID - Unique identifier
• Title - Brief description of what's tested
• Preconditions - Required state before testing
• Test Steps - Specific actions to perform
• Expected Results - What should happen
• Actual Results - What actually happened
• Status - Pass, Fail, Blocked, etc.

Good test cases are clear enough that anyone could execute them and get the same results.

Q: What's the difference between verification and validation?

Answer:

Verification: Are we building the product right?

• Checking that development matches specifications
• Reviews, inspections, walkthroughs
• "Did we follow the design correctly?"

Validation: Are we building the right product?

• Checking that the product meets user needs
• User acceptance testing, demos
• "Does this solve the user's problem?"

Bug Reporting and Defect Management

Q: What makes a good bug report?

Answer: A good bug report enables the developer to understand and reproduce the issue quickly:

Essential elements:

1. Clear title - Summarizes the issue in one line
2. Environment - Browser, OS, app version
3. Steps to reproduce - Numbered, specific steps
4. Expected result - What should have happened
5. Actual result - What actually happened
6. Severity/Priority - Business impact assessment
7. Attachments - Screenshots, logs, videos

Example:

Title: Login fails with valid credentials on Chrome
Environment: Chrome 120, Windows 11, Production
Steps:
1. Navigate to example.com/login
2. Enter email: test@example.com
3. Enter password: ValidPass123
4. Click "Sign In"
Expected: User is logged in and redirected to dashboard
Actual: Error message "Invalid credentials" displays
Severity: Critical
Attachments: screenshot.png, network-log.har

Q: Explain the defect life cycle.

Answer:

New → Open → Assigned → Fixed → Ready for Test →
    → Verified → Closed
              ↓
    (If not fixed) → Reopened → Assigned...

1. New - Bug just reported
2. Open - Reviewed and accepted as valid
3. Assigned - Developer assigned to fix
4. Fixed - Developer completed the fix
5. Ready for Test - Fix deployed, ready for QA
6. Verified - QA confirmed the fix works
7. Closed - Bug is resolved
8. Reopened - If the fix didn't work or bug returns

Q: What's the difference between severity and priority?

Answer:

Severity - Technical impact of the defect

• Critical: System crash, data loss
• High: Major feature broken
• Medium: Feature impaired but workaround exists
• Low: Minor issue, cosmetic

Priority - Business importance of fixing

• Urgent: Fix immediately
• High: Fix in current sprint
• Medium: Fix soon
• Low: Fix when convenient

Key insight: They don't always match. A typo in the CEO's name on the homepage is low severity (cosmetic) but high priority (business impact).

Q: What would you do if a developer disagrees that something is a bug?

Answer:

1. Listen to their perspective - They may have context you don't
2. Clarify requirements - Check specs, user stories, acceptance criteria
3. Provide evidence - Screenshots, requirements documentation
4. Involve stakeholders - Get product owner input if needed
5. Document the decision - Whatever is decided, record why

Stay professional. The goal is quality software, not winning arguments. Sometimes you'll be wrong, and that's okay.

SDLC and Testing Methodologies

Q: Explain the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC).

Answer: SDLC is the process of planning, creating, testing, and deploying software:

1. Requirements - Understand what to build
2. Design - Plan how to build it
3. Development - Write the code
4. Testing - Verify it works correctly
5. Deployment - Release to users
6. Maintenance - Fix issues, add features

Different methodologies (Waterfall, Agile, DevOps) organize these phases differently, but all software goes through these stages.

Q: What's the difference between Waterfall and Agile?

Answer:

Q: What is Agile testing?

Answer: Agile testing integrates testing throughout development rather than as a separate phase:

Key principles:

• Testing is continuous, not a phase
• Testers work alongside developers
• Automated testing enables rapid feedback
• Quality is everyone's responsibility
• Requirements and tests evolve together

In practice:

• Testers participate in sprint planning
• Testing happens within each sprint
• Automation is prioritized
• Exploratory testing complements scripted tests

Q: What is a sprint?

Answer: A sprint is a time-boxed iteration in Scrum (typically 1-4 weeks) where a team completes a set of work items. Each sprint includes:

• Planning - Select work from backlog
• Daily standups - Brief sync meetings
• Development and testing - Build and verify features
• Review - Demo completed work
• Retrospective - Reflect on process improvements

Test Case Design

Q: What test design techniques do you know?

Answer:

Equivalence Partitioning: Divide inputs into groups (partitions) that should behave the same. Test one value from each partition.

Example: Age field accepting 18-65

• Partition 1: < 18 (invalid)
• Partition 2: 18-65 (valid)
• Partition 3: > 65 (invalid)

Boundary Value Analysis: Test at the edges of partitions where bugs often hide.

Example: For age 18-65, test: 17, 18, 65, 66

Decision Table: Table showing combinations of conditions and expected actions.

State Transition: Test based on system states and transitions between them.

Q: How do you decide what to test first?

Answer: Prioritize based on:

1. Risk - What could cause the most damage?
2. Frequency - What do users do most often?
3. Criticality - What's essential for the business?
4. Complexity - What's most likely to have bugs?
5. Visibility - What would users notice immediately?

For a login page, I'd test:

1. Valid login (critical path)
2. Invalid credentials (security)
3. Password recovery (common need)
4. Empty fields (obvious edge case)
5. SQL injection attempts (security risk)

Q: How many test cases are enough?

Answer: There's no magic number. Consider:

• Risk level - Critical features need more coverage
• Complexity - Complex features need more tests
• Time available - Balance thoroughness with deadlines
• Test design techniques - Using techniques ensures systematic coverage

A good approach: enough test cases to cover all requirements, major scenarios, edge cases, and high-risk areas. If you can't justify why a test exists, you probably don't need it.

Types of Testing

Q: What's the difference between functional and non-functional testing?

Answer:

Functional Testing:

• Tests what the system does
• Verifies features against requirements
• Examples: unit, integration, system, acceptance testing

Non-Functional Testing:

• Tests how well the system performs
• Verifies quality attributes
• Examples: performance, security, usability, accessibility

Q: Explain different testing levels.

Answer:

Unit Testing
    ↓
Integration Testing
    ↓
System Testing
    ↓
Acceptance Testing

Unit Testing: Individual components in isolation Integration Testing: Components working together System Testing: Complete system end-to-end Acceptance Testing: User validation of requirements

Q: What's the difference between smoke and sanity testing?

Answer:

Smoke Testing:

• Broad, shallow testing
• "Does the build work at all?"
• Tests critical paths
• Done first after new build
• Determines if further testing is worthwhile

Sanity Testing:

• Narrow, deep testing
• "Does this specific fix work?"
• Tests specific functionality
• Done after changes
• Verifies specific areas are stable

Q: What is regression testing?

Answer: Regression testing verifies that changes haven't broken existing functionality. When developers fix a bug or add a feature, they might unintentionally affect other parts of the system.

When to do it:

• After bug fixes
• After new features
• After code refactoring
• Before releases

Best practices:

• Automate regression tests (they're repetitive)
• Prioritize based on risk
• Run frequently (ideally on every change)

Tools and Technical Questions

Q: What tools have you used or are familiar with?

Sample answer: "I've worked with JIRA for bug tracking and test management. For API testing, I've used Postman to test REST endpoints. I have basic SQL knowledge for database verification. I'm familiar with browser developer tools for inspecting elements and network requests. I've also started learning Selenium basics for web automation."

Tailor this to your actual experience. Don't claim expertise you don't have - interviewers will ask follow-up questions.

Q: What is SQL and why is it useful for testing?

Answer: SQL (Structured Query Language) is used to interact with databases. For QA, it's useful to:

• Verify data was saved correctly
• Set up test data
• Check data relationships
• Validate backend changes

Basic queries:

-- Select all users
SELECT * FROM users;
 
-- Find specific user
SELECT * FROM users WHERE email = 'test@example.com';
 
-- Check order count
SELECT COUNT(*) FROM orders WHERE status = 'pending';

Q: What is an API and how would you test it?

Answer: An API (Application Programming Interface) allows software components to communicate. For web applications, REST APIs enable frontend-backend communication.

Testing aspects:

• Functionality: Does it return correct data?
• Status codes: Is it 200, 404, 500 as expected?
• Error handling: Does it handle bad input gracefully?
• Authentication: Does it properly restrict access?
• Performance: Is response time acceptable?

Basic test approach:

1. Send request (GET, POST, PUT, DELETE)
2. Verify status code
3. Validate response body
4. Check data in database

Scenario-Based Questions

Q: How would you test a login page?

Answer:

Functional tests:

• Valid credentials → successful login
• Invalid email → appropriate error
• Invalid password → appropriate error
• Empty fields → validation messages
• "Remember me" functionality
• Password show/hide toggle

Security tests:

• SQL injection attempts
• XSS in input fields
• Account lockout after failed attempts
• HTTPS usage
• Password not visible in logs

Edge cases:

• Very long email/password
• Special characters
• Copy-paste credentials
• Multiple browser tabs

Usability:

• Error messages are helpful
• Tab order is logical
• Keyboard navigation works

Q: You found a critical bug right before release. What do you do?

Answer:

1. Document immediately - Clear bug report with all details
2. Notify relevant people - Team lead, project manager, developer
3. Assess impact - What happens if this goes to production?
4. Propose options:
   • Can it be fixed quickly?
   • Can we release with a workaround?
   • Should we delay the release?
5. Support the decision - Whatever is decided, help make it work
6. Don't panic - Stay calm and professional

The decision isn't yours alone, but providing clear information helps stakeholders decide wisely.

Q: How would you test with incomplete requirements?

Answer:

1. Ask questions - Seek clarification from product owner, BA, developers
2. Make assumptions explicit - Document what you're assuming
3. Test the obvious - Standard functionality, common user flows
4. Explore - Use the software like a user would
5. Compare to similar features - How do other apps handle this?
6. Communicate gaps - Report what couldn't be tested and why

Don't wait for perfect requirements. Do what you can while seeking clarity.

Behavioral Questions

Q: Why do you want to work in QA?

Answer framework:

• Show genuine interest in quality
• Connect to your skills and personality
• Demonstrate understanding of the role

Example: "I enjoy finding problems before users do. There's satisfaction in catching a bug that would have frustrated thousands of people. I'm detail-oriented and naturally curious about how things work - and how they can break. QA lets me use analytical skills to make software better."

Q: Tell me about a bug you're proud of finding.

Answer framework:

• Describe the situation
• Explain your testing approach
• Share the impact
• Keep it concise

Example: "During a personal project, I tested an e-commerce checkout by entering a very long address. The system crashed because there was no character limit. It wasn't in the requirements, but I thought 'what would happen if someone had a really long address?' That's the kind of edge case thinking I bring to testing."

Q: How do you handle pressure and tight deadlines?

Answer framework:

• Acknowledge reality (pressure exists)
• Share your approach
• Give an example if possible

Example: "I prioritize based on risk. When time is limited, I focus on critical paths and high-risk areas first. I communicate clearly about what can and can't be covered. I'd rather deliver thorough testing of important features than shallow testing of everything."

Interview Tips

Preparation

• Study the company - Understand their product and industry
• Review fundamentals - Testing concepts, SDLC, methodologies
• Practice explaining - Say answers out loud before the interview
• Prepare questions - Show interest by asking thoughtful questions

During the Interview

• Think out loud - For scenario questions, show your reasoning
• Ask for clarification - It's okay to ask questions
• Be honest - Don't pretend to know things you don't
• Show enthusiasm - Interest in quality matters

Questions to Ask

• "How is testing integrated into the development process here?"
• "What tools does the QA team use?"
• "What's the biggest quality challenge the team faces?"
• "How much automation versus manual testing?"
• "What does success look like in this role in 6 months?"

Your first QA role is about demonstrating the right mindset: attention to detail, curiosity, clear communication, and genuine interest in quality. Technical skills can be learned; the testing mindset is what interviewers look for in junior candidates.

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