The Ultimate Guide: 25 Essential Automation Testing Interview Questions

Automation testing has emerged as a thriving career path in today’s software industry. Professionals in automation testing collaborate closely with development teams to ensure timely project delivery, bringing forth numerous benefits and lucrative opportunities for modern professionals. To excel in your automation testing interviews, here are the essential top 25 questions you need to master beforehand. Prepare with these questions to ace your automation testing interview seamlessly.

Automation Testing Interview Questions:

  1. When is a good time to automate a test?
  • Automation is suitable when tests can be repeated, the feature’s behavior is stable, human testing takes significant time, complex computations are involved, and to confirm previous functionality after changes.
  1. When will you avoid automated testing?
  • Automated testing may not be suitable for constantly changing software, exploratory testing, or UI flaws detection.
  1. What are the different parts of a test automation framework?
  • A framework includes programmable or code-free tools, open-source or commercial options, and ease-of-use considerations.
  1. Should you automate all testing?
  • While automation offers benefits, some types of testing like UI, usability, and accessibility testing require human judgment.
  1. What is a test environment?
  • It’s a setup where software is tested, mimicking the production environment to simulate real-world conditions.
  1. What is browser automation?
  • Browser automation involves automating actions performed in web browsers for testing purposes.
  1. What is cross-browser testing?
  • It’s the process of ensuring that a web application functions correctly across different browsers.
  1. Why do you need cross-browser testing?
  • It ensures the application’s compatibility and functionality across various browsers and platforms.
  1. What is automated regression testing?
  • It verifies that existing functionality hasn’t been impacted by new code changes.
  1. What are some best practices in test automation?
  • Selecting tasks for automation, assigning test scenarios based on expertise, selecting appropriate tools, and maintaining bug databases are some best practices.
  1. What is the test automation pyramid?
  • It’s a strategy for efficiently using different types of testing automation, with a focus on having more unit tests and fewer UI tests.
  1. How would you explain the meaning of Automation Testing?
  • Automation testing reduces human effort by using software or methods to perform repetitive tasks, find errors, or vulnerabilities in scripts.
  1. What are the general types of Automation tests used in the industry?
  • Unit testing, GUI testing, functional testing, smoke testing, integration testing, and regression testing are common types.
  1. What are some good practices for automation testing?
  • Consistent naming standards, appropriate comments, modular code organization, avoiding duplicates, regular testing, and adherence to coding conventions are good practices.
  1. What is an automation testing framework?
  • It’s a tool or software that follows guidelines and best practices to facilitate automation, comprising functional libraries, object details, and test data sources.
  1. How are automation testing frameworks helpful?
  • They provide consistency, uniform testing, easy management of large codebases, and support for adding new test cases.
  1. What types of testing frameworks are available in the industry?
  • Data-driven, modularity-driven, keyword-driven, hybrid, model-based, code-driven, and behavior-driven development frameworks are common.
  1. What are some ideal and non-ideal cases for using Automation testing?
  • Automation is ideal for repetitive tasks, regression tests, large datasets, and smoke testing but not suited for exploratory or UI testing.
  1. How would you map the success of automation testing?
  • Success factors include time-saving, reusability, software quality, maintenance, installation costs, bug detection, and test coverage.
  1. How would you differentiate between manual testing and Automation testing?
  • Manual testing involves human effort, while automation uses software or tools for repetitive tasks. Automation offers efficiency and scalability but may not cover all testing aspects like human judgment does.
AspectManual TestingAutomation Testing
Human InvolvementRequires direct human involvement for executionExecutes tests using automated tools or scripts
Execution SpeedRelatively slower due to manual executionFaster execution due to automation
Test CoverageProne to human error, may miss some scenariosCan cover a wide range of test scenarios consistently
Repetitive TasksIdeal for exploratory or ad-hoc testingSuitable for repetitive tasks and regression testing
Resource IntensityRequires more human resources for executionRequires initial setup but less human intervention
Adaptability to ChangesEasily adapts to changes in requirements or UIRequires updates when there are changes in the software
Skill RequirementRelies on manual testing skillsRequires programming or automation tool proficiency
  1. What is UI testing?
  • UI testing ensures consistent user experience and checks graphical elements’ integrity within the software.
  1. What is Protractor?
  • Protractor is an open-source tool used for end-to-end testing of web applications.
  1. What is a test automation platform?
  • A test automation platform is a technology or system that simplifies automated software testing by utilizing programs and scripts developed by testers or developers.
  1. What are some unique alternatives to Selenium?
  • Alternatives to Selenium include Cucumber, Cypress, and Robot Framework, offering different features and capabilities for test automation.
  1. How do you automate the testing of CAPTCHA?
  • CAPTCHA testing cannot be automated effectively as the primary goal of CAPTCHA is to prevent automated interactions and ensure human interaction. Therefore, manual intervention is typically required for CAPTCHA testing.