What is software testing and why is it absolutely critical?

Software testing ensures that software works as intended, meets requirements, and is free from defects. Critical because it prevents costly failures, protects brand credibility, saves money, ensures user satisfaction, and meets regulatory standards.

Explain the crucial difference between verification and validation with real examples

Verification: Are we building the product RIGHT? Focuses on process, design, and code. Examples: Reviews, walkthroughs, inspections. Validation: Are we building the RIGHT product? Focuses on the final product. Examples: Functional testing, UAT.

What are the 7 principles of software testing and why does each matter?

1. Testing shows presence of defects 2. Exhaustive testing impossible 3. Early testing 4. Defect clustering 5. Pesticide paradox 6. Context-dependent testing 7. Absence-of-errors fallacy

Differentiate between SDLC and STLC with practical scenarios

SDLC focuses on building software with phases from requirements to maintenance. STLC focuses on testing software with phases from requirement analysis to test closure.

What is the V-Model and when should you use it?

V-Model is a sequential development model where each dev phase has a corresponding test phase. Use for projects with clear requirements, safety-critical systems, and small to medium projects.

Explain defect clustering and pesticide paradox with real project examples

Defect clustering: 80% of defects found in 20% of modules. Pesticide paradox: Repeated tests lose ability to find new defects. Solution: Refresh test cases regularly.

What are the most common misconceptions about software testing?

Testing is easy, Anyone can test, No bugs means good software, Automation will replace manual testing

How does testing actually save companies money in the long run?

Fixing bugs early costs significantly less than fixing in production. Prevents support costs, legal liabilities, and protects brand reputation.

What is the difference between severity and priority of a defect?

Severity: Impact on functionality. Priority: Urgency to fix. Example: UI typo (Minor severity, Low priority) vs Payment crash (Critical severity, High priority).

Explain the concept of root cause analysis (RCA) in defect management

RCA identifies the real reason behind defects to prevent recurrence. Techniques: 5 Whys, Fishbone Diagram, Fault Tree Analysis.

What makes a great software tester beyond just finding bugs?

Critical thinking, communication skills, technical knowledge, domain expertise, creativity, attention to detail, user advocacy, continuous learning

How has software testing evolved in the last decade?

Shift from manual to automated testing, waterfall to Agile/DevOps, testing at end to shift-left testing, focus on continuous testing and AI-assisted testing

Explain boundary value analysis with example

BVA focuses on values at the edges of input ranges. Example: Age field accepts 18-60. Test cases: 17, 18, 60, 61.

What is equivalence partitioning and how is it applied?

Divides input data into groups expected to behave similarly. Example: Age field 18-60 - valid partition 18-60, invalid partition 60.

What is exploratory testing and when should it be used?

Simultaneous learning, test design & execution without scripted cases. Use when requirements are incomplete or quick insights needed.

How do you prioritize test cases in a limited time scenario?

Focus on high-risk, critical functionality first. Consider impact, probability of failure, and business importance.

Explain the defect life cycle with example

Defect life cycle stages: New → Assigned → Open → Fixed → Retest → Closed → Reopened. Example: Payment bug reported, assigned to developer, fixed, retested, closed.

Difference between severity and priority

Severity indicates impact on functionality. Priority determines urgency to fix based on business needs.

How to report a defect effectively

Clear title, detailed steps to reproduce, expected vs actual results, environment details, attachments, unique defect ID

What is root cause analysis in testing?

Process of identifying underlying cause of defects to prevent recurrence. Techniques: 5 Whys, Fishbone Diagram.

What is defect triage?

Collaborative process where defects are reviewed, prioritized, and assigned based on severity, priority, impact, and resources.

How to classify defect severity?

Critical: System crash or data loss, Major: Core functionality broken, Minor: Minor impact, Cosmetic: UI defects without functional impact

What are key testing metrics?

Total defects found, defects fixed/reopened, test cases executed/passed/failed/blocked, test coverage, defect leakage rate, defect density

Explain defect density and how it's calculated

Defect density measures number of defects per module size. Formula: Total Defects / Module Size (e.g., per 1000 lines of code)

What is test execution report and why it is important?

Summary of executed test cases with pass/fail status. Provides stakeholders visibility into project quality and progress.

How to measure test effectiveness?

Percentage of defects found before release versus total defects discovered. High effectiveness indicates early defect detection.

What is defect leakage?

Defects that escape testing and are discovered by end users. Measures testing quality and highlights areas needing better coverage.

How to track test progress?

Monitor test cases executed vs planned, defects reported/fixed/reopened, test coverage achieved, remaining effort estimation

Explain boundary value analysis with multiple parameters

Testing combinations of edge values across multiple input parameters. Example: Age 18-60 & Salary 30,000-100,000. Test boundary combinations.

What is cause-effect graphing?

Technique to convert input conditions into graph representing logical relationships and outputs. Helps design comprehensive test cases.

Difference between equivalence partitioning and boundary value analysis

EP divides input data into groups with similar behavior. BVA focuses on values at partition edges where defects are likely.

When to use decision table testing over state transition testing?

Decision table for multiple conditions leading to multiple outcomes. State transition for workflows where outputs depend on current state.

What is all-pairs testing?

Technique to test all possible discrete combinations of input parameters with minimal test cases. Reduces effort while maintaining coverage.

How to handle error guessing technique?

Experience-based technique where testers anticipate error-prone areas based on past experience, intuition, and known defect patterns.

What is a test plan and why is it crucial?

Comprehensive document outlining scope, approach, resources, schedule, and deliverables for testing. Provides clear direction and prevents misunderstandings.

Difference between test strategy and test plan

Test strategy: High-level approach across projects. Test plan: Project-specific detailed document defining scope and activities.

How to prioritize test cases effectively?

Rank based on risk, critical functionality, historical defect-prone areas, business impact, and frequency of use.

Explain risk-based testing approach

Allocate testing effort based on risk of failure and business impact. Focus on critical modules first to minimize negative consequences.

What are entry and exit criteria?

Entry criteria: Conditions before testing begins. Exit criteria: Conditions indicating testing completion.

How to estimate testing effort?

Use historical data, expert judgment, work breakdown structure, or function point analysis. Consider complexity, resources, and skill levels.

How is testing different in Agile compared to Waterfall?

Agile: Continuous, iterative testing within sprints. Waterfall: Testing at end of development, leading to late defect discovery.

Explain continuous testing in DevOps

Automated tests run continuously in CI/CD pipelines to detect defects early. Includes unit, integration, regression, and performance tests.

What is test automation pyramid?

Base: Unit tests (quick, reliable), Middle: Service/API tests, Top: UI tests (slow, brittle). Encourages efficient automation strategy.

How do QA and Dev teams collaborate in Agile?

QA participates in daily standups, backlog grooming, sprint planning, pair programming, and acceptance criteria reviews.

What is shift-left testing?

Testing activities start early in development cycle, including requirement review, design validation, and unit testing.

How testing works in Scrum sprints?

QA works continuously during each sprint: test planning, writing/executing test cases, regression testing, defect tracking, and reporting.

What is regression testing and why is it essential?

Re-running tests to ensure new changes haven't broken existing functionality. Essential because software evolves constantly.

Difference between retesting and regression testing

Retesting: Verifying specific defect is fixed. Regression testing: Ensuring changes don't introduce new defects elsewhere.

When to automate regression tests?

Automate when tests are repetitive, stable, and critical to core functionality. Benefits: Faster feedback, fewer human errors.

How to select test cases for regression suite?

Select based on high-risk areas, frequently used features, past defect-prone modules, critical business flows.

What is partial vs full regression?

Partial regression: Test only impacted areas. Full regression: Test entire application. Partial is faster, full is more thorough.

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