Manual Testing Interview Questions and Answers for 2026

Manual Testing Questions and Answers For Freshers

Start your QA career prep with beginner-friendly manual testing interview questions and answers covering SDLC/STLC, test cases, defect life cycle, and basic testing types.

1. What is software testing?

Software testing is the process of checking a software application to find defects and verify it works as expected, ensuring it meets requirements and delivers a reliable user experience.

2. What is quality control, and how does it differ from quality assurance?

Quality control is the process of running a program to determine whether it has defects and to ensure that the software meets all requirements set by stakeholders.

Quality assurance is a process-oriented approach that ensures the methods, techniques, and processes used to create high-quality deliverables are applied correctly.

3. What exactly is manual software testing, and how does it differ from automated software testing?

Manual software testing is human-driven testing where a tester runs the application, follows test cases, explores workflows, and checks expected results to find bugs, without using automation scripts.

In automated software testing, these functions are executed by tools such as test scripts and code. The tester takes the end user’s role to determine how well the app works.

4. What are the advantages of manual testing?

The advantages of manual testing include the following.

• It is great for exploratory testing and uncovering unexpected bugs
• It is quick to start since it needs no automation setup
• It is best for usability and UX checks that require human judgment
• It is more flexible when the UI changes frequently
• It is cost-effective for short, one-time, or early-stage testing

5. What are the drawbacks of manual testing?

• Time-consuming for large test suites and repeated runs
• Prone to human error and inconsistent results
• Limited test coverage compared to automation
• Slower feedback, especially in CI/CD pipelines
• Not ideal for performance, load, or high-volume data testing

6. What skills are needed to become a software tester? 

Software testers need skills such as:

• Write clear and reusable test scenarios and cases
• Understand specs, user stories, and acceptance criteria
• Find issues beyond scripted test cases
• Log precise defects with steps, evidence, and severity
• Test and document strategy and data
• Do quick confidence checks after builds/fixes
• Understand where testing fits in the lifecycle
• Learn Agile/Scrum basics: working with sprints, story testing, ceremonies
• Familiarize tools: Jira/Azure DevOps, TestRail/Zephyr, basic SQL
• Collaborate with devs, product, and stakeholders

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7. What is SDLC?

SDLC (Software Development Life Cycle) is the structured process teams use to plan, build, test, deploy, and maintain software. The phases include

• requirements
• design
• development
• testing
• deployment
• maintenance

8. What is a test scenario?

A test scenario is a high-level description of what to test: an end-to-end user flow or feature path that can be broken into multiple detailed test cases.

Example: User logs in with valid credentials

9. What is a test case?

A test case is a documented set of steps, inputs, and expected results used to verify that a specific software feature works correctly.

Example:

• Steps: Open app → enter valid email & password
• Expected: User lands on dashboard

10. What is a test plan?

A test plan is a document that outlines the overall testing approach, such as scope, objectives, test strategy, resources, schedule, tools, environments, and entry/exit criteria for a project.

Example: Test login module

• scope (login/forgot password)
• types (functional/regression)
• environment (staging), timeline (2 days)
• entry/exit criteria

11. What is test data?

Test data is the set of input values and sample records used to test cases, such as usernames, transactions, files, or database entries, to validate how the software behaves in different conditions.

Example: Email

• user@test.com
• Password: P@ssw0rd123
• Invalid email: user@

12. What is a test script?

A test script is a set of step-by-step instructions, often an automation code script, used to execute a test case and verify expected results.

Example:

• Selenium: open login page → fill credentials → click Login → assert Dashboard title

13. What are the types of manual testing?

• Black Box Testing
• White Box Testing
• Gray Box Testing
• Functional Testing
• Non-Functional Testing
• Regression Testing
• Smoke/Sanity Testing
• Exploratory/Ad-hoc Testing
• UAT (User Acceptance Testing)

14. What is black box testing and its techniques?

Black-box testing is testing a system without examining its internal code. You validate behavior using inputs and expected outputs.

Common black box techniques include

• Equivalence Partitioning: split inputs into valid/invalid groups; test one from each group
• Boundary Value Analysis: test edges (min/max, just inside/outside)
• Decision Table Testing: cover combinations of rules/conditions and outcomes
• State Transition Testing: verify behavior across states (e.g., logged out → logged in → locked)
• Use Case Testing: test end-to-end user flows (login, checkout)
• Error Guessing: use experience to try likely failure points
• Pairwise Testing: test minimal combinations to cover multiple inputs efficiently

15. What is white box testing and its techniques?

White box testing is testing with knowledge of the internal code/logic. You validate how the code works by covering paths, conditions, and statements.

Common white box techniques include

• Statement coverage: execute every line at least once
• Branch/Decision coverage: execute each decision outcome (true/false)
• Condition coverage: test each boolean condition as true and false
• Path coverage: execute all possible execution paths (where feasible)
• Loop coverage: test loops with 0, 1, and many iterations
• Data flow testing: verify variable definitions and uses across code
• Mutation testing: introduce small code changes to check if tests catch them

16. Explain the difference between alpha testing and beta testing.

• Alpha testing: Done internally (by QA/dev/team) in a controlled environment before public release to catch major bugs early.
• Beta testing: Done by real users externally in real-world conditions after alpha to find usability issues, edge cases, and feedback before the final launch.

17. What’s the difference between verification and validation?

Verification checks whether you built the software correctly according to specs/design (“Are we building the product right?”).

Validation checks whether you built the right software for user needs (“Are we building the right product?”)

18. What is a testbed?

A testbed is the complete testing environment setup: hardware, software, network, tools, and test data used to run tests.

Example: A QA testbed for a web app might include a staging server, test database, Chrome/Firefox/Safari, a Windows & macOS machine, a mobile device/emulator, and tools like Jira & Postman.

19. What’s the difference between a bug and a defect?

A defect is any deviation from the expected requirements or specifications in software. It usually exists when the product does not behave as defined in the documentation, design, or business rules. Defects are often identified during development or internal testing phases before the software reaches users.

A bug is the same issue once it is discovered during testing and logged for fixing. In many teams, the terms are used interchangeably, but the key distinction is that a defect exists in the system, while a bug is how that defect is reported and tracked during testing.

20. What about the difference between an error and a failure?

An error is a human mistake that occurs during activities such as requirement analysis, design, or coding. It happens when something is misunderstood or implemented incorrectly, even before the software is executed. Errors are internal and may not always be immediately visible.

A failure occurs when the application runs and produces incorrect or unexpected results due to an underlying error. Failures are observable during testing or in real use and directly affect system behavior, making them easier to detect than errors.

21. When should testing end?

You usually wrap up testing once all the planned test cases are done, and the critical features are working as expected. It also depends on whether the main business flows are covered, the system is stable, and the number of defects is under control.

In real projects, testing may also be halted due to time constraints, release schedules, or stakeholder decisions made after risk evaluation. The goal is to ensure that major issues are resolved and the product is reliable enough for release.

22. Why is software testing required?

Software testing is required to:

• Find defects early before they reach users
• Verify requirements are met, and features work as expected
• Improve quality and user experience (usability, reliability)
• Reduce risk and cost of failures in production
• Ensure security and performance under real conditions
• Build confidence for releases and changes (regression coverage)

23. What are the main levels of manual testing?

The main levels of manual testing are:

• Unit Testing: Test individual components/functions.
• Integration Testing: Test interactions between modules/services.
• System Testing: Test the complete application end-to-end in a test environment.
• User Acceptance Testing (UAT): Validate the product meets user/business requirements before release.

24. Explain the procedure for manual testing?

Here's the procedure for manual testing:

• Understand requirements: review specs/user stories and acceptance criteria
• Create a test plan: define scope, approach, resources, and schedule
• Design test scenarios & test cases: cover positive, negative, and edge cases
• Prepare test data & environment: set up builds, accounts, devices, browsers, and data
• Execute tests: run test cases and do exploratory testing
• Log defects: report bugs with steps, expected vs actual, severity, and evidence
• Re-test fixes: verify bug fixes in new builds
• Regression testing: ensure fixes/changes didn’t break existing features
• Report results & close: share test summary and sign-off when exit criteria are met

25. What is the role of documentation in Manual Testing?

Documentation is an integral part of manual testing. It is essential to document all steps taken during testing to ensure thorough test coverage and accurate results.

Documentation provides an audit trail, which can be used to evaluate past test results and identify areas for improvement. Additionally, it is a reference for other testers who may be unfamiliar with the system or application under test.

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26. Explain Functional Testing

Functional testing is a type of black-box testing. It focuses on the software's functional requirements rather than its internal implementation. A functional requirement is the system's required behavior in terms of inputs and outputs.

It checks the software against the functional requirements or specification, ignoring non-functional characteristics like performance, usability, and dependability.

The purpose of functional testing is to ensure the software is functional and to address the challenges faced by its target users.

Types of functional Testing include

• Unit Testing 
• Integration Testing
• Regression Testing
• System Testing
• Smoke Testing
• Performance Testing
• Stress Testing

27. Explain Non-functional testing.

Non-functional testing examines the system's non-functional requirements, which are the system's characteristics or qualities that the client has specifically requested. These include performance, security, scalability, and usability.

Non-functional testing assures that the product is safe, scalable, and fast, and that it will not crash under excessive pressure.

28. What is Regression Testing?

Regression testing is the re-execution of previously executed test cases to ensure existing functionality continues to work.

The following steps are involved in regression testing:

• Re-testing: All of the tests in the current test suite are run again. It turns out to be both pricey and time-consuming
• Regression tests are divided into three categories: feature tests, integration tests, and end-to-end testing. Some tests are selected in this step
• Prioritization of test cases: The test cases are ranked according to their business impact and important functionalities

29. What is Test Harness?

A test harness is a collection of software and test data used to put a programme unit to the test by running it under various conditions, such as stress, load, and data-driven data, while monitoring its behaviour and outputs.

30. Differentiate between Positive and Negative Testing.

31. What is a Critical Bug?

A critical bug is an issue that prevents users from performing basic work. It can crash the app, mess with data, or bring the system down completely, leaving the software unusable.

Because of their severe impact, critical bugs must be fixed immediately before release. Ignoring them can lead to serious business losses, poor user experience, and system instability.

32. What is Test Closure?

Test Closure is a document that summarizes all tests performed throughout the software development life cycle, along with a full analysis of the defects fixed and the errors discovered.

33. Explain the defect life cycle.

A defect life cycle is the process by which a defect progresses through multiple stages over its existence. The cycle begins when a fault is discovered and concludes when the defect is closed after verification that it will not be recreated.

34. What is the Pesticide Paradox?

The pesticide paradox means that running the same test cases repeatedly eventually stops finding new defects. As the application stabilizes, existing test cases only verify known behavior.

To overcome this, test cases need to be regularly updated and new scenarios added. Exploratory testing and variation in test data help uncover hidden issues as the system evolves.

35. What is API testing?

API testing is the process of testing an application’s APIs by sending requests (GET/POST/PUT/DELETE) and verifying responses: status codes, data, headers, performance, and error handling, without relying on the UI.

API testing is done at the most vital layer of software architecture, the business layer, for modelling and manipulating data.

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36. What is System testing?

System testing is testing the entire application in a test environment to verify that all integrated modules work together and meet the specified requirements, including end-to-end workflows.

Example:

For an e-commerce app, a system test would be:

User signs up → logs in → searches a product → adds to cart → applies coupon → checks out → makes payment → receives order confirmation email/SMS → order appears in My Orders.

37. What is Acceptance testing?

Acceptance testing (UAT) is testing done to confirm the software meets business and user requirements and is ready for release.

Example: For a banking app, UAT might validate:

User logs in → adds a new beneficiary → transfers ₹10,000 → sees the transaction in history → receives SMS/email confirmation → transfer follows daily limit and approval rules.

38. What is the difference between Bug Leakage and Bug Release?

Bug leakage occurs when problems slip through testing and surface for users in production. This usually points to areas that weren’t thoroughly tested or to cases that were missed.

A bug release is when a known issue is deliberately shipped. The team documents it and decides it’s okay to leave it because it has little impact, or fixing it would slow down delivery.

39. What do you mean by Defect Triage?

Defect triage is a process for prioritizing defects based on factors such as severity, risk, and the time required to fix them.

The defect triage meeting brings together several stakeholders: the development team, the testing team, the project manager, and the BAs to determine the order in which defects should be fixed.

40. What is Integration testing? What are its types?

Integration testing checks whether two or more modules/services work correctly together (e.g., UI → API → database, or service → payment gateway).

Types of integration testing:

• Top-down: Test from higher-level modules to lower-level modules
• Bottom-up: Test from lower-level modules upward
• Big-bang: Integrate everything at once, then test
• Incremental: Integrate and test step-by-step

41. What is a Stub?

A stub is a dummy/temporary piece of code used in integration testing to simulate a lower-level module that isn’t ready yet. It returns fixed or simple responses so the higher-level component can be tested.

Example:

If the Payment Service isn’t built, you use a stub that always returns:

{"status":"SUCCESS","txnId":"123"} to test the checkout flow.

42.  What is code coverage?

Code coverage measures how much of the source code is executed during testing. It helps identify code areas not exercised by test cases.

However, high code coverage alone does not guarantee quality. Code can be executed without validating correct behavior, so coverage should support, not replace, functional testing.

43. What is a cause-and-effect graph?

A cause-and-effect graph testing technique is a black-box test design technique that uses a graphical representation of the input (cause) and output (effect) to construct the test.

This method employs a variety of notations to describe AND, OR, NOT, and other relationships between the input and output conditions.

44. Explain equivalence class partitioning.

Equivalence class partitioning is a black-box testing technique based on specifications. In equivalence class partitioning, a set of input data that defines multiple test conditions is partitioned into logically comparable groups, so that using even a single test data point from a group for testing is considered similar to using all the other data in that group.

45. What is boundary value analysis?

Boundary Value Analysis (BVA) is a black-box test technique where you test input limits because bugs commonly occur at the edges of allowed ranges.

Example:

If an age field allows 18–60, test: 17, 18, 19, 59, 60, 61.

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46. What is your approach towards a severely buggy program? How would you handle it?

In such cases, the best course of action is for testers to report any flaws or blocking issues that arise, with an emphasis on critical bugs. Because this sort of crisis might result in serious issues such as insufficient unit or integration testing, poor design, incorrect build or release methods, and so on, management should be contacted and provided with documentation to support the problem.

47. What if an organization's growth is so rapid that standard testing procedures are no longer feasible? What should you do in such a situation?

This is a prevalent issue in the software industry, especially with the new technologies used in product development. In this case, there is no simple answer; however, you could:

• Hire people who are good at what they do
• Quality issues should be prioritized by management, with a constant focus on the client
• Everyone in the company should understand what the term "quality" implies to the end-user

48. When can you say for sure that the code has met its specifications? 

Most businesses have coding standards that all developers are expected to follow. Still, everyone has their own opinion on what is best, as well as how many regulations are too many or too few.

There are diverse methods available, such as a traceability matrix, to guarantee that requirements are linked to test cases. And when all the test cases pass, the code satisfies the requirement.

49. What are the phases involved in the Software Testing Life Cycle?

• Test Planning
• Test Analysis
• Test Design
• Test Implementation
• Test Execution
• Test Results Analysis
• Test Closure

50. What is Defect Cascading in Software Testing?

Defect cascading occurs when a single defect triggers a chain of related failures, causing multiple features to break and leading to many bugs that stem from a single root issue.

Example:

A bug in the login token generation causes sessions to expire immediately → user gets logged out → API calls fail with 401 → checkout breaks → My Orders doesn’t load

51. What are the Experience-based testing techniques?

• Exploratory Testing
• Error Guessing
• Adhoc Testing
• Checklist-based Testing
• Exploit-based Testing
• Session-based Testing
• Alpha Testing
• Beta Testing
• User Acceptance Testing
• Usability Testing

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52. What is a top-down and bottom-up approach in testing?

• Top-down testing begins at the highest level and works downward. Each higher-level component is tested in isolation from the lower-level components.
• Bottom-up testing starts at the lowest level and works upward. Each lower-level component is tested in isolation from higher-level components.

53. What is the difference between smoke testing and sanity testing?

• Smoke testing is a high-level test used to ensure the most critical functions of a software system are working correctly. It is a quick test that can be used to determine whether it is worth investing time and energy into further, more extensive testing.
• Sanity testing is a more specific test used to check that recent changes to a system have not caused any new, unwanted behavior. It ensures that basic features continue to function as expected after minor changes.

54. What is the difference between static testing and dynamic testing?

• Static testing is performed without executing the code of a software application. Instead, it includes reviews, inspections, and walkthroughs.
• Dynamic testing involves executing the code of a software application to determine the results of certain functions and operations. It includes unit testing, integration testing, and acceptance testing.

55. What is the difference between severity and priority? Explain with examples.

Severity refers to the impact of a defect on the system’s functionality. It answers the question of how badly the software is affected. Priority, on the other hand, refers to how quickly the defect should be fixed, based on business needs.

For instance, if an application crashes whenever a user clicks the checkout button, the severity is high because a core function is broken. If the application is scheduled for maintenance and not yet live, the priority might be medium.

In contrast, a minor UI issue, such as a wrong currency symbol on the payment page, has low severity but high priority because it affects user trust and revenue.

56. Can a bug have high severity but low priority, or vice versa?

Yes, this situation occurs frequently in live projects. A high-severity defect may appear in a rarely used feature or one planned for a future release, so it is fixed later.

Similarly, a low-severity defect, such as a text overlap on the homepage, may be treated as high priority because it is visible to all users and affects brand perception.

57. What is the role of a QA tester in an Agile Scrum team?

In a Scrum setup, QA testers are involved right from the start of the sprint. They go through user stories with the team, ask questions around acceptance criteria, and flag edge cases early so issues don’t surface later.

They also perform continuous testing as features are developed, execute regression tests, and ensure that each story meets the Definition of Done before the sprint ends. The tester’s goal is not only to find defects but to prevent them by collaborating early.

58. How does testing work within a sprint?

In most Agile teams, testing starts while the feature is still being built. Testers check things as they come in, share feedback quickly, and re-test fixes within the same sprint. If something doesn’t meet the quality bar, the story goes back to the backlog. This way, problems surface early rather than right before a release.

59. How do you log a defect in JIRA?

When logging a defect in JIRA, the tester selects the correct project and issue type, usually Bug. A clear, concise summary is provided, followed by detailed steps to reproduce the issue. The expected and actual results are clearly stated to avoid confusion.

Additional fields, such as severity, priority, environment details, build version, and attachments (e.g., screenshots or screen recordings), are included. This ensures developers can reproduce and fix the issue without back-and-forth communication.

60. What is the typical bug life cycle in JIRA?

A defect usually starts in the Open state after being logged. Once assigned, it moves to In Progress while the developer works on it. After the fix, the status changes to Ready for Testing or Resolved. If testing passes, the defect is closed. If the issue persists, it is reopened and sent back for correction.

61. Why should a manual tester know basic SQL?

Basic SQL knowledge allows testers to verify backend data independently. Testers can confirm that user actions in the UI are correctly reflected in the database, including user registration details, order records, and payment status.

This reduces dependency on developers and helps identify issues that are not visible on the front end.

62. What SQL queries are commonly used by manual testers?

Manual testers frequently use SELECT queries to fetch data, WHERE clauses to filter results, and JOIN operations to validate relationships between tables. These queries help ensure data integrity and consistency after actions are performed in the application.

63. What are test metrics, and why are they important?

Test metrics are quantitative measures used to track testing efficiency, coverage, and product quality. They help stakeholders understand the current testing status, identify risks, and make informed release decisions.

Metrics also help testers evaluate their own process and improve future testing cycles.

64. Which test metrics are commonly used in manual testing?

Common metrics include total test cases executed, pass/fail percentage, defect density, defect leakage, and test coverage. These metrics are usually shared through daily status reports or test summary reports at the end of a cycle.

65. How do you explain a testing project using the STAR format?

First, describe the Situation by explaining the project and its purpose. Next, explain the Task by outlining your role and responsibilities. Then, describe the Action by detailing the testing activities you performed. Finally, explain the Result by sharing outcomes such as improved quality or reduced production issues.

66. Why is the STAR approach effective in interviews?

The STAR method keeps answers structured and easy to follow. It helps interviewers understand not only what you did, but how you approached challenges and contributed to project success.

67. What test cases would you write for an e-commerce login page?

Login testing usually covers both normal and edge cases. That includes correct and incorrect credentials, empty fields, password masking, and the forgot-password flow.

Teams also check what happens after repeated failures and whether sessions expire as expected. All of this helps keep the login flow secure while still being easy to use.

68. What are the key test cases for checkout and payment functionality?

Important test cases include adding and removing items from the cart, verifying price calculations, applying discounts, selecting payment methods, handling payment failures, confirming orders, and checking email notifications after purchase.

69. Is it true that we can do system testing at any stage?

No, system testing is typically carried out at the end of the development process, after integration and user acceptance testing.

70. What are some best practices that you should follow when writing test cases?

Here are the top 10 best test case practices:

• Develop test cases that are clear, concise, and to the point
• Ensure that the test cases challenge the software's functionality
• Make sure that the test cases cover all the requirements
• Develop repeatable test cases that can be automated when necessary
• Develop test cases that are independent of each other
• Use meaningful and descriptive names for test cases
• Record the results of test cases for future reference
• Make sure that the test cases are modular and can be reused
• Perform reviews of the test cases to ensure accuracy and completeness
• Document the test cases in a standard format

If you are preparing for a career in manual testing, real experiences from testers can be helpful.

A well-engaged Reddit discussion titled Are Manual Testers Still Relevant in Today’s QA Market? shares honest views on interviews, skill expectations, and daily QA work. Many users note that manual testing interview questions and answers still focus on real scenarios, test case logic, and defect handling rather than solely on theory.

Key Takeaways

• Manual testing interview questions often test how clearly you understand testing concepts and how well you can explain real scenarios, not just definitions
• A strong grip on test cases, SDLC, defect life cycle, and testing types makes answering manual testing questions much easier
• Practicing questions for freshers, advanced roles, and real-world testing situations helps you handle different interview expectations
• Following structured learning or courses can help strengthen basics, improve confidence, and prepare more systematically for interviews

Manual testing interviews are about proving you can think like a user, test like a strategist, and report defects with clarity and impact. Use these questions and answers to strengthen your fundamentals, revise key concepts, and confidently explain real testing scenarios.

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