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QA Automation Interview Questions on Testing, Coding, and Architecture

by Interview Kickstart Team in Interview Questions
May 30, 2024
Learn how to ace QA interviews

QA Automation Interview Questions on Testing, Coding, and Architecture

Last updated by Abhinav Rawat on May 30, 2024 at 05:55 PM | Reading time: 9 minutes

You can download a PDF version of  
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Before Quality Assurance (QA) automation, manual testing was done using some tech that reduced repetition. With QA automation, we can use separate software to smoothly and quickly run tests on the software we’re developing. In this article, we’ll explore some QA automation interview questions to help you prepare for your tech interviews!

If you are preparing for a tech interview, check out our technical interview checklist, interview questions page, and salary negotiation ebook to get interview-ready! Also, read Amazon Coding Interview Questions, Facebook Coding Interview Questions to Nail Your Next Interview, and Google Coding Interview Questions for specific insights and guidance on Coding interview preparation.

Having trained over 9,000 software engineers, we know what it takes to crack the most challenging tech interviews. Since 2014, Interview Kickstart alums have landed lucrative offers from FAANG and Tier-1 tech companies, with an average salary hike of 49%. The highest ever offer received by an IK alum is a whopping $933,000!

At IK, you get the unique opportunity to learn from expert instructors who are hiring managers and tech leads at Google, Facebook, Apple, and other top Silicon Valley tech companies.

Want to nail your next tech interview? Sign up for our FREE Webinar.

In this article, we’ll discuss:

  • QA Automation Testing Interview Questions and Answers
  • QA Automation Interview Questions
  • FAQs on QA Automation Interview Questions

QA Automation Testing Interview Questions and Answers

Let us jump right into some sample QA automation testing interview questions and answers to get an idea of what to expect in QA automation interview questions:

Q1: When should we prefer to automate a test?

We should prefer to automate a test if:

  • It’s a repetitive task
  • We need to run the tests with multiple data sets
  • There are regression test cases or smoke and sanity tests that warrant it
  • After automation, the ROI (Return on Investment) is good enough for us to do so.

Q2: When should we prefer not to automate a test?

We should prefer not to automate if:

  • The Application we need to test changes frequently
  • Most test cases are one-time test cases
  • There’s Adhoc or random testing

Q3: What are the primary features of a quality automation tool?

Some features of a good automation tool are:

  • Test Environment support
  • Easy to use
  • Good debugging facility
  • Multiple frameworks support
  • Object and Image testing facilities
  • Robust object identification
  • Object identification
  • Database testing

Q4:  What are the four framework types used in software automation testing?

The four types of automation frameworks used in software automation testing are:

  • Keyword-driven
  • Data-driven
  • Modular
  • Hybrid
Types of automation frameworks

Q5: What are the steps involved in the Automation Process?

The automation process steps include:

  • Test tool selection
  • Automation scope definition
  • Planning
  • Design
  • Development
  • Test execution
  • Maintenance
Steps for the automation process

Q6: Why do we need QA automation?

Automating routine tasks and executing test cases multiple times, in multiple devices, at a large scale becomes easily doable with the help of QA automation. QA automation makes a QA team far more efficient and powerful.

QA Automation Interview Questions

Here are some frequently asked QA Automation interview questions to help you with your preparation:

  1. Differentiate between:
  • final, finally, and finalize
  • compare TestNG and Cucumber BDD
  • Encapsulation and abstraction
  • method overriding and method overloading
  • Manual Testing and Automation Testing
  1. Define and describe the usage of:
  • Interface
  • Webdriver interface
  • Driver object reference
  • FF/IEdriver class
  • SSL
  • Public key-private key
  • Session encryption
  • Data structure
  • Automation Testing
  • A Test Environment
  • A Test Framework
  • An Automated Test Script
  • Types of Automation Testing
  • Browser Automation
  • Cross-Browser Testing
  • Automated Regression Testing
  • The Test Automation Pyramid
  • UI Testing
  • A Test Automation Platform
  • Selenium
  • QTP
  • Protractor
  • Sikuli
  • Robot Framework
  • Background
  • Scenarios outline
  • Before/afterhooks
  • Tags
  • Autoit
  • Robotclass
  • JavaScript executor

QA Automation Engineer Interview Questions

  1. Name and describe the different components of Selenium.
  2. What are some challenges associated with Selenium automation?
  3. How would you manage GIT versions between two teams?
  4. Name some alternatives to Selenium.
  5. Name the test library APIs in the Robot Framework.
  6. What are the developmental best practices in test automation?
  7. Describe the steps involved in the Automation Process.
  8. Can App Testing be done exclusively at the UI levels?
  9. Who should be responsible for test automation?

QA Test Automation Engineer Interview Questions

  1. Describe the stages in an Automation Testing Life Cycle
  2. Why do we need Automation Testing?
  3. Should all tests be Automated?
  4. Describe the risks associated with Automation Testing.
  5. Is Automation Testing useful in Agile Methodology?
  6. Is Automation Testing possible without a framework?
  7. Describe different types of Testing Frameworks.
  8. How will you decide on an Automation Testing Solution?
  9. Name the main features of a quality Automation Testing Solution.
  10. When is Automation Testing not useful in Agile Methodology?
  11. In the future, does Automated Testing replace Manual Testing?
  12. Describe the structure of a Test Automation Framework and talk about its important modules.
  13. When does one need to automate a test?
  14. Using what factors would you determine the effectiveness of Automation Testing?
  15. How do you know which test cases can be automated and when to avoid Automated Testing?
  16. Name some disadvantages of Manual Testing.

QA Automation Coding Interview Questions

  1. How would you:
  • Sort an array
  • Print a number in reverse
  • Print a string in reverse
  • Determine if a string is a palindrome
  • Automate the testing of CAPTCHA
  • Select a test case for Automation
  • Handle exceptions in java
  • Use parameters in cucumber/testNG
  • Validate flatfiles, DB using Java
  • Skip method/test in TestNG, Cucumber BDD
  • Find, in an array, the largest sum of consecutive integers
  1. How can you do Automation Testing on a web app login page?
  2. Given an input string = aabbbccccaaaaa, maintain the insertion order and output a2b3c4a5.
  3. Check when multiplying a six-digit number with 2 gives a number that has all the same numbers. For example, 142857 x 2 = 285714
  4. Given an array with numbers 1-5, how would you subtract one number from every EVEN number in each index?

QA Automation Architect Interview Questions

  1. Give one and just one sufficient test case to determine that a white paper is a white paper.
  2. How would you test a blender?
  3. How would you test a toaster?
  4. A 1-mile x 1-mile private island needs to be turned into a resort. A plane requires a 2-mile long runway to take off. What would you do?
  5. In a corridor with 100 lockers, Ana passes the first time and opens each locker. Then she passes the second time and closes each alternate locker. She then passes the third time and toggles the state of each third locker, then passes each fourth locker again, and so on. How many lockers will be open at the end if this repeats 100 times?

FAQs on QA Automation Interview Questions

Q1. What is automation testing in QA?

In Quality Assurance, automation testing refers to running tests on the software we’re developing with the help of automation testing tools and reporting the results. Automation testing makes many time-consuming tasks that otherwise would have been done by manual testers far more efficient.

Q2. How do I become a QA automation Tester?

To become a QA automation tester, you need to: Master the basics of testing, including manual testing. Experiment with and get experience using different automation testing tools. Learn to code both concepts and practice to a decent level. Learn the ATLC methodology and learn how to efficiently understand any new applications.

Q3. What are the most popular tools for QA automation testing?

Some of the most popular test tools for QA automation testing are: Rational Robot, Selenium, and QTP (HP UFT)

Popular test tools for QA automation

Q4. Is automation a promising career?

For someone who has technical skills and wants to pursue a career in the tech field, automation engineering can potentially be good to understand any new applications efficiently career choice if they keep upgrading their skills and experience over time.

Q5. Who earns more, a developer or tester?

The average initial salary of a software developer has been significantly more than the initial average salary of a tester in the past and now. We can say that clearly shows that initially, an average developer earns more than an average tester.

Ready to Nail Your Next Coding Interview?

Whether you’re a coding engineer gunning for a software developer or software engineer role, a tech lead, or you’re targeting management positions at top companies, IK offers courses specifically designed for your needs to help you with your technical interview preparation!

If you’re looking for guidance and help with getting started, sign up for our FREE webinar. As pioneers in the field of technical interview preparation, we have trained thousands of software engineers to crack the most challenging coding interviews and land jobs at their dream companies, such as Google, Facebook, Apple, Netflix, Amazon, and more!

Sign up now!


Author
Abhinav Rawat
Product Manager @ Interview Kickstart | Ex-upGrad | BITS Pilani. Working with hiring managers from top companies like Meta, Apple, Google, Amazon etc to build structured interview process BootCamps across domains
The fast well prepared banner

Before Quality Assurance (QA) automation, manual testing was done using some tech that reduced repetition. With QA automation, we can use separate software to smoothly and quickly run tests on the software we’re developing. In this article, we’ll explore some QA automation interview questions to help you prepare for your tech interviews!

If you are preparing for a tech interview, check out our technical interview checklist, interview questions page, and salary negotiation ebook to get interview-ready! Also, read Amazon Coding Interview Questions, Facebook Coding Interview Questions to Nail Your Next Interview, and Google Coding Interview Questions for specific insights and guidance on Coding interview preparation.

Having trained over 9,000 software engineers, we know what it takes to crack the most challenging tech interviews. Since 2014, Interview Kickstart alums have landed lucrative offers from FAANG and Tier-1 tech companies, with an average salary hike of 49%. The highest ever offer received by an IK alum is a whopping $933,000!

At IK, you get the unique opportunity to learn from expert instructors who are hiring managers and tech leads at Google, Facebook, Apple, and other top Silicon Valley tech companies.

Want to nail your next tech interview? Sign up for our FREE Webinar.

In this article, we’ll discuss:

  • QA Automation Testing Interview Questions and Answers
  • QA Automation Interview Questions
  • FAQs on QA Automation Interview Questions

QA Automation Testing Interview Questions and Answers

Let us jump right into some sample QA automation testing interview questions and answers to get an idea of what to expect in QA automation interview questions:

Q1: When should we prefer to automate a test?

We should prefer to automate a test if:

  • It’s a repetitive task
  • We need to run the tests with multiple data sets
  • There are regression test cases or smoke and sanity tests that warrant it
  • After automation, the ROI (Return on Investment) is good enough for us to do so.

Q2: When should we prefer not to automate a test?

We should prefer not to automate if:

  • The Application we need to test changes frequently
  • Most test cases are one-time test cases
  • There’s Adhoc or random testing

Q3: What are the primary features of a quality automation tool?

Some features of a good automation tool are:

  • Test Environment support
  • Easy to use
  • Good debugging facility
  • Multiple frameworks support
  • Object and Image testing facilities
  • Robust object identification
  • Object identification
  • Database testing

Q4:  What are the four framework types used in software automation testing?

The four types of automation frameworks used in software automation testing are:

  • Keyword-driven
  • Data-driven
  • Modular
  • Hybrid
Types of automation frameworks

Q5: What are the steps involved in the Automation Process?

The automation process steps include:

  • Test tool selection
  • Automation scope definition
  • Planning
  • Design
  • Development
  • Test execution
  • Maintenance
Steps for the automation process

Q6: Why do we need QA automation?

Automating routine tasks and executing test cases multiple times, in multiple devices, at a large scale becomes easily doable with the help of QA automation. QA automation makes a QA team far more efficient and powerful.

QA Automation Interview Questions

Here are some frequently asked QA Automation interview questions to help you with your preparation:

  1. Differentiate between:
  • final, finally, and finalize
  • compare TestNG and Cucumber BDD
  • Encapsulation and abstraction
  • method overriding and method overloading
  • Manual Testing and Automation Testing
  1. Define and describe the usage of:
  • Interface
  • Webdriver interface
  • Driver object reference
  • FF/IEdriver class
  • SSL
  • Public key-private key
  • Session encryption
  • Data structure
  • Automation Testing
  • A Test Environment
  • A Test Framework
  • An Automated Test Script
  • Types of Automation Testing
  • Browser Automation
  • Cross-Browser Testing
  • Automated Regression Testing
  • The Test Automation Pyramid
  • UI Testing
  • A Test Automation Platform
  • Selenium
  • QTP
  • Protractor
  • Sikuli
  • Robot Framework
  • Background
  • Scenarios outline
  • Before/afterhooks
  • Tags
  • Autoit
  • Robotclass
  • JavaScript executor

QA Automation Engineer Interview Questions

  1. Name and describe the different components of Selenium.
  2. What are some challenges associated with Selenium automation?
  3. How would you manage GIT versions between two teams?
  4. Name some alternatives to Selenium.
  5. Name the test library APIs in the Robot Framework.
  6. What are the developmental best practices in test automation?
  7. Describe the steps involved in the Automation Process.
  8. Can App Testing be done exclusively at the UI levels?
  9. Who should be responsible for test automation?

QA Test Automation Engineer Interview Questions

  1. Describe the stages in an Automation Testing Life Cycle
  2. Why do we need Automation Testing?
  3. Should all tests be Automated?
  4. Describe the risks associated with Automation Testing.
  5. Is Automation Testing useful in Agile Methodology?
  6. Is Automation Testing possible without a framework?
  7. Describe different types of Testing Frameworks.
  8. How will you decide on an Automation Testing Solution?
  9. Name the main features of a quality Automation Testing Solution.
  10. When is Automation Testing not useful in Agile Methodology?
  11. In the future, does Automated Testing replace Manual Testing?
  12. Describe the structure of a Test Automation Framework and talk about its important modules.
  13. When does one need to automate a test?
  14. Using what factors would you determine the effectiveness of Automation Testing?
  15. How do you know which test cases can be automated and when to avoid Automated Testing?
  16. Name some disadvantages of Manual Testing.

QA Automation Coding Interview Questions

  1. How would you:
  • Sort an array
  • Print a number in reverse
  • Print a string in reverse
  • Determine if a string is a palindrome
  • Automate the testing of CAPTCHA
  • Select a test case for Automation
  • Handle exceptions in java
  • Use parameters in cucumber/testNG
  • Validate flatfiles, DB using Java
  • Skip method/test in TestNG, Cucumber BDD
  • Find, in an array, the largest sum of consecutive integers
  1. How can you do Automation Testing on a web app login page?
  2. Given an input string = aabbbccccaaaaa, maintain the insertion order and output a2b3c4a5.
  3. Check when multiplying a six-digit number with 2 gives a number that has all the same numbers. For example, 142857 x 2 = 285714
  4. Given an array with numbers 1-5, how would you subtract one number from every EVEN number in each index?

QA Automation Architect Interview Questions

  1. Give one and just one sufficient test case to determine that a white paper is a white paper.
  2. How would you test a blender?
  3. How would you test a toaster?
  4. A 1-mile x 1-mile private island needs to be turned into a resort. A plane requires a 2-mile long runway to take off. What would you do?
  5. In a corridor with 100 lockers, Ana passes the first time and opens each locker. Then she passes the second time and closes each alternate locker. She then passes the third time and toggles the state of each third locker, then passes each fourth locker again, and so on. How many lockers will be open at the end if this repeats 100 times?

FAQs on QA Automation Interview Questions

Q1. What is automation testing in QA?

In Quality Assurance, automation testing refers to running tests on the software we’re developing with the help of automation testing tools and reporting the results. Automation testing makes many time-consuming tasks that otherwise would have been done by manual testers far more efficient.

Q2. How do I become a QA automation Tester?

To become a QA automation tester, you need to: Master the basics of testing, including manual testing. Experiment with and get experience using different automation testing tools. Learn to code both concepts and practice to a decent level. Learn the ATLC methodology and learn how to efficiently understand any new applications.

Q3. What are the most popular tools for QA automation testing?

Some of the most popular test tools for QA automation testing are: Rational Robot, Selenium, and QTP (HP UFT)

Popular test tools for QA automation

Q4. Is automation a promising career?

For someone who has technical skills and wants to pursue a career in the tech field, automation engineering can potentially be good to understand any new applications efficiently career choice if they keep upgrading their skills and experience over time.

Q5. Who earns more, a developer or tester?

The average initial salary of a software developer has been significantly more than the initial average salary of a tester in the past and now. We can say that clearly shows that initially, an average developer earns more than an average tester.

Ready to Nail Your Next Coding Interview?

Whether you’re a coding engineer gunning for a software developer or software engineer role, a tech lead, or you’re targeting management positions at top companies, IK offers courses specifically designed for your needs to help you with your technical interview preparation!

If you’re looking for guidance and help with getting started, sign up for our FREE webinar. As pioneers in the field of technical interview preparation, we have trained thousands of software engineers to crack the most challenging coding interviews and land jobs at their dream companies, such as Google, Facebook, Apple, Netflix, Amazon, and more!

Sign up now!


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Recession-proof your Test Engineering Career

Attend our free webinar to amp up your career and get the salary you deserve.

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Founder, Interview Kickstart
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Register for Webinar

Recession-proof your Career

Recession-proof your Test Engineering Career

Attend our free webinar to amp up your career and get the salary you deserve.

Ryan-image
Hosted By
Ryan Valles
Founder, Interview Kickstart
blue tick
Accelerate your Interview prep with Tier-1 tech instructors
blue tick
360° courses that have helped 14,000+ tech professionals
blue tick
57% average salary hike received by alums in 2022
blue tick
100% money-back guarantee*
Register for Webinar

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