Preparing for Senior-Level Automation Testing Positions: Interview Insights

In senior QA engineer interviews, you will mainly encounter questions aimed at assessing your problem-solving abilities, technical proficiency, testing methodologies, strategies, leadership acumen, and communication skills. As organizations increasingly depend on automation to improve efficiency and quality in software development, the demand for skilled professionals in this field continues to grow. To assist you in your preparation, we have assembled a comprehensive list of standard senior QA Interview questions for automation testing and answers, encompassing distinct topics such as test automation, test planning, and team management. Acquainting yourself with these interview questions will bolster your confidence and enable you to showcase your top credentials effectively. 

What Does An Automation Tester Do?

An automation tester automates the procedure of QA and software testing. Test automation engineers strategize and develop automated testing processes for diverse tools and systems to reduce the manual efforts to test the software at varied development stages. They ensure that the automated testing is accurate and give appropriate outcomes to scrutinize if the software is meeting the projected outcome.

Interview questions for automation testing with Sample Responses

Here are some common Interview questions for automation testing with sample answers you can reference while preparing for your interview:

1. Are you familiar with the Selenium tests framework?

Yes, I am familiar with the Selenium test framework. It is extensively used for automating web app testing across varied browsers and platforms. The Selenium testing framework is a famous tool for automating web apps. Interviewers ask this question to observe if you have experience using Selenium and how well you can apply it in your profession.  

2. In what condition you cannot utilize test automation for the Agile method?

Automated testing isn’t useful for agile techniques in the following conditions:

• When user stories are continually changing
• When a comprehensive level of documentation is necessary in Agile.
• Only appropriate for regression tests during agile tests, such as continuous integration.

3.  What is a Test Script?

It is a code to execute a series of instructions on an app. Test script is used to check and confirm whether the application is working as per the software necessities. When you run your script, it provides the test outcomes as a fail or passes, which is determined by whether the app functions as per the expectations.

4. How to choose a perfect test automation tool?

• Good debugging facility
• Easy to use
• Parameterization 
• Extensive Test Environment support
• Record and Playback
• Strong object identification
• Supports common programming languages for test script generation, for instance, Java
• Testing of database
• Image testing abilities
• Support multiple automation frameworks
• Type of support is available for the tools such as documentation, training, tutorials, etc
• Good reporting system
• Cost and budget

5. Can you tell me some good coding practices while Automation?

Here are Great automation practices:

• Add appropriate comments to explain that coding part.
• You must identify the reusable approaches and write them in a separate file.
• Must follow the language-centric coding conventions.
• Stock the test data in a separate file.
• Run your scripts frequently.

6.  What is a Modular Test Framework?

The modular Testing framework is built on the abstraction concept. In this kind of framework, the QA tester generates scripts for all the app modules under testing and then these scripts are joined in a hierarchical order to generate test cases.

7. What Version Control Systems do you utilize?

We use GitHub. Version control aids you in tracking code variations. It controls the test script source code with a recorded history of alterations to streamline the modification process. You might also revert to earlier code versions if you make a mistake.

8. What are the Prerequisites of Automation Testing?

A few significant pre-requisites of Automated Testing are:

• A stable build
• Test cases for automated Testing
• Functionalities to be tested

9. What are XPath Axes? Mention some of them.

XPath is a FORM OF syntax that manipulates Extensible Markup Language (XML) data. They support to locate nodes connected to those on the tree. Some significant XPath Axes are namespace, ancestor, parent, child, etc.

10. How can you fast-track an automated test suite?

Applications that need User Interface testing that interacts with multiple components can slow down the test process. It is better to generate a simple test script that speeds up test implementation.

11. What is the average no. of test cases you have automated every day?

The answer depends on the complexity and length of the test scenario. Usually, a QA engineer can automate 2-4 test scenarios every day when the complexity is restricted. But, sometimes it may reduce to 1-2 when the intricacy is high.

12. What is the scripting standard while performing automation testing?

While writing the scripts for automation, you should consider the following things:

• Uniform naming convention.
• Adequate indentation.
• 3 lines of comments for each 10 lines of code.
• Robust bug handling and recovery scenario.
• Use of Test Frameworks wherever possible.

13. What are the most popular tools for automated testing?

The most popular test tools for automation testing are:

• Selenium
• Rational Robot.
• UFT.

14. How can you measure the success of automated testing?

The following criteria can map the success of automated testing:

• Defect Detection Ratio
• Automation implementation time and time savings to launch the product
• Reduction in Labour as well as other expenses

15. What are the dissimilarities between vendor tools, open-source tools, & in-house tools in automation testing?

Here are the dissimilarities between all:

• Vendor Tools: These testing tools are introduced by companies, and you have to purchase their licenses. For instance: Microfocus UFT.
• Open-Source Tools: They are free tools with source code accessible on the internet. For instance: Selenium
• In-house Tools: It is built by companies for their usage.

16. Can you do automation without a framework?

Frameworks are guidelines and not mandatory to generate and perform automation scripts. So, yes, we can automate without a testing framework. Improving and managing test scripts would be easy if we generated and followed a framework.

17. What is SikuliX?

SikuliX is a tool that utilizes the “Visual Image Match” technique to automate the GUI (graphical user interface). All the web components in SikuliX must be taken as an image and stored inside the project.

SikuliX is comprised of

• SikuliX Script
• SikuliX IDE
• Visual Scripting API for Jython

Practical usages of SikuliX are:

• It can automate window-based apps and anything you notice on screen without using internal API support.
• It gives an easy API.
• It can be easily linked with tools such as Selenium.
• Web apps can be automated.
• SikuliX gives extensive support to automate flash objects.
• It can function on any technology- Java,-.NET.

18.  What are the attributes of a good test automation framework?

Here are some significant attributes of a good automation framework:

• Consistent: It must be written in a consistent format.
• Modular: It is a framework that must be adaptable to change. Hence, QA engineers must modify the scripts as per the environment.
• Reusable: It must be reusable so that utilities or techniques should be written in a common file accessible to every script.
• Independent: The scripts should be written in a mode that they are not dependent to each other.
• Incorporation: The Automation Framework must be developed in such a way that it is simple to incorporate with other applications.

19. Which Testing can be done using the Selenium Framework?

You can utilize a Selenium framework for the following testing:

• Regression testing of web apps.
• Load testing of web apps.
• Functional testing of web apps.

20. What are the crucial modules of an automated testing framework?

Here are a few essential modules of the automated testing framework:

• Test Assertion Tool: This testing tool will give assert statements for evaluating the expected values in the app under test. For instance, TestNG, Junit, etc.
• Build Management Tool: The framework needs to be built and deployed to generate test scripts.
• Data Setup: Confirms that every test case takes the test data from the database, a file, or embedded in the test script.
• Continuous integration tool: They are required to incorporate and deploy the modifications done in the framework at each iteration.
• Reporting tool: It assists in creating a readable report after the test cases for a better view of the failures, steps, and results. 
• Logging tool: They assist in better debugging of the bugs and errors.

21. How can you handle the alert popups in Selenium WebDriver?

Selenium gives alerts if there are glitches when you test. The pop-up interface enables you to manage the alert by switching the control to the pop-up, pressing the Cancel or OK buttons, and revolving back to the source page screen. 

22. Write stages to automate primary “login” functionality test cases for an app?

Here are the steps for automating basic login functionality:

Step 1) Understand the project prerequisite.

Step 2) Find the Test scenarios

Step 3) Prepare a data input file with the data corresponding to every single scenario

Step 4) Launch the tool from the program.

Step 5) Determine the username, password, and login buttons.

Step 6) Authenticate that the error message for negative scenarios is similar to the success message for positive test scenarios.

These crucial interview questions will also help in your viva (orals) as well.

In-Depth Interview Questions about Automation Testing

Here is a list of in-depth interview questions recruiting managers might ask to evaluate your technical knowledge about automated testing:

• Describe some alternatives to Selenium?
• How familiar are you with Sikuli?
• Explain the dissimilarity between Sikuli and Selenium. 
• How would you manage an automated testing issue?
• What are the best practices in automated tests?
• How do you decide which tools to utilize for automation testing?
• What form of testing would you not automate?
• What is an automated testing platform?
• Explain the robot framework.
• Explain some drawbacks of automation testing.
• What are the distinct stages of test automation?
• What do you understand by browser automation?
• Explain regression tests.
• Explain the automated testing pyramid?

Conclusion

In short, preparing for senior-level automation testing positions needs a multifaceted approach that encompasses leadership abilities, technical mastery, and effective communication skills. By focusing on honing your expertise with automated test tools and frameworks, developing a strategic mindset for automation, and representing your capacity to lead and innovate in test processes, you will stand out as a top candidate in interviews. Besides, maintaining a commitment to continuous learning and staying up-to-date on industry advancements will further bolster your candidacy for senior roles in test automation. With a proactive approach and diligent preparation for interview questions for automation testing, you will be well-positioned to seize opportunities and boost your career in the dynamic field of automation testing.   

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

• What is automation testing in Quality Assurance?

In Quality Assurance and software testing, automation testing refers to implementing tests on the software we developed with the help of automated testing tools and reporting the outcomes. Automation testing makes various time-consuming jobs that otherwise would have been done by manual QA engineers far more efficient.

• How do I become a QA Automation Tester?

To become a QA automation tester, you have to: Master the basics of testing, counting manual testing. Experiment with and get experience using diverse automation testing tools. Learn to code both practice and concepts to a decent level. Learn the ATLC approach and learn how to capably understand any new apps. 

• Is automation a Promising Career?

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