Software testing is essential for delivering reliable, secure, and high-quality software. Whether you’re new to QA or looking to strengthen your testing fundamentals, this comprehensive Software testing FAQ covers all major concepts in a clean, beginner-friendly format.
1. What is software testing?
Software testing is the process of evaluating software to ensure it meets functional and non-functional requirements. It helps detect issues before they reach the end user.
2. Why is software testing important?
Testing improves software quality, identifies bugs early, reduces risk, and ensures a smooth user experience.
3. What are the different levels of software testing?
- Unit Testing – Testing individual components and is mostly automated
- Integration Testing – Testing combined modules and checking different integration points. In this we verify the interactions and data exchange between multiple software components, modules, or services when they are combined.
- System Testing – Testing the entire application
- User Acceptance Testing (UAT) – Testing by end users to validate business requirements
4. What are the main types of testing?
- Functional Testing
- Non-Functional Testing (Performance, Security, Usability)
- Regression Testing
- Exploratory Testing
- Smoke & Sanity Testing
- Automation Testing
5. What is the difference between verification and validation?
- Verification: Ensures the product is built correctly.
- Validation: Ensures the right product is built.
6. What is a test case?
A test case defines test steps, input data, and expected results to validate a specific feature.
7. What is test automation?
Test automation uses tools and scripts to automatically execute test cases, improving speed and coverage.
8. What tools are commonly used in software testing?
- Automation: Selenium, Playwright, Cypress, Appium
- Test Management: TestRail, Zephyr, Azure DevOps
- Performance: JMeter, LoadRunner, k6
- API Testing: Postman, RestAssured
9. What is regression testing?
Regression testing ensures new code changes have not impacted existing functionality.
10. What is black-box vs white-box testing?
- Black-box: No knowledge of internal code. Testing without knowing internal code/structure or working.
- White-box: Tests internal logic and structure
- Gray-box: Combination of both
11. What is Agile testing?
Agile testing is performed continuously throughout the development lifecycle and aligns with Agile principles, focusing on collaboration and early feedback.
12. What is a defect or bug?
A defect is any deviation from expected behavior or requirements.
13. What is User Acceptance Testing (UAT)?
UAT is performed by end users or clients to verify that the software meets real-life business needs.
14. What is the difference between smoke and sanity testing?
- Smoke: Basic checks to ensure major functionalities work.
- Sanity: Focused checks after minor fixes or changes.
15. What is exploratory testing?
Exploratory testing involves simultaneously learning, designing tests, and executing them without predefined scripts.
16. What are non-functional tests?
These tests measure performance, scalability, security, reliability, and usability.
17. What is test coverage?
Test coverage measures how much of the system’s requirements or code have been tested.
18. What skills are important for software testers?
Strong analytical skills, communication, domain knowledge, familiarity with tools, and basic programming (for automation).
19. What is API testing?
API or Application Program interface testing checks the correctness, reliability, and performance of APIs using tools like Postman or automated frameworks.
20. What is the difference between QA and QC?
- QA: Process-oriented; focuses on preventing defects.
- QC: Product-oriented; focuses on identifying defects.
Additional FAQs
21. What is a Test Plan?
A Test Plan is a detailed document outlining the testing scope, objectives, approach, resources, schedule, entry/exit criteria, and deliverables. It is created at the project level and serves as a guide for the overall testing effort.
22. What is a Test Strategy?
A Test Strategy is a high-level organizational document that defines the overall testing approach for all projects. It includes standards, methodologies, tools, risk management, and testing principles followed across the company or QA team.
23. What is the difference between a Test Plan and Test Strategy?
| Test Plan | Test Strategy |
|---|---|
| Project-specific | Organization-level document but can be considered at project level. Test plan can include test strategy for that project. |
| Prepared by Test Lead/QA Lead | Prepared by QA Manager or higher |
| Includes schedule, scope, environment, resources | Includes testing standards, methodologies, tools |
| Changes per project | Remains stable across projects |
At some point people use test plan and strategy inter changeably.
24. What is Test Reporting?
Test reporting is the practice of summarizing test activities and outcomes. It includes:
- Number of test cases executed
- Passed/failed test results
- Defect summary and status
- Risks and blockers
- Overall test progress and coverage
Common test reports include:
- Daily Test Status Report
- Test Summary Report
- Quality/Defect Reports
Test reporting helps stakeholders understand the current quality of the software.
This Software testing FAQ will be handy for you and help you beginner or intermediate level interview.