Conducting an interview for an application tester, also known as a QA tester, involves evaluating a mix of technical skills and soft skills. This guide will help you structure an interview process to ensure you find the best candidate for your team.
Preparation
1. Define Requirements:
- Understand the job description and the key skills required (e.g., manual testing, automated testing, specific tools like Selenium, JIRA, etc.).
- Determine the level of experience needed (junior, mid, senior).
2. Create a Question Bank:
- Prepare questions that cover technical skills, problem-solving abilities, and soft skills.
- Include scenario-based questions and practical tests.
Interview Structure
1. Introduction (5-10 minutes):
- Welcome the candidate and introduce yourself and your role.
- Give a brief overview of the company and the role.
- Explain the interview process.
2. Technical Skills Assessment (20-30 minutes):
Knowledge-Based Questions:
- Ask about their understanding of testing principles, methodologies (e.g., Agile, Waterfall), and specific tools.
- Example: “Can you explain the difference between black-box testing and white-box testing?”
- Example: “What is regression testing and why is it important?”
Scenario-Based Questions:
- Present hypothetical scenarios to understand their approach to problem-solving.
- Example: “If you find a critical bug just before the release, what steps would you take?”
Practical Test:
- Give a small task or problem to solve.
- Example: Provide a simple application or piece of code and ask them to write test cases or find bugs.
3. Behavioral and Soft Skills Assessment (15-20 minutes):
Past Experiences:
- Discuss their previous roles and projects.
- Example: “Can you describe a challenging testing project you worked on and how you handled it?”
Teamwork and Communication:
- Understand how they work with others.
- Example: “How do you handle conflicts with developers when you report bugs?”
Adaptability and Learning:
- Evaluate their willingness to learn and adapt.
- Example: “Can you give an example of a new tool or technology you learned recently and how you applied it?”
4. Questions from the Candidate (10-15 minutes):
- Allow the candidate to ask questions about the role, team, company culture, etc.
- Assess their interest and understanding of the role through their questions.
5. Conclusion:
- Thank the candidate for their time.
- Explain the next steps in the hiring process and the expected timeline for feedback.
Sample Questions
Technical Questions:
Manual Testing:
- What are the different types of software testing?
- How do you prioritize test cases in a test suite?
- What is the difference between verification and validation?
Automated Testing:
- What are the benefits of automated testing?
- Can you explain a framework you have used for automated testing?
- How do you decide what to automate in a project?
Tools and Technologies:
- What tools have you used for bug tracking and test management?
- Can you describe your experience with Selenium/WebDriver?
- How do you use version control systems in your testing process?
Behavioral Questions:
Problem Solving:
- Describe a time when you missed a bug in your testing process. How did you handle it?
- How do you ensure thorough testing when faced with tight deadlines?
Teamwork:
- How do you collaborate with developers and other team members to ensure quality?
- Can you describe a situation where you had to defend your testing findings?
Adaptability:
- How do you keep yourself updated with the latest testing tools and methodologies?
- Describe a situation where you had to quickly learn a new tool or technology.
Practical Test Examples
Manual Testing Task:
- Provide a sample web application and ask the candidate to create a set of test cases.
Automation Task:
- Provide a small script or application and ask the candidate to write an automated test using a tool like Selenium.
Bug Identification:
- Share a piece of buggy code or a web page with known issues and ask the candidate to identify and document the bugs. Here is an example of buggy code:
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<title>Code Test</title>
<style>
body {
background-color: #f0f0f0;
font-family: Arial, sans-serif;
}
h1 {
color: blue;
}
content {
padding: 20px;
border: 1px solid #ccc;
background-color: #fff;
}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<div class="content">
<h1>Code Test</h1>
<p>This is a paragraph.
<ul>
<li>Item 1</li>
<li>Item 2</li>
<li>Item 3
<ul>
<li>Subitem 1</li>
<li>Subitem 2</li>
</ul>
<li>Item 4</li>
</ul>
<img src="image.jpg" alt="Example image">
<form action="submit.php" method="post">
<label for="name">Name:</label>
<input type="text" id="name" name="name">
<input type="submit" value="Submit">
</form>
</div>
</body>
</html>Explanation of Bugs:
- Dot Missing in CSS Class: content should be .content
- Missing Paragraph Closing Tag:
<p>tag is opened but not closed. - Nested List Missing Closing Tags: Several
<li>tags are not properly closed. - Image Tag Without Closing Tag:
<img>tag is missing the closing slash (/>).
These intentional bugs cover various aspects that a QA tester might be expected to identify and report, such as HTML validation errors, missing or incorrect tags, and attribute issues.
By following this structured approach, you can effectively evaluate the skills and capabilities of an application tester candidate, ensuring that they are a good fit for your team and project requirements.