QA Engineer Interview Questions

1.1What QA actually is - quality mindset, testing vs checking, and the QA engineer value in a team

1.2The testing lifecycle - requirements analysis, test planning, execution, defect management, and sign-off

1.3QA in agile teams - shifting left, testing in sprints, and continuous quality rather than a phase

1.4Quality metrics - defect rates, test coverage, escaped defects, and measuring QA effectiveness

2.1Test strategy - scope, approach, risk-based testing, and aligning coverage to what matters most

2.2Test planning - estimating, scheduling, and managing a test plan for a release

2.3Risk-based testing - identifying the highest-risk areas and focusing effort there first

2.4Test documentation - test plans, test cases, checklists, and when each level of documentation is appropriate

3.1Black-box testing techniques - equivalence partitioning, boundary value analysis, and decision tables

3.2Exploratory testing - charter-based exploration, session-based testing, and finding bugs that scripts miss

3.3Regression testing - selecting the right tests, managing regression suites, and preventing build-up

3.4Acceptance testing - UAT coordination, acceptance criteria, and signing off releases with confidence

4.1Automation strategy - the testing pyramid, what to automate, and the ROI of automation investment

4.2UI automation - writing maintainable tests, page object model, and managing test flakiness

4.3API testing automation - REST and GraphQL test design, assertions, and contract testing

4.4Automation in CI/CD - integrating tests into the pipeline and making automation a safety net not a bottleneck

5.1API testing fundamentals - HTTP methods, status codes, headers, and what to validate in an API response

5.2Testing REST APIs - happy paths, edge cases, error handling, and boundary conditions

5.3Authentication and authorisation testing - verifying that access controls work correctly

5.4Testing microservices - inter-service communication, contract testing, and the challenges of distributed systems

6.1Performance testing types - load, stress, spike, soak, and scalability testing and when to use each

6.2Performance test design - defining scenarios, virtual users, ramp-up, and test data

6.3Analysing performance results - response times, throughput, error rates, and identifying bottlenecks

6.4Non-functional requirements - how to derive testable performance acceptance criteria from business needs

7.1Security testing in QA - the tests QA engineers can run without being security specialists

7.2OWASP Top 10 from a testing perspective - how to verify the application is not vulnerable

7.3Authentication and session testing - login flows, token handling, and session management

7.4Security testing tools - DAST scanners, proxy tools, and how to use them safely in a QA context

8.1Writing great bug reports - reproduction steps, environment, severity, and everything a developer needs to fix it

8.2Defect lifecycle - open, triage, assign, fix, retest, and close

8.3Root cause analysis - why the same defect keeps recurring and how QA helps prevent it

8.4Communicating quality to stakeholders - defect metrics, test completion, and quality gates for release decisions

9.1Mobile testing fundamentals - native, hybrid, and web apps, device diversity, and OS fragmentation

9.2Cross-browser testing - compatibility matrix, test prioritisation, and managing browser differences

9.3Device and emulator testing - when to test on real devices vs emulators and the trade-offs

9.4Accessibility testing - automated checks, manual testing, and ensuring the product works for all users

10.1Technical questions - testing techniques, automation frameworks, API testing, and performance testing

10.2Practical exercises - reviewing requirements for testability and writing test cases on the spot

10.3Behavioural questions - finding a critical bug late, disagreeing with a developer, and managing quality under time pressure

10.4Salary negotiation for QA roles, evaluating a quality culture, and questions that reveal the real approach to testing in the team