Quality Assurance Interview Questions (With Example Answers)
Before goods and services hit the market they must be tested to ensure they meet the standards and expectations of the company. A combination of external and internal regulation can determine whether or not the good or service is ready.
Many companies set up a quality assurance (QA) team that handles this process. QA is a system to provide confidence the requirements of quality are ensured. For both employees and customers alike, QA delivers on the promise of the company’s product.
QA is also important to meet the standards of external regulators and government agencies. A lot of parties are involved. Therefore QA is an important role in a company’s success and spans multiple departments. This includes management, customer service, marketing, and production.
If you want a career in QA you need to have certain skills in areas such as testing and project management. If you apply for a QA job and get an interview, you’ll want to show you know about the skills required.
In your interview, you’ll also want to be ready for questions about your experience and career goals.
Looking for a job? These position are hiring now near you:
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Software Quality Assurance
Some industries, particularly the software industry, have specific uses for quality assurance. This means your skillset must be targeted to that industry. If you are looking for a career in software quality assurance (SQA) you must know things such as the differences between roles in quality assurance, quality control, and software testing.
SQA is the defined process a software company puts in place to ensure its product meets its internal standards and external expectations. This procedure comes with an SQA plan that organizes what steps are needed.
If you are interested in SQA, you must prepare for the job interview. Read over the following examples of questions and answers to get a better idea of what is to come in the SQA job application process.
Examples SQA Interview Questions And Answers
Why are you interested in software quality assurance? Like most interviews, you are going to be asked why you picked this specific occupation.
SQA is about designing and improving complex systems. This should be the main interest of yours, either in a specific realm or as a general overview.
Example Answer:
“I love computers and I love fixing and preventing mistakes. Software quality assurance is a field that interests me for this reason. I like the idea of being part of a system that is designed to make software products run as smoothly as possible.”
What area of software quality assurance are you most interested in? Software quality assurance involves an overall SQA plan, several specific testing plans, and several specific testing procedures.
See AlsoManual Testing: Everything To Know In 6 Important Steps | UNextSoftware testing, and the real worldWhat is Selenium? Getting started with Selenium Automation TestingJira Testing ToolGenerally, the higher-level planning is left to management, so this question depends on your prospective role as well as your future goals.
Example Answer:
“I am new to the field, so I am very interested in testing, particularly front-end testing. That being said, I also love the idea of setting up quality assurance plans and working with development teams. Down the line that is where I would like to go.”
What is the difference between quality assurance (QA) and quality control (QC)? While both are part of quality management, QA is about the planning process while QC is the implementation of that process, handling whatever problems arise.
QA is systems-based proactivity against issues while QC focuses on the components and is reactive towards issues.
Example Answer:
“Quality assurance defines how standards are met and implemented while quality control deals with the discovery of defects and the possible implementation for solutions. Quality assurance focuses on the process while quality control focuses on the product.”
What is the difference between quality assurance and testing? Testing is a specific part of quality control. You can think of testing as the smallest stage within QC which itself is a part of the bigger SQA plan. Testing does the actual work detecting problems.
Example Answer:
“Testing looks for bugs in the software by running tests determined by the quality assurance plan. Testing provides the data that validates the quality of the product which in turn validates the quality assurance plan.”
How is an automation test plan organized? Automation testing uses software to run tests as opposed to people. This saves time and money for the organization.
The steps to automation testing can vary between companies. However, generally, every test selects the test tool, defines the test, prepares, executes, and maintains the test.
Example Answer:
“It depends on the company. However, most organizations will first want to select the right test to make sure it's appropriate for their goals. Then they will define that test to meet their needs. After this, it becomes a process of preparing, executing and maintaining the test to achieve desired results.”
What are the benefits and drawbacks of automated testing? Automated testing is great for tests that are repetitive and do not rely on improvisation.
However, the user experience is rarely repetitive and product design changes can greatly impact an automated test. The practicality depends on the time and money it would take to build the automated test.
Example Answer:
“Automated tests should be used for repetitive tasks at a point when the product design will not be changed or else a change in the product design will not affect the tests. Automated tests are not good for examining what the user experience for the product will be.”
Where does quality assurance get involved in the development planning sessions? This is another factor of SQA that varies between companies.
Some will implement an SQA plan right at the beginning while others may bring them in towards the final stages of development. Regardless, QA will still need to perform its basic duties.
Example Answer:
“Quality assurance can get involved at any point in the development planning processes. It will be up to management when they decide it is appropriate. In any case, quality assurance will be discussed long before the product is sent to the consumer.”
What do you believe is the biggest struggle in software quality assurance? In a question like this, you are asked to give an educated opinion.
Technically there are no right or wrong answers, however, you will be judged on your interpretation of the question. Whether you are a veteran or a rookie in the field, show how you consider the matter seriously.
Example Answer:
“I believe flexibility is the biggest struggle in software quality assurance. Efficient product development relies on a quality assurance plan that does not weigh down the process. Only the most important factors should be considered. A cluttered QA plan can be just as bad as a faulty product because it diverts time and resources.”
What development methodology do you prefer? In this question, the interviewer might want to see you understand the difference between strategies, such as waterfall and agile development.
In waterfall development, QA comes after the product has been developed, while in agile development, QA happens concurrently.
Example Answer:
“It depends on the product, but I prefer an agile approach. When a problem is detected early then we can find solutions without having to reverse the entire development process. An agile approach does not have to wait for a product; instead, it can help adjust and improve the product as needed while it is developed.”
How do you set the standards of quality assurance? The QA testing plan comes with certain entry and exit criteria. These standards determine when a test is ready and when it is finished.
You come up with this based on the characteristics of the product and the needs of the company, such as available budget, deadlines, and metrics for success.
Example Answer:
“The standards of quality assurance should be determined at the beginning with entry and exit criteria for testing. We should know when a product is ready to be tested and when it has passed by working with management and developers to agree on how the final product should perform. These standards also must adhere to real-time and budget constraints.”
How would you handle a failure in the quality assurance plan that allowed a faulty product onto the market? This is a situational question that examines your approach to stress and mistakes.
Your answer must underscore the seriousness of the mistake in this question. It should also show elements of integrity that imply responsibility and growth.
Example Answer:
“I would hate for such a failure to happen, but if it did, the first step is to find out how it happened. I would have to accept responsibility for the failures on my part.”
“There would need to be an objective review of how the QA plan was organized and implemented to avoid future mistakes. Any fallout from the mistake would have to be dealt with immediately.”
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Final Thoughts
Software quality assurance is an important part of the software industry. It handles diverse sets of processes that make sure the product is up to the expectations of the company and the market.
Software products range from the smallest microservices to complex operating systems. Due to this, the quality assurance role within the software is equally diverse.
The above questions are just some of the many possibilities you may be asked. It is important to know the general role of quality assurance as well as the specific aspects that can be found in software development.
The best way to help yourself is to prepare as much as possible and do the research into the position. The more you prepare the better you can handle the opportunities ahead.
