The role of the QA analyst is critically important to software development. The QA analyst can be the difference between a bug-filled, frustrating application being released to customers or a crisp, clean, satisfying experience.
Being a QA tester requires that you are a professional problem solver. You have to be great at testing, but not every problem can be predicted and looked for in the testing environment. Problems often arise that no one could have expected so there is no recommended fix or past experience to use. A great QA analyst solves these problems themselves, or with their team while learning from the experience.
While it would be impossible to list every possible question, these are 10 of the most common QA analyst interview questions you may encounter.
- What are the primary responsibilities of a QA analyst?
- What are some of the biggest challenges a QA analyst may face while testing software?
- What is the difference between Quality Assurance vs. Quality Control?
- How would you describe Data-Driven Testing?
- What is Negative Testing (I.e. ‘error path testing’ or ‘failure testing’)
- What is a Test plan?
- What is Use Case Testing?
- What is Agile Testing?
- What is Agile Testing?
- What is the difference between bug leakage vs. bug release?
1. What are the primary responsibilities of a QA analyst
QA analysts play a key role in the production process. They are accountable for most, if not all, of the testing phase to ensure that the end result meets expectations. This includes meeting the expectations of the end-user, reliability, and functionality.
2. What are some of the biggest challenges a QA analyst may face while testing software?
A seemingly endless array of difficulties may be faced during Software Testing. Some of the most common are:
- Time management
- Task prioritization
- Lack of necessary tools
- Lack of skills in the tester themself
- Maintaining good relations between developers and testers
- Misunderstanding of the requirements
3. What is the difference between Quality Assurance vs. Quality Control?
Both Quality Assurance and Quality Control are techniques used during the testing process.
- Quality Assurance creates deliverables, verifies that the right things are done, is process-oriented, and is categorized as a Statistical Process Control.
- Quality Control verifies deliverables, validates expected results, is product-oriented, and is categorized as a Statistical Quality control.
4. How would you describe Data-Driven Testing?
Automation is used to both speed up and standardize parts of the testing process. When performing data-driven testing, the information required for the test comes from other data sources (e.g. ODBC sources) rather than being hardcoded.
5. What is Negative Testing (I.e. ‘error path testing’ or ‘failure testing’)
Negative testing is a way to make sure the application works even when it’s given unexpected input. It’s a way to introduce the variety of possibilities the software will face during real-world use rather than a pre-determined, simulated scenario.
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6. What is a Test plan?
A Test plan is a documented record of the testing project. It typically includes:
- The approach being taken to test the application
- The tools and resources to be used
- The size and scope of the testing project
- A tracking system to be used to monitor progress
- A general outline of the overall testing project itself.
7. What is Use Case Testing?
Use case testing is a technique used to find problems that may be overlooked by just testing each individual component separately. It uses previously recorded or programmed interactions between ‘systems’ (I.e. applications) and ‘actors’ (I.e. users) to test the new program, as a whole, on situations that have previously occurred.
8. What is Agile Testing?
Agile Testing incorporates the principles of Agile software development in the testing phase of the process. This enables testers to produce deliverables faster, receive client validation quickly, collaborate cross-functionally, and produce fewer defects.
9. What is the difference between QA testing vs. software testing?
Software testing focuses more on the final product. While it may be tested early, and often, such as in an Agile environment, the spotlight is on ensuring the final product meets the requirements of the user. Quality Assurance (QA) testing is more focused on the process of developing the software. While the two terms share a common goal, producing an application that meets the listed requirements listed, they do so in slightly different ways.
10. What is the difference between bug leakage vs. bug release?
Bug leakage is an error or defect that’s discovered by the end-user. It means that the bug slipped through all testing phases and made its way into the released product. Bug release is a defect or error that’s discovered before release and is given to the testing team. This allows them to test more thoroughly and hopefully resolve the error before it’s ever seen by the customer.
Final Thoughts
As you can see, the QA analyst is an extremely important part of the software development process. They have to be top-notch problem solvers able to find solutions to issues no one could have predicted. They must also have strong interpersonal skills, the ability to communicate effectively and collaborate pleasantly, in order to work with a variety of people and teams.
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