Automation Testing Interview Questions for 2024

Here, we have listed the real-time and tricky top 32 automation testing interview questions with the best possible answers.

These selenium automation testing interview questions are always asked from the freshers and 3 years of experience candidates by the interviewer.

We have explained the best possible answers for the test automation interview questions so that you can answer the questions confidently in 2024. Take a look.

1. What is Automation?

Ans: The execution of a program without interaction of human beings is called automation. It helps to reduce human efforts.

2. What is Automation testing?

Ans: The execution of the test cases by using an automation tool or third party tool is called automation testing or simply test automation.

3. What are the objectives of Test automation?

Ans: The main objective of test automation is to perform testing better, faster, reliable, time-saving, accuracy improvement, and reducing human-generated error ways.

4. How will you decide to automate the test?

Ans: Automation testing is not performed at all times. There are the following scenarios where automation testing is most preferred.

Repetitive and tedious tasks
Smoke and Sanity tests
Test with multiple data set
Regression test cases

5. Why is Testing important in Software development?

Testing is required in software development or any application development because of the following factors. They are as follows:

To identify bugs, errors, issues, or defects for making a superior product.
Testing makes the application stable.
By identifying and fixing bugs, the quality of application or software can be improved so that we can give Quality Assurance product to the client and leads to better customer satisfaction. It can indirectly lead to higher revenue.
To cut down costs.
To Optimize speed and efficiency.

The objective of the testing is to identify bugs or defects in the application for improving the quality of the software application.

6. Why testing is necessary or Why should we do testing?

Ans: Refer to answer 5.

7. How to test a software application?

Ans: Testing an application or software can be done in the following ways. They are as follows:

Manually
Automation by using Selenium, WinRunner, LoadRunner, QTP.
Combination of both Manual and Automation.

8. Why is Automation Testing required?

Ans: Automation Testing is required due to the following factors. They are as follows:

Manual Testing is not accurate at all times due to human-generated error. Hence, it is less reliable.
Manual Testing is time and money consuming. Automation testing reduces the overall testing cost and human effort.
Test automation does not require human intervention. We can run the automated test without attending. Unattended execution of test scripts saves time and human effort.
Automation testing improves accuracy and reduces human-generated error.
Automation increases the speed of test execution. It can perform testing much faster than a human can.
It supports the execution of repeated and parallel test cases.
Automation testing is more reliable than manual testing.

9. What kind of test cases should be automated?

Ans: There is the following criterion to consider in determining which test cases can be selected for automation. They are:

High risk and critical test cases.
When there is a repetition of test cases or a need to run test cases number of times in a test cycle. For example, regression test scenario.
Test cases that are very tedious and difficult to perform manually.
Test cases that are a lot of time-consuming then you should go to automate your test cases.
Automated testing is also the best way to complete the testing efficiently when it comes to load testing.
Automation testing plays an important role when you need to run the same test cases with multiple sets of input data. For example, testing the login page with different sets of input data.
When there is a requirement of running test cases in a different order.
Automation testing is very useful if you want to generate the test report. Test report makes the job easy for identifying defects or errors.

Keeping these key points in mind, you can find the best systematic approach in any given testing situation and can achieve the quality output in your project.

Now, look at the following types of test scripts that you can target for automation.

Functional regression test scripts
Sanity test scripts
Verification test scripts
Load testing scripts
Any script that is executed multiple times
New functionality scripts in which core features have to be tested.

10. Can we achieve 100% test automation?

Ans: Automation testing is to support the manual testing process and cannot replace it. Achieving automation with 100% functionality cannot be done. 100% test automation is a myth, just like 100% test coverage.

11. What are the types of test cases are not suitable for automation testing?

Ans: The test cases which are not suitable for automation are as follows:

When test cases are newly designed and not executed manually at least once then it is not suitable for automation.
When the requirements of test cases are often changing then it is not suitable for automation.
Those test cases for which input data or expected data is not known, you should not go for automation.
Complex test cases that involve multiple steps unrelated to each other.
Test cases that need urgent bug fixes or deployment.
Test cases that take less time to execute manually rather than using automation.
Test scripts that produce unpredictable test results.

12. What are the benefits/advantages of Automation Testing over Manual Testing?

Ans: Some of the key benefits of automation testing over manual testing are as follows:

Automation Testing is 75% faster than manual testing. Therefore, it reduces test execution time.
One of the main benefits of using test automation is that it supports the execution of repeated test cases.
Test automation supports parallel execution. We can run multiple tests in parallel with multiple sets of test data in different operating systems and browsers.
It improves accuracy and reduces human-generated error. It also helps to find defects early and fixing them as well.
It saves time and money.
It reduces the cost of software maintenance.
Human intervention is not required during the execution of test cases. Tests can be triggered without dependency on humans.
The test script for automation can be reused. Automation helps to create reusable test cases.

13. What are the disadvantages or risks of automation testing in Selenium?

Ans: Automation testing provides better test execution efficiency and accuracy but also has some disadvantages or risks associated with automation.

The tester should have good programming skills because all the testing tools provide a scripting language to create test scripts.
100% test automation cannot be achieved.
The initial cost to start an automation project is very high because we will have to purchase the automation tool for testing.
The cost of maintaining the test script and data can be expensive.
Testing team must be required time for tool selection and framework design.
No single automation tool can support all applications and GUI objects.

14. What are the differences between manual testing and automation testing?

Ans: The differences between manual testing and automation testing are listed in the tabular form:

S.N.	Factors	Manual Testing	Automation Testing
1.	Process	Manually done	Through Tool
2.	Time consumption	More time taken	Less time taken
3.	STLC	Follows manually	Follows using tool
4.	Cost	Less expensive	More expensive
5.	Reliability	Less reliable	More reliable
6.	Accuracy	Less accurate	More accurate
7.	No. of Testers	More required	Less required
8.	Quality	Low quality	High quality
9.	Skillset	Less skilled tester also be	Highly skilled testers are required.

For more detail, go to this tutorial: 15 Difference between Manual and Automation Testing

15. What are the types of software testing we can automate?

Ans: There are the following types of software testing that can be automated.

a. User Interface Testing: This testing is performed to make sure that the product (application) meets the specification of graphical user interface.

b. Functional Testing: This testing is done to make sure that the product performs all the functions.

c. Server Performance Testing: It is performed to make sure that the application running in a server is able to withstand the heavy load when many users are accessing the application at the same time.

d. Unit Testing: It is performed to make sure that a particular module of an application works as expected or not.

e. Integration Testing: The integration testing is done to make sure that the whole application works as expected.

f. Security Testing: This testing is performed to make sure that no one can hack the credentials of an application.

g. Memory Leak Testing: It is performed to make sure that the application can withstand with the maximum load during peak day such as Christmas.

h. System Testing: It is done to make sure that the system never fails for all the above test scenarios.

i. Regression Testing: Automation testing is best suited for regression testing where frequent changes occur in the code that cannot be done effectively via manual testing.

j. Load Testing: It is a very tough task to check the increasing number of users via manual testing. This task can be performed with the help of a good test tool.

16. What are the conditions where we prefer manual testing?

Ans: There are the following scenarios where manual testing is preferred.

Exploratory Testing
Usability testing
Random testing

17. What are the problems an organization faces while selecting automated software testing?

Ans: An organization faces the following problems while selecting automated software testing.

Selecting and hiring the correct testing expert.
Choosing the correct tool for automation tasks.
Developing and implementing an automated testing process.
Analyzing the software application and selecting the best suited tasks for automation.
Training the team on the automated testing process and execution.

18. What are the steps or phases involved in the automation testing life cycle?
Or
What are the life cycles of automation testing?

Ans: Automation testing life cycle consists of seven steps or processes that are as follows:

Decision to automate testing.
Selection of test tools to be used.
Design and Implementation of the framework
Test data Preparation
Automated test development
Execution of test, Review, and assessment of test results.
Maintenance

19. How will you decide for selecting a testing tool for automation testing in your project?

Ans: There are lots of test tools available in the market: open source and commercial. Selecting a testing tool is an important aspect of automation testing.

There are the following criteria in order to identify the test tool for automation testing in the project.

a) First you need to understand your project requirements thoroughly and then identify scenarios that you want to automate.

b) Make the list of correct test tools that meet your project’s requirements. Test tools must be familiar and easy to use in learning, installation, and maintenance. Does the test tool support all the platforms such as desktop, mobile, etc based on your project requirements?

c) Identify the cost associated with implementation of the test tool. Select the automation test tools within your budget.

d) Evaluate technical skills that need to be considered when selecting the automated test tool.

e) Get the experiences of other organizations that used similar test tools.

f) Keep a list of questions to be asked to the vendors on cost/support/effort.

g) Evaluate that a non-technical person can also execute the test cases with little training.

h) Evaluate that the test tools have test reporting functionality like test analysis reports, graphs support, Ad-hoc reporting or not. If not, can the test tool easily configurable with other tools?

i) Evaluate that the test tool supports cross-browser testing for web-based applications, different testing types, and multiple languages.

Once you have evaluated the test tools, select the tool which is within your budget and supports your project requirements.

All the above points are the basic ideas to give you for the selection of tools based on your project requirements.

20. What are the different types of team members recruited for automation?

Ans: The different types of team members recruited for automation is as follows:

a. Automation test manager: Responsible to gather appropriate resources to perform activities. He also manages the whole project and define the approach for project completion.

b. Automation administrator: Responsible to manage tools, development test environment.

c. Automation test developer: Responsible to write the automation test script.

d. Automation tester: Responsible

21. Explain the planning for automation system resources.

Ans: There are the following system resources that should be identified to execute the project.

Computer
Server
Network
Tools

22. What are the challenges that occur in test automation?

Ans: There are mainly four important challenges during test automation. They are as follows:

Approval from Management: Budget and time are the two important factors to get approval from management.
Automation tool selection
Identify how to start.
Setting automation expectations.

23. What are the main features of a good automation tool?

Ans: There are several main features of a good automation tool that should keep in mind before selecting. They are:

a. A good automation tool must support the test environment.
b. Easy to use.
c. Must have a good debugging facility.
d. Robust object identification.
e. Must have features like object and image testing.
f. Object identification
g. Testing of database
f. The test tool must support multiple frameworks.

24. What are the most famous automation test tools to perform automation testing?

Ans: The most famous automation test tool available for automation testing are as follows:

a. QTP (Quick Test Professional)
b. IBM Rational Functional Tester
c. Selenium
d. Visual Studio Test Professional
e. Katalon Studio
f. LoadRunner
g. SOAPUI
h. Apache Junit/JMeter
i. Postman
j. Appium

25. What are the types of the framework available for software automation testing?

Ans: There are mainly four types of automation framework that can be used for software automation testing. They are as:

a. Data-driven automation framework
b. Keyword-driven automation framework
c. Modular automation framework
d. Hybrid automation framework

26. In which few situations we should not use automation testing for the Agile methodology?

Ans: There are the following situations or conditions where automation testing is not useful for agile methodology.

a. When there are always frequent changes in requirements during agile testing.
b. When agile testing wants an exhaustive level of documentation.

27. Which testing can be done using the Selenium Framework?

Ans: Selenium framework can be used for the following testing:

Load testing of web applications.
Regression testing of web applications.
Functional testing of web applications.

28. Can we automate CAPTCHA or RECAPTCHA?

Ans: No, we cannot automate Captcha or Recaptcha.

29. What should some of the key elements to be considered while developing automation testing framework?

Ans: Some of the key elements to be considered while developing a test automation framework are as follows:

a. Collection of reusable functions in the form of libraries to automate faster.
b. Support the reuse of common framework and configurations across platforms, tools, and languages.
c. Logging framework
d. Coding guidelines including documentation.
e. An error handling library
f. Reporting libraries
g. Data handling mechanism.
h. Driver scripts
i. Object handler and repository management
j. Support both new and existing applications under development.

30. What are some criteria to determine successful automation testing?

Ans: There are the following important criteria that can determine the success of automation testing.

a. Determine the number of defects detected using the test automation suite.

b. Determine the saving of manual efforts.

c. Determine how much cost reduced. Net saving can be calculated as (overall testing costs before test automation) – (overall testing cost after test automation that includes manual testing costs + test automation implementation costs + maintenance costs).

d. Calculate the number of days reduced in the overall testing cycle as a result of automation testing.

e. Calculate test automation ratio. It is the number of automated tests run /total number of tests executed. Higher the number, the better it is.

f. Determine the ability of test automation scripts to run across platforms, browsers, and operating systems.

31. Can we perform automation testing without a framework? If yes, how?

Ans: Yes, automation testing can be performed without a framework. Understand step by step tool and programming language supported by the tool.

32. Is Automation testing a white-box testing or black box testing?

Ans: Automation testing is mostly black box testing.

33. How many test cases have you automated per day in your project?

Ans: The number depends on the complexity of the test cases. When the complexity is limited, I automate 5 to 6 test cases per day. Sometimes, I automate only one test case in case of complex scenarios.

Similar Search Automation Testing Interview Questions in Google