Essential Automation Testing Coding Interview Questions

The technical part of the automation testing interview can be challenging. The interviewer will assess your skills and expertise to gauge your calibre on this interesting domain of software and app development. For this purpose, they will ask a range of questions on different topics around this type of testing. When you answer these questions correctly, you bolster your likelihood of getting hired. 

But What Are The Questions Asked in These Interviews? 

Do not worry. I will take you through various questions that will help in your preparation. You will come to know what the interviewer expects from you. With these insights, you will be able to impress your potential employer. So, let us explore the coding interview questions for automation testing. 

Is Coding Required For Automation Testing? 

The Agile workflow requires a highly skilled automation tester. This type of check is slowly replacing manual testing. So, you need to have expertise relevant in this space. Automation testing is crucial for the modern software business. When you help in executing pre-defined test cases without manual intervention, it is a huge plus point according to me.

If you want to be an automation tester, you must be proficient in certain skills. One such skill is coding. You should be good in at least one programming language. Most of the tools use languages like Python and Java. With these solutions, you should cover all the possible modules that demand automation. 

With good coding skills, you will be able to design the test scripts. I recommend that you learn on your own from online courses. Although modern tools do not require in-depth understanding, I suggest you learn the basics. The team will benefit from the expert automation tester. 

Enrol in an Automation Testing Course to know how coding can offer value in this particular role.

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Automation Testing Coding Interview Questions For Beginners

Here, I have discussed the coding questions for automation testing

asked for a fresher. 

1. What are the advantages of automation testing?

Automation testing has numerous potential benefits. You should explain your personal testing approach to the interviewer. Also, you can highlight how you can leverage strategies to enhance the company’s performance. 

Here are the benefits-

[a] Enhanced execution speed

[b] Vast test coverage 

[c] Increased efficiency 

[d] Reduction in cost 

[e] Less human involvement 

[f] Enhanced performance and quality of the app

You can learn these strategies from an Automation Testing Course.

2. What do you know about Continuous Integration? 

CI needs continuous code commits and automated tests in the development stage. As automation testers, you need to check for updates every time new code changes are made. With version control of test scripts, they can promote better collaboration and change tracking. Regular execution of automated tests in a CI environment helps maintain the health of the test suite. As a result, automated testing emerges as a vital part of Continuous Integration. 

3. Which CI tools do you know? 

Automation testing is a core aspect of successful software and app development. Many tools offer services to streamline the automation and testing. You can mention the tools you are familiar with. The popular ones include-

[a] TeamCity 

[b] Jenkins

[c] Circle CI 

[d] Bamboo 

4. What do you know about Continuous Delivery? 

Automation testing is integral to Continuous Delivery. It takes less time than manual testing to set up and execute as compared to manual testing. This USP aligns with this type of rapid delivery of new versions – a feature associated with Continuous Delivery

Also Read: Software Testing Strategy

Automation Testing Coding Questions For Senior Automation Tester or Engineer 

Now, I will take you through the coding questions for automation testing

asked for the senior position. 

1. How can we speed up an auto-test suite?

The automation testing suit will engage with the software testing cases. This process has no manual intervention. Application UI that requires multiple elements will slow the testing process. In the interview, you should mention the techniques that will increase the performance of the auto-test suit. Plus, you can consider the benefits and drawbacks of the method you have explained. 

Here are the possible methods to improve speed-

[a] Utilizing API layers 

[b] Improving computing power 

[c] Use parallel execution 

[d] Using efficient test setup and teardown 

Also Read: Manual Testing vs Automation Testing

2. What test automation frameworks are you familiar with?

The testing framework includes the practices and tools used for designing the test cases. Automation testing frameworks are of six types. You have to explain the benefits and drawbacks of each type. I suggest you demonstrate your expertise in a particular framework. 

Here, I have mentioned those automated testing frameworks-

[a] Linear Automation Framework

[b] Modular Based Testing Framework

[c] Library Architecture Testing Framework

[d] Data Driven Framework 

[e] Keyword-Driven Framework

[f] Hybrid Testing Framework

Also Read: Types of Automation Testing

3. How to validate XML files?

The automation tester has to identify defects beyond performance. They need to utilize database testing to find these issues. Here, XML technologies are ideal for database testing, where you can validate XML files to ensure completeness. You can also talk about creating an XML reader object containing the schema. Plus, you may mention how you can ensure that the syntax is well-formed. 

4. How do we validate the API test result?

APIs facilitate communication between various web application systems. The automation tester will test the components' performance and reliability using APIs. The common API testing is REST over HTTP. This technique includes validating REST contracts. You have to explain how you will compare test action to response codes. 

Apart from learning the theory, you should have expertise in using the tools. So, I recommend you enrol in the QA Automation Testing Course. 

Also Read: Latest Trends in Automation Testing

Automation Testing Coding Interview Questions For a Candidate With 10+ Years 

From my knowledge, experienced candidates have to face complex questions. However, they will have the expertise and can answer the questions easily. Here are the questions that can be asked to an individual with 10+ years of experience in Automation testing-

1. What are the QA issues related to Agile Software development? 

In Agile software development, QA testers face the problem of short sprints leading to rushed testing. This makes it difficult to complete the QA within the stipulated timeline. Since the specifications evolve continuously, testers find it difficult to create proper test cases. Lastly, they face immense pressure to coordinate shared test environments across multiple teams.  

2. Can you explain a challenging automation test you have worked on? 

For example, assume you have worked on a financial application project. I suggest you explain the complex calculations involved in the project. Plus, you can mention the issues you faced because of multiple elements. This helps depict to the interviewer how difficult it was to run test cases. Apart from the problems, you should also include how you overcome these challenges. It will denote that you understood the application's functionality to automate the testing process. 

3. What is your experience with performance testing? 

I advise you to explain how you have worked with tools like JMeter and Gatling. Explain to the interviewer how you used these tools to carry out performance testing on the web applications. You should explain to them how you have identified key performance metrics like response time and concurrency. After that, mention how you created scripts to simulate high-volume users. Lastly, you can highlight how you have checked the results with the tools. 

4. What is your experience with APIs? 

You must explain your exposure on tools like Postman and SoapUI for API testing. The interviewer expects you to explain how you have created test scripts that send requests to the API endpoints. Plus, you should explain how you can validate the responses. I also suggest you explain how you have used the test data to simulate various scenarios. 

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Conclusion

The scope of the automation testing interview is vast. So, I advise you to prepare well before the interview. This will make you capable of answering any questions. Plus, you will also be able to showcase your skills effectively. I suggest you understand the above questions well. This is because these are the common questions asked in the interview. 

I suggest you enrol in a QA Automation Testing Course. This will help me understand the concepts better. 

Overall, I hope you got an overview of the coding interview questions for automation testing.

Also Read: Automation Tester Roles and Responsibilities

FAQs

1. What are the tips for automation coding interviews?

Here is what I recommend you to do-

[a] Start by learning at least one programming language like Python or Java.

[b] After that, start learning about automation frameworks like Selenium. 

[c] Practise multiple coding problems on online platforms. 

[d] Understand the automation scenarios and design patterns. 

[e] Learn CI/CD tools like Git. 

[f] Lastly, practice explaining your thought process. 

2. What is a test automation framework? 

This framework is a structured approach for automation testing. It has guidelines and best practices for creating the test scripts. These frameworks aid in enhancing the test efficiency and reusability. They also help manage the test data by organizing test scripts. 

3. What is the role of the test automation engineer? 

A test automation engineer develops and maintains the automated test scripts. They collaborate with the team to create plans and execute automated tests. They play a key role in analyzing the test results and ensuring the reliability of the tests. Apart from these, they also learn and adapt to new technologies.