Interviews are always a bit of a high-wire act. In 2026, the stakes are even higher as we move beyond simple manual testing into the world of AI-augmented quality engineering. At Katalon, we've seen how the most successful candidates bridge the gap between technical skill and strategic thinking.
We’ve categorized these questions by difficulty and job role (QA manager, QA lead, QA tester) so you can jump straight to the most relevant sections for your career path.
QA in software development ensures software meets quality standards by testing functionality, performance, usability, and security.
For example, before launching a mobile banking app, the QA team checks whether users can log in, view balances, transfer funds, and make payments. They also test backend module communication.
If bugs are found, testers report them for fixing. Once resolved, QA retests to confirm fixes and ensure no regressions.
📚 Read More: Software Quality Management Best Practices | 5 Do's & Don'ts
Example Answer: I look at the STLC as a flexible roadmap rather than a rigid set of rules. As software delivery accelerates, we've seen the process evolve to ensure it keeps up with rapid deployment cycles. Here is my personal flow:
💡 Why this is a good answer: It demonstrates that you understand the sequence of testing but aren't a slave to it. Mentioning "poking holes in stories" shows a shift-left mentality that saves the company money.
Example Answer: I’m a big believer in using tools that reduce maintenance. We’ve found that the most efficient teams are the ones that don't spend their Fridays fixing brittle locators.
💡 Why this is a good answer: It shows you select tools based on business problems (like maintenance debt) rather than just "what's popular."
Example Answer: I categorize testing by its granularity and scope. Traditionally, we’ve used the Testing Pyramid to prioritize speed and isolation, but for modern, cloud-native microservices in 2026, I often advocate for the Testing Trophy. The Trophy shifts the focus toward integration tests—the "body" of the trophy—because in distributed systems, that’s where the most critical communication failures between services tend to happen.
Let’s use an e-commerce website to illustrate how I distinguish these levels in practice:
💡 Why this is a good answer: It shows you aren't just reciting a textbook. By mentioning the "Testing Trophy," you demonstrate an understanding of modern software architecture where integration points are often more brittle than individual units of code.
Example Answer: I don’t believe in a one-size-fits-all test plan. My approach depends entirely on the project’s complexity and the business goals, but I generally lean toward a Hybrid Test Planning method. This allows me to combine the strategic focus of risk-based testing with the structural rigor of model-based testing. In 2026, we’ve seen that the most effective plans are those that use historical defect data and AI-driven insights to identify high-risk areas before we even start scripting.
Here is how I break down these methodologies when building a plan:
📚 Read More: Risk-based approach to Regression Testing: A simple guide
💡 Why this is a good answer: It shows you are a pragmatist. Interviewers aren't looking for someone who just follows a textbook; they want someone who can look at a specific project and decide which strategy will save the most time while catching the most dangerous bugs.
📚 Read More: Hybrid testing: How to fuse manual with automation testing?
Exploratory testing is a testing approach that involves simultaneous learning, test design, and execution. It is used when there is no formal test plan or script, and when teams need to discover issues not yet covered by existing test cases.
It is typically performed by experienced testers who rely on domain knowledge, intuition, and creativity to uncover defects.
If you're interested in exploratory testing, Callum Akehurst has written a great blog on how exploratory testing drives good testing.
Stress Testing – Pushes the application beyond its limits to see how it breaks. This helps developers prepare for failures and improve system resilience.
Load Testing – Tests the system under expected user traffic to identify performance issues such as slow response times or high CPU usage.
Volume Testing – Evaluates how well the system processes large amounts of data to ensure no data loss or corruption.
📚 Read More: Performance Testing vs Load Testing: A Complete Guide
Agile testing is a testing approach aligned with the Agile methodology, which emphasizes collaboration, continuous feedback, and rapid iteration.
In Agile testing, testing is integrated into development and performed iteratively throughout the lifecycle. Developers, testers, and stakeholders work together to ensure the product meets customer requirements and maintains high quality.
The importance of Agile testing lies in its ability to catch defects early, provide continuous validation, and enable quick adaptation to changing requirements and feedback.
📚 Read More: How to do regression testing in Agile teams?
TDD (Test-Driven Development) is a coding method where developers write tests before writing the actual code, resulting in cleaner and more maintainable software.
BDD (Behavior-Driven Development) focuses on defining software behavior from the end-user perspective using plain language that both technical and non-technical stakeholders understand.
Below is a table for quick comparison:
| TDD | BDD | |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Start software development by writing test cases. | Use given-when-then syntax to:
|
| Goal | Test coverage and code testability | Alignment between technical and business stakeholders |
| Test writing | Developers | Varies by team. Ideally:
|
| Tools | Test libraries: JUnit, NUnit, TestNG, Selenium Testing tools: Katalon, TestComplete |
Available frameworks: Cucumber, SpecFlow, Behave |
📚 Read More: TDD vs BDD: A Comparison
Data-driven testing is a design pattern that reuses the same test flow across multiple sets of input data.
| Scenario | Test Case | Data Input |
|---|---|---|
Login Scenario
|
Test Case 1 | Valid username and password combinations |
| Test Case 2 | Invalid username and password combinations |
The purpose of data-driven testing is to avoid hard-coding single input values. Instead, tests are parameterized and read data dynamically from sources such as databases, spreadsheets, or XML files.
Data-driven testing is particularly useful for:
📚 Read More: A Guide to Data-driven Testing
Performance testing evaluates a system’s responsiveness, scalability, stability, and speed under different workload conditions. It determines how the application behaves under normal and peak load, such as high traffic, large data volumes, or concurrent user interactions.
The results help identify bottlenecks, optimize performance, and improve overall user experience.
Accessibility testing evaluates whether a software application or website is usable by all users, including people with visual, auditory, motor, or cognitive disabilities. It checks compatibility with assistive technologies such as screen readers, magnifiers, and voice recognition tools.
| Aspect | Manual Testing | Automated Testing |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Testers manually perform the actions in the application. Tests are typically written in text editors, Xray, test management tools, or spreadsheets. | Testers define the interaction steps, then write automation scripts to execute them. Scripts can run on-demand or on schedule. |
| Cost | Lower upfront cost; depends on human testers. Difficult to scale. | Investment in developers/automation engineers and tools (automation frameworks, CI, test management, defect tracking). |
| Test Coverage | Low | High |
| Reusability | Test content cannot be reused easily. | Test content is highly reusable, including:
|
| Types of Testing | Exploratory testing Usability testing Ad hoc testing |
Regression testing Integration testing Data-driven testing Performance testing |
| Tester | Business stakeholders Manual test engineers |
Developers or automation engineers |
If testing is repetitive and requires frequent regression cycles, teams should consider automation. Manual testing still adds value for exploratory or ad-hoc scenarios. The decision depends on project type, goals, and complexity. Here is a guide to move from manual testing to automation.
📚 Read More: 15 Different Types of QA Testing
| Black-box Testing | White-box Testing | |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Write tests without visibility into internal code or structure. | Write tests with full visibility into internal code and structure. |
| Goal | User experience, security, compatibility. | Code quality, logic correctness, optimization. |
| Testing levels | UI end-to-end testing Compatibility testing |
Unit testing Integration testing Static code analysis |
| Tester | Business stakeholders Manual test engineers |
Developers |
End-to-End testing checks the entire application to ensure all parts work together as expected, just like a real user would experience. It tests everything from the front end to the back end, including databases, APIs, and third-party services.
|
Aspect |
End-to-End Testing |
Integration Testing |
|
Scope |
Tests the entire system from start to finish. |
Checks how different modules work together. |
|
Purpose |
Ensures the full application functions correctly. |
Verifies data flow between connected components. |
|
Example |
Testing a complete online shopping process. |
Checking if the payment gateway communicates with the checkout page. |
The list above includes common QA interview questions that anyone in the industry may face. This section provides QA interview questions specifically tailored for QA testers.
QA testers are responsible for executing test cases, identifying and documenting defects, and providing feedback to developers. They are often asked technical questions to assess their understanding of testing processes and automation best practices.
Visual testing can be performed manually, where testers visually inspect the application for UI inconsistencies. However, this method can be time-consuming and prone to human error.
Many testers use Image Comparison techniques: they capture baseline screenshots of UI elements and compare them with new screenshots to detect unexpected changes.
Even so, this approach may generate false positives. Using visual regression testing tools helps reduce false positives and improves efficiency.
Read More: How Automated Visual Testing Will Redefine the Testing Pyramid?
Example Answer: I prioritize based on a "Value vs. Risk" matrix. In any given sprint, we can’t always test everything, so I focus on the features that would cause the most damage if they failed. I start with Business Impact—critical flows like Login and Checkout—and then look at Historical Data to see which modules have been "buggy" in the past. If we’re under a tight deadline, I’ll focus specifically on the high-risk, high-frequency paths that users touch every day.
There are many factors we consider when prioritizing, but these are the 9 most common criteria I use:
💡 Why this is a good answer: It shows you aren't just running tests in numerical order. It proves you understand that QA’s job is to mitigate risk for the business, and you know how to allocate your time where it matters most.
📚 Read More: How to select test cases for automation?
Example Answer: For me, a "good" test case is one that anyone—even someone outside the QA team—could run and get the same result. It has to be clear, independent, and maintainable. I focus on making sure the Expected Result is unambiguous and that the Preconditions are clearly defined so we don't waste time troubleshooting environment issues that aren't actually bugs.
When I’m reviewing or writing cases, I look for these core components:
💡 Why this is a good answer: It demonstrates that you care about efficiency. A test case that only the author can understand is a liability; a test case that is scalable and clear is an asset.
Example Answer: I look at triage as the "Quality Filter" for the project. It’s where QA, Development, and Product Owners come together to look at the current bug backlog. My role is to present the identified defects—including their severity and impact—so the team can decide which ones are "must-fixes" for the current release and which can be safely deferred. It’s about ensuring the dev team is working on the most important issues first.
💡 Why this is a good answer: It shows you are a collaborator. Triage is where technical reality meets business priority, and your answer proves you know how to navigate that intersection.
Example Answer: While I can't name the specific project, I often share a scenario where I found an "intermittent" bug—those are always the toughest. I found an issue where a session would time out only when a user switched between three different tabs during a specific API call. I used the following framework to resolve it:
💡 Why this is a good answer: It’s a masterclass in storytelling. By using this framework, you show that you are methodical, persistent, and capable of working across teams to solve problems that aren't "obvious."
API testing is the process of verifying that an API behaves as expected. It checks functionality, performance, security, and how the API handles various inputs and edge cases.
Key considerations when designing API tests:
It’s impossible to cover every scenario, but testers should aim to expand beyond the happy path, which tests the system under ideal conditions.
In addition to standard cases, testers should include edge cases and negative scenarios, such as unusual inputs, unexpected user behavior, and invalid data. These areas are more likely to expose vulnerabilities that can improve overall test coverage.
Many QA testers follow this workflow when identifying and reporting defects:
Common testing metrics include:
Test management tools help QA teams organize and manage their testing efforts. They support test case creation, execution tracking, test planning, reporting, and overall test lifecycle management.
A high-quality website should satisfy three things:
QA interview questions for managers focus on leadership, strategy, and team management. In regulated industries like BFSI or Healthcare, compliance knowledge is also crucial. For technical QA questions, refer to the previous section. This section highlights management-focused questions.
This is a situational question with no single correct answer. Use the STAR method to structure your response:
📚 Read More: How To Choose The Right Automation Testing Tool?
QA Managers are not just managers — they were testers first. Their technical expertise helps them guide the team through roadblocks and collaborate with development and product teams. They also perform high-level analysis and make data-driven decisions to improve testing efficiency and quality.
This question explores your management style. Effective QA managers communicate well, show empathy, lead diverse groups, and take accountability for overall team performance.
Interviewers often ask general questions to understand your personality, motivations, and knowledge of the company. These questions are straightforward and can usually be answered on the spot. Review the common examples and prepare accordingly.
These questions help interviewers understand your professional background in depth. They usually come after general questions. Provide detailed, thoughtful answers that demonstrate your expertise and show who you are in a work environment.
These QA interview questions go beyond textbook knowledge—they focus on real-world problem-solving. Interviewers, especially experienced QA testers, can easily tell whether a candidate has encountered these situations firsthand.
Here are some of those questions:
We asked our community of testers and hiring managers to share the "red flags" that cause them to pass on candidates. Here’s what they told us:
The list above mostly covers foundational QA theory. In many companies, you may also be asked to complete an interview project that requires demonstrating real testing skills. Explore the Katalon Blog for current insights on the testing industry, especially automation testing, which is invaluable for interviews.
As a leading automation testing platform, Katalon offers free software testing courses through Katalon Academy, a comprehensive knowledge hub full of practical learning resources.
Katalon Academy provides short-form beginner courses, advanced platform guides, and specialized training for API, mobile, desktop, and web testing. The platform is updated frequently to reflect current industry practices, making it helpful even for experienced testers looking to refresh their skills.
To further prepare for interviews, explore these topic-specific question lists:
Think you're ready for the modern Quality Engineering landscape? We've designed this quick 10-question check to see how well you've mastered the 2026 trends and strategic approaches discussed in this guide.