Introduction: Growing Demand for Freshers in Software Testing
In today’s IT industry, software testing is one of the most fresher-friendly career options. Many companies actively hire fresh graduates for manual testing roles because it requires logical thinking, attention to detail, and basic software knowledge—not heavy coding.
If you are preparing for your first QA interview, this guide on manual testing interview questions for freshers will help you understand:
- Basic testing concepts
- Common interview questions with simple answers
- Real-life testing scenarios
- Sample test cases and bug reports
This article is written in very simple language, especially for freshers with no experience.
What is Software Testing? (Simple Explanation)
Software Testing is the process of checking whether a software application works as expected or not.
Example
If a login page allows users to log in only with valid username and password, testing checks:
- What happens if the password is wrong?
- What happens if fields are empty?
- Does it show the correct error message?
The goal is to find defects (bugs) before the software reaches users.
What is Manual Testing?
Manual Testing means testing software without using automation tools or scripts.
A tester manually:
- Clicks buttons
- Enters input values
- Observes output
- Compares actual result with expected result
Example
Typing a wrong password on a login page and checking the error message is manual testing.
What is Automation Testing? (For Freshers)
Automation Testing uses tools and scripts to test software automatically.
👉 As a fresher, manual testing is the foundation. Most interviews focus more on manual testing interview questions for freshers.
Manual Testing Interview Questions for Freshers (With Answers)
🔹 Basic Manual Testing Questions (1–20)
- What is manual testing?
Manual testing is testing software manually without automation tools. - What is a bug?
A bug is an error or defect in software that causes incorrect behavior. - What is software quality?
Software quality means the application works correctly and meets requirements. - What is verification?
Checking documents like requirements and design. - What is validation?
Checking the actual software by executing it. - What is test case?
A test case is a set of steps to verify a feature. - What is test scenario?
A high-level idea of what needs to be tested. - Difference between test case and test scenario?
Scenario is brief; test case has detailed steps. - What is SDLC?
Software Development Life Cycle – process of building software. - What is STLC?
Software Testing Life Cycle – process of testing software. - What is black box testing?
Testing without knowing internal code. - What is white box testing?
Testing with knowledge of internal code. - What is functional testing?
Testing software features against requirements. - What is non-functional testing?
Testing performance, usability, security, etc. - What is regression testing?
Testing after changes to ensure old features still work. - What is smoke testing?
Basic testing to check if build is stable. - What is sanity testing?
Narrow testing of specific functionality. - What is severity?
How serious a bug is. - What is priority?
How soon a bug should be fixed. - Difference between severity and priority?
Severity = impact, Priority = urgency.
🔹 Slightly Advanced Questions (21–40)
- What is test plan?
Document describing testing scope and strategy. - What is test data?
Input values used for testing. - What is positive testing?
Testing with valid inputs. - What is negative testing?
Testing with invalid inputs. - What is boundary value analysis?
Testing boundary values like min/max. - What is equivalence partitioning?
Dividing inputs into valid/invalid groups. - What is exploratory testing?
Testing without predefined test cases. - What is defect life cycle?
Journey of a bug from creation to closure. - What are defect statuses?
New, Open, Fixed, Retest, Closed, Rejected. - What is re-testing?
Testing a fixed bug again. - What is user acceptance testing (UAT)?
Testing done by end users. - What is build?
A version of software given for testing. - What is release?
Software delivered to users. - What is test environment?
Setup where testing happens. - What is configuration testing?
Testing on different devices/browsers. - What is ad-hoc testing?
Random testing without documentation. - What is defect leakage?
Bug missed by testing but found by users. - What is defect density?
Number of bugs per module. - What is checklist testing?
Testing using a checklist. - Why choose manual testing as a career?
Good entry point, strong fundamentals.
Scenario-Based QA Questions for Freshers
- Login button is not working. What will you do?
- Check input fields
- Verify expected behavior
- Log a bug
- Application crashes after clicking submit. What is severity?
High severity. - Spelling mistake on homepage. What is priority?
Low severity, medium priority. - User cannot login with valid credentials. What testing?
Functional testing. - After fixing one bug, another feature stops working. What testing?
Regression testing.
Sample Test Case Examples (Very Important for Freshers)
✅ Login Page Test Case
| Test Case ID | Description | Steps | Expected Result |
| TC_01 | Valid login | Enter valid username & password | Login successful |
| TC_02 | Invalid login | Enter wrong password | Error message shown |
| TC_03 | Empty fields | Click login without input | Validation message |
✅ Mobile App Test Case (Simple)
Scenario: Install mobile app
- App should install successfully
- App icon should appear
- App should open without crash
✅ API/UI Simple Test Idea
- Verify API returns correct response code (200)
- UI should display data correctly
Bug Report Writing Example for Freshers
🐞 Sample Bug Report
Bug ID: BUG_101
Title: Login button not responding
Module: Login
Steps to Reproduce:
- Open application
- Enter valid username/password
- Click Login
Expected Result: User should login successfully
Actual Result: Nothing happens
Severity: High
Priority: High
Status: New
Tips to Answer Confidently in Interviews
- Speak slowly and clearly
- Use real-life examples
- If you don’t know, say “I will learn”
- Revise manual testing interview questions for freshers daily
- Practice explaining test cases and bugs
Quick Revision Sheet (For Last-Minute Prep)
- Manual testing = testing without tools
- Test case = steps + expected result
- Bug = mismatch between expected & actual
- Severity = impact
- Priority = urgency
- Regression = testing after changes
FAQs – Manual Testing Interview Questions for Freshers
Q1. Is manual testing good for freshers?
Yes, it is the best entry-level role in QA.
Q2. Do freshers need coding for manual testing?
No coding is required initially.
Q3. How many test cases should a fresher know?
Basic login, UI, and validation test cases are enough.
Q4. Can a fresher move from manual to automation later?
Yes, manual testing is the foundation.
