Introduction: Why Candidates Search for Top 100 Manual Testing Interview Questions
When preparing for a QA interview, most candidates type one thing into Google: top 100 manual testing interview questions.
Why?
Because interviews don’t follow a fixed pattern. Interviewers can ask anything—from basics to real-time scenarios—depending on your experience level.
Candidates search for top 100 manual testing interview questions because they want:
- One complete place to revise everything
- Confidence before interviews
- Coverage of interview questions for QA, not just theory
- Exposure to real-time manual testing questions
Whether you are a fresher, junior tester, or experienced QA, this guide helps you revise:
- Fundamentals
- Scenario-based questions
- Real company interview round questions
- Best answers to manual testing interview questions
What is Manual Testing? (Simple Definition with Example)
Manual Testing is the process of testing software manually without using automation tools to identify defects and ensure the application works as expected.
Simple Example
Testing a login page:
- Valid credentials → Login success
- Invalid credentials → Error message
- Empty fields → Validation message
You perform these actions manually and compare actual vs expected results. That’s manual testing.
Why Companies Ask Manual Testing Interview Questions
Companies ask manual testing interview questions because:
- Manual testing is the foundation of QA
- Automation depends on strong manual understanding
- Humans catch usability and business logic issues
Real Workplace Angle
In real projects:
- Requirements change
- Deadlines are tight
- Users behave unpredictably
Interviewers want QA engineers who:
- Think logically
- Handle real-time issues
- Communicate clearly
That’s why scenario-based questions and real-time manual testing questions matter more than memorized definitions.
Top 100 Manual Testing Interview Questions (With Short Answers)
Below is a carefully curated list of top 100 manual testing interview questions, grouped for easy revision.
A. Basic Manual Testing Interview Questions (1–20)
- What is software testing?
- What is manual testing?
- Why is testing required?
- What is a bug/defect?
- What is a test case?
- What is a test scenario?
- Difference between verification and validation
- What is STLC?
- What is smoke testing?
- What is sanity testing?
- What is regression testing?
- What is retesting?
- Difference between severity and priority
- What is black box testing?
- What is white box testing?
- What is exploratory testing?
- What is UAT?
- What is functional testing?
- What is non-functional testing?
- What is test data?
B. STLC & Process-Based Questions (21–35)
- Explain STLC phases
- What is test planning?
- What is a test plan?
- What is entry and exit criteria?
- What is test execution?
- What is defect lifecycle?
- What is test closure?
- What is requirement analysis?
- What is traceability matrix?
- What is test coverage?
- What is defect leakage?
- What is defect density?
- What is test environment?
- What is baseline?
- What is configuration management?
C. Test Case & Defect Questions (36–50)
- How do you write test cases?
- What makes a good test case?
- Difference between test case and test scenario
- What is a bug report?
- What details are included in a bug report?
- What is bug severity vs priority with example?
- What is a rejected defect?
- What is a deferred defect?
- What is a reopened defect?
- What is duplicate defect?
- How do you handle developer conflicts?
- What is defect aging?
- What is defect triage?
- What is root cause analysis?
- What is bug tracking tool?
D. Real-Time Manual Testing Questions (51–70)
- How do you test a login page?
- What will you do if requirements are unclear?
- How do you prioritize test cases?
- How do you test without test cases?
- What do you do if time is limited?
- How do you ensure test coverage?
- How do you handle production bugs?
- How do you test new features?
- How do you support UAT?
- What if a bug is found before release?
- What if developer says “not a bug”?
- How do you test negative scenarios?
- How do you test error messages?
- How do you test validations?
- How do you test data integrity?
- How do you test UI?
- How do you test APIs manually (basic)?
- How do you test browser compatibility?
- How do you test performance manually?
- How do you test security manually?
E. Advanced & Experience-Based Questions (71–85)
- What challenges have you faced as a tester?
- How do you handle tight deadlines?
- How do you manage multiple releases?
- What metrics do you track?
- What is risk-based testing?
- How do you handle frequent requirement changes?
- How do you mentor junior testers?
- How do you estimate testing effort?
- How do you improve testing process?
- What is release sign-off?
- What is acceptance criteria?
- What is defect prevention?
- What is quality assurance vs quality control?
- What is shift-left testing?
- What is Agile testing?
F. Scenario-Based Questions (86–100)
- Login button not working
- Application crashes after submit
- Data not saved after refresh
- Payment successful but order not created
- App slow during peak hours
- Session expires suddenly
- Duplicate records created
- Email notification not received
- App works in Chrome but not Firefox
- Error message incorrect
- Broken links found
- Cart items disappear
- File upload fails
- App logs out user automatically
- Feature works for some users only
Scenario-Based Manual Testing Interview Questions (Detailed Examples)
1. Login button not working
- Check UI click
- Browser console
- Network calls
2. Payment success but order missing
- Check backend logs
- Database entries
- Order service
3. Data lost after refresh
- Verify save functionality
- Session handling
4. App slow
- Observe response time
- Identify performance issue
5. Browser-specific issue
- Compatibility testing
Real Company Interview Round Format + Preparation Tips
Typical Interview Rounds
- HR round
- Top manual testing questions
- Scenario-based questions
- Real-time manual testing questions
Preparation Tips
- Revise basics first
- Practice scenarios aloud
- Use simple explanations
- Be honest and confident
How to Answer Manual Testing Interview Questions Like a Pro
Best Framework
- Define the concept
- Give real example
- Explain real-time usage
Example:
“Regression testing ensures existing features work after changes. For example, after fixing login, I test signup and dashboard.”
Common Mistakes Candidates Make
- Memorizing answers
- Not explaining logic
- Ignoring scenarios
- Poor communication
- Overconfidence
Final Revision Sheet – Quick Prep
- Manual testing basics
- STLC
- Test cases & defects
- Scenario-based questions
- Real-time examples
FAQs – Top 100 Manual Testing Interview Questions
Q1. Are these enough to crack interviews?
Yes, if practiced properly.
Q2. Are scenario-based questions mandatory?
Yes, almost always.
Q3. Is automation needed?
Not mandatory, but basics help.
Q4. Are these suitable for freshers?
Yes, absolutely.
Q5. How long should I prepare?
7–10 days of focused practice.
