Manual Testing Interview Questions for Freshers (2026): 40 Questions with Answers

Short answer: manual testing interviews for freshers focus on fundamentals, not tools. Expect questions on SDLC and STLC, writing test cases and scenarios, severity vs priority, the bug life cycle, test design techniques such as boundary value analysis, the difference between smoke, sanity, regression and retesting, Agile and Jira, and at least one “how would you test this?” scenario. Clear definitions plus a real example for each answer will get you through most rounds.

The answers below follow standard terms from the ISTQB Foundation Level syllabus (version 4.0 is the current one), which most interviewers use as their reference, explained in plain language.

Testing fundamentals

1. What is software testing?

Evaluating software to find defects and to check that it meets requirements and user needs. It gives the team information about quality so they can decide whether to release.

2. What is manual testing?

Testing performed by a person who executes test cases and explores the application without automation scripts. It is essential for usability, exploratory testing and new features that change often.

3. What is the difference between verification and validation?

Verification asks “are we building the product right?” by reviewing documents, designs and code against specifications. Validation asks “are we building the right product?” by testing the working software against user needs.

4. What are the seven testing principles?

1. Testing shows the presence of defects, not their absence.
2. Exhaustive testing is impossible.
3. Early testing saves time and money.
4. Defects cluster together.
5. Tests wear out: repeating the same tests finds fewer new defects.
6. Testing is context dependent.
7. Absence-of-defects fallacy: a bug-free product that does not meet user needs still fails.

5. What is the difference between an error, a defect and a failure?

A person makes an error (mistake), which can introduce a defect (bug) in the code or documents. When the defective code runs, it may cause a failure that users see.

6. What is SDLC?

The software development life cycle: requirement gathering, design, development, testing, deployment and maintenance. Common models are Waterfall, V-model and Agile.

7. What is STLC?

The software testing life cycle: requirement analysis, test planning, test case design, test environment setup, test execution and test closure.

8. What is the V-model?

A model where each development phase has a matching test level: requirements with acceptance testing, system design with system testing, architecture with integration testing and coding with unit testing. It encourages early test planning.

Test cases and documentation

9. What is the difference between a test scenario and a test case?

A scenario is a high-level situation to test, such as “verify login”. A test case is a detailed set of steps, test data and expected results for one condition, such as “login with a valid email and wrong password shows an error”.

10. What fields does a good test case have?

Test case ID, title, preconditions, test steps, test data, expected result, actual result, status and links to the requirement.

11. What is a test plan?

A document that describes scope, objectives, approach, resources, schedule, environments, entry and exit criteria, risks and deliverables for testing.

12. What is a requirement traceability matrix (RTM)?

A table that maps each requirement to its test cases (and defects), so you can prove every requirement has been tested.

13. What are entry and exit criteria?

Entry criteria must be met before testing starts, such as a stable build and ready test data. Exit criteria define when testing can stop, such as all critical tests executed and no open high-severity defects.

Defects

14. What is the bug life cycle?

New → Assigned → Open → Fixed → Retest → Closed. A bug can also be Rejected, marked Duplicate, Deferred to a later release or Reopened if the fix fails. Exact states vary by team and tool.

15. What is the difference between severity and priority?

16. What makes a good bug report?

A clear title, steps to reproduce, expected and actual results, environment (browser, device, build), severity, and evidence such as screenshots, videos or logs. A developer should be able to reproduce it without asking you anything.

17. What do you do if a developer says your bug is not a bug?

Recheck the requirement, reproduce it again with clear evidence, and discuss it calmly. If the requirement is unclear, involve the business analyst or product owner to decide.

Test design techniques

18. What is equivalence partitioning?

Dividing inputs into groups that should behave the same, then testing one value from each. For an age field that accepts 18 to 60: one valid value (for example 30) and invalid values below 18 and above 60.

19. What is boundary value analysis?

Testing at and around the edges, where defects are common. For 18 to 60, test 17, 18, 60 and 61 (and often 19 and 59).

20. What is decision table testing?

Listing combinations of conditions and the expected action for each, which is useful for business rules such as discounts that depend on membership and order value.

21. What is state transition testing?

Testing how a system moves between states, such as an account that locks after three wrong passwords and unlocks after a reset.

22. What are black-box, white-box and grey-box testing?

Black-box tests behaviour without looking at code. White-box designs tests from the code structure. Grey-box uses partial knowledge, such as database structure or APIs, to design better black-box tests.

23. What is exploratory testing?

Learning, designing and executing tests at the same time, guided by a goal (a charter) and the tester’s experience. It finds issues scripted tests miss. Ad hoc testing is similar but informal and undocumented.

Types and levels of testing

24. What are the levels of testing?

Unit (component), integration, system and acceptance testing.

25. What is the difference between smoke and sanity testing?

Smoke testing is a quick, broad check that a new build’s critical functions work, so it is stable enough to test further. Sanity testing is a quick, narrow check of a specific fix or feature after a small change.

26. What is the difference between regression testing and retesting?

Retesting checks that a specific failed test now passes after the fix. Regression testing checks that the change has not broken anything that used to work.

27. What is the difference between functional and non-functional testing?

Functional testing checks what the system does, such as login or payment. Non-functional testing checks how well it does it: performance, security, usability, compatibility and reliability.

28. What are alpha and beta testing?

Alpha testing is done by internal users or testers at the developer’s site before release. Beta testing is done by real users in their own environment before the full launch.

29. What is user acceptance testing (UAT)?

Testing by the business or end users to confirm the system supports their real work before they accept it.

30. What is integration testing?

Testing how modules or systems work together, such as checkout passing the right order details to the payment gateway.

31. What is API testing, and why should a manual tester know it?

API testing checks requests and responses between systems without the UI. Many manual testers now use Postman to test APIs. See our API testing with Postman guide.

Agile and tools

32. What is Agile testing?

Testing that runs continuously inside short iterations, with testers working alongside developers and the product owner from the start rather than at the end.

33. What happens in Scrum?

Work is done in sprints, usually one to four weeks, with sprint planning, daily stand-ups, a sprint review and a retrospective. The product backlog holds user stories prioritised by the product owner.

34. What are acceptance criteria?

Conditions a user story must meet to be accepted. Testers turn them into test cases and often help write them.

35. How do you use Jira as a tester?

To read user stories, log and track bugs, link defects to stories and, with a test management add-on, write and run test cases.

Scenario questions

36. How would you test a login page?

• Valid login, wrong password, unregistered email, empty fields and very long inputs.
• Password masking, show/hide toggle, “forgot password” flow and account lockout after repeated failures.
• Error messages that do not reveal whether the email exists.
• Browser and device compatibility, keyboard-only use (Tab and Enter), and session behaviour after logout and the back button.

37. How would you test a pen?

Interviewers want structure, not a random list: functional (does it write, does the ink flow evenly), usability (grip, comfort), durability (drops, cap, clicks), compatibility (different paper) and safety (non-toxic ink). Ask about requirements first, such as who will use it.

38. You have little time before release. What do you test?

Use risk-based testing: the critical user journeys first (login, payment, core features), areas changed in this release, and modules with a history of defects. Tell stakeholders clearly what was not tested.

39. How do you decide when to stop testing?

When the exit criteria are met, critical risks are covered, the defect discovery rate has dropped and stakeholders accept the remaining risk. Deadlines matter, but the decision should be informed by data.

40. Why do you want to be a tester?

Give an honest reason linked to the work: you enjoy finding problems, thinking like a user and improving quality. Mention one thing you tested in your project and what you found.

How to prepare

1. Write 20 test cases for a real app you use, such as a food delivery or banking app, and log three realistic bug reports.
2. Practise explaining one project end to end: requirement, test plan, test cases, bugs found and how they were fixed.
3. Learn the basics of SQL and API testing. Many “manual” roles now ask for both.
4. Plan your next step into automation. Our Selenium interview questions show what the automation round looks like, and manual vs automation testing for freshers explains the career path.

For general interview tips, read the tech interview preparation guide.

Learn manual testing at TryCatch Classes

TryCatch Classes’ Manual Testing Training covers testing fundamentals, the QA tester’s role, SDLC, Jira and Agile, test cases and test plans, defect management, live UI testing of websites and mobile apps, boundary value analysis and equivalence partitioning, API testing basics and ISTQB preparation. For manual plus automation, choose Software Testing Training. Learn at our Borivali West classroom or live online, with a 100% placement guarantee.

Frequently asked questions

Is manual testing a good career for freshers in 2026?

It is a good entry point, especially for non-coders, but pure manual roles are fewer than before. Freshers who add API testing, SQL and one automation tool have far more options.

Is the ISTQB certificate required for manual testing jobs?

It is not mandatory, but the Foundation Level (CTFL) certificate is widely recognised and shows you know standard terminology, which helps with interviews.

Do manual testers need to know coding?

Not for core manual testing. Basic SQL to check data, and enough programming to start automation later, make you much more employable.

What should a fresher tester put on a resume?

Projects with the apps you tested, the number of test cases you wrote, sample bugs you found, tools such as Jira and Postman, and any certification.

Cover image: photo by Glenn Carstens-Peters on Unsplash.