MCQ Screening Questions for a QA / Test Engineer
Use these 20 multiple-choice questions to quickly filter qa / test engineer applicants, even if you're not a technical expert.
20 Knockout Questions for QA / Test Engineers
| # | Question | A | B | C | D | Answer | Knockout Rule |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | What is the difference between manual and automated testing? | No difference | Manual is done by humans; automated uses scripts to run tests | Automated is always better | Manual is faster | B | Wrong = Knockout |
| 2 | What is a test case? | A bug report | A documented set of steps and expected results to verify a feature | A test script | A deployment checklist | B | Wrong = Knockout |
| 3 | What is regression testing? | Testing new features only | Re-testing existing features to ensure new changes haven't broken them | A performance test | A security test | B | Wrong = Knockout |
| 4 | What does BDD stand for? | Backend Driven Development | Behavior Driven Development | Bug Detection Database | None of the above | B | Wrong = Knockout for BDD teams |
| 5 | What is the purpose of Selenium? | Performance testing | Automating web browser interactions for UI testing | API testing | Load testing | B | Wrong = Knockout for Selenium roles |
| 6 | What is a smoke test? | A security test | A quick test to verify that the basic functions of a build work | A performance test | A regression test | B | Wrong = Red flag |
| 7 | What is the difference between black-box and white-box testing? | No difference | Black-box tests without code knowledge; white-box tests with internal knowledge | White-box is easier | Black-box is faster | B | Wrong = Knockout |
| 8 | What is load testing? | Testing a single user | Testing system performance under expected and peak user loads | A regression test | A unit test | B | Wrong = Knockout for performance QA |
| 9 | What is a bug life cycle? | How bugs are created | The stages a bug goes through from discovery to resolution | A testing method | A deployment process | B | Wrong = Red flag |
| 10 | What is API testing? | Testing the frontend UI | Testing the communication and responses between backend services | A performance test | A security scan | B | Wrong = Knockout for API QA roles |
| 11 | What is the purpose of Postman in QA? | Writing test scripts | Testing and validating API requests and responses | Load testing | UI automation | B | Wrong = Red flag |
| 12 | What is a test plan? | A list of bugs | A document describing the testing scope, approach, and schedule | A regression script | A deployment guide | B | Wrong = Knockout |
| 13 | What does STLC stand for? | System Testing Life Cycle | Software Testing Life Cycle | Security Testing Logic Control | None of the above | B | Wrong = Red flag |
| 14 | What is exploratory testing? | Random clicking | Unscripted testing where the tester learns and tests simultaneously | A type of load test | Automated testing | B | Wrong = Red flag |
| 15 | What is the purpose of Cypress? | Backend testing | Automated end-to-end testing for web applications | Load testing | API testing | B | Wrong = Knockout for Cypress teams |
| 16 | What is test coverage? | Number of tests written | The percentage of code or requirements covered by tests | A bug metric | A performance measure | B | Wrong = Red flag |
| 17 | What is a flaky test? | A test that always fails | A test that passes and fails inconsistently without code changes | A manual test | A slow test | B | Wrong = Red flag |
| 18 | What is performance testing? | Testing one user | Testing how the system behaves under various load conditions | A security test | A UI test | B | Wrong = Knockout for performance QA |
| 19 | What is the purpose of TestRail? | Writing test scripts | Managing test cases, plans, and results in one place | Running automated tests | Load testing | B | Wrong = Red flag |
| 20 | What is the difference between severity and priority in a bug? | Same thing | Severity is the bug's impact; priority is the order it should be fixed | Priority is always higher | Severity depends on the manager | B | Wrong = Knockout |
"We used to waste so much time with candidates who didn't understand the difference between severity and priority. These questions filter that out instantly."
- QA Lead, Gaming Studio