Top Automation Testing Interview Questions and Answers

Automation testing is a software testing method that uses automation tools to run test scripts. Automation testing ensures faster, more accurate test results compared to manual testing, which depends on human effort. Automation is adequate for repetitive tasks. Manual testing is more suitable for UI and exploratory checks.

Automation testing saves time, enhances test coverage, and decreases human error. It’s perfect for regression testing, performance testing, and repetitive tasks. Once scripts are written, tests run quickly across versions.

In automation testing, there are regression testing, unit testing, integration testing, and UI testing using tools like Selenium and pytest. Each type of testing checks different parts of the software development process to catch bugs early and keep everything stable.

A test automation framework is a structured arrangement that supports managing and running automated test scripts. It enhances test efficiency, supports reusability, and makes maintenance more comfortable in the software testing life cycle.

The most suitable time to automate a test case is once the feature is stable and unlikely to vary. So, the automation script remains accurate and preserves time in regression testing.

Yes. We use Selenium for UI automation testing. WebDriver, IDE, and Grid are its major components. WebDriver is for browser management, IDE is for easy test recording, and Grid is for executing tests across various systems and browsers.

A test case is for describing what has to be tested, including steps and expected results. On the other hand, a test script is the real code that executes those steps in the test case automatically. We write test cases first during the software testing lifecycle, then execute automation scripts after the flow is clear. 

The Page Object Model (POM) is a design pattern in test automation that keeps page elements and test logic independent. This makes tests more comfortable to organize, reuse, and revise during the software development life cycle.

Regression testing is a software testing process that checks whether new changes in a software break existing software functionality or UI. It’s important in the software testing life cycle. It’s a good practice to automate regression testing, especially for repetitive testing, because it saves time and improves reliability.

Smoke testing is a testing process that checks fundamental software functionality to confirm that the build is stable. At the same time, sanity testing aims to verify that minor changes don't break important functionalities or UI. Do smoke testing first and sanity testing next.

Selenium, Pytest, and TestNG. Pytest is the best because it’s simple, readable, and works well in the test automation framework for quick, maintainable regression testing.

Note: Opinions may vary

CI/CD tools like Jenkins and GitHub Actions automate test execution after every code modification. They assist in speeding up the software testing process and detecting bugs earlier in the development pipeline.

In Selenium, implicit wait places a default wait, while explicit wait waits for a particular condition. Fluent wait checks frequently with custom timing. Use them based on UI load behavior.

# Implicit wait: applies globally to all elements
driver.implicitly_wait(5)  # Waits up to 5 seconds before throwing error, if element not found

# Explicit wait: waits until a specific element is visible

# Fluent wait: checks repeatedly for a condition with custom settings

To handle browser alerts or pop-ups during Selenium automated testing, use switch_to.alert method to interact with unexpected dialogs, which may block the UI test flow.

# Switch to alert and accept it

Yes. Automated cross-browser testing is required to make sure the UI behaviour remains uniform in various browsers. Use tools such as Selenium Grid or BrowserStack for running tests across different browser configurations.

TestNG is a test automation framework for Java that helps with parallel testing, test configuration, and clear reporting. Use it to plan and manage regression testing in structured test suites.

To manage test data in automation testing, use external files like Excel, CSV, or JSON. So, test scripts remain clean and reusable across several test cases in the software testing process.

Choose stable, often repeated, and critical test cases for test automation. Avoid those test cases that need frequent changes or heavy UI interaction.

# This test checks if the discount logic works correctly
def test_discount():
   # apply_discount(100, 10) means 10% off on 100, so the expected result is 90
   assert apply_discount(100, 10) == 90  # Passes if function returns 90 correctly

This test is a good option for automation because the discount logic is reused repeatedly, doesn’t change often, and is essential to the software. It’s easy, durable, and fast to run, and ideal for automated checks.
 

Locators in Selenium are used to find HTML elements on a web page. Use ID, name, class name, CSS selector, and XPath for precise, quick element targeting during automated UI testing.

# Example using Selenium with a CSS selector
element = driver.find_element(By.CSS_SELECTOR, "input.login")  # Finds an input field with class 'login'

Parallel testing executes multiple test cases at once to save time. Use TestNG with thread count to execute browser automation scripts in parallel.

Use clear test cases, stable locators, and keep reusable test automation scripts for reliability.

Use Jenkins to run automation scripts right after each build. It helps catch issues early. Git is recommended for version control. TestNG or JUnit for test execution, and Allure for reports. This keeps the CI/CD flow smooth and reliable.

Handle dynamic elements using XPath with contains, wait conditions, and unique attributes.

# Example using XPath to handle a dynamic ID
element = driver.find_element(By.XPATH, "//button[contains(@id, 'submit')]")  # Matches dynamic ID with 'submit'

Yes, Flaky tests are tests that pass sometimes and fail other times without any code changes. Identify them by rerunning the test and checking for inconsistent behavior. To fix them, use explicit waits and make sure the test data and environment are stable.
 

Yes, data-driven testing uses numerous test data sets to validate automation scripts efficiently. For instance, use it for testing the login.

Skip CAPTCHA in test automation because it’s designed to block bots, including Selenium scripts. CAPTCHA is meant for protecting users from automated misuse. So, bypassing CAPTCHA will defeat its goal.

Handle OTP using test hooks, API stubs, or mock data.

Shift-left testing is a software testing approach that performs testing earlier in the development cycle, right from the design or coding stage. It helps catch bugs early, reduce rework, and speed up delivery. It’s a big deal now because teams want faster releases with fewer defects.

To measure automation ROI, I track key metrics like test coverage, execution time, and how many bugs are caught early. If tests cover more code, run faster, and catch real issues, the automation is working well and saving time.

Handling dynamic elements that keep on changing on each run is a challenge. The tests fail often. It can be fixed by using explicit waits like WebDriverWait and writing smarter locators with XPath or CSS that adapt to changes. This makes the tests stable.

AI/ML boosts test automation with self-healing scripts and smart locators in tools like Testim.

Therefore, you don’t need to update your code every time the UI changes slightly, as the tool adapts using machine learning.