There is a growing requirement for people who test mobile applications. With an increasing focus on applications designed for iOS devices, Android and Windows Mobile devices, app testing professionals are in great demand. If you are looking for a temporary or permanent job in the field of mobile app testing, you will need to prepare for your interview just like any other professional would need to.
First of all, you need to be sure that you are good at what you do. There is nothing more off-putting to an interviewer than an interviewee who learns certain answers by heart and tries to pose as if he or she knows more than they actually do. Poseurs do not stand a chance in winning temporary or long term contracts. If you are reading this blog post, it is suggested that you already know your profession thoroughly and that you are great at what you do. If you are already great at what you do, you may still not be able to crack certain simple and clichéd interview questions. We have listed 10 interview questions that are clichéd, but are nevertheless asked by recruiters while hiring app developers, testers and designers.
• How do you understand QA/QC?
The answer to this question lies in the question itself. QA/QC is a combination of quality assurance and quality control. You may now be confused about the difference between the two. Quality assurance (QA) refers to the process of measuring and assuring that a certain level of quality of a product (in this case, an application) has been met. Quality control (QC) refers to the process of meeting consumer expectations.
With quality control, you will need to focus more on user experience and with quality assurance, you must focus more on bugs, errors and other functional aspects. The two are related to each other and are not mutually exclusive. Quality assurance is process oriented and focuses on the importance of developing a software program and preventing errors that may occur in future. Quality control on the other hand focuses on the application itself and ensures that the final application is user-friendly.
•What is the difference between priority and severity?
Severity refers to the consequence of a bug or a fault within an application and how serious that fault really is. Severity is something that an app developer must always be aware of. It tells a developer how serious a bug is when it comes to an app’s functionality. On the other hand, priority refers to how important a bug is with respect to customers.
For instance, Apple may one day realize that its Calendar application has certain bugs that are high in ‘severity’. The users may not realize it, but the Calendar app on the iOS platform may have certain security issues. On the other hand, when iPhone’s battery heats up after a software update, it is high on a customer’s priority. One cannot say which one is more important than the other.
One can rather put it this way: as an app developer, you must constantly be looking for a bug’s severity, whether you receive complaints or you don’t. On the other hand, peering through all the consumer feedback helps you to assign priority to certain bugs.
• Why did you choose testing as a profession?
This is a question that is so clichéd that it does not require to be on the list of clichés either. Nevertheless, this is also one of those questions that leave many app developers and testers dumbfounded. Take a moment’s deep breath and think. Why did you choose to be an app developer? Well, because it is exciting, and you always learn something new and you get to be creative. This is what an app tester or developer’s job is all about. Your recruiter just wants to know if you are happy about your profession or you are not. If you are, then show it to them that you are. It is as simple as that.
• How does one manually test the performance of a website?
Well, this is what we do all the time, if we are not running those fancy app testing tools. In an open device lab or a private one, we use stop watches and perform certain actions to check if it loads fast. Or, you may even go ahead and say that you mentally calculate the time if you do not have access to a stop watch on your phone (which is next to impossible). The bottom-line is, this is one of the questions that is asked for the sake of asking. You must stand your ground and not be overcome with nervousness or fear.
• What are the disadvantages of automated testing?
Automated testing does not represent reality. Real time testing helps you to check for yourself how an application behaves on a particular device. If the automated software does not have access to a particular device, you may miss out on that. Moreover, comprehensive app testing programs are expensive. Last but not the least, all the areas of testing cannot be automated. Ensure that you have all these points in mind, and your interview should go well no matter what.
• What do you understand by comparison testing?
This is a question that looks difficult but is framed in such a manner. Comparison is nothing but comparing your application with that of your competitor. All that you would do during comparison testing is to compare the app you have developed with that of your competitors’. You could compare the speed, quality, user interface, quality and other parameters as decided by you or your client.
• Which platform do you like the best?
This is one of those questions that is posed rather benignly but hides a malignant intent. If you answer either iOS or Android or another mobile platform, you will have to explain why you do not like the other platform so much. You must rather answer saying that it is up to the client to decide which one is more suitable for them and if you had to choose one, you would look at the target audience and user base. Now, recruiters will not like an answer like that. In such a situation, answer honestly and pick the one that you have most experience with. You can explain and substantiate your choice by saying you have more experience with platform X than platform Y and that is the reason why you choose the former over the latter.
• Where do you see yourself 5 years from now?
Interview questions cannot get more clichéd than this one. Nevertheless, they are still asked. Your focus should be on revealing that you would like to remain updated with newer software programs, languages, app designing skills and continued learning.
• If not for app testing/developing, what would you have liked to do?
Again, this one is a malignant question in the clothes of a benign one. If you choose to reply with a career that is vastly different from your own, you will endlessly engage in a conversation that may reveal your weaknesses. Instead, admit that you really like what you do, and if you had to choose something else, it would be something closely related to your existing profession.
• What are your other interests?
This is a benign question and should be treated so. Do not make up lies that you go home and begin to test applications. Showcase your versatility and exuberance for life. Admit that you like to go hiking, read books, listen to music, enjoy a play or go to the opera. The idea is to inform that you are not a bot that tests applications. You are a living and breathing human being who has a life of their own. And that answer will be very well appreciated.
Though this is not an exhaustive list of interview questions for app testers and developers, it lists some of the most common questions that professionals come across, no matter how experienced they are. Maintain poise, be confident and answer the questions thoughtfully and truthfully. Confidence and poise will go a long way in not only ensuring that you get the job offer that you desire, but also win friends among colleagues and competitors. Update yourself with knowledge and continue to be awesome, and you will land up with your dream job no matter how difficult the situation is.
