Overview
When a bug is found during testing, addressing it effectively is crucial for maintaining the quality and reliability of software. This process involves a systematic approach to documenting, diagnosing, and resolving the issue, ensuring that the software meets its requirements and functions as intended. Understanding these steps is fundamental in manual testing interviews, highlighting a tester's ability to identify, communicate, and contribute to the resolution of defects.
Key Concepts
- Bug Reporting: The initial documentation and reporting of the bug.
- Bug Triage: The process of prioritizing and assigning the bug to the right team or individual.
- Bug Fixing and Verification: The steps taken to resolve the bug and verify the solution.
Common Interview Questions
Basic Level
- What steps do you follow when you find a bug during manual testing?
- How do you write an effective bug report?
Intermediate Level
- Describe the bug lifecycle in manual testing.
Advanced Level
- How do you prioritize bugs, and what factors influence this decision?
Detailed Answers
1. What steps do you follow when you find a bug during manual testing?
Answer: When a bug is found during manual testing, the following steps are generally taken:
- Identification: Clearly identify and replicate the bug to understand the conditions under which it occurs.
- Documentation: Document the bug in a bug tracking tool, providing details such as the environment in which the bug was found, steps to reproduce, expected vs. actual results, and severity.
- Reporting: Submit the bug report to the development team or relevant stakeholders for review.
- Verification: Once the bug is fixed, re-test the specific functionality to ensure the bug is resolved and verify that the fix hasn't introduced any new issues.
Key Points:
- Clear and concise documentation is crucial.
- Reproducibility of the bug is essential for resolution.
- Effective communication with the development team enhances the bug fixing process.
Example:
// No C# code example is applicable for this answer as it involves manual testing processes.
2. How do you write an effective bug report?
Answer: Writing an effective bug report involves providing all the necessary information that a developer would need to understand and fix the issue without needing to ask for further details:
- Title: A concise and descriptive title that summarizes the issue.
- Environment: Details about the testing environment, including software version, hardware, and network conditions.
- Steps to Reproduce: A numbered list of steps that clearly explains how to reproduce the bug.
- Expected vs. Actual Results: A clear description of what was expected to happen and what actually occurred.
- Attachments: Screenshots, logs, or videos that can help illustrate the issue.
- Severity and Priority: An indication of how serious the bug is and how urgently it needs to be fixed.
Key Points:
- Clarity and conciseness in the report prevent misunderstandings.
- Providing exact steps to reproduce is crucial for efficient bug fixing.
- Visual attachments can significantly aid in understanding the issue.
Example:
// No C# code example is applicable for this answer as it involves manual testing processes.
3. Describe the bug lifecycle in manual testing.
Answer: The bug lifecycle in manual testing typically follows these stages:
- New: When a bug is first reported and logged.
- Assigned: The bug is assigned to a developer to be fixed.
- In Progress: The developer is actively working on fixing the bug.
- Fixed: The developer has resolved the issue, awaiting verification.
- Test: The bug is re-tested by the QA team to verify the fix.
- Verified: The fix is confirmed, and the bug is closed.
- Reopened: If the issue persists or the fix introduces new issues, the bug is reopened.
Key Points:
- The lifecycle ensures systematic tracking and resolution of bugs.
- Communication between QA and development teams is key throughout the lifecycle.
- Each stage of the lifecycle provides insights into the progress of bug resolution.
Example:
// No C# code example is applicable for this answer as it involves manual testing processes.
4. How do you prioritize bugs, and what factors influence this decision?
Answer: Prioritizing bugs involves evaluating their impact on the software and users. Factors influencing this decision include:
- Severity: The level of impact on the system, ranging from critical (causes crashes or data loss) to minor (typographical errors).
- Frequency: How often the bug occurs and the number of users affected.
- Functionality: The importance of the affected feature to the overall application.
- User Impact: The potential negative experience or inconvenience caused to the user.
Key Points:
- Critical bugs that affect core functionalities are generally given the highest priority.
- Bugs in features used by a majority of users may be prioritized higher.
- Balancing between severity and frequency helps in effective prioritization.
Example:
// No C# code example is applicable for this answer as it involves manual testing processes.
