Forty selenium interview questions for hiring

Proficient testing and quality assurance are crucial for the success of software development. As organizations turn to automation to enhance their testing processes, Selenium has emerged as a leading framework for web application testing. To effectively identify and hire the top talent in this domain, asking the most appropriate questions during interviews is essential. This guide presents the top Selenium interview questions to understand candidates’ technical skills, problem-solving abilities, and practical experience with the tool. With these questions, recruiters can assess candidates and ensure they possess the expertise to contribute to their teams and drive quality in software delivery.

Selenium is a robust open-source framework that plays a vital role in software and application testing processes. Selenium does not require licensing, supports many programming languages, and can automate browsers. It helps perform functional testing and ensure the quality and reliability of web applications. Organizations across the globe are relying more and more on Selenium to meet their testing requirements, leading to rising demands for skilled software developers with experience in Selenium.

Technical skills

• Proficiency in programming languages, including languages like Python, C#, Java, and JavaScript
• Deep knowledge of the Selenium framework, its capabilities, components, and architecture
• Relevant experience in automation testing
• Knowledge of testing frameworks, concepts, and tools
• Understanding of various web technologies, like JavaScript, HTML, and CSS
• Familiarity with version control systems that collaborate with team members and manage source code, like Git
• Understanding of various testing methodologies, like Scrum and Agile

Soft skills

• Strong problem-solving skills for analyzing issues and identifying effective solutions
• Excellent communication skills that allow effective collaboration within teams
• Strong team player skills, including the ability to work in collaboration to achieve project goals and knowledge sharing
• Willingness to understand and learn new technologies to ensure updated knowledge as industry standards
• Strong time management skills for prioritizing tasks in an effective and efficient manner and delivering high-quality work while meeting deadlines

When recruiting Selenium developers, it is important to structure the Selenium interview questions in a manner that allows recruiters to assess the skills and proficiency of candidates in using the framework and its capabilities. The right set of Selenium automation testing interview questions can be used to evaluate the knowledge, practical experience, problem-solving approach, and familiarity with best practices for candidates. Asking these Selenium interview questions can help the interviewer gauge how well candidates understand the concepts of Selenium, their troubleshooting skills when faced with challenges, and how well they are able to apply those concepts in real-world situations.

1. List some of the limitations of Selenium testing.
   As an open-source tool, Selenium lacks dedicated tech support for user queries. It tests web applications and requires integration with third-party tools like Appium and TestNG for testing desktop and mobile applications. Additionally, it has limited support for image testing and does not offer built-in reporting or test management features, necessitating integration with tools like TestNG or JUnit. Users must also have basic programming knowledge to utilize Selenium WebDriver effectively.
2. Define Selenese and its classifications.
   Selenese refers to the collection of commands in Selenium for testing web applications. Testers can use Selenese to check for broken links, verify the presence of specific elements in the user interface, assess Ajax functionality, and handle alerts, among other tasks. Selenese is categorized into three types-Action- Commands that directly interact with the application.
   Accessors- Commands that enable users to store specific values in user-defined variables.
   Assertions- Commands that confirm the current state of the application against an expected state.
3. How is Selenium 3.0 different from Selenium 2.0?
   Selenium 2.0 is a tool that simplifies the creation of automated tests for web applications. It resulted from integrating the original Selenium project with the WebDriver project. Although Selenium RC was deprecated following this merger, it was used for backward compatibility.Selenium 3.0 is an enhanced version of Selenium 2.0, offering inherent backward compatibility without the need for Selenium RC, including numerous bug fixes and improved stability.
4. What types of testing does Selenium support?
   Selenium facilitates both regression testing and functional testing. Regression testing involves re-running a complete or partial set of previously executed test cases to confirm that existing functionalities are working correctly. On the other hand, functional testing focuses on validating each application function against the specified requirements.
5. Which types of annotations are used in Selenium?
   Various types of annotations utilized in Selenium are:@Test- This annotation designates a method as a test method.
   @BeforeMethod- This annotation indicates that a method should be executed before each test method.
   @BeforeClass- This annotation executes a method before the first test method.
   @AfterMethod- This annotation signifies that a method will run after each test method.
6. Explain the same-origin policy and how it is handled.
   The same-origin policy is a security feature that allows scripts from one webpage to interact with the contents of another webpage. According to this policy, a web browser permits access only if both pages share the exact origin, which is defined by the combination of the URL scheme, hostname, and port number. This policy helps prevent malicious scripts on one page from accessing sensitive information on another. For example, a JavaScript program running on google.com can access all pages within the Google domain, such as google.com/login or google.com/mail, but it cannot access pages from different domains like yahoo.com.To address this limitation, Selenium RC was developed. A client-configured HTTP proxy server “tricks” the browser into thinking that both the Selenium Core and the tested web application originate from the same source.
7. Which types of waits are supported by WebDriver?
   Implicit wait instructs Selenium to pause for a specified duration before raising a “No such element” exception. In contrast, explicit wait directs the WebDriver to wait for specific conditions to be met before throwing an “ElementNotVisibleException.” Fluent wait allows the WebDriver to wait for a condition while specifying how often it should check for that condition before raising an “ElementNotVisibleException.”
8. Differentiate between driver.close() and driver.quit().
   driver.close() command closes the currently active browser window. If there are many windows open, only the window that is currently in focus will be closed.
   With driver.quit() command, when the quit() method is invoked on the driver instance, it closes all open browser windows, regardless of how many are currently active.
9. What are exception tests in Selenium?
   In Selenium, the exception test refers to an expected exception that should occur within a test class. If you have designed a test case to trigger a specific exception, you can utilize the test annotation and indicate the expected exception in the parameters.
10. How to test web services or APIs using Selenium WebDriver?
    We cannot test APIs or web services utilizing Selenium Webdriver as it is created to test web-based applications.

1. Which command is used to click on a hyperlink in Selenium?
   The following commands are used-
   driver.findElement(By.linkText(“Today’s deals”)).click();
   The command locates the element using the link text and selects it, resulting in the user being redirected to the corresponding page.
   driver.findElement(By.partialLinkText(“Service”)).click();The command above identifies the element based on a substring of the link given in the parentheses, while the partialLinkText() retrieves the web element.
2. How to use Selenium to automate captcha?
   No, Selenium cannot automate captcha.
3. Define the Page Object Module (POM).
   Each application webpage is associated with a specific page class tasked with locating and executing actions on web elements. The POM design pattern facilitates the creation of object repositories for these web elements.
4. How are Windows-based popups handled by Selenium?
   When a link or button is clicked, a new window may open displaying information or advertisements. The methods getWindowHandles, and getWindowHandle are utilized to handle these windows. The getWindowHandles method stores all the IDs of opened windows as a Set data structure. The getWindowHandles method holds all the opened window handle IDs, so we can use the iterator and the following methods to iterate through them.
5. What are the differences between Selenium and QTP?
   Selenium is an open-source and free automation tool for testing, while QTP is a licensed tool requiring investment. Some supported environments in Selenium are Android, iOS, Windows, Linux, Mac, and Polaris, whereas QTP supports only Windows. Selenium supports automation for web-based applications; on the contrary, QTP supports for test on both web and desktop-based applications.
6. Define keyword-driven and data-driven frameworks.
   Keyword-driven testing is an automation framework that develops tests using keywords or predefined actions. This method employs predefined keywords that correspond to test actions (such as “click” or “verify”) linked to scripts or functions. It prioritizes reusability and makes testing easier for teams with limited coding expertise. In contrast, data-driven testing evaluates an application’s functionality by repeatedly performing the same actions with various datasets, typically stored in external sources like Excel sheets, CSV files, or databases. This approach is particularly suitable for situations that require a wide range of input variations to ensure thorough coverage.
7. Define Object Repository.
   An Object Repository is a centralized storage area where testers can keep all web elements utilized in the test automation framework, including buttons, text boxes, and links.
8. What is a WebElement, and how is it used in Selenium?
   The WebElement is an interface in Selenium representing an HTML element on a web page. It offers methods for interacting with these web elements, including clicking, entering text, and retrieving values. It identifies and manipulates web elements during the automation testing process.
9. In Selenium, what are the four parameters to pass?
   There are four parameters for Selenium to pass a test. These are as follows: URL, host, browser and port number
10. Can screen coordinate be used while using the click command?
    To click on specific part of element, one would need to use clickAT command. ClickAt command accepts element locator and x, y co-ordinates as arguments- clickAt (locator, cordString).

1. What is the function of the switchTo() command?
   The switchTo() command allows users to navigate between different windows, frames, or popups within the application. Each window created by the WebDriver is assigned a distinct alphanumeric identifier known as a “Window Handle.”
2. What is the method to upload a file in Selenium WebDriver?
   One can upload a file by using sendkeys() or Robot class method. Then, locate the text box, set the file path using sendkeys(), and click the submit button.

   Locate the browse button
   WebElement browse =driver.findElement(By.id(“uploadfile”));

   Pass the path of the file to be uploaded using the sendKeys method
   browse.sendKeys(“D:\\SeleniumInterview\\UploadFile.txt”);

3. How to set the window size in Selenium?
   The window size can be maximized, set or resizedTo maximize the window, the following command is to be used-
   driver.manage().window().maximize();

   To set the window size, the following command is to be used-

   Dimension d = new Dimension(400,600);
   driver.manage().window().setSize(d);
   Alternatively, the window size can be reset using JavaScriptExecutor
   ((JavascriptExecutor)driver).executeScript(“window.resizeTo(1024, 768)”);

4. When are the findElement() and findElements() commands used?
   The findElement() method is utilized to locate a single element on a web page, returning the object of the first element that matches the given locator.On the other hand, the findElements() method is employed to find all elements on the current web page that correspond to the specified locator value. All matching elements are collected and stored in a list of Web elements.
5. In Selenium IDE, what is a pause on an exception?
   Users can utilize this feature to manage exceptions by clicking the pause icon in the IDE’s top right corner. When the script encounters an exception, it pauses at that specific statement and switches to debug mode. It prevents the entire test case from failing, allowing the user to correct the error immediately.
6. Differentiate between double and single slash in XPath.A single slash creates an XPath with an absolute path, meaning the XPath begins selection from the start node. In contrast, a double slash creates an XPath with a relative path, allowing the selection to start from any location within the document.
7. If a website has an authentication popup for entering the username and password, how to log in using Selenium?
   To manage authentication popups, one must confirm their presence and address them using an explicit wait command.
8. How to select a value from a dropdown in Selenium WebDriver?
   The Select class in WebDriver is utilized to choose and unselect options in a dropdown menu. Instances of the Select type can be initialized by passing the dropdown web element as a parameter to its constructor.
9. What are the different types of testing frameworks?
   Linear automation framework, modular-based testing framework, library architecture testing framework, data-driven framework, keyword-driven framework, and hybrid testing framework are the different testing frameworks.
10. What are star points and breakpoints in Selenium?
    Breakpoints are used to indicate where to pause the test or halt the execution of the test script. It allows for verification of whether the code is functioning as intended.
    Startpoint specifies where to begin execution and can be placed anywhere in the test script, whether in the middle of the code or at a breakpoint.
11. How to identify broken links in Selenium WebDriver?
    To identify broken links in Selenium WebDriver, navigate to the desired webpage, such as www.amazon.com. Use the driver.get() method to access the URL, which will respond with a status of 200-OK if the link is functioning properly. A status of 200-OK indicates that the link has been successfully retrieved. If you receive any other status code, the link is broken. Next, collect all the links from the webpage, as they are associated with the ‘a’ tag, and then check the status of each link individually.
12. Name some common automation testing tools that are used for functional automation.
    Some common automation testing tools are QTP, Test Complete, RFT, and Silk Test.
13. Name common automation testing tools that are used for non-functional automation.
    LoadRunner, JMeter, WebLoad, Silk Performer, HP Performance Center, Gatling, and Apache are common automation testing tools for non-functional automation.
14. Which tools can be integrated with Selenium to facilitate continuous testing?
    Some automation tools that could be integrated with Selenium to achieve continuous testing are CircleCI, Jenkins, Travis CI, AWS CodePipeline, Azure DevOps, and Bitbucket Pipelines.
15. What is an assertion in Selenium?
    An assertion is a technique for determining whether a specific condition is true or false. In Selenium, assertions confirm the status of elements on a page or the outcomes of an action. They can be utilized to verify the existence or non-existence of an element, the value of an element, or the text contained within an element. Additionally, assertions can be used to check if an element is visible or hidden.
16. Differentiate between the assert and verify commands.
    The assert command is utilized to determine if a specified condition is true. If the condition holds, the program will proceed with its execution. However, if the condition is false, the program’s execution will be halted. On the other hand, the verify command checks if a given condition is true. If the condition is true, the program will continue running. If the condition is false, the program will not stop but will display an error message.
17. Define XPath Absolute and XPath attributes.
    XPath consists of two primary types of expressions: absolute and relative. Absolute expressions begin with a forward slash (/), signifying the document’s root element. Attributes in XPath are associated with elements and can hold vital information about those elements. One must use the at sign (@) followed by the attribute name to access an attribute.
18. Which mobile testing drivers are supported by WebDriver?
    The main WebDriver-supported mobile testing drivers are RemoteWebDriver, AndroidDriver, iPhoneDriver, and Selendroid.
19. Differentiate between type commands and type keys.
    In computer programming, there is a distinction between type keys and type commands. Type keys refer to the specific characters you input using the keyboard, whereas type commands are the instructions provided to the computer.
20. Are there any disadvantages of implicit wait?
    The primary drawback of implicit wait is that it may slow down tests. Additionally, it can lead to test failures if the element one is waiting for takes longer to appear than the specified implicit wait time. Lastly, the implicit wait can reduce the reliability of tests by introducing inconsistencies.

Mercer | Mettl offers a suite of scientifically validated assessments, including a comprehensive Java Selenium Test. It evaluates candidates’ proficiency in Selenium automation, ensuring they possess the necessary skills to test web applications effectively. This assessment focuses on various aspects of Selenium.

By utilizing the Mercer | Mettl Java Selenium Test, organizations can confidently gauge the technical competency of potential hires in Selenium automation. It helps build a strong team that ensures high-quality applications through effective automation strategies, ultimately enhancing the software development process and user experience.

A well-defined, practical approach to recruitment should include a blend of pre-employment assessments and structured Selenium interview questions and answers rounds. Though asking candidates Selenium automation testing interview questions to gain insights into their experience, background, skills, etc., is essential, a comprehensive assessment process is necessary to identify top talent. Selenium interview questions should be preceded by tests, creating a comprehensive overview of the technical and soft skills of candidates.