Curated interview practice questions with answers. These are practice scenarios, not a verified list of past interview questions.
About Autodesk hiring for Automation Testing roles
Autodesk is a software company known for design and engineering products such as AutoCAD, Revit, Fusion and Maya. Architects, engineers, manufacturers and media professionals use its tools for design, simulation and visual effects. In India it has development and operations centres that hire software engineers, quality engineers, data analysts and technical support roles.
For Automation Testing roles, this Autodesk practice set focuses most on Core Java for Testers (6), Selenium Grid & Docker (6), API Testing and CI/CD (5), Selenium WebDriver (5). It has 31 medium, 9 hard questions, so you can start easy and work up to the harder ones.
Company type
Product
Headquarters
San Francisco, USA
Main India offices
Bengaluru, Pune
Autodesk Automation Testing interview process
Online coding assessment
Technical round 1 (DSA)
Technical round 2 (design or C++/domain)
Hiring manager round
HR round
Typical pattern based on public candidate experiences. Rounds vary by role, team and year.
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01
What are pre-processors and post-processors in JMeter?
Pre-processors run before a sampler, for example a JSR223 PreProcessor that builds a signature or timestamp, or User Parameters that set values per thread. Post-processors run after a sampler and usually extract data from the response, such as JSON Extractor, Regular Expression Extractor or Boundary Extractor, storing it as a variable for later requests. Their scope depends on where they sit in the tree, so place them as children of the right sampler.
02
What is the difference between static and non-static members?
When a build is killed, driver.quit() never runs, so sessions stay open until the node notices. Set a sensible session timeout on nodes, such as SE_NODE_SESSION_TIMEOUT of 300 seconds, so idle sessions are cleaned up. Always call quit in an @AfterMethod with alwaysRun or a finally block. In CI, bring the Compose Grid up per build and tear it down in a post always step, so each build gets a fresh Grid.
In Dynamic Grid the node does not run browsers itself. It is configured with a Docker socket and a list of browser images, and for each new session it starts a fresh browser container, runs the test and then removes the container. Every test gets a clean browser, and capacity grows without pre-starting many nodes. It can also record video per session. The trade-off is container start-up time for each session.
Use path filters so commits that touch only docs or markdown skip the test stages. For code changes, map modules to their test suites and run only the affected ones on pull requests, with the full regression on merge to main or nightly. Cache Maven dependencies and Docker layers. Keep a fast smoke stage first so failures appear early. Track pipeline time as a metric so the optimisation does not quietly regress.
07
A login action can lead either to the dashboard or to an error message. How should the page object method return?
Make the outcome explicit with separate methods instead of one method guessing. For example loginAs(user) returns DashboardPage for valid credentials, while loginExpectingError(user) returns the same LoginPage so the test can check the error. Each method waits for its expected page and fails clearly if it does not appear. This keeps tests readable and avoids returning a generic Object or checking types in tests.
08
What is the Optional class in Java and where is it useful in test code?
Optional is a container that may or may not hold a value, introduced in Java 8 to avoid returning null. In test code it suits lookups that can legitimately find nothing, such as finding a row in a table or reading an optional config key. Callers use orElse, orElseThrow or ifPresent instead of null checks. For example, findRowByName(name).orElseThrow(() -> new AssertionError(name + " not found")) gives a clear failure message.
09
How do you handle test data cleanup in Cucumber scenarios?
Create data in Given steps through APIs, record the created IDs in the scenario context, and delete them in an @After hook, which runs even when the scenario fails. Use unique names with a timestamp or UUID to avoid clashes in parallel runs. For shared environments, add a nightly cleanup job for leftover data tagged with a test prefix.
Compare effort saved by running automated tests repeatedly against the cost of building and maintaining scripts, counting execution time, defects found earlier and release speed.
11
How do you use Cucumber with REST Assured for API BDD tests?
Write scenarios in business terms, such as "When a customer places an order for 2 items". In step definitions, build the request with REST Assured, store the Response in a shared scenario context, and assert in Then steps using then().statusCode() and JSON path checks. Keep base URI, auth and specs in a helper class so steps stay short and the same steps serve many features.
12
How do you make WebDriver thread-safe for parallel runs?
Give each page an isAt() or waitUntilLoaded() method that waits for a unique element, page title or URL fragment. Call it in the constructor or right after navigation. If it fails, throw a clear error such as "Expected Cart page but URL was /login". This catches navigation problems at the right point instead of failing later with a confusing locator error.
14
How do you validate an XML response in REST Assured?
// REST Assured uses GPath for XML as well as JSON
given()
.accept(ContentType.XML)
.when()
.get("/orders/42")
.then()
.statusCode(200)
.contentType(ContentType.XML)
.body("order.@id", equalTo("42"))
.body("order.items.item.size()", equalTo(3))
.body("order.status", equalTo("SHIPPED"));
15
You see ConcurrentModificationException in your test utility. What causes it and how do you fix it?
It occurs when a collection is modified while being iterated with a for-each loop, for example removing items from an ArrayList inside the loop. Fix by using Iterator.remove(), removeIf(), collecting items to remove separately, or using CopyOnWriteArrayList or ConcurrentHashMap when threads share the collection. In parallel tests, shared lists are a common source.
16
How do you record videos of tests running on a Docker Selenium Grid?
Add the selenium/video image as a sidecar container next to each node, sharing the node's display through DISPLAY_CONTAINER_NAME, and mount a folder for the mp4 files. Newer Grid versions also support recording per session by setting the se:recordVideo capability with Dynamic Grid. Name videos with se:name so they match test names. Keep videos only for failed tests or for a few days, because they use a lot of disk space.
Locate rows and columns with XPath such as //table//tr and //td, loop through them to read or click cells, or build the XPath dynamically from the row text.
18
A utility method that parses dates from the UI breaks in parallel runs. What might be wrong?
It probably uses a shared static SimpleDateFormat, which is not thread-safe, so parallel threads corrupt each other's parsing. Replace it with java.time DateTimeFormatter, which is immutable and thread-safe, and LocalDate or LocalDateTime for values. Generally, avoid shared mutable static objects in test utilities that run in parallel.
19
Business stakeholders never read your feature files. Is BDD still worth it?
Partly. Readable scenarios still help testers and developers, but if nobody discusses examples before coding, Cucumber is only an extra layer over normal tests. I would first try to restart three-amigos sessions for complex stories. If the business truly will not engage, I would keep Gherkin only for key business flows and write lower-level tests in plain TestNG to reduce maintenance.
20
Your Selenium tests in CI produce blank screenshots in headless mode. What could be wrong?
The screenshot may be taken before the page renders, the window size in headless mode may be tiny, or the browser is crashing due to low shared memory in Docker. Set --window-size=1920,1080, use the new headless mode, wait for page content before capturing, and add --disable-dev-shm-usage or a larger shm size for containers.
21
How would you design a CI pipeline for nightly regression?
Schedule the job, spin up environments or containers, run suites in parallel, store reports and screenshots, notify failures on Slack or email and track trends.
22
Your UI regression suite has 15 percent flaky failures. How would you bring it under control?
Measure flakiness per test over many runs and fix the worst first. Typical fixes are replacing sleeps with explicit waits, creating independent test data via API, avoiding shared logins, using stable locators, isolating parallel drivers and stubbing unstable third parties. Quarantine known flaky tests into a separate job so they do not block releases, and set a target like under 2 percent.
23
What is the difference between the normal, eager and none page load strategies in Selenium?
Page load strategy decides when navigation commands like get() return. Normal, the default, waits for the full load event including images and stylesheets. Eager returns when the DOM is ready (DOMContentLoaded), which speeds up heavy pages. None returns immediately after the initial response. With eager or none you must rely on explicit waits for the elements you need. Set it through options.setPageLoadStrategy(PageLoadStrategy.EAGER).
24
Write a docker-compose.yml that runs a Selenium hub with Chrome and Firefox nodes.
Inside a container, localhost means the container itself, not the host machine. On Docker Desktop use host.docker.internal as the host name. On Linux add extra_hosts with host.docker.internal:host-gateway, or use the host's IP. A cleaner option is running the application in the same Compose network and calling it by its service name, such as http://web:8080. Make sure the app listens on 0.0.0.0, not only 127.0.0.1.
26
How do you capture a screen recording of a mobile test and attach it on failure?
// Start before the test, stop and save only if it fails
driver.startRecordingScreen();
// ... test steps ...
String base64 = driver.stopRecordingScreen();
if (result.getStatus() == ITestResult.FAILURE) {
byte[] video = Base64.getDecoder().decode(base64);
Files.write(Paths.get("target/videos/" + result.getName() + ".mp4"), video);
}
27
Write a TestNG listener that logs test start and failure.
Check that endpoints reject missing or invalid tokens with 401, block users from other users' data with 403 or 404, validate input to prevent injection, do not leak stack traces or sensitive fields, enforce HTTPS and set security headers. Automate these as negative tests in the regression suite and work with the security team for deeper penetration testing.
Use TestNG parallel="methods | classes | tests" with thread-count, keep WebDriver in a ThreadLocal, and use Selenium Grid or a cloud grid for multiple browsers.
31
A mobile test fails intermittently because an animation is still running when you tap. How do you fix it?
Wait for a stable end state instead of sleeping, for example wait until the target element is visible and enabled or until a spinner disappears. On test devices and emulators you can disable animations with adb shell settings put global window_animation_scale 0, along with the transition and animator scales. Ask developers for an idle indicator if needed. Disabling animations makes tests faster and more stable, but keep one manual check of the real animations.
Encapsulation: private locators with public page methods. Inheritance: pages extend a BasePage. Polymorphism: the WebDriver interface for different browsers. Abstraction: utility layers hiding Selenium details.
34
A click works locally but throws ElementClickInterceptedException in CI. How do you fix it?
Another element, such as a cookie banner, loader overlay or sticky header, covers the target. In CI the window is often smaller, so the layout differs. Set a fixed window size, wait for the overlay to disappear with invisibilityOfElementLocated, close banners in setup and scroll the element into view. Use a JavaScript click only as a last resort, since it bypasses real user behaviour.
35
A third-party payment API is slow and makes your tests time out in CI. What do you do?
Separate concerns: for most functional tests, stub the payment API with WireMock returning success, failure and timeout responses, so tests are fast and deterministic. Keep a small set of integration tests against the sandbox, with longer timeouts and retries for network errors, run on a schedule. Report sandbox slowness separately so it does not block every pull request.
36
File upload tests pass locally but fail when they run on a remote Grid. Why?
sendKeys with a file path sends a path that exists on your test machine, but the browser runs on the remote node where that path does not exist. Set a LocalFileDetector on the RemoteWebDriver, using ((RemoteWebDriver) driver).setFileDetector(new LocalFileDetector()), so Selenium zips and transfers the file to the node first. Alternatively mount the test data folder into the node container. Always use absolute paths.
Cucumber Expressions are the default, simpler way to match steps, using parameter types like {int}, {string}, {word} and {float}. For example "I add {int} items" captures a number and converts it to an Integer automatically. Regular expressions are still supported and offer more control, but are harder to read. Teams usually prefer Cucumber Expressions and define custom parameter types for domain values.
39
Your API tests started failing with SSL handshake errors on a new test server. What do you do?
First confirm the server uses a self-signed or internal certificate. The proper fix is to import the company CA certificate into a truststore and configure REST Assured with trustStore(path, password). As a temporary measure in a test environment only, relaxedHTTPSValidation() skips checks. Never use relaxed validation against production, and raise the certificate issue with the infra team.
40
Your recorded JMeter script fails with 403 on every request after login. What is the likely cause?
The script is probably replaying hard-coded dynamic values, such as a CSRF token, session cookie or auth header captured during recording. The server rejects them because they belong to the old session. Add an HTTP Cookie Manager so cookies are handled per thread, extract the CSRF or bearer token from the login response with an extractor, and replace the recorded value with the variable. Verify with View Results Tree on one thread.
Tips to crack the Autodesk Automation Testing interview
Revise C++ or another core language, object-oriented design and data structures, since many desktop products use C++ codebases.
If you know geometry, graphics or 3D concepts, mention projects that use them, as they suit many Autodesk product teams.
Try AutoCAD or Fusion student versions to understand the products and speak about them from real experience.
Keep a one-minute story ready for every project on your CV: problem, your part, tools, result.
Practise the hard questions on this page aloud; Autodesk interviewers usually ask follow-ups on your first answer.
Frequently asked questions
How many rounds are there in the Autodesk Automation Testing interview?
Candidates usually go through 5 stages: Online coding assessment; Technical round 1 (DSA); Technical round 2 (design or C++/domain); Hiring manager round; HR round. The exact rounds change with the role, team, location and your experience, so confirm the process with the recruiter.
Which topics should I prepare for the Autodesk Automation Testing interview?
This practice set leans on Core Java for Testers (6), Selenium Grid & Docker (6), API Testing and CI/CD (5), Selenium WebDriver (5). Revise those first, then practise explaining one or two of your own projects end to end, because most Autodesk interviewers ask you to walk through real work.
Are these the exact questions asked at Autodesk?
No. These are curated practice questions that match the skills and difficulty usually tested in product interviews like Autodesk's. They are not a leaked or verified list of past questions.
Where does Autodesk hire Automation Testing professionals in India?
Autodesk has large teams in Bengaluru, Pune. Openings and locations change often, so check the Autodesk careers page and filter by city and experience.
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