Curated interview practice questions with answers. These are practice scenarios, not a verified list of past interview questions.
About Zerodha hiring for Automation Testing roles
Zerodha is an Indian stockbroker known for discount brokerage and platforms like Kite, Console and Coin. It runs a relatively small in-house technology team that builds trading and back-office systems. Hiring for technical and analytics roles is limited and tends to value practical skills, open-source work and self-learning.
For Automation Testing roles, this Zerodha practice set focuses most on API Testing and CI/CD (6), Core Java for Testers (6), REST Assured (6), Selenium WebDriver (5). It has 3 easy, 29 medium, 8 hard questions, so you can start easy and work up to the harder ones.
Company type
Fintech
Headquarters
Bengaluru, India
Main India offices
Bengaluru
Zerodha Automation Testing interview process
Application review (projects or GitHub)
Technical discussion
Assignment or practical task
Founder or team round
Typical pattern based on public candidate experiences. Rounds vary by role, team and year.
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01
How do you mock an external API in automation tests?
Use a tool such as WireMock or MockServer to run a stub server that returns predefined responses for given requests. Point the application or tests to the stub with configuration. This lets you test error codes, timeouts and edge cases that are hard to trigger on the real service, and keeps tests stable when the third party is down. Still keep a few tests against the real integration.
Do not load everything as one giant DataProvider; that creates thousands of UI tests. First question whether all rows need UI runs; most can be validated at API level. Read the file with BufferedReader or Files.lines() as a stream, filter to the rows you need, and use a lazy Iterator<Object[]> DataProvider so rows load as tests run, keeping memory low.
05
How do you pass thread count and duration to a JMeter test from the command line?
// In the Thread Group fields use property functions with defaults
Number of Threads: ${__P(users,10)}
Ramp-up period: ${__P(rampup,30)}
Duration (seconds): ${__P(duration,300)}
// Then override them when running
jmeter -n -t load.jmx -l out.jtl -Jusers=200 -Jrampup=120 -Jduration=1800
Headless mode or screen resolution, timing issues, environment data, missing dependencies, browser–driver version mismatch or parallel conflicts. Check logs and failure screenshots and make waits robust.
07
What is the difference between getText() and getAttribute()?
Do not try to read SMS from a real phone. Ask developers for a test-only approach: a fixed OTP for test users, a bypass flag in non-production, or an API to fetch the latest OTP. For authenticator apps, store the test account's TOTP secret and generate codes in Java with a TOTP library. Keep production 2FA untouched and secrets in the CI credential store.
An authorisation framework where a client obtains an access token from an auth server and sends it as a Bearer token; tests fetch and reuse the token in setup.
10
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.
11
What is the difference between ThreadLocal and a synchronized block in Java?
A synchronized block lets only one thread at a time run a piece of code that touches shared data, so threads wait for each other. ThreadLocal avoids sharing altogether by giving each thread its own copy of a variable. In parallel test frameworks ThreadLocal<WebDriver> is preferred because each thread needs its own browser, and locking would serialise tests. Always call remove() after quitting to avoid leaks in thread pools.
12
How do you test an API that returns paginated results?
Call the first page, check page size, total count and the next link or cursor. Loop through pages until there is no next page, collecting IDs, then assert no duplicates and the total matches the reported count. Also test edge cases: page 0, a page beyond the last, invalid page size and sorting stability. Cap the loop to avoid endless runs if the API misbehaves.
13
Half of your TestNG tests are skipped in CI with no failure shown. What could cause it?
Usually a configuration method failed, such as @BeforeClass or @BeforeSuite throwing an exception, which makes TestNG skip dependent tests. Other causes are dependsOnMethods on a failed test, a group filter excluding setup methods without alwaysRun, or a DataProvider that threw an exception. Check the configuration failures section of the report and the log for the first exception.
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.
15
How do you run Appium tests in parallel on several Android devices?
Give each device its own session: unique appium:udid, a separate appium:systemPort for UiAutomator2 and, for hybrid apps, a separate chromedriverPort. Store the driver in a ThreadLocal so threads never share it. Pass device details through TestNG parameters or a DataProvider and run with parallel="tests", one test tag per device. One Appium server can handle several sessions, or use a Selenium Grid 4 with Appium nodes or a cloud device farm for larger matrices.
16
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.
17
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.
Check the glue path in the runner points to the package containing the step classes. Check the step text matches exactly, including quotes and parameter types, since {string} expects quoted text. Confirm the step class is under src/test/java and compiled, the annotation import is io.cucumber.java.en, and the Cucumber versions of core, java and the runner module match. Running with dryRun shows all unmatched steps quickly.
20
What is JsonPath and how do you use it for nested JSON?
JsonPath (Groovy GPath syntax in REST Assured) navigates JSON with dot notation. For {"data":{"items":[{"price":10}]}} you use data.items[0].price. You can also filter: data.items.findAll { it.price > 5 }.name returns names of items costing more than 5. Use it inside body() assertions or via response.jsonPath().getList("data.items.name") to extract values for further checks.
21
A test reading a properties file works in the IDE but fails in Jenkins with FileNotFoundException. Why?
The file path is probably hard-coded or relative to the IDE working directory, or uses Windows backslashes while Jenkins runs on Linux. Load the file from the classpath with getClass().getClassLoader().getResourceAsStream("config.properties") and keep it in src/test/resources, or build paths with Paths.get. Also check the file is committed to Git and not ignored.
22
Developers changed a field from a number to a string and your tests did not catch it. How do you prevent this?
Add JSON schema validation for key responses so type changes fail immediately, and deserialize into typed POJOs, which fail when types do not match. For services with multiple consumers, introduce contract tests so providers learn about breaks before deploying. Also ask for API changes to be shared in pull requests or a changelog that QA reviews.
23
What is a Jenkins agent and how do labels help run tests?
An agent is a machine or container that runs build steps on behalf of the Jenkins controller. Labels are tags given to agents, such as linux, docker or windows-chrome. In a pipeline, agent { label 'docker' } sends the job to a matching agent. Testers use labels to send UI tests to agents with browsers or Docker installed, and to keep heavy test runs off the controller, which should only coordinate.
24
How do you handle a test that is flaky only in headless mode?
First check timing: the screen may still be loading, so add an explicit wait for presence. Then check context: in a hybrid app the element may be in a webview while you are in NATIVE_APP. Confirm the locator matches exactly, including package prefix in resource-id. The element may be off screen in a list, so scroll first. Also check that the Inspector session used the same app build, language and device size as the test.
27
What is the difference between average, median and 95th percentile response time?
Average is the sum divided by count, so a few very slow requests can distort it. Median is the middle value, meaning half the requests were faster. The 95th percentile means 95 percent of requests were faster than that value, which reflects what most users experience including slow cases. SLAs are usually written on 90th, 95th or 99th percentiles because averages hide long tails that frustrate real users.
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.
29
How do you handle a component that appears inside many different pages, like a modal dialog?
Create a ModalComponent class scoped to the modal root element, with methods like title(), confirm() and cancel(). Pages that open modals return the component, such as cartPage.removeItem() returning ConfirmModal. The component waits for itself to appear and disappear. This keeps modal logic in one place and avoids copying locators into every page.
30
How do you handle a dropdown that is not a <select> tag?
Most teams use trunk-based development or a light GitHub Flow: short-lived feature branches from main, a pull request with review and a CI run, then merge. Long-lived branches cause painful conflicts. Keep automation code in the same repository as the app when possible so tests change together with features, or tag test versions to match app releases.
Appium Inspector is a desktop or web tool that connects to an Appium server with your capabilities and shows a live screenshot of the app with its element tree. Clicking an element shows its attributes such as accessibility id, resource-id, text and bounds, and suggests locators. You can also try taps and swipes interactively. Testers use it to find stable locators and to check whether an element is really present before writing code.
34
Your CI pipeline is blocked because a downstream service needed for API tests is often down. What do you do?
Add a health check stage that pings dependencies before tests and marks the run as environment failure rather than test failure. For tests that do not need the real service, use stubs. Escalate with data on downtime frequency to the team owning the service. Keep a separate scheduled job for the real integration tests so pull requests are not blocked.
Lambdas are short anonymous functions; streams process collections declaratively with filter, map and collect, for example filtering link text from a list of elements.
37
Your team has 600 Cucumber scenarios and step definitions have become a mess of duplicates. What do you do?
First run a report of step usage to find duplicate and unused steps. Agree a step vocabulary per domain, merge near-identical steps using parameters, and delete unused ones. Move logic out of steps into page objects and service helpers. Add a review checklist and a dryRun gate in CI. Do this incrementally by feature area so the suite keeps running while you clean up.
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.
Add the json-schema-validator dependency, place the schema file in src/test/resources, and assert with then().body(matchesJsonSchemaInClasspath("user-schema.json")). Schema validation checks field types, required fields and structure, so it catches contract changes that value checks might miss. It complements, not replaces, assertions on business values like status or totals.
Tips to crack the Zerodha Automation Testing interview
Build and share real projects on GitHub, as Zerodha is known to value practical work and open-source contributions.
Read Zerodha Varsity to understand trading, markets and investment concepts in depth.
Learn about Zerodha's tech stack and engineering blog, including its use of Go and open-source tools.
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; Zerodha interviewers usually ask follow-ups on your first answer.
Frequently asked questions
How many rounds are there in the Zerodha Automation Testing interview?
Candidates usually go through 4 stages: Application review (projects or GitHub); Technical discussion; Assignment or practical task; Founder or team 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 Zerodha Automation Testing interview?
This practice set leans on API Testing and CI/CD (6), Core Java for Testers (6), REST Assured (6), Selenium WebDriver (5). Revise those first, then practise explaining one or two of your own projects end to end, because most Zerodha interviewers ask you to walk through real work.
Are these the exact questions asked at Zerodha?
No. These are curated practice questions that match the skills and difficulty usually tested in fintech interviews like Zerodha's. They are not a leaked or verified list of past questions.
Where does Zerodha hire Automation Testing professionals in India?
Zerodha has large teams in Bengaluru. Openings and locations change often, so check the Zerodha careers page and filter by city and experience.
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