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ISTQB Interview Questions in Chennai

36 practice questions with answers for ISTQB interviews in Chennai.

ISTQB jobs in Chennai

Chennai is a long-standing IT-services and SaaS hub along OMR, with strong demand for testing, data and support-engineering roles. Many companies here hire freshers in large batches and train them on the job.

Below are 36 questions that match the mix of service, product and domain employers hiring manual test engineers in Chennai.

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01

Your manual regression suite has not found a new defect for several releases. What do you do?

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This points to the 'tests wear out' principle. I would review the suite against recent changes and defect data, refresh test data and steps, add tests for new features and risky areas, and run exploratory sessions to find new kinds of defects. Stable regression checks are still worth keeping and automating, because their job is to confirm unchanged areas still work, not to discover new defects.
02

Show the TDD red-green-refactor cycle with a small example.

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# Red: write a failing test first def test_discount(): assert discount(1000) == 100 # Green: simplest code that passes def discount(amount): return amount * 0.10 # Refactor: improve design, test stays green RATE = 0.10 def discount(amount): return round(amount * RATE, 2) Repeat the cycle for each new behaviour, such as no discount below 500.
03

You have three years of testing experience and three weeks to prepare for CTFL. How do you plan?

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Experience helps, but the exam follows syllabus wording, not company practice. Week 1: read chapters 1 to 3 and the glossary terms in each learning objective. Week 2: study chapters 4 to 6, practise BVA, decision tables, state transitions, coverage and estimation calculations. Week 3: take timed official sample exams, analyse every wrong answer against the syllabus, and revise weak chapters.
04

What is the value of static testing?

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Static testing detects defects in the earliest phases, when they are cheapest to fix. It finds defects that dynamic testing cannot, such as unreachable code or defects in non-executable work products. It helps evaluate quality and build confidence, improves shared understanding among stakeholders, and gives fast feedback on code through static analysis in CI. Reviews cost effort, but the total cost of quality is usually lower.
05

Name the main test activities in the ISTQB test process.

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The test process has seven activity groups: test planning, test monitoring and control, test analysis, test design, test implementation, test execution and test completion. They are often iterative or done in parallel rather than strictly sequential. How they are carried out depends on context, such as the SDLC, product risks, budget, time, team skills and regulations, so an Agile team performs them in small loops in every iteration.
06

How is test analysis different from test design?

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Test analysis answers 'what to test': it analyses the test basis, identifies testable features, defines and prioritises test conditions, and evaluates the test basis for defects. Test design answers 'how to test': it turns test conditions into test cases, identifies coverage items, defines test data requirements and designs the test environment. Example: the condition 'login with a locked account' becomes, in design, a case with exact inputs and the expected error message.
07

Tell me about a time you found an important defect. How did you report it?

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Situation: while testing our final-year e-commerce project, I found checkout accepted expired coupon codes. Task: report it clearly before the demo. Action: I reproduced it three times and logged clear steps, expected and actual results, screenshots and the coupon data, and marked severity high because it meant revenue loss. Result: the developer fixed it within a day, and I added a regression test for coupon expiry.
08

Testing found 80 defects and users found 20 more after release. What is the defect detection percentage?

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DDP = defects found in testing / (defects found in testing + defects found after release) x 100 = 80 / (80 + 20) x 100 = 80 / 100 x 100 = 80 percent So testing caught 80 percent of known defects. Tracking DDP across releases shows whether test effectiveness is improving.
09

What types of defects are typically found by static testing?

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Requirements defects such as inconsistencies, ambiguities, contradictions, omissions and duplicates; design defects like inefficient database structures or poor modularisation; coding defects such as variables with undefined values, unreachable or duplicated code and excessive complexity; deviations from standards; incorrect interface specifications; security vulnerabilities like buffer overflows; and gaps in test coverage, such as missing tests for an acceptance criterion.
10

Write a BDD scenario for locking an account after three failed login attempts.

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Feature: Account lockout Scenario: Lock account after three failed attempts Given a registered user with an active account When the user enters a wrong password 3 times in a row Then the account is locked And the message 'Account locked. Try again after 30 minutes' is shown Given sets the context, When is the action and Then is the expected outcome.
11

Ten automated tests fail overnight, but the cause is an expired SSL certificate in the test environment. How should this be reported?

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These failures are caused by the environment, not the test object, so they should not be logged as product defects. I would raise one environment issue with the infrastructure team, mark the test results as blocked or environment failure, and re-run after the certificate is renewed. I would also suggest monitoring certificate expiry so the same false positives do not recur.
12

How do you learn from sample exams instead of just counting your score?

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After each timed attempt, review every question, including correct guesses. For each mistake, note the learning objective, the chapter and why the right option is correct in the syllabus text. Group mistakes by chapter to find weak areas, re-read those sections, and redo similar questions after a few days. Aim for consistent scores of 32 or more out of 40 before the real exam.
13

How has ISTQB knowledge helped you in your job?

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Situation: our team wrote test cases with no clear technique, and suites kept growing. Task: improve efficiency. Action: I applied equivalence partitioning and boundary value analysis to the form validations and used decision tables for pricing rules, removing redundant tests. Result: we cut the regression suite by about 30 percent while finding more boundary defects, and my lead asked me to train two juniors.
14

What are the success factors for reviews?

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Define clear objectives and measurable exit criteria; pick a review type that fits the objective, work product and people; review small chunks so reviewers stay focused; give feedback to authors so they improve; allow enough preparation time; secure management support; make reviews part of the culture to promote learning; and train participants for their roles. Review results must never be used to evaluate the performance of individuals.
15

What is the difference between confirmation testing and regression testing?

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Confirmation testing checks that an original defect has been fixed, by re-running the failed tests or new tests that cover the change. Regression testing checks that a change, including a fix, has not caused adverse effects elsewhere, in the same component, connected components or the environment. Regression suites grow and run often, so they are strong candidates for automation, typically inside a CI pipeline.
16

Describe a typical defect life cycle.

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A defect is logged as new or open, then triaged: it may be rejected, marked duplicate or deferred, or assigned for fixing. After the developer fixes it, it moves to awaiting confirmation testing. The tester re-tests; if it passes, the defect is closed, and if it fails, it is re-opened. Teams customise the workflow, but each status should have clear rules about who can move it and when.
17

Tell me about an exploratory testing session that found a critical defect.

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Situation: a ticket booking app had passed all scripted tests. Task: run a one-hour exploratory session on seat selection. Action: I tried quick double taps, switching networks and booking the same seat from two devices. Result: two users could book the same seat. I logged a detailed report with videos, it was fixed before release, and concurrency tests were added to the regression suite.
18

Discounts depend on several combined business rules such as membership, coupon and festival offers. Which technique do you choose?

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Decision table testing fits best, because the outcome depends on combinations of conditions. I would list the conditions and actions, build the full table, remove infeasible combinations, minimise columns where a condition does not matter, and turn each column into a test case. The table also exposes gaps or contradictions in the rules, which I would raise with the business analyst before testing.
19

How does component integration testing differ from system integration testing?

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Component integration testing focuses on interfaces between components of the same system and is usually done by developers or testers who know the architecture, often with stubs and drivers. System integration testing focuses on interfaces with other systems and external services, such as payment gateways or government APIs, and needs production-like environments. Incremental integration, top-down or bottom-up, is preferred over big-bang because it localises defects.
20

A company uses its own testing terms that differ from ISTQB terms. How do you handle this in the exam and at work?

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In the exam, always answer using the ISTQB syllabus and glossary definitions, because questions are written from them. At work, I would map local terms to ISTQB ones, for example 'sanity check' to a smoke test, and help the team build a shared glossary. A common vocabulary reduces misunderstandings, especially when working with distributed teams or clients.
21

A defect you closed last week appears again in a new build. What could be the cause and what do you do?

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Possible causes include a code merge that overwrote the fix, a fix made only in one branch, or a deployment of an older artefact. I would re-open the defect with evidence and the build numbers, ask the team to check version control history, and add an automated regression test for the defect so it is caught immediately if it returns again.
22

Which black-box test techniques are covered in CTFL v4.0?

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CTFL v4.0 covers four black-box techniques: equivalence partitioning, boundary value analysis (2-value and 3-value), decision table testing and state transition testing. They derive tests from the specification without looking at the internal structure, so tests stay valid even when the implementation changes. Use case testing, which was in older syllabi, is no longer part of the v4.0 Foundation syllabus.
23

Explain the absence-of-defects fallacy.

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It is a misconception that verifying software thoroughly and fixing every found defect guarantees success. A system can pass every test against its specification and still be useless if the specification was wrong or the users' real needs were missed. That is why testing must include validation as well as verification, for example early review of requirements with business stakeholders and user acceptance testing before release.
24

Marks from 0 to 100 give: 0-39 fail, 40-59 pass, 60-100 distinction. How many partitions and 2-value boundary values are there?

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Valid partitions: 0-39, 40-59 and 60-100, plus two invalid partitions: below 0 and above 100, so 5 partitions. Boundaries in 2-value BVA: -1, 0, 39, 40, 59, 60, 100 and 101, which is 8 values. Five tests give 100 percent EP coverage, and eight tests give 100 percent 2-value boundary coverage. Note that output partitions like fail, pass and distinction also guide the partitioning.
25

Tell me about a time a test design technique helped you find a defect.

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Situation: I was testing a scholarship form where students aged 17 to 25 were eligible. Task: design efficient tests for the age rule. Action: I applied boundary value analysis and tested 16, 17, 25 and 26. Result: 25 was wrongly rejected because the code used 'less than 25'. The developer fixed it, and I shared the BVA checklist with the team so others used it too.
26

What is risk, and how do project risks differ from product risks?

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A risk is a potential event or condition whose occurrence causes an adverse effect. Risk level is determined by likelihood and impact. Project risks affect the management and control of the project, such as staff shortages, delays, budget cuts, vendor problems or tool issues. Product risks relate to quality characteristics of the product, such as missing functionality, wrong calculations, slow response, poor security or bad usability.
27

The requirements say the system must be 'fast' and 'user-friendly'. What do you do?

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I would log these as anomalies in a review because they are not testable. I would ask stakeholders for measurable criteria, for example 'search results appear within 2 seconds for 95 percent of requests at 1,000 concurrent users' and 'a new user completes registration in under three minutes without help'. Testable requirements make test design, acceptance and sign-off objective and prevent disputes later.
28

A module of 15,000 lines of code has 45 defects. Calculate its defect density and explain how you would use it.

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Defect density = defects / size = 45 / 15 KLOC = 3 defects per KLOC. If other modules average 1 defect per KLOC, this module is a defect cluster, so I would increase test depth there, ask for a code review or refactoring, and add more regression tests. Compare density only across similar code, because language and complexity affect the numbers.
29

Build a decision table for a loan rule: approve if salary is at least 30,000 and credit score is at least 700; refer if only one is met; otherwise reject.

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Conditions R1 R2 R3 R4 Salary >= 30000 T T F F Score >= 700 T F T F Actions Approve X - - - Refer to officer - X X - Reject - - - X Two Boolean conditions give 2 x 2 = 4 rules, so 4 test cases give 100 percent decision table coverage.
30

Write a test charter for an exploratory session on a checkout page.

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Charter: Explore the checkout page with different coupon and payment combinations to discover pricing and rounding errors. Time box: 60 minutes. Focus areas: coupon stacking, expired coupons, quantity changes after applying a coupon, currency rounding, and using the browser back button. Record test ideas, defects, questions and areas covered. Debrief with the test lead after the session to agree next charters.
31

An order can be placed, shipped, delivered, cancelled or returned. How would you test this workflow?

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State transition testing fits because behaviour depends on the current state and events. I would draw the diagram, for example placed to shipped, shipped to delivered, placed to cancelled, delivered to returned, and build a state table. Tests cover every valid transition and attempt invalid ones, such as cancelling a delivered order or returning an undelivered one, checking the system rejects them correctly.
32

Discount depends on customer type (regular, gold, platinum) and whether the order exceeds 1,000 rupees. How many rules does the full decision table have?

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When conditions are not Boolean, multiply the number of values of each condition. Customer type has 3 values and the order condition has 2, so the full table has 3 x 2 = 6 rules. Each rule becomes one test case for 100 percent decision table coverage. If, for example, platinum always gets the same discount regardless of amount, those two columns can be merged, giving 5.
33

A production hotfix must go live in three hours. How do you decide what to test?

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I would do a quick impact analysis to see what the change touches, run confirmation tests for the defect, then a risk-based regression subset covering the changed module, its integrations and critical business flows like login and payment. I would use the automated smoke suite in the pipeline, record what was not covered, and plan fuller regression in the next regular release.
34

A developer says your defect cannot be reproduced. What do you do?

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I would re-check that I can reproduce it, then add missing details: exact build version, environment, browser or device, user role, test data, timestamps, logs and a screen recording. I would check whether it is intermittent and note the frequency. If needed, I would reproduce it live with the developer. If it truly cannot be reproduced, we can keep it open with monitoring rather than close it.
35

How does configuration management support testing?

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Configuration management identifies, controls and tracks work products such as test plans, test cases, scripts, test results, test data, environments and the test object itself. It ensures all configuration items are uniquely identified, version controlled, tracked for changes and related to each other so traceability is kept. Baselines can only be changed through formal change control. This lets testers know exactly which build and testware versions were tested.
36

Calculate a three-point estimate where optimistic is 6, most likely is 9 and pessimistic is 18 person-days.

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E = (a + 4m + b) / 6 = (6 + 4 x 9 + 18) / 6 = (6 + 36 + 18) / 6 = 60 / 6 = 10 person-days SD = (b - a) / 6 = (18 - 6) / 6 = 2 Report the estimate as 10 +/- 2 person-days, which gives a range of 8 to 12.

Companies with offices in Chennai (16)

IT services

TCS

ISTQB interview questions

  • 30 questions
  • 4 rounds

Mumbai, Chennai, Pune +2

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Infosys

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  • 30 questions
  • 4 rounds

Bengaluru, Mysuru, Pune +2

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Wipro

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  • 30 questions
  • 4 rounds

Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Pune +2

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Cognizant

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  • 30 questions
  • 4 rounds

Chennai, Bengaluru, Pune +2

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Capgemini

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  • 30 questions
  • 4 rounds

Mumbai, Bengaluru, Pune +2

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HCLTech

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  • 30 questions
  • 4 rounds

Noida, Chennai, Bengaluru +2

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Tech Mahindra

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  • 30 questions
  • 4 rounds

Pune, Hyderabad, Bengaluru +2

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LTIMindtree

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  • 30 questions
  • 4 rounds

Mumbai, Pune, Bengaluru +2

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Mphasis

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  • 30 questions
  • 4 rounds

Bengaluru, Pune, Chennai

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Hexaware

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  • 30 questions
  • 4 rounds

Navi Mumbai, Chennai, Pune +2

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Birlasoft

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  • 30 questions
  • 4 rounds

Pune, Noida, Bengaluru +1

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Virtusa

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  • 30 questions
  • 4 rounds

Hyderabad, Chennai, Bengaluru

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NTT DATA

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  • 30 questions
  • 4 rounds

Bengaluru, Pune, Noida +2

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UST

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  • 30 questions
  • 4 rounds

Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi, Bengaluru +2

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CGI

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  • 30 questions
  • 4 rounds

Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai +1

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EPAM Systems

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  • 30 questions
  • 4 rounds

Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Pune +2

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Frequently asked questions

Which companies hire ISTQB professionals in Chennai?

Companies with large offices in Chennai include TCS, Infosys, Wipro, Cognizant, Capgemini, HCLTech, Tech Mahindra, LTIMindtree, Mphasis, Hexaware. Use their company pages below to practise employer-specific sets.

Are ISTQB interviews in Chennai different from other cities?

The questions depend more on the company than the city. Chennai's mix of employers decides the style: Many companies here hire freshers in large batches and train them on the job

How do I find ISTQB jobs in Chennai?

Shortlist companies with Chennai offices, keep your CV focused on ISTQB projects, apply on company career pages and job portals with the Chennai filter, and practise the questions on this page before each interview.