01
What is a test case and its components?
Show answer
A set of steps with inputs and expected results. Components: ID, title, preconditions, steps, test data, expected result, actual result and status.
Nokia Software Testing Interview Questions & Answers
Curated interview practice questions with answers. These are practice scenarios, not a verified list of past interview questions.
About Nokia hiring for Software Testing roles
Nokia is a Finnish technology company that today focuses on telecom network infrastructure, including mobile networks, fixed broadband, optical and IP networks, and cloud network software. It also runs Nokia Bell Labs for research. In India it has research, development and manufacturing operations and hires software engineers, network engineers, testers and hardware engineers.
For Software Testing roles, this Nokia practice set focuses most on Testing Types (6), Manual Testing Basics (5), STLC and Test Planning (5), Database Testing (5). It has 13 easy, 27 medium questions, so you can start easy and work up to the harder ones.
- Company type
- Telecom
- Headquarters
- Espoo, Finland
- Main India offices
- Bengaluru, Chennai, Noida, Gurugram
Nokia Software Testing interview process
- Online assessment (aptitude + technical)
- Technical interview 1
- Technical interview 2 or managerial round
- HR round
Typical pattern based on public candidate experiences. Rounds vary by role, team and year.
Solved for NokiaStart practicing
3 QUESTIONS FREESign up to unlock the full question bank and track your progress.Unlock every question and answer, then continue practising company-wise and package-wise.
3 questions free Unlock the rest in seconds
02
Product is running an A/B test on the checkout button. What does QA need to verify?
Show answer
QA does not decide which version wins, but makes sure the experiment is trustworthy. Verify both variants work end to end, users are split in the agreed ratio, each user sees the same variant consistently across sessions, and analytics events fire correctly for each group. Also check that turning the experiment off returns everyone to the default. A broken tracking event can make the whole experiment's result wrong.
03
What is a performance baseline?
Show answer
A performance baseline is a set of measurements of the current system under a known load, such as response times, throughput, error rate and resource usage. Every new build or release is compared with it to spot regressions. For example, if the checkout API had p95 of 800 milliseconds at 200 users last release and now shows 1.5 seconds, the change needs investigation. A benchmark compares against an industry or competitor standard.
04
How do you test location-based features in a mobile app?
Show answer
Test with location permission allowed, denied and approximate only. Use mock location tools to simulate different cities and moving routes. Verify the app shows nearby results correctly, updates location while moving and handles GPS turned off. Check accuracy indoors and with weak GPS, battery impact of continuous tracking and that background location is used only if needed and explained to the user.
05
What is the difference between retesting and regression testing?
Show answer
Retesting, or confirmation testing, checks that a specific bug that was fixed now works, using the same steps as the original bug. Regression testing checks that the fix or a new change has not broken other, previously working features. Retesting is planned for failed cases only, while regression covers a wider set of passing cases. Retesting usually comes first, then regression around the changed area.
06
What is a test condition?
Show answer
A test condition is an item or event of the system that can be verified by one or more test cases, derived from the test basis. For example, for a login requirement, conditions include valid login, wrong password, locked account and remember me. Test conditions answer what to test, while test cases describe how to test it with steps, data and expected results. Listing conditions first helps check coverage before writing detailed cases.
07
What is the difference between a build and a release?
Show answer
A build is a compiled version of the software created from the latest code, often many times a day, and given to QA for testing. A release is a tested, approved version delivered to customers or production, usually with release notes and a version number. Many builds can go through testing before one of them is promoted as a release. Testers always note the build number in bug reports.
08
What are entry and exit criteria?
Show answer
Entry criteria are conditions that must be met to start testing (build ready, environment set); exit criteria define when testing can stop (pass rate, no critical defects).
09
What is regression testing, and when do you automate it?
Show answer
Re-testing existing features after a change. Automate stable, repetitive, high-value flows that run every release.
10
Your automated accessibility scan shows zero errors. Is the page accessible?
Show answer
Not necessarily. Automated tools catch only a part of WCAG issues, such as missing labels and contrast. A clean scan still needs manual checks: keyboard-only navigation, focus order, a screen reader pass, meaningful alt text and link names, error handling, zoom and reflow and dynamic content. Report the result as 'no automated violations found' and add the manual checklist outcome before claiming conformance.
11
What is a duplicate bug and how do you avoid logging one?
Show answer
A duplicate bug is a new report for a problem that is already logged. Before raising a bug, search the tracker by key words, module, error message and recent open bugs, and ask teammates working on the same area. If a similar bug exists, add your extra information, such as another browser or data set, as a comment instead of a new ticket. This keeps the backlog clean and saves triage time.
12
What is the difference between an error, a defect and a failure?
Show answer
A human error causes a defect in the code, and when that defect is executed it produces a failure visible to users.
13
Tell me about a time you found a bug by checking the database directly.
Show answer
Situation: a wallet refund screen showed success for every test. Task: I wanted to confirm the balance logic. Action: I queried the wallet_transactions table and saw two refund rows when I double-clicked the submit button, though the UI showed one. I logged it with both query outputs and the steps. Result: developers added an idempotency key, and the team added a database check to our regression checklist.
14
A form saves names with an apostrophe, like O'Brien, incorrectly or fails to save them. What do you test?
Show answer
This suggests the input is not handled safely, possibly string-built SQL, which is also a SQL injection risk. Test names with apostrophes, double quotes, Hindi and other Unicode text, emojis, leading spaces and maximum length. Query the database to confirm the exact stored value and character encoding. Then check the value displays correctly everywhere it is read back. Log a high-severity bug and mention the possible injection risk.
15
What is the difference between a test suite and a test run?
Show answer
A suite is a collection of related test cases; a run is one execution of a set of tests against a build.
16
What is cross-site scripting (XSS)?
Show answer
XSS is a vulnerability where an attacker's script is injected into a page and runs in other users' browsers, which can steal session data or change the page. It occurs when user input is shown without proper encoding. Testers enter a harmless script tag or an image tag with an onerror alert in comments, profile names and search boxes, then check if it executes when the page is displayed. Output encoding prevents it.
17
Which basic Git commands should a manual tester learn before working on automation?
Show answer
Start with: git clone to copy the test repository; git pull to get the latest changes; git checkout -b feature/login-tests to create a branch; git status and git diff to see changes; git add and git commit -m to save work with a message; and git push to send the branch so you can raise a pull request for review. Also learn to resolve simple merge conflicts and never commit passwords.
18
What is database testing and what does it cover?
Show answer
Database testing checks that the data an application stores and reads is correct, complete and safe. It covers schema checks (tables, columns, data types), constraints and keys, data integrity after create, update and delete actions, stored procedures, triggers and views, transactions, and basic performance of heavy queries. For example, after placing an order in the UI, a tester queries the orders and order_items tables to confirm every value was saved exactly as entered.
19
What should a tester verify about HTTPS on a website?
Show answer
Check every page and API uses HTTPS, and plain HTTP redirects to HTTPS. Verify the certificate is valid, not expired, and matches the domain, with no browser warnings. Look for mixed content, where an HTTPS page loads scripts or images over HTTP. Check login and payment forms submit only over HTTPS and that cookies holding session data have the Secure flag.
20
What happens in the requirement analysis phase of STLC?
Show answer
In requirement analysis, the testing team studies the requirements to understand what needs to be tested. They identify testable requirements, clarify doubts with the business analyst or client, decide test types needed, note automation candidates and look at environment needs. The outputs are a list of questions, a requirement traceability matrix draft and an automation feasibility note. Problems found here are the cheapest to fix.
21
SQL: find orders that have an order date in the future.
Show answer
-- Orders cannot be placed in the future
SELECT id, order_date, status
FROM orders
WHERE order_date > CURRENT_TIMESTAMP;
-- Expected result: no rows. If rows appear, check time zone handling and input validation.
22
What is the use of SQL GROUP BY and HAVING in test validation?
Show answer
They let testers verify totals and counts per category, such as the number of orders per customer, and compare them with the UI or reports.
23
What is a test oracle?
Show answer
A test oracle is the source you use to decide whether a test result is correct, that is, the expected result. It can be a requirement document, a user story, an older version of the system, a calculation in a spreadsheet, a domain expert or common sense. For example, when testing a tax calculator, the official tax slab table is the oracle. Without a reliable oracle, you cannot say a test passed or failed.
24
Why do performance reports use percentiles like p90 and p95 instead of averages?
Show answer
An average hides slow requests. If 90 requests take 1 second and 10 take 10 seconds, the average is 1.9 seconds, which looks fine, but one user in ten waits 10 seconds. The p95 value means 95 percent of requests were faster than it, so it shows what most users actually experience, including the slow tail. Service level targets are usually written as percentiles, such as p95 under 2 seconds.
25
What is the difference between DELETE and TRUNCATE?
Show answer
DELETE removes selected rows and can be rolled back; TRUNCATE quickly removes all rows and resets the table.
26
What are test deliverables?
Show answer
Test deliverables are the documents and artefacts produced during testing and shared with stakeholders. Before testing: test plan, test strategy and estimates. During testing: test scenarios, test cases, test data, traceability matrix, execution logs and bug reports. After testing: test summary report, closure report, metrics and lessons learned. The test plan should list which deliverables are expected so nothing is missed at sign-off.
27
What are common HTTP status codes?
Show answer
200 OK, 201 Created, 204 No Content, 400 Bad Request, 401 Unauthorized, 403 Forbidden, 404 Not Found, 500 Internal Server Error.
28
What is the difference between a defect and a production incident?
Show answer
A defect is a flaw in the software that makes it behave differently from the requirement, whether found in testing or production. A production incident is an event that disrupts or degrades service for users, such as an outage or a failed payment flow. An incident may be caused by a defect, but also by infrastructure, configuration or third-party failures. Incidents are handled by an incident process first, then linked to defects for the fix.
29
What is installation and upgrade testing?
Show answer
Installation testing checks that software installs correctly on supported systems: fresh install, custom paths, low disk space, missing prerequisites and clean uninstall. Upgrade testing checks moving from an older version to the new one: user data and settings must be kept, database migrations must run, and the app must work after the upgrade. Also test skipping versions, such as 1.2 to 1.5, and what happens if the upgrade is interrupted.
30
What is colour contrast ratio and what values does WCAG require?
Show answer
Contrast ratio compares the brightness of text and its background, from 1:1 to 21:1. WCAG AA requires at least 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text, which is about 18 point or 14 point bold. User interface parts such as input borders and icons need 3:1. AAA raises text to 7:1. Testers check this with a contrast checker or browser developer tools, including placeholder, disabled and hover states.
31
What are positive and negative test cases?
Show answer
Positive cases use valid inputs to confirm expected behaviour; negative cases use invalid inputs to confirm the system handles errors gracefully.
32
What is the difference between a bug and an enhancement?
Show answer
A bug is behaviour that deviates from agreed requirements; an enhancement is a new or improved capability beyond the current requirements.
33
What are suspension and resumption criteria in a test plan?
Show answer
Suspension criteria define when testing should be paused because continuing would waste effort, for example when a blocker bug stops the main flow, the build fails smoke testing or the environment is down. Resumption criteria define what must happen to restart, such as a new build that passes smoke testing or the environment restored. Writing these down avoids arguments and shows clearly why testing time was lost.
34
What is localisation and internationalisation testing?
Show answer
Internationalisation tests that the product can support many languages and formats; localisation tests that a specific locale is correct for text, currency, date and layout.
35
Write test cases for a signup form.
Show answer
Mandatory fields, email format, password rules, duplicate email, terms checkbox, captcha, confirmation email and field length limits.
36
How do you keep yourself updated with testing practices and tools?
Show answer
Model answer: I follow testing communities and blogs, practise on public demo sites and read release notes of the tools I use. Last month I learned API schema validation from an online course and tried it on a practice API. I also share one new idea in our team chat each week. This keeps me improving and helps the team pick up useful practices without waiting for formal training.
37
What automated accessibility tools exist and what are their limits?
Show answer
Common tools are axe DevTools, Lighthouse in Chrome, WAVE and accessibility linters in CI. They quickly catch missing alt text, low contrast, missing labels and invalid ARIA. Their limit is that they find only roughly a third of WCAG issues. They cannot judge whether alt text is meaningful, focus order is logical, error messages make sense or a custom widget works with a screen reader, so manual testing is still required.
38
What is the difference between a walkthrough and an inspection?
Show answer
Both are static review techniques. A walkthrough is informal and led by the author, who explains the document or code to peers to share knowledge and gather feedback. An inspection is the most formal review: it has defined roles such as moderator, reader and scribe, uses checklists, needs preparation and records defects and metrics. Inspections find more defects but take more effort.
39
A user updates their phone number in the app, but the old number still appears in reports. What do you check?
Show answer
First query the main users table to see whether the update was saved. If it was, check where the report reads from: a view, a reporting copy, a cache or a nightly ETL table. The report may simply be stale until the next refresh, which may be by design. If the main table still has the old value, check the API request, the update query and any errors in logs, then log a bug with both query results.
40
How do you test API error handling for invalid input?
Show answer
Send requests with missing required fields, wrong data types, values beyond limits, invalid formats such as a bad email, unknown fields and an empty or malformed JSON body. The API should return a 4xx code such as 400 or 422, a clear error message that names the field, and no stack trace or database details. Also check that nothing was partly saved in the database after the failed request.
Tips to crack the Nokia Software Testing interview
- Revise networking fundamentals including OSI layers, routing, switching and IP addressing, which are core to many Nokia roles.
- Practise C, C++ or Python programming and Linux basics, since telecom software often runs on Linux platforms.
- Read about Nokia's shift from phones to network infrastructure and its 5G work to answer company questions accurately.
- 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; Nokia interviewers usually ask follow-ups on your first answer.
Frequently asked questions
How many rounds are there in the Nokia Software Testing interview?
Candidates usually go through 4 stages: Online assessment (aptitude + technical); Technical interview 1; Technical interview 2 or managerial 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 Nokia Software Testing interview?
This practice set leans on Testing Types (6), Manual Testing Basics (5), STLC and Test Planning (5), Database Testing (5). Revise those first, then practise explaining one or two of your own projects end to end, because most Nokia interviewers ask you to walk through real work.
Are these the exact questions asked at Nokia?
No. These are curated practice questions that match the skills and difficulty usually tested in telecom interviews like Nokia's. They are not a leaked or verified list of past questions.
Where does Nokia hire Software Testing professionals in India?
Nokia has large teams in Bengaluru, Chennai, Noida, Gurugram. Openings and locations change often, so check the Nokia careers page and filter by city and experience.
Software Testing questions for similar companies
Telecom
Airtel
Software Testing interview questions
Gurugram, Bengaluru, Mumbai +1
View questionsIT services
TCS
Software Testing interview questions
Mumbai, Chennai, Pune +2
View questionsTelecom
Ericsson
Software Testing interview questions
Gurugram, Bengaluru, Chennai +2
View questionsTelecom
Jio Platforms
Software Testing interview questions
Navi Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad
View questionsIT services
Infosys
Software Testing interview questions
Bengaluru, Mysuru, Pune +2
View questionsTelecom
Vodafone Idea
Software Testing interview questions
Mumbai, Pune
View questionsMore ways to practise
Company-wise Software Testing questionsPackage-wise Software Testing questionsExperience-wise Software Testing questionsRole-wise Software Testing questionsCity-wise Software Testing questionsMost asked Software Testing questionsScenario-based questionsPractical / hands-on questionsHR & behavioural questionsSoftware Testing mock interviewOnline assessment questionsTechnical round questionsManagerial round questionsSoftware Testing topic sheets