Curated interview practice questions with answers. These are practice scenarios, not a verified list of past interview questions.
About Nutanix hiring for Software Testing roles
Nutanix is a cloud computing software company known for hyperconverged infrastructure that combines storage, compute and virtualisation into one software platform. It helps enterprises run applications across private, hybrid and multi-cloud environments. Its large India engineering teams hire software engineers, quality engineers, site reliability engineers and support engineers working on systems and distributed software.
For Software Testing roles, this Nutanix practice set focuses most on Agile, SQL and API Testing (8), Test Case Design (5), Automation Basics for Manual Testers (5), Bug Life Cycle and Jira (4). It has 2 easy, 26 medium, 12 hard questions, so you can start easy and work up to the harder ones.
Company type
Product
Headquarters
San Jose, California, USA
Main India offices
Bengaluru, Pune
Nutanix Software Testing interview process
Online coding assessment
Technical round 1 (DSA)
Technical round 2 (OS, systems or distributed design)
Hiring manager round
Typical pattern based on public candidate experiences. Rounds vary by role, team and year.
Solved for NutanixStart practicing
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Verify a valid date is accepted and saved in the right format. Check the minimum age rule, such as 18 years, using boundary dates of exactly 18 today and one day short. Reject future dates and impossible dates like 30 February. Test leap year dates like 29 February 2004. Check manual typing and the picker give the same result, the field is mandatory if required, and the date displays correctly after saving.
02
What is network condition testing for mobile apps?
It checks app behaviour on different networks: Wi-Fi, 4G, 5G, slow 2G or 3G, high latency, packet loss and no network. Also test switching between Wi-Fi and mobile data in the middle of an action, and airplane mode. The app should show loaders and clear offline messages, retry safely without duplicate actions and not freeze. Network throttling tools in developer options or proxy tools help simulate these conditions.
03
How do you capture logs from an Android device for a bug report?
Enable developer options and USB debugging, connect the phone and confirm it is visible with adb devices. Clear old logs with adb logcat -c, reproduce the bug, then save logs with adb logcat -d > crash_log.txt, filtering by the app package or error level if needed. For a crash, search for FATAL EXCEPTION. Attach the log, device model, OS version, app version and a screen recording to the bug.
Status code, response body and schema, headers, response time, error messages for invalid input, authentication (401/403) and that data is saved in the database.
The Page Object Model is a design pattern where each page or major component gets a class that holds its locators and actions, such as LoginPage with a login method. Tests call these methods instead of using locators directly. When the login button changes, you update one place instead of fifty tests. Tests become readable, like steps a manual tester would write, and duplication drops. Keep assertions mostly in tests, not page objects.
06
How do you convert existing manual test cases into automated scripts?
Pick a small set of stable, high-value regression cases first. Review each one: make steps precise, remove judgement-based checks and define clear expected results. Prepare test data that the script can create and clean up. Build reusable page objects and helpers for common steps like login. Automate, run several times to confirm stability, then link each script to its manual case ID and mark the manual case as automated.
07
SQL: verify that soft-deleted users do not appear in the active users list.
-- the active list query used by the app should return 0 rows here
SELECT u.user_id, u.email
FROM users u
WHERE u.is_deleted = 1
AND u.user_id IN (
SELECT user_id FROM active_users_view
);
08
Tell me about a time you worked with developers to make an application easier to automate.
Situation: our UI scripts broke almost every sprint because of generated IDs and CSS class changes. Task: as the QA lead I needed stable tests. Action: I showed developers the failure history, proposed adding data-testid attributes and accessible labels to key components and added a short checklist to the pull request template. Result: within two sprints locator-related failures dropped by most of the previous level and maintenance time fell sharply.
09
Managers say the automation test report is hard to understand. What should a useful report include?
A useful report shows total tests run, passed, failed and skipped, the run time, the environment, build number and browser. For each failure it should show the test name, the failing step, the error message, and a screenshot, video or trace, plus logs. Trends across runs help spot flaky tests. Linking failures to Jira bugs or manual case IDs helps managers see real product risk, not just numbers.
10
Analytics show many users drop off at step three of a five-step checkout. How do you investigate the usability problem?
First look at what step three asks: maybe address entry, a surprise delivery charge or forced signup. Check analytics for errors, rage clicks and time spent, and watch session recordings if available. Test it yourself on mobile and slow networks. Then run a quick usability test with five users on that step. Present evidence with likely causes and options, such as guest checkout or showing charges earlier, and measure after the change.
11
A manager wants to cut QA time in half. How do you explain the value of testing?
Use data, not opinion. Show defects caught before release by severity, production incidents and their cost, and defect leakage trends. Explain what risk increases if testing is cut, then offer options: risk-based testing of critical flows, more automation for regression, and developers owning unit tests. Agree on which risks the business accepts in writing. This turns the discussion into a trade-off decision instead of a conflict.
12
A manager says the app has 50,000 daily users, so the load test must run 50,000 virtual users at once. How do you respond?
Explain that daily users are not concurrent users. Of 50,000 users a day, only a fraction are active at the same moment, and even they pause between actions because of think time. Use analytics to find the real peak concurrency and request rate, for example 1,500 concurrent users at peak hour, and model that with a safety margin. Running 50,000 users clicking at once tests a load that never happens and wastes effort.
13
What is the difference between a bug and an enhancement?
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.
15
Your backlog has 200 low-priority bugs and it is becoming unmanageable. How do you handle it?
Run a backlog grooming session with the product owner. Close bugs that are obsolete, no longer reproducible or for retired features. Merge duplicates. Group the rest by module and user impact, and ask whether a few related bugs can be fixed together as one story. Agree to reserve a small share of each sprint for bug fixes. Set an ageing rule, for example review any bug older than 90 days.
16
Notifications arrive late, and some screens look broken, only on certain Android phone brands. Why can this happen and what do you test?
Android phone makers ship their own skins and settings on top of Android, so the same app can behave differently. Common problems are aggressive battery savers that kill background tasks and delay notifications, different permission screens, custom fonts and display scaling, camera differences and modified WebViews. Pick devices from the brands most used by your audience and test background work, notifications, camera and layout on each.
17
You change the order ID in a URL and see another customer's order. What is this and what do you do?
This is an insecure direct object reference, a form of broken access control and a critical security bug, because any user can read other users' data. Stop exploring further beyond what is needed to confirm it, record the request, accounts used and evidence, and log it as a critical bug with restricted visibility. Inform the lead and security contact immediately. The fix is a server-side ownership check on every request.
18
How do you set up and clean test data for database tests without affecting other testers?
Create your own data with a clear prefix or tag, such as emails starting with qa_ravi_, or IDs in a reserved range. Insert data through the app or API where possible so it follows real rules, and keep SQL setup scripts in version control. After testing, delete only your tagged rows, or run inside a transaction and roll back. Never edit shared master data without telling the team.
19
What do you do in the test execution phase when a test fails?
Re-run the test once to confirm the failure and rule out wrong data or environment issues. Capture evidence such as screenshots, logs and the build number. Check for an existing bug, then log a new one with clear steps and link it to the test case. Mark the test as failed, and mark dependent tests as blocked if they cannot run. After the fix, retest and run related regression.
Give a clear title, such as 'Checkout: Place Order button not reachable by keyboard'. Include the page URL, browser, operating system and assistive technology with versions. Write exact steps, what was announced or happened, and what was expected. Add the WCAG success criterion, such as 2.1.1 Keyboard, and the user impact. Attach a screenshot or audio recording, and suggest a fix when obvious. Severity should reflect whether users are fully blocked.
21
Leadership asks for a one-page quality update before a release. Which bug metrics do you report?
Keep it short and decision-oriented. Show open bugs by severity, the created versus resolved trend, blockers with owners and dates, defect leakage from the last release and modules with the most defects. Give a clear recommendation, such as ready, ready with known issues or not ready, with reasons. Use a shared dashboard for detail, and one slide or email summary for leaders who need only the risk picture.
A deadlock happens when two transactions each hold a lock the other needs, so neither can continue. The database detects it and kills one transaction with an error. During testing it usually appears under concurrent load, for example two users booking the last seats at once, as random failures or 'deadlock detected' entries in logs. Testers report the exact actions and timing, and developers fix it with consistent lock order or shorter transactions.
24
A manager wants 100 percent test automation. How do you respond?
I agree with the goal of faster and more reliable testing, but explain that 100 percent is neither possible nor useful. Exploratory testing, usability, visual judgement and brand-new features need people, and some flows like real payments or OTP are costly to automate reliably. I would propose clear targets instead, such as automating all critical regression and smoke flows, with metrics like regression time cut from three days to four hours.
Recovery testing checks how well the system recovers from crashes, hardware failures, network loss or other failures. For example, kill the server during a file upload, or disconnect the network during payment, and verify the system restores a consistent state, does not lose or duplicate data and resumes or shows a clear message. It also measures recovery time against agreed targets, which matters for banking and healthcare systems.
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.
28
Search works fine in QA but is very slow in production. Could a missing database index be the reason, and how do you check?
Yes, very likely. An index lets the database find rows quickly, like the index of a book. With a small QA table, a full table scan is still fast, but with millions of production rows it becomes slow. Compare indexes on the searched columns in both environments and ask a developer to check the query plan. Test key queries on production-size data in staging, and include data volume in future performance checks.
29
Your team wants to copy production data into the QA environment for realistic testing. What do you advise?
Do not copy raw production data into test environments. Use synthetic data generated for the test cases, or masked production data where names, phone numbers, emails, ID numbers and card details are replaced while formats and relationships are kept. Restrict access to test databases and record the data rules in the test plan. This keeps testing realistic and follows India's data protection law and company policy.
Sprint planning (estimate test effort), daily stand-up (status and blockers), sprint review (demo) and retrospective (improve). Testers clarify acceptance criteria early and test within the sprint.
Send and receive text messages and check order and timestamps. Test sent, delivered and read status. Send emojis, long messages, links and attachments within and over the size limit. Check messages sent while offline are queued and delivered on reconnect. Verify blocking a user stops messages. Test notifications when the app is in background. Check chat history after reinstall or on a second device, and that deleted messages disappear for both users if supported.
34
A requirement says the page should load fast. How do you turn it into a test case?
The word fast is not testable, so ask the product owner for a measurable target, for example the page loads within 3 seconds on a 4G network for 95 percent of requests. Agree on the conditions: device, network, data size and whether it is first load or cached. Then write the test with those conditions and expected time. Record the agreed number in the story so the expected result is not open to opinion.
35
What is the difference between DELETE and TRUNCATE?
Test monitoring compares actual testing progress with the plan, using metrics like test cases executed, pass rate, open defects and effort spent. Test control is the action taken when monitoring shows a gap, such as re-prioritising tests, adding testers, changing the schedule or tightening entry criteria. For example, if half the time has passed but only a quarter of cases are executed, the lead must act and inform stakeholders.
37
Design EP and BVA tests for a password that must be 8 to 16 characters and contain at least one digit.
Length partitions: below 8 (invalid), 8 to 16 (valid), above 16 (invalid). Boundaries: 7, 8, 9, 15, 16 and 17 characters. Digit partitions: contains a digit (valid), no digit (invalid). Sample tests: 'abc1234' with 7 characters is rejected, 'abcdefg1' with 8 is accepted, a 16-character value with a digit is accepted, 17 characters is rejected, and 'abcdefgh' with no digit is rejected. Also test empty input and spaces.
38
The sprint ends tomorrow and two stories are still in testing. What do you do?
Tell the Scrum Master and product owner today, not at the review. Focus testing on the acceptance criteria and the riskiest paths of the story with the most value, and ask a developer to help with test data or simple checks. If a story cannot be finished with quality, it should be carried over, not marked done with untested parts. Raise the cause in the retrospective, such as late handover.
39
Production has a critical bug. What are your steps?
Reproduce and assess impact, inform stakeholders, help developers fix and verify in staging, run regression and check monitoring after the hotfix, then do a post-mortem.
40
A client needs WCAG 2.2 AA compliance before launch in two weeks. How do you plan the testing?
Agree on scope: key user journeys and page templates, not every page. Day one, run automated scans on all templates to fix easy issues fast. Then do manual checks of each journey with keyboard, NVDA, VoiceOver on mobile, zoom and contrast. Log issues with WCAG references and severity, and get blockers fixed first. Retest fixes and deliver a conformance summary with known issues. Be honest if full compliance is not realistic.
Tips to crack the Nutanix Software Testing interview
Revise operating systems, virtualisation, storage and networking fundamentals, as systems knowledge is important for Nutanix engineering roles.
Practise DSA problems and be ready to write correct code in C++, Go, Java or Python under time pressure.
Learn distributed systems basics such as replication, consistency and fault tolerance for deeper technical discussions.
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; Nutanix interviewers usually ask follow-ups on your first answer.
Frequently asked questions
How many rounds are there in the Nutanix Software Testing interview?
Candidates usually go through 4 stages: Online coding assessment; Technical round 1 (DSA); Technical round 2 (OS, systems or distributed design); Hiring manager 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 Nutanix Software Testing interview?
This practice set leans on Agile, SQL and API Testing (8), Test Case Design (5), Automation Basics for Manual Testers (5), Bug Life Cycle and Jira (4). Revise those first, then practise explaining one or two of your own projects end to end, because most Nutanix interviewers ask you to walk through real work.
Are these the exact questions asked at Nutanix?
No. These are curated practice questions that match the skills and difficulty usually tested in product interviews like Nutanix's. They are not a leaked or verified list of past questions.
Where does Nutanix hire Software Testing professionals in India?
Nutanix has large teams in Bengaluru, Pune. Openings and locations change often, so check the Nutanix careers page and filter by city and experience.