91 Selenium Interview Questions and Answers for 2024

91 Selenium Interview Questions and Answers for 2024

Testing is a crucial phase in the software development life cycle (SDLC). Manual testing involves executing test cases to detect bugs and errors. However, manual testing poses many challenges, leading to the demand for automated testing tools like Selenium. Grabbing a Selenium-related job is a plus, and cracking Selenium interview questions is key!

If you’re preparing for a Selenium interview, here are the top 91 frequently asked Selenium interview questions and answers for both experienced professionals and freshers.

Most Asked Selenium Interview Questions

1. What is Selenium?

Selenium is an open-source automation tool designed for testing web applications. It allows testers to write scripts in various programming languages like Java, Python, and C#, and supports multiple browsers such as Chrome, Firefox, and Safari. Selenium helps in automating repetitive tasks, ensuring efficient and accurate testing.

2. What are the components of the Selenium suite?

The Selenium suite consists of four main components:

  • Selenium IDE: A browser plugin for recording and playing back tests.
  • Selenium RC (Remote Control): Allows writing automated web application UI tests in any programming language.
  • Selenium WebDriver: Provides a programming interface to create and execute test cases.
  • Selenium Grid: Enables running tests on different machines and browsers simultaneously.

3. What are the advantages of using Selenium for automation testing?

  • Open Source: Free to use with a large community support.
  • Multi-language Support: Supports languages like Java, Python, C#, etc.
  • Cross-browser Compatibility: Works with all major browsers.
  • Integration Capabilities: Can be integrated with tools like TestNG, JUnit, Maven.
  • Flexibility and Scalability: Suitable for both small and large projects.

4. Define test automation.

Test automation involves using specialized software to execute pre-scripted tests on a software application before it is released. It helps in reducing manual testing efforts, increasing efficiency, and ensuring consistent test execution.

5. What are the benefits of automation testing?

  • Speed: Faster execution of tests compared to manual testing.
  • Reusability: Test scripts can be reused across different projects.
  • Accuracy: Reduces human errors in test execution.
  • Coverage: Allows extensive testing across various scenarios and environments.
  • Cost-Effective: Saves time and resources in the long run.

6. What is Selenese? How is it categorized?

Selenese refers to the set of commands used by Selenium to perform actions on web elements. It is categorized into three types:

  • Commands: Perform actions like clicking, typing.
  • Accessors: Retrieve information from the web page.
  • Assertions: Verify the state of web elements.

7. What are the limitations of Selenium?

  • No Support for Desktop Applications: Primarily for web applications.
  • Limited Support for Image Testing: Cannot verify images on web pages.
  • No Built-in Reporting: Requires integration with other tools for reporting.
  • Requires Programming Knowledge: Not suitable for non-technical testers.
  • Handling Captchas: Cannot automate Captcha validations.

8. How does Selenium 2.0 differ from Selenium 3.0?

  • Selenium 2.0: Combined Selenium RC and WebDriver, allowing more flexibility.
  • Selenium 3.0: Deprecated Selenium RC, focusing solely on WebDriver, offering improved stability and bug fixes.

9. What types of testing does Selenium support?

  • Regression Testing: Ensures that new code changes don't adversely affect existing functionalities.
  • Functional Testing: Verifies that each function of the application operates in conformance with the requirement specification.

10. What are the different types of annotations in Selenium?

Annotations are used in frameworks like TestNG to manage test execution:

  • @Test: Marks a method as a test case.
  • @BeforeMethod: Runs before each test method.
  • @AfterMethod: Runs after each test method.
  • @BeforeClass: Runs once before the first test method in the class.
  • @AfterClass: Runs once after all test methods in the class.

Beginner Level Selenium Interview Questions

1. What is Selenium?

Selenium is a free and open-source tool used for automating web browsers. It helps in executing tests on various browsers and platforms, enhancing the efficiency and reliability of web application testing.

2. What are the components of the Selenium suite?

  • Selenium IDE: A tool for recording and replaying test cases.
  • Selenium RC: Allows writing tests in different programming languages.
  • Selenium WebDriver: Facilitates creating robust and browser-specific tests.
  • Selenium Grid: Enables parallel test execution across multiple environments.

3. What are the advantages of using Selenium for automation?

  • Cost-Effective: Being open-source, it’s free to use.
  • Language Support: Supports multiple programming languages.
  • Browser Compatibility: Works with all major browsers.
  • Community Support: Large and active community for support and resources.
  • Integration: Easily integrates with other tools like Jenkins, Maven.

4. What is test automation?

Test automation is the practice of using software tools to execute pre-defined tests on a software application automatically, reducing the need for manual intervention and increasing testing efficiency.

5. What are the advantages of automation testing?

  • Efficiency: Faster execution of tests.
  • Consistency: Eliminates human errors.
  • Reusability: Test scripts can be reused across different projects.
  • Coverage: Allows extensive testing across multiple scenarios.
  • Cost Savings: Reduces the overall cost of testing in the long term.

6. What is Selenese? How is it classified?

Selenese is the language used by Selenium to perform actions on web pages. It is classified into:

  • Commands: Perform actions like clicking or typing.
  • Accessors: Retrieve data from the web page.
  • Assertions: Validate the state of the web elements.

7. What are the limitations of Selenium testing?

  • No Support for Desktop Applications: Limited to web applications.
  • Cannot Handle Captchas: Unable to automate Captcha verifications.
  • No Built-in Reporting: Requires integration with other tools for reporting.
  • Requires Programming Skills: Not ideal for non-technical testers.
  • Image Testing Limitations: Cannot verify images on web pages effectively.

8. What is the difference between Selenium 2.0 and Selenium 3.0?

  • Selenium 2.0: Integrated Selenium RC and WebDriver, offering enhanced capabilities.
  • Selenium 3.0: Removed Selenium RC, focusing solely on WebDriver for better performance and stability.

9. What types of testing are supported by Selenium?

  • Regression Testing: Ensures new changes do not affect existing functionalities.
  • Functional Testing: Validates that each function operates according to the specifications.

10. What are the different types of annotations used in Selenium?

  • @Test: Marks a method as a test case.
  • @BeforeMethod: Executes before each test method.
  • @AfterMethod: Executes after each test method.
  • @BeforeClass: Executes once before all test methods in a class.
  • @AfterClass: Executes once after all test methods in a class.

Intermediate Level Selenium Interview Questions

30. How to type text in an input box using Selenium?

Use the sendKeys() method to enter text into a textbox after locating it using a suitable locator strategy. 

WebElement emailField = driver.findElement(By.id("email"));

emailField.sendKeys("example@gmail.com");

31. How to click on a hyperlink in Selenium?

Locate the link using By.linkText or By.partialLinkText and use the click() method. 

driver.findElement(By.linkText("Today's Deals")).click();

// or

driver.findElement(By.partialLinkText("Deals")).click();

32. How to scroll down a page using JavaScript in Selenium?

Use the executeScript method with JavaScript's scrollBy function. 

JavascriptExecutor js = (JavascriptExecutor) driver;

js.executeScript("window.scrollBy(0,1000)");

33. How to assert the title of a webpage?

Retrieve the title using getTitle() and compare it with the expected title using assertions. 

String actualTitle = driver.getTitle();

String expectedTitle = "Home Page";

Assert.assertEquals(actualTitle, expectedTitle);

34. How to perform a mouse hover over a web element?

Use the Actions class to move the cursor to the desired element. 

Actions actions = new Actions(driver);

WebElement menu = driver.findElement(By.id("menu"));

actions.moveToElement(menu).perform();

35. How to retrieve CSS properties of an element?

Use the getCssValue() method to obtain specific CSS properties of a web element. 

WebElement element = driver.findElement(By.id("email"));

String fontSize = element.getCssValue("font-size");

Advanced Level Selenium Interview Questions

36. What is POM (Page Object Model)?

POM is a design pattern that creates an object repository for web elements, enhancing code reusability and readability. Each web page has a corresponding class that contains locators and methods to interact with the elements on that page.

Benefits:

  • Maintainability: Easier to manage changes in the UI.
  • Reusability: Common actions can be reused across multiple tests.
  • Readability: Improves the clarity of test scripts.

37. Can Captcha be automated?

No, Captchas are designed to prevent automated scripts from performing actions, ensuring that only humans can interact with certain functionalities. Selenium cannot bypass Captchas as it goes against their security purpose.

Additional Selenium Interview Questions

18. What is an exception test in Selenium?

An exception test verifies that the application behaves as expected when encountering errors or unexpected inputs. It ensures that the application can handle exceptions gracefully without crashing.

19. How to wait until a web page has fully loaded in Selenium?

Use implicit waits or explicit waits to pause the test execution until certain conditions are met, such as the presence of a specific element.

Implicit Wait Example:

driver.manage().timeouts().implicitlyWait(10, TimeUnit.SECONDS);

Explicit Wait Example:

WebDriverWait wait = new WebDriverWait(driver, 10);

WebElement element = wait.until(ExpectedConditions.visibilityOfElementLocated(By.id("elementId")));

20. What is Selenium WebDriver?

Selenium WebDriver is a tool within the Selenium suite that provides a programming interface to create and execute test scripts. It interacts directly with the browser, mimicking user actions for testing purposes.

21. Is Selenium WebDriver a library?

No, Selenium WebDriver is not a library. It is a tool that provides a set of APIs to interact with web browsers for automation testing.

22. Which browsers/drivers are supported by Selenium WebDriver?

Selenium WebDriver supports major browsers, including:

  • Google Chrome (ChromeDriver)
  • Mozilla Firefox (GeckoDriver)
  • Microsoft Edge (EdgeDriver)
  • Safari (SafariDriver)
  • Opera (OperaDriver)

23. Explain Selenium 4 and its new features compared to previous versions.

Selenium 4 introduces several enhancements:

  • W3C WebDriver Standardization: Ensures better compatibility and stability.
  • Improved Selenium Grid: Enhanced scalability and support for Docker.
  • New Locator Strategies: Such as relative locators.
  • Enhanced IDE: More robust recording and debugging features.
  • Better Documentation and Support for Modern Web Features.

24. What happens when you execute the command driver.get()?

The driver.get("URL") command navigates the browser to the specified URL, loading the web page for interaction and testing.

25. What is an alternative to the driver.get() method to open a URL in Selenium WebDriver?

You can use the driver.navigate().to("URL") method as an alternative to driver.get() for opening a URL.

26. Can Selenium WebDriver be used to test APIs or web services?

No, Selenium WebDriver is primarily designed for automating web browser interactions. To test APIs or web services, tools like Postman or REST Assured are more appropriate.

27. What are the different ways to locate an element in Selenium?

  • By ID
  • By Name
  • By Class Name
  • By Tag Name
  • By Link Text
  • By Partial Link Text
  • By CSS Selector
  • By XPath

28. How can you select the nth child element using XPath?

Use the XPath expression (//parent-element/*)[n] to select the nth child. 

(//div[@class='container']/*)[3]

29. How can you en