Software Testing Automation & Tools Flashcards

What does a mock object do in unit testing?

Answer: Simulates dependencies and verifies interactions with them

A mock object replaces a real dependency and can verify that specific methods were called with expected arguments during the test.

Page Object Model (POM) in test automation is a design pattern that:

Answer: Separates UI element locators from test logic to improve maintainability

The Page Object Model encapsulates UI locators and actions for each page in separate classes, so UI changes require updates in only one place.

Which tool category is specifically designed for API testing automation?

Answer: Postman / REST-assured

Postman and REST-assured are purpose-built for sending HTTP requests and validating API responses in automated test suites.

What is the 'test pyramid' concept in automation strategy?

Answer: A model recommending more unit tests, fewer integration tests, and fewest UI tests

The test pyramid advocates for a large base of fast unit tests, a middle layer of integration tests, and a small top layer of slow, expensive UI/end-to-end tests.

What problem does test flakiness cause in automated test suites?

Answer: Tests produce inconsistent results, eroding trust in the suite

Flaky tests pass and fail unpredictably without code changes, causing teams to distrust results and ignore legitimate failures.

In automated testing, what is a 'test fixture'?

Answer: A fixed state of data and environment set up before tests run

A test fixture establishes a known, consistent baseline state (data, objects, configuration) before each test executes to ensure repeatable results.