Testing Flashcards

What is 'test flakiness' in the context of automated testing?

Answer: Tests that produce inconsistent pass/fail results without code changes

Flaky tests are non-deterministic — they sometimes pass and sometimes fail on the same code, often due to timing issues or shared state.

In Cypress, what does `cy.intercept()` allow you to do?

Answer: Intercept and stub network requests made by the app under test

`cy.intercept()` lets you spy on, stub, or modify HTTP requests and responses at the network level during Cypress tests.

Which of the following best describes 'smoke testing'?

Answer: A quick set of tests to verify the most critical features work before deeper testing

Smoke testing is a shallow, fast check that the build is stable enough for further testing — it confirms core functionality works.

What does TDD (Test-Driven Development) require you to write first?

Answer: A failing test

TDD follows a red-green-refactor cycle: write a failing test first, then write the minimal code to make it pass, then refactor.

Which Playwright method waits for a network response matching a URL before resolving?

Answer: page.waitForResponse()

`page.waitForResponse()` waits until a network response matching the given URL or predicate is received, preventing race conditions.

What is the key difference between `jest.fn()` and `jest.spyOn()`?

Answer: `jest.fn()` creates a new mock function; `jest.spyOn()` wraps an existing object method

`jest.fn()` creates a standalone mock from scratch, while `jest.spyOn()` replaces an existing method on an object with a mock that can be restored.

In the context of web testing, what is a 'headless' browser?

Answer: A browser that runs without a graphical user interface

A headless browser runs without rendering a visible GUI, making it faster and suitable for automated testing in CI environments.