Flaky Tests interview questions — Easy
124 easy-level Flaky Tests questions from our Automation Testing bank, each with the correct answer and an explanation of why it is correct.
This topic slice is available to practise but is not yet part of our indexed set.
What this covers
Flaky Tests appears throughout Automation Testing interviews. At easy level, interviewers are typically checking that you know the fundamentals and can describe them precisely — definitions, defaults, and the basic mechanics. Work through these, then explain your answer out loud; the second part is what interviews actually test.
20 example questions
1. In the context of Flaky Tests, wait-for condition is best described as:
- A. Isolating unstable tests from the blocking pipeline.
- B. Failure mode where tests pass only in a specific sequence.
- C. Re-running failed tests a bounded number of times.
- D. Polling until an application state is true instead of sleeping.correct
Why: wait-for condition: Polling until an application state is true instead of sleeping.
2. Which of the following best describes flake rate in Flaky Tests?
- A. Polling until an application state is true instead of sleeping.
- B. Percentage of runs where a test's outcome flips without code change.correct
- C. Re-running failed tests a bounded number of times.
- D. Failure mode where tests pass only in a specific sequence.
Why: flake rate: Percentage of runs where a test's outcome flips without code change.
3. Which of the following best describes quarantine in Flaky Tests?
- A. Ensuring each test sets up and cleans its own state.
- B. Isolating unstable tests from the blocking pipeline.correct
- C. Re-running failed tests a bounded number of times.
- D. Fully isolated environment with no external shared dependencies.
Why: quarantine: Isolating unstable tests from the blocking pipeline.
4. Which of the following best describes test isolation in Flaky Tests?
- A. Test that produces the same result for the same code every run.
- B. Failure mode where tests pass only in a specific sequence.
- C. Ensuring each test sets up and cleans its own state.correct
- D. Isolating unstable tests from the blocking pipeline.
Why: test isolation: Ensuring each test sets up and cleans its own state.
5. Which of the following best describes deterministic test in Flaky Tests?
- A. Test that produces the same result for the same code every run.correct
- B. Fully isolated environment with no external shared dependencies.
- C. Percentage of runs where a test's outcome flips without code change.
- D. Ensuring each test sets up and cleans its own state.
Why: deterministic test: Test that produces the same result for the same code every run.
6. Which of the following best describes retry-on-failure in Flaky Tests?
- A. Fully isolated environment with no external shared dependencies.
- B. Percentage of runs where a test's outcome flips without code change.
- C. Re-running failed tests a bounded number of times.correct
- D. Ensuring each test sets up and cleans its own state.
Why: retry-on-failure: Re-running failed tests a bounded number of times.
7. Which of the following best describes wait-for condition in Flaky Tests?
- A. Polling until an application state is true instead of sleeping.correct
- B. Isolating unstable tests from the blocking pipeline.
- C. Failure mode where tests pass only in a specific sequence.
- D. Percentage of runs where a test's outcome flips without code change.
Why: wait-for condition: Polling until an application state is true instead of sleeping.
8. Which of the following best describes hermetic environment in Flaky Tests?
- A. Fully isolated environment with no external shared dependencies.correct
- B. Re-running failed tests a bounded number of times.
- C. Ensuring each test sets up and cleans its own state.
- D. Percentage of runs where a test's outcome flips without code change.
Why: hermetic environment: Fully isolated environment with no external shared dependencies.
9. Which of the following best describes order dependency in Flaky Tests?
- A. Fully isolated environment with no external shared dependencies.
- B. Ensuring each test sets up and cleans its own state.
- C. Re-running failed tests a bounded number of times.
- D. Failure mode where tests pass only in a specific sequence.correct
Why: order dependency: Failure mode where tests pass only in a specific sequence.
10. In Flaky Tests, what does hermetic environment do or refer to?
- A. Polling until an application state is true instead of sleeping.
- B. Ensuring each test sets up and cleans its own state.
- C. Fully isolated environment with no external shared dependencies.correct
- D. Isolating unstable tests from the blocking pipeline.
Why: hermetic environment: Fully isolated environment with no external shared dependencies.
11. In Flaky Tests, what does order dependency do or refer to?
- A. Polling until an application state is true instead of sleeping.
- B. Ensuring each test sets up and cleans its own state.
- C. Fully isolated environment with no external shared dependencies.
- D. Failure mode where tests pass only in a specific sequence.correct
Why: order dependency: Failure mode where tests pass only in a specific sequence.
12. In Flaky Tests, what does wait-for condition do or refer to?
- A. Fully isolated environment with no external shared dependencies.
- B. Re-running failed tests a bounded number of times.
- C. Test that produces the same result for the same code every run.
- D. Polling until an application state is true instead of sleeping.correct
Why: wait-for condition: Polling until an application state is true instead of sleeping.
13. What is the purpose of flake rate in Flaky Tests?
- A. Ensuring each test sets up and cleans its own state.
- B. Fully isolated environment with no external shared dependencies.
- C. Percentage of runs where a test's outcome flips without code change.correct
- D. Polling until an application state is true instead of sleeping.
Why: flake rate: Percentage of runs where a test's outcome flips without code change.
14. What is the purpose of deterministic test in Flaky Tests?
- A. Failure mode where tests pass only in a specific sequence.
- B. Fully isolated environment with no external shared dependencies.
- C. Test that produces the same result for the same code every run.correct
- D. Percentage of runs where a test's outcome flips without code change.
Why: deterministic test: Test that produces the same result for the same code every run.
15. What is the purpose of retry-on-failure in Flaky Tests?
- A. Polling until an application state is true instead of sleeping.
- B. Re-running failed tests a bounded number of times.correct
- C. Isolating unstable tests from the blocking pipeline.
- D. Ensuring each test sets up and cleans its own state.
Why: retry-on-failure: Re-running failed tests a bounded number of times.
16. What is the purpose of wait-for condition in Flaky Tests?
- A. Re-running failed tests a bounded number of times.
- B. Failure mode where tests pass only in a specific sequence.
- C. Isolating unstable tests from the blocking pipeline.
- D. Polling until an application state is true instead of sleeping.correct
Why: wait-for condition: Polling until an application state is true instead of sleeping.
17. In Flaky Tests, what does deterministic test do or refer to?
- A. Ensuring each test sets up and cleans its own state.
- B. Test that produces the same result for the same code every run.correct
- C. Re-running failed tests a bounded number of times.
- D. Failure mode where tests pass only in a specific sequence.
Why: deterministic test: Test that produces the same result for the same code every run.
18. What is the purpose of order dependency in Flaky Tests?
- A. Failure mode where tests pass only in a specific sequence.correct
- B. Test that produces the same result for the same code every run.
- C. Polling until an application state is true instead of sleeping.
- D. Percentage of runs where a test's outcome flips without code change.
Why: order dependency: Failure mode where tests pass only in a specific sequence.
19. In Flaky Tests, what does flake rate do or refer to?
- A. Failure mode where tests pass only in a specific sequence.
- B. Percentage of runs where a test's outcome flips without code change.correct
- C. Isolating unstable tests from the blocking pipeline.
- D. Polling until an application state is true instead of sleeping.
Why: flake rate: Percentage of runs where a test's outcome flips without code change.
20. What is the purpose of hermetic environment in Flaky Tests?
- A. Ensuring each test sets up and cleans its own state.
- B. Re-running failed tests a bounded number of times.
- C. Fully isolated environment with no external shared dependencies.correct
- D. Polling until an application state is true instead of sleeping.
Why: hermetic environment: Fully isolated environment with no external shared dependencies.