API testing is an important a part of software program improvement that includes testing an API’s performance, reliability, efficiency, and safety. And since so many net purposes which might be in use as we speak rely on no less than one API, API testers are in excessive demand.
When you have an API testing interview arising, top-of-the-line methods you may put together is to evaluate questions that you simply is likely to be requested throughout your interview. You possibly can follow answering these questions by yourself or think about doing a mock interview with a pal. In the event you can arrange a mock interview, attempt to recreate an analogous surroundings to the one you’ll be in throughout your actual interview. For instance, when you’ll be interviewing over Zoom, do the mock interview over Zoom in order that your follow is as near the true factor as potential.
That can assist you put together for API testing interview questions, listed below are a number of the most typical questions you’re prone to face and recommendations on the best way to reply them.
1. What does API imply?
Throughout your technical interview, the interviewer might begin issues off with questions that appear simple. An ice-breaker query may be a chance so that you can shake off some nerves whereas additionally answering the query with particulars which will catch the interviewer’s consideration. This is likely to be a current milestone you hit or a enjoyable mission you’re engaged on.
For this query, you must reply by first defining the acronym API, which is Software Programming Interface, after which you may define what this implies. Particularly, you must point out that an API is a set of capabilities and procedures that enables a program to entry options or knowledge from one other piece of software program or service. Because of this, it allows a number of purposes to work together with one another.
2. What’s API testing?
That is one other ice-breaker query, and it provides you an opportunity to point out that you already know a number of the “why” behind API testing. You need to focus on how an API check checks to see if the operate being known as is behaving as anticipated. Throughout an API check, a operate is examined in opposition to a variety of inputs to see if it returns the anticipated worth from every check. Edge instances and nook instances are included within the check to make sure that the operate can deal with excessive instances. API testing is usually achieved on the finish of improvement to examine and see if the software program is performing as anticipated.
3. What are a number of the most typical protocols used throughout API testing?
This can be a easy query, and getting it proper exhibits you perceive the API testing surroundings on a better stage. In your reply, you must point out REST, SOAP, HTTP, UDDI, and JMS.
4. What are the commonest sorts of API testing?
Whereas there are lots of alternative ways of utilizing API testing, the everyday strategies are:
- Operate testing, a check used to check the API’s performance in opposition to purposeful necessities.
- Load testing, a check to emulate anticipated load, akin to visitors, in a gentle stream that may decide points which will come up from working an API for a protracted time frame.
- Unit testing, which verifies whether or not particular person components of the supply code behave and work as anticipated.
- Person interface testing, which exams the facets of an API {that a} person will work together with.
- Safety testing, a collection of exams that check the safety of the API. Entry factors, movement of information, and shadow APIs are all areas that ought to be examined throughout safety testing.
- Penetration testing (or pen check or moral hacking), a kind of safety testing that simulates a cyber assault in opposition to your API to uncover vulnerabilities.
- Fuzz testing, a check that sends random knowledge to all of the endpoints of the APIs. Throughout fuzz testing, servers shouldn’t crash or show any odd conduct.
- Runtime and error detection is used throughout all of those exams and allows APIs to report any points that happen whereas it’s on.
When answering this query, you might deal with the exams which might be utilized by the corporate to point out your particular information in that space.
5. Describe a typical API testing surroundings
That is your probability to point out you already know the distinction between API and different kinds of software program testing. When testing an API, you first need to configure the database and server to make sure the API may be put in. After putting in it, you may then begin verifying its right operate. Because the check continues, you consider the surroundings utilizing API calls and analyze the outcomes to see if it’s working because it ought to.
Right here’s an instance of a testing surroundings that you could give when answering this query: You need to use Postman to check APIs. Postman means that you can make HTTP requests to an API and look at the responses you get formatted in JSON.
6. Which architectural types are used to create net APIs?
Chances are you’ll be requested this query as a result of the kind of architectural fashion used to create an API can inform the API testing protocol. The extra frequent architectural types are:
- REST API Type
- GraphQL API Type
- RPC API Type
- SOAP API Type
- gRPC API Type
- Falcor API Type
7. What does SOAP imply?
That is nearly assured to come back up throughout your interview. SOAP is an acronym for Easy Object Entry Protocol. This can be a messaging protocol primarily based on XML, and it makes it simpler for computer systems to speak with one another.
8. What’s a REST API?
That is one other query that’s prone to be requested. In actual fact, it’s exhausting to think about an API testing interview with out it.
A REST API (also referred to as RESTful API) is an API that meets the constraints of REST architectural fashion, which is a set of architectural constraints for offering requirements between pc methods on the internet. These constraints make it simpler for methods to speak with one another. REST is an acronym for REpresentational State Switch.
9. What are some variations between REST and SOAP?
As a result of SOAP and REST can accomplish the identical aims, there’s a excessive likelihood that this query will pop up. Right here’s a primary breakdown of the variations between REST and SOAP:
- SOAP is a protocol computer systems use to share XML paperwork, whereas REST is a design and repair structure used to arrange software program environments on a community.
- SOAP strictly helps XML, whereas REST helps a number of knowledge codecs.
- SOAP doesn’t assist caching, whereas REST does.
- SOAP is slower.
- SOAP is sort of a regular pc app, whereas a REST shopper is extra like a browser that enables apps to run inside it.
- SOAP envelops a message whereas working on HTTP, whereas REST makes use of HTTP headers to carry its metadata.
10. What are a number of the most typical API exams carried out?
This query has a number of good solutions, and your reply will probably rely on the exams you might have essentially the most expertise with.
For instance, you may focus on how an API is examined to see the way it handles an HTTP (GET, POST, or different) request. With this check, you’re evaluating if the variables despatched with the HTTP request have been processed correctly. This check additionally seems to see if there’s a request error (40X error), and if that’s the case, what’s it and why is it occurring? Then, if the request is profitable, did the API reply with the anticipated values correctly formatted? An API check may also see if it’s speaking with the correct endpoint.
11. What are a number of the advantages of API testing?
That is one other probability to dig into the “why” of API testing. In your reply, you may spotlight how API testing can save time as a result of it could require much less code than graphical person interface (GUI) testing. You possibly can check APIs with no person interface, which means you don’t have to attend for an utility to be accessible. One other profit is that API testing is not restricted to a selected coding language. And API testing is an effective option to cut back threat cost-effectively, particularly when you’re trying to find minor bugs.
Follow makes good
In the event you want a refresher otherwise you’re on the lookout for extra publicity to APIs, we provide a number of ability paths and programs that target APIs and the architectures that use them.
You possibly can brush up in your foundational information of the API improvement lifecycle in our API Growth with Swagger and OpenAPI course, or you may discover ways to construct an online API with the Spring framework within the Create REST APIs with Spring and Java ability path. You may additionally take your abilities to the subsequent stage with our Study Testing for Internet Growth course, the place you’ll dive into the best way to check purposes on the mannequin and server ranges, together with exams for dynamic HTML content material and different API responses.
In the event you’re on the lookout for extra recommendation and assist in your upcoming interview, learn over our full information to the technical interview and our recommendation on answering behavioral interview questions. We even have ideas for the whiteboard interview that you could evaluate earlier than your interview.
In the event you’re trying to be taught a brand new ability or develop in your present information, have a look via our full course catalog.
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