Screening checklist
QA Engineer Screening Checklist
Comprehensive QA Engineer screening checklist covering test strategy, automation skills, bug reporting, and quality process assessment.
The short answer
Screening QA Engineer candidates well means fixing the pass criteria before the first résumé is opened. The checklist below covers résumé triage, a short phone screen with model answers, a technical check with passing criteria, and the deal-breakers that end a conversation early.
- Must have: Understanding of testing methodologies and best practices
- Must have: Both manual and automated testing experience
- Must have: Proficiency in at least one automation framework
- Deal-breaker: Cannot write automated tests
Cohesyve finds, contacts and tests QA Engineer candidates on the real work and ranks them. Ten candidates free, no card.
Being screened for a role like this? Practise free →This checklist evaluates QA Engineer candidates across test planning, automation, defect management, and quality integration throughout the development lifecycle.
Résumé screening
- Test automation framework experience (Selenium, Cypress, Playwright)
- Programming proficiency for test scripts
- CI/CD testing integration experience
- Manual and exploratory testing expertise
- API testing tool experience
- Agile testing practices understanding
Must-have qualifications
- Understanding of testing methodologies and best practices
- Both manual and automated testing experience
- Proficiency in at least one automation framework
- API testing experience
- Ability to create test plans and strategies
Phone screen questions
Ask every candidate the same set, in the same order, and note the answer against the model before you form a view.
How do you decide what to automate vs test manually?
A strong answer Automates regression, smoke tests, and data-driven scenarios. Keeps manual for exploratory and usability testing. Uses ROI thinking for automation priorities.
Describe creating a test strategy for a new feature.
A strong answer Reviews requirements, identifies scenarios, defines test types, considers risk areas, plans test data, and establishes exit criteria.
How do you handle developer pushback on a bug?
A strong answer Provides clear reproduction steps, supporting evidence, references requirements. Focuses on user impact and facilitates discussion.
Tell me about a costly bug you caught before production.
A strong answer Describes the bug, how they found it, potential impact, and the testing approach that led to catching it.
How do you integrate testing into CI/CD?
A strong answer Discusses test pyramid, parallel execution, environment management, flaky test handling, and gating deployments.
Reach the phone screen with QA Engineer candidates who have done the work
Cohesyve finds and contacts QA Engineer candidates from your job description, tests each one on an AI job simulation of the role and ranks them, so the checklist above starts from a shortlist. Ten candidates free, no card.
Technical screening
| Area | What to test | Passing criteria |
|---|---|---|
| Test Automation | Framework design, script quality, CI/CD integration | Designs maintainable frameworks and writes reliable tests |
| Manual Testing | Exploratory skills, test case design, bug reporting | Finds critical defects through structured and creative testing |
| API Testing | REST API testing, validation, integration tests | Thoroughly tests APIs including edge cases and security |
| Quality Process | Test strategy, metrics tracking, quality advocacy | Develops strategies and advocates for quality across the team |
Fit and deal-breakers
Good signs
- Quality advocate caring about end-user experience
- Detail-oriented with investigative mindset
- Collaborative with developers
- Continuous process improvement focus
- Proactive about shifting testing left
Deal-breakers
- Cannot write automated tests
- Vague bug reports without reproduction steps
- Views QA as only finding bugs
- Unable to communicate quality risks
Scoring rubric
Automation Skills
30%- Framework proficiency
- Script maintainability
- CI/CD integration
Testing Methodology
30%- Test strategy design
- Edge case identification
- Risk-based testing
Technical Knowledge
20%- API testing
- Performance testing
- Security testing basics
Communication
20%- Bug report quality
- Developer collaboration
- Quality reporting
Common questions
How important is programming for QA?
Essential for modern QA roles. Automation is expected. The programming level depends on the role: SDET roles require near-developer coding ability.
Manual testers or automation engineers?
Most teams need QA who can do both. Manual exploratory testing finds different bugs than automation. The ideal candidate does both.
How to evaluate attention to detail?
Give a practical exercise reviewing a feature or mockup. Thoroughness in identifying edge cases and boundary conditions reveals attention to detail.
Screen QA Engineer candidates on the work before the first call
Cohesyve takes your QA Engineer job description, finds candidates, reaches out to them and runs an AI job simulation of the real work, then returns a ranked shortlist.
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