HP Quality Center/ALM is now changed to Micro Focus Quality Center/ALM but still, the content on this page is valid on the new Micro Focus domain and tools as well.
In this tutorial, we have listed the 70 most popular Micro Focus ALM Quality Center QC interview questions with answers.
This article is based on the most common interview questions asked about Micro Focus ALM or Quality Center. Micro Focus ALM is a web-based Test Management tool by HP (now Micro Focus).
I hope you all will find these helpful.
=> Click Here For ALM Quality Center Tutorials Series
Hewlett Packard – Application Lifecycle Management (HP-ALM) is a tool developed by HP enterprise to manage and track the development and testing of applications or software.
It handles various activities like requirement management, test planning, and test execution.
- HP ALM also covers different types of testing like performance testing, load testing, etc by using its corresponding tools.
- With this effective and great tool, even the stakeholder’s task is made simple for viewing the application’s progress at any point in its development process.
- HP ALM has two interfaces: Server-side, and Client-side. The Server-side is handled by the site admin whereas the client-side is handled by ALM.
- HP ALM supports SQL commands with the help of the database engine.
- HP ALM does not directly interact with the application or software that is to be developed. It just gathers the information on the application like reports, graphs, etc.
- We can import requirements, test cases, and defects into HP ALM from the system.
- HP ALM is accessible by Bas, customers, testing teams, and development teams.
Uses of HP ALM are:
- HP ALM is used for planning and tracking projects.
- Through HP ALM, we can share the libraries and can reuse them across the projects.
- HP ALM supports multiple environments and thus can be used across various mobile devices.
- The traceability matrix of requirements and defects in real-time in HP ALM. This helps the QA team to view the reports anytime.
- With this HP ALM, testing and development teams keep track of requirements and thus can manage them.
Table of Contents:
Top 20 HP ALM Interview Questions
Here we go!!
Q #1) Define the HP ALM workflow.
Answer: ALM workflow includes
- Release Specification
- Requirement Specification
- Test Planning
- Test Execution
- Defect Tracking
Q #2) Name the predefined groups of HP ALM.
Answer: The predefined groups of HP ALM are
- Developer
- Project Manager
- QA Tester
- TD Admin
- Viewer
The permissions of these above groups cannot be changed at any cost. Also, neither these group names be renamed/edited nor these groups can be deleted from ALM.
Note: A newly added user to the project in ALM will have only the VIEW permission.
Q #3) How are the releases and cycles managed by HP ALM?
Answer: We require release and cycle management for:
- Every product has many specific releases.
- Every Release has a number of cycles.
- Even the release also has a scope and milestone which is predefined with it.
- Few test cases and requirements are also associated with each release.
- After executing the test cases, defects may be found during test execution. These defects are mapped against its respective test cases and are mapped to the corresponding requirements too.
Q #4) How can you enter data through HP Sprinter?
Answer: Sprinter is used for entering test data into the application to be tested by matching the column names against the respective field names.
- Through this Sprinter, we can make manual testing more effective and efficient.
- Multiple sets of data are directly inserted into the application at a stretch by matching the fields.
- First, select/decide the row that we need to insert, and then click/tap on the “inject” icon. This directly inserts the data into the respective fields.
Q #5) How can you use both HP QC 10.0 and HP ALM on the same machine or client?
Answer: At first, we have to install HP QC 10.0 and then have to install HP ALM on the same machine. Both versions can be used simultaneously but should be used in different instances of a browser.
Q #6) What is the use of “Business Objects” in HP ALM?
Answer: The Business Objects module is used to create the graphs as well as view and manage the same.
Q #7) Name the graphs that are commonly used in HP ALM.
Answer: Most commonly used graphs in HP ALM are
- Requirement Coverage Graph
- Requirement Summary Graph
- Test Set Summary Graph
- Defect Progress Graph
- Defect Summary Graph
- Defect Age Graph
Q #8) Differentiate “Entity Graph” and “Business View Graph”?
Answer:
Entity Graph is related to either defect or requirement or tests or test sets or test runs. All these fields are specific to an entity.
Business View Graph is related to a single entity or combination of a defect and requirement or defect and test. The fields of a business view graph contain useful information about the business.
Q #9) How a Dashboard is important in HP ALM?
Answer: A Dashboard gives a brief and quick view of the project status to the project managers or stakeholders.
Q #10) How can we create automated test scripts or performance test scripts from ALM?
Answer: One cannot create automated test scripts or performance test scripts using ALM. For that, we need to use HP QTP/UFT for functional scripts and HP Load Runner for performance test scripts and create the scripts.
Upload or save the above-created scripts into ALM and then can execute, monitor, schedule, and report the same.
Q #11) Can we delete the default test configuration from HP ALM?
Answer: No, the default test configuration cannot be deleted. However, we can edit the same and can work on it.
Q #12) How does the name “HP ALM” evolve from QC?
Answer: Earlier “Quality Center” was named “Test Director” by Mercury Interactive.
- From version 8, it was renamed Quality Center
- When HP acquired Mercury Interactive then it was called as HP Quality Center
- From Version 11, Quality Center was again named HP ALM (Application Lifecycle Management)
HP ALM tool helps us to manage the application lifecycle from the starting phase i.e., project planning followed by requirement gathering till testing and deployment.
Q #13) Define Test Resources Module and its Uses.
Answer: “Test Resources” help users to deal with the resources that are utilized by automation scripts or performance scripts or tests.
The excel file we used to import tests into ALM can be uploaded into the test resources module. We can upload and download resources to test the resource tree. And also can define the dependencies between resources, tests, etc.
Q #14) Which types of test resources are used for executing automated tests in HP ALM?
Answer: The test resources used for executing automated tests in ALM are:
- Data Table
- Environmental Variables
- Function Libraries
- Recovery Scenarios and
- Shared Object Repository
Q #15) Define “Project Entities”?
Answer: By using the “Project Entities” module, a Project Administrator will be able to modify/edit the ALM system fields or can create new user-defined fields.
Q #16) Can the “Username” be edited in HP ALM?
Answer: No, “Username” cannot be edited by users. Even the user of type Project Administrator also cannot edit it.
Q #17) Name the tabs that are located on the left side of HP ALM.
Answer: Following are the tabs located on the left side of HP ALM:
- Dashboard
- Management
- Requirements
- Lab Resources
- Testing
- Performance Center and Defects
Q #18) Who can create Domain, Projects, and Users in How?
Answer: Only the HP ALM site Administrator can create Projects, domains, and Users. End users do not have the right to access the site admin page.
Q #19) How can you create a Domain, Projects, and Users in HP ALM?
Answer:
Creating a Domain: Launch HP ALM, click “Site Administration” and login as Admin with proper admin credentials. The Admin Dashboard gets opened. Click on “Create Domain”, enter a domain name and click OK. Domain gets created.
Creating a Project: Select a specific domain under which you need a project. And click on “Create Project”. Select the project type and enter a name for the project, select an appropriate Data Base, Select the user as Admin, and also enter the further required details. And finally, click on “Create”. The project gets created under the selected domain.
Creating a User: To create a User, the site Admin has to go to the “Site Users” tab and click on “Add User”. Enter the required data and click OK. The user gets created. Now you need to map the users to the project.
Q #20) Apart from the core functionalities of QC, what all features or functionalities does ALM have?
Answer: Few additional features that ALM has when compared with QC:
- Cross-project reporting (along with cross-project graphs and customization)
- Sharing of libraries
- Sharing the defects across multiple projects and
- Tracking of project planning
Top 50 Quality Center QC Interview Questions
Q #1) What is Quality Center?
Answer: Quality Center is a product of HP known as HP QC or Quality Center or HP ALM (Application Lifecycle Management) tool. It is a web-based test management tool that supports various phases of the software development lifecycle. It helps in improving application quality with the more effective implementation of a project and it is cost-efficient too.
Q #2) What are the benefits of using Quality Center?
Answer: Quality Center is simple and one of the best test management tools. Its benefits are:
- It can be accessed through an IE browser.
- The project database of a test can be maintained by QC.
- It can be integrated with HP testing tools like QTP and Load Runner. It is also compatible with third-party tools.
- It helps in effectively executing test sets, collecting results, and analyzing data.
- It helps in monitoring defects closely.
- QC can be linked to an email system that provides an easy way to share defect tracking information.
- It can be used for creating reports and graphs which help in analyzing test data.
- It supports virtual environments like Citrix XenApp 6.0 and VMware ESX 5.0.
Q #3) What is the first & latest version of Quality Center?
Answer: Quality Center 8.0 is the first version and Quality Center or ALM 12.0 is the latest version.
Q #4) Explain the modules of the Quality Center.
Answer: The Quality Center modules are:
- Release Module: This allows us to create a project release. Each release can have multiple cycles.
- Requirement Module: This allows us in managing requirements like what we are testing, what are the requirement topics and items and what are the analyzing requirements.
- Test Plan: This allows us to write test cases for the requirements in a hierarchical tree structure.
- Test Resources: This allows us to manage test resources. Test resources can be associated with tests.
- Test lab: This allows us to run tests and analyze the results.
- Defect Module: This allows us to log all the failed test case results.
- Dashboard: Allows us to create graphs and reports.
Q #5) How many built-in tables does Quality Center have?
Answer: There are six built-in tables:
- Test Table
- Test Step Table
- Test Set Table
- Run Table
- Defect Table
- Requirement Table
Q #6) How many types of reports and graphs are there in Quality Center?
Answer: Reports and graphs can be generated at any time and in each and every phase with the QC module during the testing process by using default or customized settings like the requirement, test plan, test lab, or defect module. We can also get summary and progress reports.
Q #7) Which types of databases are used in Quality Center?
Answer: When a Quality Center Project is created we have to store and manage the data generated and collected by the Quality Center. Each and every project is supported by a database that is used to store project information. The following database applications are used to store and manage Quality Center information:
- Oracle 9.2.0.6 Standard/Enterprise Edition
- Oracle 10.2.0.3
- Microsoft SQL Server 2005 (SP2).
Q #8) How do u control the access to a QC project?
Answer: We need to specify the users and the privileges for each user.
Q #9) How many types of tabs are there in Quality Center?
Answer: Following types of tabs are available:
- Requirement: Helps in tracking customer requirements.
- Test Plan: Helps in designing the test cases and storing the test scripts.
- Test lab: Helps in executing the test cases and tracking the results.
- Defect: Helps in logging a defect and to track the logged defects.
Q #10) What is the different edition for HP QC or HP ALM?
Answer: The different edition of HP QC/ALM includes:
- HP ALM essentials: It is used by the corporates that need the basic features for supporting their entire software lifecycle.
- HP QC enterprise edition: It is used by corporates more commonly who use ALM for testing purposes, and also provides integration with UFT.
- HP ALM performance center edition: It is best suitable for organizations that would like to use HP ALM to drive HP-LoadRunner scripts. It helps the user to manage, maintain, execute, schedule, and monitor performance tests.
Q #11) What is the difference between Test Director and Quality Center?
Answer: Quality Center is the advanced version of the Test Director. It has more features than the Test Director.
Q #12) Do we have a programming interface in Quality Center?
Answer: No, we don’t have a programming interface in Quality Center.
Q #13) What is the difference between Quality Center and Bugzilla?
Answer: Quality Center is a test management tool that supports various phases of the software development life cycle whereas BugZilla is the Defect Management tool only.
Q #14) What is meant by the test lab in Quality Center?
Answer: The test lab is a functionality of the Quality center for executing tests. We create test trees, add tests to those trees, and place them under the Test Plan in a project. These tests then need to be imported into the Test lab module where the Quality center executes them.
Q #15) How can we import test cases from Excel to Quality Center?
Answer: To import test cases from Excel to Quality Center:
- We need to install and configure the Microsoft Excel Add-In for Quality Center.
- We need to map the columns present in Excel with columns in Quality Center.
- Export the data from Excel using the “Export to Quality Center option” in Excel.
- Check for errors if any.
Q #16) How can we export the file from Quality Center to Excel/Word?
Answer: A file can be exported from any of the following tabs in Excel or Word format.
- Requirement tab:
- Right-click on the main requirement
- Click on export
- Save as word, excel, or other templates.
- Test plan tab:
- Select a test script.
- Click on the design steps tab.
- Right-click anywhere in the window
- Click on export and save as.
Note: Only individual tests can be exported. No parent-child export is possible.
- Test lab tab:
- Select a child group.
- Click on the execution grid.
- Right-click and save in excel or another format.
- Defects Tab:
- Right-click anywhere in the window.
- Export all or selected defects.
- Save them in an excel sheet or any other format.
Q #17) What is a Business Component?
Answer: The business component is used for Business Process Testing known as BPT. The business component provides script free environment for creating tests.
Q #18) How to use QTP as an automation tool in Quality Center?
Answer: Using the QTP add-in, in Quality Center we can use QTP as an automation tool.
Q #19) How to switch between two projects in Quality Center?
Answer: There is a difference in switching between two projects in Quality Center 9.0 and above and in other versions.
- QC 9.0: Select Tools then Change Projects and Select Projects.
- Other versions: Log off and log in again.
Q #20) What is Coverage status?
Answer: The percentage of testing covered at a given time is known as Coverage status. It helps in tracking project status.
Q #21) Explain the architecture of HP-ALM.
Answer: HP ALM has the following components:
- HP ALM client.
- ALM server/Application server.
- Database servers.
Q #22) What are the components of Dashboard Analysis?
Answer: The dashboard analysis has two components.
- Analysis View which contains an analysis tree.
- Dashboard View which contains a dashboard tree.
Q #23) What types of requirements can be added to test cases in Quality Center?
Answer: There are two types of requirements that can be added to test cases in Quality Center:
- Parent requirements cover high-level functions of the requirements.
- Child requirements cover low-level functions of the requirements.
Q #24) What is Sprinter in HP-ALM?
Answer: Sprinter provides an automated environment to execute various manual testing tasks. It offers advanced tools that help in the easy execution of testing tasks.
Q #25) How to use Quality Center in real-time projects?
Answer: Enlisted below are the steps to use Quality Center in real-time projects:
- Complete the preparation of test cases.
- Export the test cases into Quality Center and load them into the test plan module.
- Move the test cases from the test plan tab to the test lab module.
- Execute the test cases and check for the results
- If we got any defects then raise the defects in the defect module.
Q #26) How to map the requirements with test cases in Quality Center?
Answer: We can map the requirements with test cases in QC:
- In the requirements tab select coverage view.
- Select the requirement by clicking on parent/child or grandchild.
- On the right-hand side, another window will appear. It has two tabs:
- Tests coverage
- Details
The test coverage tab will be selected by default or you click on it.
- Click on the select tests button, and a new window will appear on the right-hand side and you will see a list of all tests. You can select any test case you want to map with your requirements.
Q #27) What is a Table in the QC project?
Answer: A table is a part of a database that stores records of information about the test plan.
Q #28) What does a live analysis graph display in Quality Center?
Answer: Quality Center live analysis graph provides a visual overview of all tests within a folder in the test plan tree.
Q #29) What are the phases of test management with the Quality Center in order?
Answer: There are 5 phases:
- Specify releases
- Specify requirements
- Plan tests
- Execute tests
- Track defects
Q #30) What are the interfaces of the Quality center?
Answer: The interfaces of QC are:
- Site Admin
- Quality Center
Q #31) How do the records appear in Quality Center?
Answer: Records appear by default in the order in which they were added.
Q #32) How can we save the tests executed in Test Lab?
Answer: They are saved automatically when the user clicks on “END RUN” in the Test Lab.
Q #33) How do you run reports from Quality Center?
Answer: To run reports from QC:
- Open the Quality Center project
- It displays the requirement modules
- Choose report: Analysis > reports > standard requirements report
Q #34) What is the use of Test Instance?
Answer: A test instance is required to run the test case in the lab. We can’t directly run the test case in the lab, instead, we need to run a test instance of that test case.
Q #35) What is the Risk Category?
Answer: We determine the risk category for each assessment requirement under the analysis requirement. It depends on two factors:
- Business Criticality
- Failure Probability.
Q #36) What is the assessment requirement?
Answer: Assessment requirement represents a requirement that is children of analysis requirement and at a lower level in a tree hierarchy.
Q #37) What are the roles and responsibilities of the QC admin?
Answer: Roles & responsibilities of the QC Admin are:
- Project creation
- Managing users and their authentication.
- Performance monitoring.
- Data backup etc.
Q #38) How do you find duplicate bugs in the Quality Center?
Answer: We can find duplicate bugs in the defect manager tab using the “Find Similar Defects” button. We need to enter the defect description in brief and it will show similar defects.
Q #39) Does Quality Center support the UNIX Operating environment?
Answer: Yes, the Quality center comes with two kinds of licenses:
- Quality Center for Windows.
- Quality Center for UNIX.
Q #40) Why use Filters? How do you define it?
Answer: To see the records that meet the specific criteria that we define, we use filters. We can define multiple items as Filter.
Q #41) What does the User group determine?
Answer: The user’s group determines the privileges that the user has within a project.
Q #42) What is the Unattached Folder in Test Plan?
Answer: We can delete a folder or test from the test plan tree in two ways. We can delete the only folder or we can delete that folder, its subfolder, and test also. When we delete the only folder, all the tests under it get moved to the unattached folder in the test plan tree.
Q #43) What are Matching Defects?
Answer: Matching Defects helps us to find and eliminate duplicate or similar defects in the project. There are two methods to search for similar defects:
- Finding similar Defects which compare a selected defect with all other existing defects in the project.
- Finding similar Text which compares a specific test string against all other existing defects in the project.
Q #44) What is Defect Tracking?
Answer: Defect Tracking is a method of finding and removing application defects. We can add or detect defects to the project at any stage of the application management process.
Q #45) Is the ‘Not covered’ and ‘Not run’ status the same?
Answer: No, there is a difference between the ‘Not Covered’ and ‘Not Run’ statuses.
Not Covered status means all those requirements for which the test cases are not written and Not Run status means all those requirements for which test cases are written but are not run/executed.
Q #46) Explain Version Control.
Answer: To keep a track of changes made to entities in the project we use version control. We can create QC entities and also keep the previous version of those entities in the requirement to track the changes.
Q #47) What is test set notification, and when do we need it?
Answer: To inform any specific user we use test set notification. It is required in the case of any failure.
Q #48) What is the need for the Host Manager?
Answer: The host manager helps to run a test on a host connected to our network. It shows the list of available hosts for test execution and also organizes them into groups for a specific project.
Q #49) Explain the Linking Defect to test in Quality Control.
Answer: Defects can be linked to the test in the defect grid. It helps to run the tests based on the status of the defect. Defects can be linked to other entities as well, such as requirements. Linking can be direct or indirect. If the defect link is with an entity then QC adds a direct link and if the link is with the run step then QC adds an indirect link to its run, test instance, test set, and test.
Q #50) What is the default database in Quality Center?
Answer: SQL Server is the default database in Quality Center.
Conclusion
These are a few important questions on HP ALM Quality Center that will make you confident enough to attend the interview and clear it smoothly.
Before attending the interview, if you can have hands-on on this ALM tool, that will be an added advantage for your interview.
=> Visit Here For ALM Quality Center Tutorials Series
All the best!
I am a QC. I have 3years experience in Quality control in Rane TRW power steering system Pvt Ltd.