Ultimate 25+ Cucumber Interview Questions (2024) [Updated]

The Cucumber framework, known for Behavior Driven Development (BDD), is an essential tool for Java developers, especially in test automation. Whether you are a fresher or an experienced professional, preparing for interviews in this domain requires both theoretical knowledge and practical expertise.

Below is a compilation of 30+ important cucumber interview questions, divided equally between freshers and experienced candidates.

Cucumber Interview Questions (Freshers)

1. What is Cucumber?

Cucumber is an open-source testing tool that supports Behavior Driven Development (BDD). It allows the execution of feature documentation written in plain language.

2. What are the main advantages of using Cucumber?

Easy to understand for non-programmers
Bridges the gap between technical and non-technical team members
Supports multiple programming languages
Facilitates test automation

3. What are Gherkin keywords?

Given, When, Then, And, But, Background, Scenario, Scenario Outline, Examples.

4. What is a Feature file?

A Feature file contains the high-level description of a software feature and its scenarios, written using Gherkin language.

5. What is a Scenario in Cucumber?

A Scenario represents a single behavior or example that needs to be tested.

6. What is a Step Definition in Cucumber?

Step Definitions are the implementation of the steps in a scenario, written in a programming language like Java, Python, Ruby, etc.

7. How do you write a simple feature file for testing a login functionality?

				
					Feature: Login functionality
  
  Scenario: Successful login with valid credentials
    Given I am on the login page
    When I enter a valid username and password
    Then I should be redirected to the homepage

8. What is the purpose of the @Given, @When, @Then annotations in Cucumber?

These annotations are used to map the steps in Gherkin syntax to Java methods in step definitions. @Given is for preconditions, @When defines actions, and @Then is for expected outcomes.

9. How does Cucumber integrate with Selenium?

Cucumber is often used alongside Selenium WebDriver to automate the interaction with web pages. In Cucumber tests, Selenium code can be written within step definitions to execute actions like clicking buttons and entering text.

10. What is a Scenario Outline in Cucumber? Give an example.

A Scenario Outline is used to run the same scenario multiple times with different sets of data.

				
					Scenario Outline: Testing login functionality with multiple data sets
    Given I am on the login page
    When I enter "<username>" and "<password>"
    Then I should see "<message>"

  Examples:
    | username  | password | message               |
    | admin     | pass123  | Welcome, admin!       |
    | user      | 12345    | Invalid login attempt |

11. What is the difference between Scenario and Scenario Outline?

A Scenario is executed once, while a Scenario Outline can run multiple times with different sets of data, allowing data-driven testing.

12. What is the purpose of Hooks in Cucumber? Explain @Before and @After hooks.

Hooks are used to define code that should be run before or after each scenario. @Before is used to set up preconditions (e.g., launching a browser), and @After is used for cleanup (e.g., closing the browser).

13. Write a basic step definition for the following Gherkin step:

Given I am on the login page

				
					@Given("^I am on the login page$")
public void i_am_on_the_login_page() {
    driver.get("http://example.com/login");
}

14. What is the CucumberOptions annotation in Java? What are its key attributes?

CucumberOptions is used to configure various aspects of Cucumber execution, such as the path to feature files and step definitions, reporting, etc.

15. How do you execute a Cucumber test in a Maven project?

Cucumber can be executed in a Maven project by adding the required Cucumber and JUnit dependencies, then using mvn test to run the test cases.

16. How do you run specific scenarios from a feature file using tags in Cucumber?

You can use tags to categorize scenarios and run specific ones. Tags like @SmokeTest can be applied in the feature file and specified in the CucumberOptions to run only those tests.

17. What is the difference between TDD and BDD?

Aspect	TDD (Test-Driven Development)	BDD (Behavior-Driven Development)
Focus	Verifying the correctness of individual code units	Defining and verifying application behavior from an end-user perspective
Purpose	Ensuring code correctness and quality	Ensuring that features fulfill user requirements
Approach	Write tests first, then write code to pass the tests	Collaboratively define scenarios, then automate them as tests
Test Design	Developer-focused, detailed tests for code functions	User-focused, scenarios describing behavior in plain language
Structure	Red (fail) -> Green (pass) -> Refactor	Given -> When -> Then structure
Example	assertEquals(5, calculator.add(2, 3));	Given I have a calculator; When I add 2 and 3; Then the result is 5

Bonus TDD (Unit Test Example in Java):

				
					@Test
public void testAdd() {
    Calculator calculator = new Calculator();
    assertEquals(5, calculator.add(2, 3));
}

Bonus BDD (Scenario Example in Gherkin):

				
					Feature: Calculator Addition
  Scenario: Adding two numbers
    Given I have a calculator
    When I add 2 and 3
    Then the result should be 5

Cucumber Interview Questions (Experienced)

1. Explain how you would handle parameterization in Cucumber.

Parameterization can be handled using Scenario Outline or by using regular expressions in step definitions to capture dynamic values from Gherkin steps.

2. What are the limitations of the Cucumber framework? How do you address them in your projects?

Some limitations include handling complex logic and long-running tests. These can be addressed by modularizing step definitions, integrating with other testing frameworks, and managing execution with tools like TestNG or JUnit.

3. How do you implement parallel test execution in Cucumber?

Parallel execution can be achieved by using tools like TestNG, JUnit, or Cucumber’s built-in parallel execution feature. By configuring multiple threads, you can speed up the test execution.

4. What are Data Tables in Cucumber? How can you use them for parameterization?

Data Tables are used to pass complex data structures into step definitions.

Example:

				
					Scenario: Creating a new user
  Given I provide the following details:
    | username  | password | role  |
    | testuser  | pass123  | admin |

5. Write a step definition for the following Data Table:

				
					Given I provide the following details:
  | username | password | role  |
  | user1    | pass1    | admin |
  | user2    | pass2    | guest |

				
					@Given("^I provide the following details$")
public void i_provide_the_following_details(DataTable userData) {
    List<Map<String, String>> data = userData.asMaps(String.class, String.class);
    for (Map<String, String> user : data) {
        System.out.println("Username: " + user.get("username"));
        System.out.println("Password: " + user.get("password"));
        System.out.println("Role: " + user.get("role"));
    }
}

6. How do you manage dependencies in a Cucumber framework using Maven?

By specifying Cucumber and Selenium dependencies in the pom.xml file. Maven handles the downloading and inclusion of required libraries.

7. What is the role of the Runner class in Cucumber? How do you configure it?

The Runner class is used to initiate Cucumber tests. It uses annotations like @CucumberOptions to define paths for feature files, glue code, and reporting formats.

8. How do you integrate Cucumber with Continuous Integration (CI) tools like Jenkins?

Integration is done by configuring Jenkins to execute the Maven commands that run Cucumber tests. The results can be published in various formats like HTML or JSON.

9. How do you handle reporting in Cucumber? What are the available options?

Cucumber provides reporting options like HTML, JSON, and XML. You can use plugins like Cucumber Reports or integrate with Allure for advanced reporting.

10. Write a Cucumber test for validating an API response using Rest-Assured in Java.

Example:

				
					Scenario: Validate user details in API response
  Given I perform GET request to "https://api.example.com/users/1"
  Then the response status should be 200
  And the response body should contain "name" as "John"

11. What is the importance of version control in Cucumber test automation?

Version control allows teams to collaborate on automation scripts, track changes, and revert to previous versions if needed. Git is commonly used for this purpose.

12. How do you implement reusability in Cucumber step definitions?

Reusability can be achieved by defining generic step definitions that can handle multiple scenarios, avoiding duplication of code.

13. What challenges have you faced in large-scale Cucumber projects, and how did you overcome them?

Common challenges include slow execution times and maintaining large feature files. Solutions include optimizing test data, modularizing tests, and parallel execution.

14. Explain how you would test a web application’s functionality in multiple browsers using Cucumber and Selenium.

This can be achieved by configuring WebDriver to run tests in different browsers, often managed through the use of WebDriver’s capabilities or browser-specific drivers.

15. Describe how you ensure the maintainability and scalability of a Cucumber framework in your projects.

Maintainability can be ensured by following best practices like modular step definitions, proper use of tags, and data-driven testing. Scalability is achieved by organizing feature files and scenarios in a logical structure.

16. How do you create a custom transformer in Cucumber?

Implement the Transformer interface and override the transform method

Example:

				
					public class DateConverter extends Transformer { 
    @Override
    public Date transform(String value) { 
        return new SimpleDateFormat("yyyy-MM-dd").parse(value); 
    }
}

17. How do you generate an Allure report for Cucumber tests?

You can easily do this by following the below points:

Add Allure Cucumber dependencies to the project.
Configure the Allure report generation in the @CucumberOptions.
Run the tests and generate the report using Allure command-line tools.

Conclusion

Preparing for a Cucumber interview questions requires knowledge of both fundamental concepts and hands-on experience. The above questions, covering both freshers and experienced professionals, will help you gain a solid understanding of the Cucumber framework in Java and improve your chances of success in interviews.

Top 30+ Essential Cucumber Framework Interview Questions

Table of Contents

Cucumber Interview Questions (Freshers)

Cucumber Interview Questions (Experienced)

Conclusion

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