We offer 100% Job Guarantee Courses(Any Degree /Diplomo Candidtaes / Year GAP / Non IT/Any Passed Outs). We offer 30% for All Courses

Shopping cart

Contact Us
Whatsapp Phone-alt
shape
shape

Selenium with Python — Interview Questions & Answers

  • Home
  • Blog
  • Selenium with Python — Interview Questions & Answers
Add a heading 15 1024x555

Introduction

Selenium with Python helps you test web applications by controlling a browser with code. You write small programs that open pages, click buttons, type text, and check results. Python makes this easy because it uses simple words and needs little code. For a fresher, learning Selenium means mastering locators, waits, interactions, test design, and basic debugging. This blog gives 30 common interview questions and answers. Each answer explains the idea in clear steps you can follow and shows one short example to try.Read the code slowly, then try it on your computer. Practice builds confidence. Use these responses to demonstrate your thought process and to help you prepare for interviews. Write short code, create tests using straightforward patterns like Page Object Model, and use explicit waits for dynamic pages. You will learn more quickly if you attempt to run a small script each day.

Q1 — What is Selenium?

A free tool for automating web browsers is called Selenium. It is used to perform repetitive tasks, such as checking text, clicking buttons, or opening pages.

Steps:

1) Install Selenium using pip.

2) Start a browser driver (Chrome, Firefox).

3) Use driver commands (get, find_element, click).

4) Close the driver when done.

For a fresher, Selenium can be thought of as a browser remote control. The browser complies with your instructions. It is compatible with Python and a wide range of browsers. Make use of it to create time-saving, repeatable tests that identify issues early. Begin with easy chores like launching Google and conducting a search. You learn locators and wait from that practice.

Example:

from selenium import webdriver

driver = webdriver.Chrome()

driver.get(“https://example.com”)

driver.quit()

Q2 — Why use Python with Selenium?

Python allows you to write scripts quickly because its code is concise and easy to read.

Steps: 

1) Install Python and pip.

2) pip install selenium.

3) Import webdriver and write a few lines to open a page.

4) Use Python libraries (pytest, pandas) to extend tests.

For a fresher, Python helps you focus on test logic rather than syntax details. You will learn quick loops, functions, and small modules to reuse code. There are a lot of Selenium + Python teammate resources, tutorials, and examples available. Begin with simple scripts and then add structure. Logging results, parsing JSON, and reading CSV files are all made easy by the standard Python library. This combination makes it possible to automate small and medium-sized projects.

Example:

pip install selenium

Q3 — How to install Selenium in Python?

To include the Selenium package in your Python environment, use pip.

Steps:

1) open the terminal or command prompt.

2) (Optional) Start up a virtual world.

3) Execute pip install selenium.

4) Verify with a quick import script.

After install, you still need a browser driver (like chromedriver) or a driver manager. A driver is a small program that lets Selenium talk with the browser. For a fresher, install Chrome and match the chromedriver version. Drivers can also be downloaded automatically with packages like webdriver-manager. To keep Selenium current, use pip install –upgrade selenium. If pip isn’t working, check your PATH and Python version. It helps to practice a short script to confirm the install.

Example:

pip install selenium

Q4 — How to open Chrome browser with Selenium?

Open Chrome WebDriver, then use get() to load a URL.

Steps:

1) Use a driver manager or make sure the Chromedriver is on PATH

2) Open the Selenium webdriver.

3) Make use of WebDriver.The driver is created using Chrome().

4) Make use of the driver.get(“https://site”), followed by the driver.quit().

For new users, the Chromedriver must work with the latest version of Chrome. If you see errors, check the driver path or use webdriver-manager to get it automatically. Simple scripts can be used to open a page and print the title.  Practice opening and closing the browser within each script to avoid residual processes. Headless mode is optional for CI.

Example:

from selenium import webdriver

driver = webdriver.Chrome()

driver.get(“https://google.com”)

driver.quit()

Q5 — What is Selenium WebDriver?

The main API that manages the browser is called WebDriver. It transmits commands (click, type, navigate) and reads results (title, URL).

Steps:

1) Launch a driver instance (Firefox, Chrome).

2) Make use of functions like execute_script, get, and find_element.

3) Read values and interact with elements.

4) Use quit() to end the session.

For a Fresher, WebDriver works much like a remote control. It runs on your computer and connects to the browser via the driver software. WebDriver is used for scenario scripting and outcome verification. Try out basic methods like driver.title and driver.current_url to see how it pulls information from the browser. WebDriver works with a variety of browsers and can be used locally or remotely (through cloud or grid services).

Example:

driver = webdriver.Firefox()

driver.get(“https://example.com”)

print(driver.title)

driver.quit()

Q6 — What are locators in Selenium? Q5 — What is Selenium WebDriver?

XPath helps Selenium find elements on a webpage. Common locators include ID, Name, Class Name, Tag Name, Link Text, Partial Link Text, CSS Selector, and XPath. They can be easy or hard to use.

Steps:

1) Use browser dev tools to examine the page.

2) Search for a distinct name or ID.

3) Make use of find_element(By.ID, “value”) or similar functions.

4) Engage with the component.

For freshers, I like ID because it’s reliable and quick when it’s available. If there is no ID, use name or CSS. XPath can help you find things that are hard to find or made of text. Use the browser console to test your locator and make sure it finds the right element. Good locators help cut down on flaky tests. Make sure that locators are easy to use and don’t change when the UI does.

Example:

from selenium.webdriver.common.by import By

driver.find_element(By.ID, “username”)

Q7 — How to find an element by ID?

Use the ID locator with find_element.

Steps:

 1) Inspect the element and note the id attribute. 

2) Use element = driver.find_element(By.ID, “id_value”).

 3) Perform actions like send_keys or click. 

4) Verify the result (text present or navigation). 

For a fresher, ID is the most reliable locator when unique. If multiple elements share the same ID (bad HTML), then prefer another locator. Always wrap actions with waits if the element loads dynamically. Use explicit waits like WebDriverWait to wait until the element appears. Keep a small script that reads and types into the field to practice.

Example:

elem = driver.find_element(By.ID, “search-box”)

elem.send_keys(“hello”)

Q8 — How to find many elements at once?

Find_elements will give you a list of elements that match.

Steps:

1) Choose a locator, such as By.TAG_NAME or By.CLASS_NAME.

2) Use driver.find_elements(By.CLASS_NAME, “item”) to find items.

3) To go through the items and read the text or do something with each one, use “for item in items:”.

4) To avoid making mistakes, make sure you handle empty lists the right way.

You can check the length before looping if find_elements returns an empty set for new users. If it doesn’t, you can list. You can use this to check the items on a menu, count the links, and make sure the rows in a table are correct. Use explicit waits to make sure you read items after they arrive. You can practice basic list validations with loops.

Example:

links = driver.find_elements(By.TAG_NAME, “a”)

for l in links:

    print(l.text)

Q9 — find_element vs find_elements?

If find_element doesn’t find a matching element, it raises NoSuchElementException. find_elements gives you a list of all the matches. If there are none, it gives you an empty list.

Steps:

1) Use find_element when you expect a single element.

2) Use find_elements when you expect many or want to check count.

3) For find_element, catch exceptions or use waits to reduce failures.

4) For find_elements, check len(list) before using.

For freshers, Practice both. find_elements is safer when the item might not be there because it doesn’t throw exceptions. Use lists to go through and check a lot of things, like table rows or search results.

Example:

one = driver.find_element(By.NAME, “q”)

many = driver.find_elements(By.CLASS_NAME, “item”)



Q10 — CSS Selector vs XPath?

CSS selectors are like style rules, and they work quickly for simple paths. XPath is great for complicated searches, matching text, and moving around in parent-child relationships.

Steps:

1) Try ID or name first.

2) Use CSS for clean class-based or attribute selectors.

3) Use XPath for text or complex structure.

4) Test selectors in dev tools.

For freshers, learn both. CSS is shorter and often faster; XPath is more flexible (you can find elements by text with contains() or text()). Use selectors that are easy to read and keep up with. Don’t use absolute XPaths that depend on the full path of a document. Use relative XPath with // to find things by text and attributes.

Example:

driver.find_element(By.CSS_SELECTOR, “input[name=’q’]”)

driver.find_element(By.XPATH, “//input[@name=’q’]”)

Q11 — How to write a flexible XPath?

Avoid absolute paths by using functions such as contains() and starts-with().

Steps:

1) Look over the component and pick a passage of text or a recurring feature.

2) Create an XPath using the following structure: //tag[contains(@attr,’part’)].

3) Use normalize-space() to find matches in trimmed text.

4) Before using XPath, test it using the development tools.

For freshers, When the complete values of attributes, such as timestamps and IDs with numbers, change, bendable XPath is helpful.contains() can be used to match parts of strings. If only a prefix is stable, starts-with() may be helpful. Make sure XPaths are easy to read, and add comments if they are not. Most dev tools allow you to quickly test XPaths, which facilitates finding and fixing bugs.

Example:

driver.find_element(By.XPATH, “//button[contains(text(),’Log’)]”)

Q12 — What is implicit wait?

Implicit wait sets a default time for find_element calls to poll the DOM before raising a NoSuchElementException.

Actions to take:

1) The call driver.implicitly_wait(10) once the driver has been created.

2) When searching for elements, Selenium may pause for up to 10 seconds.

3) If the element appears sooner, it proceeds.

4) Keep the implicit wait short to avoid long test runs.

For freshers,Although implicit wait is simple to use, it is imprecise in dynamic situations. For certain conditions, combine brief implicit waits with explicit waits. Steer clear of lengthy implicit times as they slow down debugging. The implicit wait is applicable to the entire session.

Example:

driver.implicitly_wait(10)

elem = driver.find_element(By.ID, “load”)

Q13 — What is explicit wait?

A specified element or state has an explicit wait awaiting a selected condition.

Steps:

1) Import EC as expected_conditions and WebDriverWait.

2) Create WebDriverWait(driver, timeout).

3) Use .until(EC.condition((By, “value”))).

4) If the condition is met, go ahead; if not, it times out.

For freshers, use explicit waits for elements that load via AJAX, become clickable, or change text. Explicit waits reduce flakiness by waiting for clear conditions like element_to_be_clickable or presence_of_element_located. Use them right before the action that needs the element. They work better with dynamic content and are more accurate than implicit waits.

Example:

from selenium.webdriver.support.ui import WebDriverWait

from selenium.webdriver.support import expected_conditions as EC

elem = WebDriverWait(driver, 10).until(EC.element_to_be_clickable((By.ID, “btn”)))

Q14 — When to use implicit vs explicit wait?

Use implicit wait as a small global safety net and explicit wait for specific dynamic actions.

Steps: 

1) Set a short implicit wait (2–5s) on session start.

 2) Use explicit waits where elements load after events or where clickability matters. 

3) Prefer explicit waits for AJAX, popups, and spinners. 

4) Avoid setting a large implicit wait with many explicit waits (it can cause unexpected delays). 

For freshers, think: implicit wait handles small delays generally, explicit wait handles known dynamic behavior. Use explicit waits to wait for conditions like visibility, presence, or text. Testing and observing your app helps decide timings.

Example: Implicit 3s + WebDriverWait(driver, 15) for an AJAX-loaded list.

Q15 — How to click a button?

Find the button, wait if you need to, and then call.click.

Steps:

1) Find a reliable locator (ID, CSS).

2) You can use explicit wait until element_to_be_clickable if you want.

3) Call the element.Click.

4) Check to see if the click changed the state or navigation.

For freshers, If the element is off-screen or overlaps, clicking might not work. If the click doesn’t work, scroll it into view or use execute_script to run JavaScript click(). After you click, always check the result, whether it’s a new URL, a change in text, or the presence of an element. Make sure that each click action is atomic and use waits to make things less flaky.

Example:

btn = WebDriverWait(driver,5).until(EC.element_to_be_clickable((By.ID,”submit”)))

btn.click()

Q16 — How to type text into a field?

Call send_keys after locating the input element and clearing it if necessary.

Steps:

1) Locate using your ID or name.

2) Use element.clear() to remove the previous value.

3) Make use of element.send_keys(“text”).

4) Send Keys.ENTER if you want to submit.

For freshers, Check that the input is visible and turned on before you type. If the field doesn’t show up right away, use an explicit wait for it to show up. Use get_attribute(“value”) to see what you wrote. When automating forms, send a link or message to make sure that all of the fields are filled out correctly. You can use Send_keys with special keys like ENTER, TAB, and CONTROL to make things easier. To feel more sure of yourself, try saying the number out loud.

Example:

from selenium.webdriver.common.keys import Keys

box = driver.find_element(By.NAME, “q”)

box.clear()

box.send_keys(“python” + Keys.ENTER)



Q17 — How to clear a field?

You can use Element.clear() to delete any text that is already in inputs.

Actions to take:

1) Find the input element.

2) Use element.clear().

3) Use send_keys() to optionally send new text.

4) Verify with get_attribute(“value”).

Clearing stops old values from messing up new tests. Clear() might not work with some custom inputs that aren’t standard HTML. You can either send_keys(Keys.CONTROL + “a”) followed by send_keys(Keys.DELETE) or use JavaScript to make the value empty in these situations.Always look at the final value before moving on. 

Example:

field = driver.find_element(By.ID, “name”)

field.clear()

field.send_keys(“New Name”)



Q18 — How to submit a form?

In Selenium with Python, you can submit a form in two common ways:

  1. By using the .submit() method on the form element.

  2. By clicking the submit button directly.

The .submit() method is simple because it automatically submits the form when called. However, this works only if the element is inside a <form> tag.

Q19 — How to handle a checkbox?

On a web page, a checkbox is a tiny square box that allows the user to select or deselect an option. Python methods such as find_element_by_id, find_element_by_name, and find_element_by_xpath can be used to locate a checkbox in Selenium. We locate it and then select or deselect it using the.click() method. For example:

  1. Locate the checkbox element using find_element.

  2. Check if it is already selected using .is_selected().

  3. Click it to change the state (select or deselect).

This is useful because sometimes a checkbox is pre-checked, and we only want to change it if needed.

Q20 — How to handle radio buttons?

A radio button is a round option button on a web page that allows the user to select only one option from a group. In Selenium with Python, we can handle radio buttons by locating them using find_element methods and then applying .click() to select the required option. 

Example:

opt = driver.find_element(By.CSS_SELECTOR, “input[value=’male’]”)

opt.click()

Q21 — How to select from a dropdown ()?

A dropdown (<select>) is a list on a web page that lets users choose one option from many. In Selenium with Python, we handle dropdowns using the Select class from selenium.webdriver.support.ui.

Example:

from selenium.webdriver.support.ui import Select

sel = Select(driver.find_element(By.ID, “country”))

sel.select_by_visible_text(“India”)

Q22 — How to get text and attributes from elements?

We can use.text to retrieve an element’s visible text in Python and Selenium.To obtain the value of any attribute, use get_attribute(“name”).

The content displayed between HTML tags is called text. For instance, <h1>Welcome</h1> → text is “Welcome.”

Like id, class, href, or value, attributes are properties that specify how an element behaves.

Example:

link = driver.find_element(By.TAG_NAME, “a”)

print(link.text, link.get_attribute(“href”))

Q23 — How to get page title and URL?

In Selenium with Python, we can get the page title using driver.title and the current URL using driver.current_url.

  • Page Title is the text shown in the browser tab, defined inside the <title> tag of the HTML.
  • URL (Uniform Resource Locator) is the web address of the page currently loaded.

Example:

driver.get(“https://example.com”)

print(driver.title, driver.current_url)

Q24 — How to navigate back, forward, and refresh?

We can use navigation methods in Python and Selenium:

Back: Uses the driver to navigate to the previous page in the browser’s history.back().

Forward: Uses a driver to advance to the following page in history.forward().

Refresh: Uses a driver to reload the current page.refresh().

Example:

driver.get(“https://example.com/a”)

driver.get(“https://example.com/b”)

driver.back()

driver.refresh()

Q25 — How to take a screenshot?

A screenshot is an image capture of the current browser view, useful for debugging and reporting. In Selenium with Python, you can take a screenshot using:

Example:

driver.save_screenshot(“home.png”)

Q26 — How to scroll the page?

In Selenium with Python, scrolling is achieved using JavaScript execution.

Example:

driver.execute_script(“window.scrollBy(0, 600);”)

This scrolls the page vertically by 500 pixels. You can also scroll to the bottom using window.scrollTo(0, document.body.scrollHeight) or bring a specific element into view with element.location_once_scrolled_into_view. Scrolling is useful when elements are not visible on the current screen.

Q27 — How to scroll to a specific element?

In Selenium with Python, you can scroll to a specific element using JavaScript. This is done with the scrollIntoView() method, which brings the element into the visible portion of the browser. 

Example:

footer = driver.find_element(By.ID, “footer”)

driver.execute_script(“arguments[0].scrollIntoView();”, footer)

This ensures that the element becomes visible and interactable, especially when it is located outside the current viewport. It is commonly used before clicking or extracting data from hidden elements.

Q28 — How to switch to a new tab or window?

In Selenium with Python, you can use window handles to open a new tab or window. Selenium stores each tab or window in the driver.window_handles. You can make the switch by providing the driver with the desired handle.window_to_switch()

Example:

handles = driver.window_handles

driver.switch_to.window(handles[-1])

As a result, the newly opened tab becomes more focused and the parent tab becomes less focused. It is useful for controlling multiple windows, popups, or external links during automation testing.

Q29 — How to handle iframes?

An inline frame, or iframe, is an HTML element that lets you put another webpage inside the one you are currently looking at. When using Python elements in an iframe in Selenium, you need to change the driver’s context. This is done with Driver.switch_to.frame().

Example:

iframe = driver.find_element(By.TAG_NAME, “iframe”)

driver.switch_to.frame(iframe)

driver.switch_to.default_content()

After you’ve finished the tasks inside the iframe.toggle_to.default_content(), you can use Driver to go back to the main page. When elements cannot be accessed directly from the main DOM, it is essential to know how to handle iframes.

Q30 — How to handle alerts (popups)?

Popups are small windows that show messages or ask the user for information. Alerts is another name for them. They are written in Python and JavaScript. You can use the switch_to.alert method in Selenium to handle them. You can reply to alerts by texting back, accepting, or ignoring them.

Example:

alert = driver.switch_to.alert

print(alert.text)

alert.accept()

This ensures that popups can be interacted with by automated scripts without interfering with their operation. Managing alerts is crucial for real-time web testing.




Conclusion

You now have 30 clear, step-by-step answers for common Selenium with Python interview questions. Each answer explains the idea simply and shows a short example you can try. For a fresher, the best path is practice: run small scripts, learn locators, use explicit waits, and write a few Pytest tests organized with Page Object Model. Add logging and screenshots to help debug failures. When you prepare for interviews, focus on explaining what you built, why you chose a pattern, and how you solved a tricky bug. Practice a short project end-to-end: open a site, fill forms, upload a file, and assert results. That project becomes a talking point. If you want, I can convert this into a printable PDF, create a sample project repository with code, or expand specific answers into full tutorials. Which one should I do next?

Contact Form

Contact Form

Quick Enquiry