How to Use This Guide

These are the BDD and Cucumber interview questions that Automation Testers and SDETs encounter most frequently during interviews.

Each answer provides a concise explanation suitable for interview revision. For complete explanations, feature file examples, code samples, and framework implementation details, refer to the linked tutorial.

For the complete learning path, begin with the Complete BDD & Cucumber Guide.

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BDD Fundamentals (Q1–4)

Q1. What is BDD?

BDD (Behavior-Driven Development) is a software development approach that describes application behavior using plain-language scenarios that can be understood by business stakeholders, developers, and testers.

Learn more: BDD Fundamentals

Q2. Why is BDD used in Automation Testing?

BDD creates a common understanding between technical and non-technical stakeholders by allowing business requirements to be written as executable test scenarios.

Learn more: BDD Fundamentals

Q3. What is the difference between BDD and TDD?

  • BDD focuses on business behavior using readable Gherkin scenarios.
  • TDD focuses on writing unit tests before application code.

Learn more: BDD vs TDD

Q4. What is Gherkin? What are its keywords?

Gherkin is the language used to write Cucumber feature files.

Common keywords include:

  • Feature
  • Scenario
  • Scenario Outline
  • Given
  • When
  • Then
  • And
  • But
  • Background
  • Examples

Learn more: BDD Fundamentals

Feature Files (Q5–9)

Q5. What is a Feature File?

A Feature File is a .feature file that contains business requirements written using Gherkin syntax.

It consists of a Feature description and one or more Scenarios.

Learn more: Feature Files

Q6. What is the difference between Scenario and Scenario Outline?

  • Scenario executes only once.
  • Scenario Outline executes once for every row in the Examples table.

Learn more: Feature Files

Q7. What is the Examples keyword?

The Examples table supplies multiple sets of test data to a Scenario Outline.

Each row represents one execution.

Learn more: Feature Files

Q8. What is Background in Cucumber?

Background contains common steps that execute before every scenario in the feature file.

It is commonly used for shared preconditions such as login.

Learn more: Feature Files

Q9. Can step definitions be reused across multiple Feature Files?

Yes.

Cucumber matches Gherkin step text with step definitions, allowing the same step definition to be reused across multiple feature files.

Learn more: Feature Files

Tags & Execution (Q10–11)

Q10. What are Tags used for in Cucumber?

Tags are used to organize and selectively execute scenarios.

Common examples include:

  • @smoke
  • @regression
  • @sanity

Tags can be executed from the Runner class or the command line.

Learn more: Tags & Execution

Q11. Can Tags be applied to Feature, Scenario, and Scenario Outline?

Yes.

Tags can be applied at the Feature level or directly to individual Scenarios and Scenario Outlines.

Learn more: Tags & Execution

Step Definitions (Q12–14)

Q12. What is a Step Definition?

A Step Definition is a Java method annotated with:

  • @Given
  • @When
  • @Then

Cucumber matches each Gherkin step with its corresponding annotated Java method.

Learn more: Step Definitions

Q13. What happens when a Step Definition is missing or duplicated?

  • Missing step definitions are reported as undefined, and Cucumber generates a suggested implementation.
  • Duplicate matching step definitions result in an ambiguous step error.

Learn more: Step Definitions

Q14. What is the difference between Given, When, and Then?

  • Given defines the initial context or precondition.
  • When describes the user action.
  • Then verifies the expected outcome.

And and But continue the previous step type.

Learn more: Step Definitions

Framework (Q15)

Q15. How does Cucumber work with the Page Object Model (POM)?

Step Definitions invoke methods from Page Object classes.

The Selenium automation code remains inside Page Objects, while Feature Files stay readable and business-focused, improving framework maintainability.

Learn more: Hybrid Framework with POM

Next Steps

Continue your BDD and Cucumber interview preparation with:

  • Complete BDD & Cucumber Guide
  • Complete Selenium Guide
  • Automation Framework Guide
  • SDET Interview Guide