beforeEach and afterEach hooks in Cypress - Cheat Sheet & Quick Revision

Recall & Review

beginner

What is the purpose of the beforeEach hook in Cypress?

The beforeEach hook runs a block of code before each test in a test suite. It helps set up a consistent starting state for tests, like visiting a page or logging in.

beginner

When is the afterEach hook executed in Cypress?

The afterEach hook runs a block of code after each test in a test suite. It is used to clean up or reset things after a test finishes, like clearing cookies or resetting data.

beginner

How do beforeEach and afterEach hooks help in writing tests?

They help avoid repeating setup and cleanup code in every test. This makes tests shorter, easier to read, and less error-prone.

beginner

Show a simple example of using beforeEach and afterEach in Cypress.

describe('My Test Suite', () => {
  beforeEach(() => {
    cy.visit('/login')
  })

  afterEach(() => {
    cy.clearCookies()
  })

  it('logs in successfully', () => {
    cy.get('#username').type('user')
    cy.get('#password').type('pass')
    cy.get('button[type=submit]').click()
    cy.url().should('include', '/dashboard')
  })
})

intermediate

Can beforeEach and afterEach hooks be nested inside describe blocks?

Yes. Hooks inside a describe block only run for tests inside that block. This helps organize setup and cleanup for different groups of tests.

What does the beforeEach hook do in Cypress?

A Runs code before each test

B Runs code after all tests

C Runs code only once before all tests

D Runs code after each test

beforeEach runs before every test to set up the test environment.

When is the afterEach hook executed?

A Before each test

B Before all tests

C After each test

D Only once after all tests

afterEach runs after every test to clean up.

Which hook would you use to visit a page before every test?

A afterEach

B beforeAll

C afterAll

D beforeEach

beforeEach is used to run code before each test, like visiting a page.

Can beforeEach hooks be scoped inside describe blocks?

A Yes, they run only for tests inside that block

B No, they must be global

C Yes, but they run for all tests anyway

D No, only <code>afterEach</code> can be scoped

Hooks inside describe run only for tests in that block, helping organize tests.

What is a benefit of using beforeEach and afterEach?

A They make tests slower

B They reduce code repetition and improve test clarity

C They run tests in parallel

D They replace the need for assertions

Using hooks avoids repeating setup/cleanup code, making tests clearer and easier to maintain.

Explain how beforeEach and afterEach hooks improve test writing in Cypress.

Think about what happens before and after every test.

Describe a scenario where you would use beforeEach and afterEach hooks in a test suite.

Consider common setup and cleanup tasks in web testing.