Cypress vs Selenium vs Playwright comparison - Practice Questions

Challenge - 5 Problems

🧠 Conceptual

intermediate

Key difference in architecture between Cypress and Selenium

Which statement best describes the architectural difference between Cypress and Selenium?

A Cypress and Selenium both run inside the browser but use different scripting languages.

B Selenium runs inside the browser and controls it directly, while Cypress operates outside the browser using WebDriver protocol.

C Both Cypress and Selenium run outside the browser but use different protocols to communicate.

D Cypress runs inside the browser and controls it directly, while Selenium operates outside the browser using WebDriver protocol.

💡 Hint

Think about where the test code executes relative to the browser.

Cypress runs its test code inside the browser, giving it direct access to DOM and network, while Selenium uses WebDriver to communicate externally.

❓ Predict Output

intermediate

Output of a Playwright test snippet

What will be the output of this Playwright test code snippet when run?

Cypress

import { test, expect } from '@playwright/test';

test('check page title', async ({ page }) => {
  await page.goto('https://example.com');
  const title = await page.title();
  console.log(title);
  expect(title).toBe('Example Domain');
});

A Logs 'Example Domain' and test passes

B Logs 'Example Domain' but test fails due to wrong assertion

C Throws an error because page.title() is not a function

D Test times out because page.goto() never resolves

💡 Hint

Check the official example.com title and Playwright API usage.

The code navigates to example.com, retrieves the page title correctly, logs it, and asserts it matches 'Example Domain'.

❓ assertion

advanced

Correct assertion syntax in Cypress for element visibility

Which Cypress assertion correctly verifies that a button with id 'submit-btn' is visible on the page?

Cypress

cy.get('#submit-btn')

A cy.get('#submit-btn').should('be.visible');

B cy.get('#submit-btn').assert('visible');

C cy.get('#submit-btn').expect('visible');

D cy.get('#submit-btn').check('visible');

💡 Hint

Remember the Cypress chaining syntax for assertions.

Cypress uses the should command to assert conditions like visibility.

🔧 Debug

advanced

Identify the cause of flaky test in Selenium

A Selenium test intermittently fails with a 'NoSuchElementException' when trying to click a button. Which is the most likely cause?

A The button's locator is incorrect and never matches any element.

B The browser driver is outdated and incompatible with the browser version.

C The test tries to click the button before it is present or visible on the page.

D The test script has a syntax error causing it to stop early.

💡 Hint

Consider timing issues and element readiness in UI tests.

Flaky failures often happen when tests interact with elements before they are loaded or visible. Waiting or explicit waits help.

❓ framework

expert

Choosing the best framework for cross-browser testing with modern features

You need a testing framework that supports modern JavaScript features, runs tests in multiple browsers including Chromium, Firefox, and WebKit, and provides automatic waiting and network interception. Which framework best fits these requirements?

A Cypress

B Playwright

C Selenium WebDriver

D Jest

💡 Hint

Consider browser support and built-in features for modern web apps.

Playwright supports Chromium, Firefox, and WebKit with automatic waiting and network interception, making it ideal for modern cross-browser testing.

Practice

1. Which testing tool is known for its fast setup and mainly supports Chrome-family browsers?

easy

A. Selenium

B. Cypress

C. Playwright

D. JUnit

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand tool browser support

   Cypress is designed for fast tests mainly in Chrome-family browsers.

2. Step 2: Compare with other tools

   Selenium supports many browsers but requires more setup; Playwright supports multiple browsers with modern features.

3. Final Answer:

   Cypress -> Option B

4. Quick Check:

   Fast Chrome tests = Cypress [OK]

Hint: Fast Chrome-only tests? Think Cypress [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Confusing Selenium as fastest setup
• Thinking Playwright only supports Chrome
• Selecting unrelated tools like JUnit

2. Which of the following is a correct statement about Selenium?

easy

A. Selenium supports multiple programming languages and browsers.

B. Selenium is limited to Chrome browser only.

C. Selenium only supports JavaScript language.

D. Selenium requires no setup before running tests.

Solution

1. Step 1: Recall Selenium features

   Selenium supports many programming languages like Java, Python, JavaScript, and many browsers.

2. Step 2: Eliminate incorrect options

   It is not limited to JavaScript or Chrome, and it requires setup.

3. Final Answer:

   Selenium supports multiple programming languages and browsers. -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Multi-language, multi-browser = Selenium [OK]

Hint: Selenium = many languages + browsers [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Thinking Selenium supports only JavaScript
• Believing Selenium works without setup
• Assuming Selenium is Chrome-only

3. Consider this statement: "Playwright supports running tests on Chromium, Firefox, and WebKit browsers." Which tool does this describe?

medium

A. Playwright

B. Selenium

C. TestCafe

D. Cypress

Solution

1. Step 1: Identify browser support

   Playwright supports Chromium, Firefox, and WebKit browsers natively.

2. Step 2: Match with tool features

   Cypress mainly supports Chromium-based browsers; Selenium supports many but not WebKit directly; TestCafe is different.

3. Final Answer:

   Playwright -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Multi-browser including WebKit = Playwright [OK]

Hint: WebKit support means Playwright [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Assuming Cypress supports WebKit
• Confusing Selenium with Playwright browser support
• Selecting unrelated tools like TestCafe

4. You wrote a test script using Cypress but it fails to run on Firefox browser. What is the most likely reason?

medium

A. Your Firefox browser version is outdated.

B. You need to install Playwright to run Cypress tests on Firefox.

C. Cypress requires Selenium to run on Firefox.

D. Cypress does not support Firefox well yet.

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand Cypress browser support

   Cypress primarily supports Chromium browsers; Firefox support is experimental and limited.

2. Step 2: Evaluate other options

   Cypress does not depend on Selenium or Playwright; outdated browser or installing Playwright is unrelated.

3. Final Answer:

   Cypress does not support Firefox well yet. -> Option D

4. Quick Check:

   Limited Firefox support = Cypress issue [OK]

Hint: Cypress Firefox support is limited [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Thinking Cypress needs Selenium for Firefox
• Blaming browser version without checking support
• Assuming Playwright is needed for Cypress tests

5. You want to write end-to-end tests that run fast, support multiple browsers including Safari, and allow writing tests in JavaScript or Python. Which tool should you choose?

hard

A. Cypress

B. Selenium

C. Playwright

D. Mocha

Solution

1. Step 1: Analyze browser support needs

   Safari support requires WebKit engine support, which Playwright provides.

2. Step 2: Consider language support and speed

   Playwright supports JavaScript and Python and offers fast test execution with modern features.

3. Step 3: Compare with other tools

   Cypress is fast but limited to Chromium browsers and JavaScript; Selenium supports many languages but is slower; Mocha is a test framework, not a browser automation tool.

4. Final Answer:

   Playwright -> Option C

5. Quick Check:

   Multi-browser + multi-language + speed = Playwright [OK]

Hint: Multi-browser and language support? Choose Playwright [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Choosing Cypress for Safari support
• Picking Selenium for speed over Playwright
• Confusing Mocha as a browser automation tool