Ctrl K
Backend · Mid-level · Theory

How do you test backend code that works with a database: do you mock the repositories or spin up a real database?

~4 min by voice

How to approach it

The interviewer wants to see whether you understand that repository mocks don't test the real interaction with the DBMS, and whether you can build a pragmatic strategy: unit tests for pure logic, integration tests with a real database for the data layer, while keeping speed and isolation.

Have you seen this question in a real interview?
Answers0
Avg. score—
Strong—
Practiced0
Topics
Similar questionsHow do you set up testing for a service that works with a database, a message broker and a couple of external APIs? What do you test at which level? SeniorWhat tests would you write for a backend service, and how is a unit test different from an integration test? JuniorYou've joined a project as tech lead: three hundred thousand lines of Python, the tests take forty minutes, and half the team doesn't run them locally. How would you rebuild the testing strategy? SeniorWhat kinds of tests are used in frontend development, and how do they differ from each other? JuniorDesign a testing strategy for a large frontend application that has almost no tests, where releases regularly break key user flows. Senior

Answer by voice

The interviewer will ask this question and listen. Think out loud and ask for a hint if you need one. When you're done, pause or tap “That's my answer”. In about a minute, your score and the points you covered show up here.

Sign in to answer

Best with headphones · ~4 min