Essential Jira Interview Questions for 2026

Jira Interview Questions (Basic)

1. What is Jira?

Jira is an adaptable project management and issue tracking software by Atlassian that enables teams to plan, track, and manage work in an efficient and optimal manner. Jira supports agile methodologies, enabling both technical and non-technical users to work together and collaborate effectively.

2. Explain a Jira Workflow.

A Jira workflow is the structured path an issue follows from creation to closure, consisting of statuses and transitions that reflect the stages of work. The typical lifecycle includes stages like "To Do," "In Progress," "In Review," and "Done." Transitions connect these statuses, guiding progress, while resolutions signify completion. This workflow ensures organized task management and clear visibility through every phase of issue resolution.

3. What are Jira issue types? — Includes Story, Epic, Bug, Task, Sub-task, and custom types.

Jira issue types serve to arrange and classify various types of tasks within projects. The primary issue types in Jira are:

- Story: A requirement or feature viewed from the user's standpoint.
- Epic: A substantial work component that consists of several stories or tasks.
- Bug: An error or issue that requires resolution.
- Task: A general item of work that needs to be completed.
- Sub-task: A smaller task that is part of a bigger assignment.
- Custom Issue Types: Unique categories designed to address specific project requirements.

These classifications enable teams to efficiently manage their workload, monitor progress, and adapt workflows as needed

Tip:  Preparing for Jira Interview Questions is crucial for project management roles.

4 What are Jira Components, and how do they aid in project management?

Jira Components help keep projects organized by splitting related tasks or issues into smaller pieces.

- Organization:
They help organize work based on features, teams, or workstreams, and allow for better management of complicated projects by breaking that work into smaller parts.

- Filtering:
Components allow teams to filter using issues effectively, while easily transferring that ownership and clarity to their area of focus.

- Accountability:
Each component can have an owner who is responsible for any issues with connectivity to that component, which allows accountability and helps build clearer steps of progress.

- Automation:
Jira can also auto-assign tasks based on those components, which might save time and additionally reduce the risk of human error during the assignment of work responsibilities.

- Collaboration:
Components allow people to group issues, which helps the team stay focused on specific tasks needed, while also taking away the communication burden of those tasks. 

Using Jira Components makes projects clearer and makes work easier to manage. Components break projects into smaller parts, helping teams organize tasks better. This way, everyone knows exactly what to focus on. Components also help filter and find issues quickly, saving time and avoiding confusion.

5. Explain what a Jira Dashboard is. 

A Jira dashboard is a highly user-friendly interface that delivers a detailed overview of your project's health and progress.

- Dashboards enable you to provide the information in the form of gadgets, which could be charts, lists, or reports for displaying all relevant metrics and statuses.
- Users can create multiple boards and view different projects or aspects of work concurrently.
- Dashboards help project managers and team members to quickly scan current tasks, view issue resolution times (or lack thereof), and effectively prioritize and team tasks.
- You can add useful gadgets such as a pie chart of issues by status, a sprint health monitor, and filtered results, so that you can filter when you view.
- Jira dashboard is real-time, and your team will always be guaranteed that they are viewing the latest data before making a decision.
- The ability to achieve flexibility and visibility around dashboard information is what we can expect from Jira. It helps in collaboration, increases productivity, and keeps all projects and related work on course.

Tip: Understanding workflows is a key focus in Jira Interview Questions

Check out the video for a more detailed explanation: 

Jira Interview Questions(Intermediate) 

1. How is a custom field created in Jira?

Implementing a custom field in Jira empowers organizations to document unique information that default fields can't cover; sometimes, custom fields are needed. The following is an easy-to-read and concise instruction manual on how to create custom fields with optimal SEO built in:

- Go to Settings: Click the gear icon in the top right corner and select Issues to open up the admin panel.
- Go to Custom Fields: Click the left sidebar and select Custom Fields.
- Create a new custom field: Click the create custom field button on the upper right side of the screen.
- Select the Field Type: Select what type of field you are creating (ex., text box, dropdown, date picker), and how users/designers would provide input, and how the data is displayed.
- Name/Description: Give a short, accurate name and optional description of the field's purpose.
- Context: Select which projects and what issue types this field applies to. This will help keep fields going to the right places and improve performance.
- Screen Association: Select which screens (ex., issue creation, issue editing) the custom field should be on.
- Save: Click Create to complete the process.

Custom fields add to the flexibility of Jira, as they allow organizations to collect data that is custom to their projects for improved tracking and reporting. Custom fields also add to an application's potential efficiency for work done. An example could be if you created a dropdown called "Customer Priority" which allowed you to quickly see handwritten tasks alert on some urgency for you or a coworker.

Want to master Jira Software and impress interviewers with your agile project skills? Here’s everything you need to know in our Jira Interview Questions blog!

2. How are permissions managed in Jira?

- Permission schemes:
Permissions in Jira are based on permission schemes, which are a grouping of permissions that determine what users may do and perform in various projects.

- Association of schemes:
Every project is associated with a permission scheme, which allows a flexible way to govern the access to tools and actions within your environment.

- Users, Groups, and Roles:
A permission may be given to a user, a group of users, or a role, to ensure that users have access to what they need to do according to their relevant role.

- Project roles:
Project roles such as Administrators, Developers, and Users, group permissions for defined purposes of team members within their respective groups, to manage permissions more appropriately.

- Permission types:
Permissions consist of access to view projects, to create or edit issues, comment on any issue, and administer a project.

- Project permissions vs Global permissions:
Global permissions apply to the global user or group, while project permissions only govern the permissions in a particular project.

- Configuring permissions:
Jira's administrator roles can configure a permission scheme and build it around the permissions they allow or disallow, to customize the project users associated with the permission scheme.

- In Summary, Permission schemes offer organizations a way to simplify their security by allowing the organization to create a single permission scheme and apply consistent rules of access across multiple or all of their projects, which helps with control, collaboration, and improved security.

For example, a project manager may have established a policy where only an organization’s developers have permission to edit an issue, but a user would have permission to submit a report (a transaction log vs an actionable event). Once the policy is established, everyone in their respective roles can follow the workflow and not compromise the data and actions available. 

Tip: Many Jira Interview Questions test your knowledge of Agile methodologies.

3. Explain the role of Jira filters (and JQL).

The Functions of Filters and JQL:

- Jira Filters are helpful tools for quickly searching, saving, and sharing particular sets of issues in a project.
- Filters provide more streamlined workflows by allowing the user to focus on the issues that are relevant to them, and help improve workflow speed and clarity.
- With filters, the team can group work in many ways, such as by status, assignee, priority, or custom attributes, to make the team views, as needed.
- Jira Query Language (JQL) is a robust search and querying language that allows you to make sophisticated, scoped queries that will work beyond the functionality forgot search filters.
- When building a question with JQL, you will use fields, operators, and keywords (AND, OR) to make complex queries that will return only those issues that match the criteria.

As an example, JQL such as priority = High AND status = "In Progress" can quickly get to working tasks in high priority.

- It is also important that filters created with JQL can be saved and shared, so the team can collaborate by linking into each other's work items, while staying focused on important work.
- JQL also incorporates functions such as sorting the results or filtering tasks that have been updated recently, which adds to project visibility.
- Whether you are a project manager, developer, or tester, the use of Jira filters and JQL will work together to help you remain organized and improve project outcomes and decisions.

This expert description will help to clarify the role of Jira filters and JQL in an efficient project management approach while employing a clear, professional tone and including search-optimized keywords.

4. How do you modify bulk issues in Jira?

To begin, you can navigate to your Issues tab and filter or search to get to the list of issues you want to bulk update. You can choose the issues you want to change one by one, or you can choose all by selecting the option, then clicking the three dots and selecting Bulk Change. From this function, you can select Edit, Move, Transition, or Delete. 

When in the Edit function, you can edit fields such as assignee, priority, components, due dates, and more for each of the selected issues. When in the Move function, you can designate the project and issue type you want to move the issues to.

While using the Edit function, you can edit fields like the assignee, priority, components, due dates, and more for each of the issues selected.

By using the Move function, you can select the project and issue type you want to change the issues to. You can update field values as necessary.

A bulk change can also be helpful when transitioning, as it can move multiple issues through workflow statuses at once.

Don’t forget to review your change’s summary in the preview step in case you accidentally forgot a change.

After confirming you want to make the changes, all issues selected will be updated with your changes.

You need to have the Bulk Change permission and the appropriate permissions in the project to use the Bulk Change feature. Bulk change operations are only applicable to a maximum of 1000 issues at one time.

Bulk Change provides a robust and efficient way to modify multiple projects as it allows you to modify several tasks all at once with ease, increasing the productivity of teams and the accuracy in project management.

Tip: Jira Interview Questions often cover Jira Query Language (JQL) skills.

5. What does the Move Issue wizard do? 

The Move Issue wizard guides users through the process of changing an issue's project. It also verifies that the issue is compatible with the new project.

The Move Issue wizard walks the user through the sequence of actions to change the project and to provide an issue type appropriate to the new project if it does not currently have that issue type available in the target project.

Users may also have to make a change to the issue's status so that it is in accordance with the target project workflow. This is particularly relevant if there are custom status configurations.

Any required custom fields would be indicated in the Move Issue wizard. Users would need to provide a value of some sort or change a new value for fields that are different in the target project, based on the requirement to maintain the integrity of the data.

The wizard presents a series of menus so that the user can follow easily. Users will get an opportunity to review and make any changes prior to moving the issue, reducing the possibility of errors and omissions during the process.

After validation, the issue shows up in the new project with updated types, statuses, and fields, and users can continue to make more edits.

For example, if a bug tracked in Project A has now moved to Project B, the wizard will prompt you for new field values or status if required.

You know why you should choose Jira for project management? Click to know why! 

As we have now reached the advanced Jira interview questions, be ready to explore in depth.

This blog is your go-to resource for all vital Jira Interview Questions.

Jira Interview Questions(Advanced) 

1. How to disable mail notifications in bulk operations? — Option in Bulk Change wizard to not send notifications

To prevent email notifications when performing bulk changes in Jira, you can use the option in the Bulk Change wizard. When you perform a bulk change operation, in the last steps of the wizard, you will see a checkbox labeled "Send Notification".

Uncheck or unselect this checkbox before finishing the bulk operation. This will prevent Jira from sending email notifications about the changes made to the issues. Therefore, it prevents the team inboxes from being inundated with unwanted updates.

The option is only available to an administrator of Jira or project admins, so this can prevent unauthorized users who may perform a bulk change from disabling notifications. You may want to review this setting when performing any bulk edits to keep the appropriate communication in the project.

For example, when you are transitioning or editing multiple issues, it is a nice feature to check "Send Notification" so that the users and watchers do not get hundreds of emails in regards to the updates or changes.

This is also quite helpful when you are doing a large data clean-up or transition with your project. Just be sure to check your permissions prior to attempting this, and if the option does not show up, please see your Jira administrator.

This function will provide clarity and relevance of communication occurrence, it will cut distractions, and help keep individuals and teams better project managers, whether your team is one person or fifty.

2. What does the issue change history include?

- Jira’s issue change history logs every modification made to an issue for full transparency and traceability.
- It records attachments added or removed, showing important files linked to the issue.
- Field changes capture updates to any issue attribute like status, priority, description, or assignee, displaying old and new values.
- It tracks comment modifications, including additions, edits, or deletions, preserving conversation history.
- The history includes changes to work logs, such as time tracked or edited.
- Any issue links created or deleted, connecting related issues, are noted as well.
- Each record includes who made the change and when, ensuring accountability.
- For example, if a task’s priority is raised or an attachment added, the history logs these details clearly.
- This comprehensive record helps teams review the issue’s lifecycle, troubleshoot problems, and stay informed on updates.

Tip: This article helps decode complex Jira Interview Questions effectively. So be prepared for both technical and managerial Jira Interview Questions. 

3. What are Jira’s time-tracking color indicators?

Jira’s Time-Tracking Color Indicators - 

Jira uses three distinct colors in its time-tracking feature to represent different time metrics on an issue.

- Blue indicates the Original Estimate, which is the initial time set to complete a task.
- Orange shows the Remaining Time, representing the time left to finish the issue.
- Green indicates the Time Spent or logged hours, showing the actual time invested in completing the work.

An example will help clarify how it works in real life. Imagine a situation where an issue shows :

-Blue bar -  9 hours
-Orange bar - 4 hours 
-Green bar - 6 hours 

This indicates that 9 hours were estimated and 6 hours have been used. And 4 hours are still required to finish the task, and it is applicable to all kinds of tasks. 

These colour indicators provide a fast and clear overview of progress and meeting deadlines without delay.

By understanding these indicators, the team can find delays early, which improves project workflow accuracy.

4. How to create a Kanban (or Scrum) board in Jira? 

The following are the steps to create a Kanban board : 

- Log into Jira and click Boards at the top menu, and click Create board. 
- Choose board type: Kanban for continuous workflow or Scrum for work done in sprints.
- Choose to create a board from an existing project or to create a new project.
- Try to give your board an easily identifiable name that describes your team or project.
- Customise columns for the distinct stages of your workflow, like To Do, In Progress, Done.
- Add swimlanes and Work In Progress (WIP) limits if you feel like it will help better manage your tasks.
- Once you have created your board, you will be able to see issues move from column to column visually, with cards representing tasks tracked and the progress of the tasks being tracked. 
- Don't worry if your team needs the board settings changed later; you can always adjust them through Board settings.

5. How to define or delete a component in Jira? 

To create a component in Jira, you must be a project admin. Once you are a project admin, go to your project and in Project Settings.  On the left side of the screen, click on Components to view your project’s components.

When the components screen appears, click Create Component. Type the name you wish to use and optionally add a description. 

If required, you can assign a Component Lead, the individual responsible and accountable for everything relating to this component. The lead includes any kind of tasks or issues and Stories linked to the component and a default assignee. 

When ready, click Save to add your component to your project. 

You can delete a component by returning to the same Components screen as above. 

The Component that you want to delete will be visible in the list of all the project components on the left side of the screen. Next to the component, click on the More actions icon and then click on Delete. After deletion, select whether you want to unlink or 're-assign' issues where the component was linked. 

Once you confirm your component deletion, the component will be removed.

To excel in Jira interview preparation, we’ve compiled the best Jira Interview Questions covering workflows, issues, and reporting.

Jira Interview Questions(Admin Permissions, Security, and Extensions)

1. List some popular add-ons for Jira. 

Well-Known Add-Ons for Jira- 

- Xray Test Management: A powerful millstone for managing tests that integrates into Jira for test planning, execution, and reporting.

- Zephyr Scale: Works to scale test management functionality to help teams automate and manage test cycles.

- Tempo Timesheets: Delivers advanced time tracking and reporting capabilities for better resource management.

- ScriptRunner: Enables custom scripts to perform automation that drives workflows and administrative tasks with Jira.

- draw.io: Delivers powerful diagramming and flowcharting tools directly into a Jira issue.

- Git Integration: Allows Jira to integrate with Git repositories to easily track development.

- eazyBI: Comprehensive tool for business intelligence with advanced reports and visual analytics.

- BigGantt: Simplifies project scheduling with customizable Gantt charts for agile project planning.

Want to know how Jira can help your team work better? Check out our easy guide now! Keep reading our Jira Interview Questions blog to excel in interviews in 2026.  

2. Explain a Permission Scheme and its configuration.

A Permission Scheme in Jira allows you to specify who can do what in a project, and assigns permission to roles, users, or groups.

- To set up, navigate to Jira Administration → Issues → Permission Schemes.

- You may then opt to either create a new scheme or modify an existing one, selecting it from the provided list.

- Allocate any permissions (such as "Create Issues", "Edit Issues", "Manage Sprints", etc.) to user groups or project roles.

- After you have all the permissions as required and saved the permission scheme, you then need to link your scheme to any projects that require those permission rights.

- Controlling roles and groups from a centralized permission scheme makes it easy to manage user access and helps to keep teams in a project with appropriate access rights to perform their work.

For example, a developer could have rights to edit, while a general user may only have rights to comment.

When managing a number of Jira projects, having permission schemes offers an added layer of security and efficiency to your workflows.

3. How to configure Issue Types in Jira?

The following are the steps to configure Issue Types in Jira : 

- Go to the Admin section in Jira and select Issue Types.
- Click Add Issue Type to create new ones, providing a name and description.
- Customize icons for easy identification.
- After defining issue types, navigate to Issue Type Schemes.
- Assign your new and existing issue types to these schemes.
- Finally, associate the schemes with relevant projects, determining available issue types per project.

For example, a software project may include Bug, Story, and Task issue types.

Proper configuration ensures projects use issue types suited to their workflows, improving clarity and management efficiency.

4. Explain Issue Security Levels.

Issue Security Levels in Jira are as follows: 

- Issue Security Levels control who can view or edit specific issues within a project.
- Configured via Issue Security Schemes, these levels restrict access based on users, groups, or project roles.
- To set up, navigate to Admin → Issue Security Schemes, create or edit a scheme, then define security levels.
- Assign users or groups to each level to control issue visibility.
- Once applied, only authorized users can see or modify issues with that security level.

For example, sensitive customer data issues can be restricted to only senior team members.

This feature checks up on confidentiality and improves data security. Also maintains compliance within Jira projects.

5. How is a new workflow created in Jira? 

- Select Workflows in the Admin section.
- Click Add Workflow to create a new workflow.
- Define statuses representing states in the process. For example, "To Do", "In Progress", and "Done".
- Try to add transitions to connect the statuses of the workflow. It helps in showing how issues change from one status to the next.
- Define post functions to allow automatic actions when transitions occur, for example, sending notifications when an issue is transitioned.
- Save and publish the workflow when the design meets your design requirements.

Example: A task can transit from "Review" to "Approved" through a call named "Approve".

This provides a very simple way to completely customize your workflows - based precisely on the team's needs, and the needs of the project - and gives you an excellent way to track issues.

Conclusion: 

To wrap up, preparing for Jira Interview Questions is key if you want to succeed in your next interview. Our Project Management Course can boost your overall skills and confidence.

Taking these courses lets you answer Jira Interview Questions with ease and show your real skills. So, start learning, prepare well, and face your interview confidently.

Best of luck with your Jira Interview Questions!