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UiPath Interview Questions
UiPath is one of the most popular "Robotic Process Automation(RPA)" tools, which provides end-to-end automation solutions. It helps organizations to automate their repetitive and recurring processes in an efficient way. The tool has advanced robotic power capabilities that help organization automate their redundant business processes efficiently. It is an open platform RPA tool consisting of several built-in, customizable integrations with a combination of technologies such as BPM, ERP, and AI.
 
UiPath tool is currently the main product of UiPath, a leading RPA provider in the automation industry.
Robotic Process Automation (RPA) is a technology that allows work to be automated in the same way that a human would. Robotic process automation does not imply that robots would completely replace humans; rather, it refers to computer software that mimics human behaviors.
 
To put it another way, RPA is a software programme that imitates human activities while interacting with a computer application and automating repetitive and rule-based procedures. Back office activities, data entry, data validation, and other labor-intensive jobs can all be automated with RPA. The method enables businesses to automate their digital processes across multiple applications and systems without having to change their existing IT architecture. RPA can be broken down in the following way :
 
Robotic : A set of codes that mimics human movements and acts like a robot.P
Process : It is the collection of steps that results in a meaningful activity.
Automation : It is a procedure that is carried out by software robots without the involvement of humans.
UiPath is an enterprise computing solution that is uniquely designed to automate the business process. There are a wide variety of unique features and functionalities that are provided according to industry standards. The following are some options that make UiPath better compared to other RPA tools:
 
* Process Modelling
* Deployment Management
* Change Management
* Remote Execution
* Access Control
* Scheduling
* Enterprise-Level Security
UiPath studio : UiPath studio is an easy-to-use interface that uses diagrams and drag-and-drop features to allow users to graphically plan and construct various automation processes. These diagrams are simply a visual representation of the tasks you must perform.

UiPath robot : The strategies are translated into tasks by UiPath Robots, which are subsequently executed. These robots are used to assign jobs and do them in the same way that humans do but with no human intervention. They design UiPath robots to conduct tasks automatically when a specific operation occurs on the computer.

UiPath Orchestrator : The Orchestrator is an UiPath-based online application. It comes with tools for deploying, monitoring, scheduling, and controlling automated bots and processes. It's a single location where all software bots may be managed and maintained.
Sequences : A sequence is a small type of project that is best suited for linear processes. It enables developers to transition from one activity to another easily. You can reuse them numerous times.

Flowchart : You can use them for large or small projects that help develop complex businesses and connect activities in various ways. Flowcharts assist in the presentation of multiple branches of logical operators.

State Machine : A state machine is a machine that uses a certain number of states for automation during execution. It will only change states if you perform an action on it.
Some of the main features of UiPath are :
 
Accurate : UiPath works with accuracy even though there are several tasks to execute. Thus, it helps to automate tasks by eliminating errors.
 
Code-Free : UiPath can be used for automating repetitive processes without the requirements of any programming or coding knowledge. Any automation workflow can be easily created using drag-drops or recording tools.
 
Consistent : UiPath robots are consistent, and they can work with the same consistency even when there are hundreds or thousands of tasks to be performed.
 
Productivity : Robots work faster as compared to humans. This reduces the overall time and increases productivity.
 
Efficiency : UiPath robots are developed to work continuously without a break, with the same efficiency.
 
Cost-Cutting : Because UiPath uses software robots to perform automated tasks, it enables organizations to reduce manual workforce and overall cost to perform any task.
Various phases of the RPA life cycle are :

RPA Life Cycle

*
The first phase of an RPA life cycle is Identification and analysis. In which the RPA developers identify which business process will be automated. Once the process has been identified, it will be analyzed by RPA architects to decide the solution for their process, its complexity, and how to proceed with the project further.

* In the development phase, the developers concentrate on the project requirements and develop the bot according to the type of automation. 

* After the development of the RPA bot, it will be tested and sent for deployment in the Testing Phase.  

* After testing, it will be sent for deployment. After that, it goes through maintenance and updating.
The UiPath architecture is represented in the following image :

UIPath Architecture

UiPath Architecture has two sides and three layers. Which are the Client Side, Server Side and Client layer/presentation layer, Service layer, and persistence layer.
 
Client-Side and Server Side : The Client-side has UiPath Studio, UiPath Robot, Browser, and UiPath Agent which are the most common client-side applications. The server-side handles the backend functions of UiPath Architecture.
 
Client Layer/ Presentation Layer : The client layer is made up of UiPath components that may be accessed by users.
 
Server Layer : The server layer shows all server information. The UiPath Orchestrator is the most important component of the server layer.
 
Persistence Layer : Database servers make up the majority of persistence layers. This layer stores all of the robot’s configuration information.
The popular tools of RPA are :
 
* UiPath 
* Automation Anywhere 
* Blue Prism.
* Laserfiche.
* Pega Platform.
* Appian.
* WinAutomation by Softomotive.
* Automate Robotic Process Automation.
UiPath is one of the leading RPA tools explicitly developed for the automation process. It contains various tools and features to help automate business processes for organizations. UiPath automation is generally the term used to define that the processes are automated using the UiPath tool. The primary goal of UiPath automation is to assist humans in performing their daily tasks with ease.
Process Automation is used to automate processes that do not require human intervention. Besides, Test Automation is used for testing purposes during the automation process to check whether implemented cases are passed or failed.
Selenium is one of the popular testing tools that is mainly used to test websites and applications. It is not possible to integrate Selenium with other applications. Also, one cannot use Selenium to work with virtual environments like Citrix or others. On the other hand, UiPath is a leading RPA tool that is used to automate jobs performed by humans. UiPath allows developers to automate complex tasks with minimum coding knowledge.
The main differences between screen scraping and data scraping are tabulated below :
 
Screen Scraping Data Scraping
Screen scraping is used to extract non-structural data. Data scraping is generally used to extract structural data.
It keeps scraped information in a string. It keeps scraped information in a data table.
It can extract or collect data from images and PDFs. It cannot extract data from PDF files or images.
It cannot easily extract data into databases or excel. It can efficiently extract data into databases or excel.
In UiPath, Citrix Automation used for operating and working on the virtual machines. The Citrix robotization in UiPath is the way to implement automation in the Citrix machines.
UiPath and Blue Prism are the popular RPA tools, but both have their features and user-interface. We can differentiate these tools in terms of the followings :
 
In term of UiPath Blue Prism
Programming Language It uses Visual Basic for coding. It uses C# for coding.
Control Room It has a web-based control room that can be easily accessed using browsers. It has client-based servers and a control room that can only be accessed using particular applications.
Uses It is affordable and made for complex automation. It is easier to learn for individuals. One can operate it and use it easily.
The advantages of RPA : 
* RPA is simple to grasp. As it requires no coding skills, anyone can learn RPA easily.
* RPA offers high efficiency in terms of cost as compared to humans. Because human labor will be reduced by using RPA.
* RPA can meet the standards of the needs without errors. Hence it enhances quality control.
* By using RPA, we can reduce human errors which lead to the productivity improvements
* Another advantage of RPA is unlike humans, RPA bots can work in any circumstances. 

The disadvantages of RPA:
* Using RPA in companies can cause job losses for employees.
* RPA automation is expensive. So it needs high-cost Initial Investment
* Working with RPA needs high experts. But recruiting skilled professionals can be difficult.
* RPA cannot be suitable for all the processes. Only repetition work or work that does not involve human intervention can be done by RPA.
 
UiPath  Automation Anywhere
It is used to model an organization’s business processes in a visual way. Automation Anywhere is a more script-based tool
It is a cloud-based architecture It is a client-server based architecture
Effective and entry-level pricing High-cost deployment
Both browser and mobile access are available in UiPath It offers access to applications only
Only for small projects scalability is needed. For both small and medium projects, Highly scalability is needed.
A variable is a type of data storage. You can also change the variable’s value. When data is saved in a variable, the value can be of many different types. There are numerous data kinds in UiPath, including text numbers, generic values, time, date, and data tables.
The arguments in UiPath are mainly used when there is a requirement to pass data from one workflow to another. They are responsible for moving data between projects. These arguments follow a specific direction. For example- In, Out, In/Out.
In UiPath, session variables are defined as particular to the one instance of any process. If multiple instances of the corresponding process continue simultaneously, they all will have the same session variables. However, the values for those session variables will be different.
In UiPath, the generic variable is the kind of variable that can hold any variety of data types.

For example : arrays, int, strings, and date formats, etc,.
The use of wildcards helps in the replacement of strings. It is useful when you deal with attributes that change dynamically in the selector, and the selector aids in the automatic generation of the selection by utilizing wildcards.
The Robotic Enterprise Framework is a State Machine-based project template. It's designed to incorporate all the industry's best practices for logging, exception management, application initialization, and other areas, allowing it to handle even the most complex business situations.
Data scraping is the process of extracting structured data from a browser, application, or document and saving it to a database,.csv file, or even an excel spreadsheet.

Screen scraping methods are activities that allow data to be extracted from a specific UI element or document, such as a.pdf file.
Excel automation : UiPath is a helpful tool for sorting, deleting, retrieving, and analyzing data. It is simple to migrate and integrate data into platforms. StudioX has strong integration with Microsoft Excel and ships with several activities that automate excel tasks.
 
File automation : It refers to the automation of tasks performed on your computer with files and folders, such as creating, renaming files, copying files and folders. StudioX includes several activities that automate tasks that you perform with files and folders.
 
CSV Automation : CSV automation is used to add data or retrieve data from CSV files. Add the CSV activities inside the Use Excel File activity, where it defines the Excel file to move data between CSV and Excel.
 
Mail Automation : Enables task automation with emails from the Outlook desktop application, Gmail, and Outlook 365. Mail automation enables users to add the activities that use data from the account inside the resource activity by using Outlook 365, Gmail, or the “Use Desktop Outlook App” activity.
 
Word Automation :
  * Word automation allows automating the most common tasks in Word documents.
  * Add the Word document to a Use Word File activity, and then add the Word activities to automate within Use Word File.
 
PowerPoint Automation : Allows the user to automate the most common tasks in PowerPoint presentations. Add the presentation with a ‘Use PowerPoint Presentation’ activity, and then inside Use PowerPoint Presentation, add the Presentation activities to automate.
Read range : Reads the value of an excel range and stores it in a Data table variable
Read cell : Reads the value of an excel cell and stores it in variable
Read CSV : Reads all entries from a specified CSV file
Write Range : Writes data from a data table variable to a Spreadsheet
Write cell : Writes a value or formula into a specified spreadsheet cell
Write CSV :  Overwrites a selected Data Table to a CSV file
Excel application scope opens an Excel workbook and sets the scope for Excel activities. When you complete this activity, the specified workbook and the Excel application are closed.
UiPath has a variety of activities that help us to automate desktop and web-based applications. Properties define such activities that are used for automating applications in the activity panel under UI automation. The basic properties of any project include ContinueOnError, Delay Before, Delay After, TimeoutMS, Target, and WaitForReady:
 
ContinueOnError : It is used when we want our automation continuously working even when the activity shows any error. Here, the 'False' is the default value. When an activity inside the 'try catch' is set to 'True', no error will be shown for the particular project.
 
Delay Before : It is used to pause the automation before any specific activity.
 
Delay After : It is used to pause the automation after any specific activity.
 
TimeoutMS : It is used to find the element before an error is displayed.
 
Target : It is used to identify the element before an activity begins.
 
WaitForReady : It is used to wait for the automation until the target is ready and before an activity is performed.
In the context of UiPath, flow decisions and flow switches are the same. The one significant difference between them is that the flow switch has an extra option called 'flow step'. Each branch of the flow switch is defined as a flow step and is not just restricted by true or false branch.
In UiPath, branching is referred to as a “condition.” This statement will assist the software in determining what to do when a condition is selected. When an activity has more than one solution following a given condition, this condition is used. This condition statement will assist the software in determining what behavior should be displayed.
You can use the Delay activity to pause the automation for a specific amount of time (in the hh:mm:ss format). This activity comes in handy when working on projects that require precise timing, such as waiting for a certain application to start or for data to be processed before using it in another activity.
During the execution of a program in UiPath, the Element exist is used to determine whether the UI element is there or not. It only supports boolean.
Whereas If a condition is met, the Do-While action allows you to perform a specific component of your project. The automation exits the loop when the given condition is no longer met. The key difference between this and the Do While activity is that the condition is evaluated before the loop’s body is executed in the first one.
In UiPath, the assign activity is mostly used to assign values to variables. When we wish to alter the value of a variable, we usually use this action. This activity also comes in handy when we need to add a loop to our project. For instance, in the loop, incrementing the value of a variable. By default, the activity is included in the Favorites group. Using the 'Right-click' and then 'Remove' options, we can easily remove it.
 
We have two alternatives when it comes to assigning activities :
 
*  We can store values in the existing variable after adding the value.
*  We can store values in any other array after adding the value.
The Switch activity allows you to choose one option from a list of several based on the value of an expression. The integer argument is used by default in the Switch activity, but you may alter it in the Properties panel’s TypeArgument list. The Switch activity can be used to sort data into groups based on a specified number of cases.
A PDF is a file format used to capture and send electronic documents in their original format. And creating or reading such files and fetching the information from the PDFs is known as PDF automation.
The capacity to send relevant information to subscribers in response to time or action-triggered emails is known as Email Automation.
In UiPath you can find several OCR engines. Which are Google cloud OCR, Google OCR, Microsoft Cloud OCR, Microsoft OCR, and Abbyy Cloud OCR.
Every project has its unique challenges however, there are some common issues one might face with RPA projects. They are :
 
* Forgetting to follow best practices
* Not having sufficient resources
* Not having sufficient support from the platform provider
* Not having a proper team structure
* Lacking a properly designed business plan
A Thick Client is an application that provides us with plenty of attribute features by using an RPA tool such as Internet Explorer. On the other hand, a Thin Client is an application which doesn’t let you use quality functionalities through RPA tools such as Wyse Terminals.
No, Robotic Process Automation(RPA) is not the same as Artificial Intelligence(AI). While Robotic Process Automation is meant to assist workers by automating repetitive tasks (attended automation), Artificial Intelligence is considered a technology that can replace human labor and automate end-to-end operations (unattended automation). AI uses unstructured inputs and develops its own reasoning, whereas RPA uses organized inputs and logic. A fully autonomous process can be created by combining RPA and artificial intelligence.
RPA the same as AI

Many processes require both RPA and AI to fully automate a process from beginning to end or to improve a robotic process once it has been deployed because companies have both structured data (e.g., form fields) and unstructured data (e.g., free text, natural voice). RPA and AI work together to push automation into new domains, enabling users to automate more and more complicated activities.
Bots that run unattended in virtual environments and can automate a variety of operations are known as unattended bots. This Robot is responsible for remote execution, monitoring, scheduling, and providing assistance for work queues, in addition to the features of the Attended Robot.
 
Attended RPA Bots Unattended RPA Bots
Attended RPA bots act as virtual assistants, assisting a single employee with their responsibilities in order to increase productivity. Legacy Attended Automation is limited to the desktop of a single employee. Unattended RPA bots conduct self-contained automation. End-to-end automation, in which bots may perform full operations independently, is the goal for many corporate processes.
Collaborates with employees and teams to assist with front-office activities. Back-office processes are automated at a large scale.
Attended RPA bots are ready and waiting for employees to activate them anytime they are needed to speed up the process. Unattended RPA bots follow a set of instructions or are triggered by logic in the process flow.
Employees activate a bot and interact with it as it provides assistance. Managers can coordinate tasks across internal resources and coordinate tasks between people and machines. Unattended RPA bots complete tasks on their own, following a set of rules.
It increases efficiency and reduces average call handling time, which improves customer satisfaction and compliance. Operating costs are reduced. It boosts productivity. Errors are eliminated. Employees are relieved of monotonous tasks, which improves compliance.
The difference between a chatbot and an RPA engine is similar to a difference between a mouse and a mammoth. By the names,
 
ChatBot : A bot programmed to chat with a user (human) like a human. Possibly recommend a pre-learned resolution to a particular problem that the user faces or to make a request and instruct backend systems to provide a request.
 
RPA (Robotic Process Automation) : A bot programmed to automate a manual business process of executing a task or an activity within a business function. A business function can be like HR/Finance/Procurement etc. A chatbot can be a medium to feed an input into an RPA engine but cannot replicate the features of an RPA engine.
* Traditional IT Automation is long drawn and requires considerable manpower, time, effort and substantial cost.
* RPA is a quick fix to instantly generate improvements.
* Both traditional automation and RPA need solid strategy and planning but the implementation of RPA is quick.
* While both are aimed towards the common goal of Automation, RPA is faster, better and cheaper than traditional automation. Therefore Traditional Automation is a strategic move and RPA is a tactical move.
* In short, if you have the luxury of having time and budget, look for traditional automation. If you have business pressures right now on time and money, go for RPA.
Well, the fact is RPA is well-known for its flexibility and it is capable to meet the robust IT standards without compromising the security. It is possible to use the robotic software for front and back office. Most of the requirements are the same for both and thus users need not worry. The same configuration can easily be deployed and the results that can be derived are always superior in every aspect.
No, managerial Robotic Automation is a generation from old technologies like screen scratching or macros. The major differences are: Robots are universal application orchestrators – any application that can be used by a man can be used by a present-day robot, whether mainframe, bespoke application, legacy, web service enabled or even a close 3rd party API hosted service. Robots assemble procedural knowledge which after some time joins with a shared library that can be re-used by some other robot or device.
 
Applications are “read” by the robot, either through submitted APIs where they exist, through the OS before application appears, or through the screen with respect to the native application. In this last case the modern robot “reads” an application screen in context and in the same way a user does. As part of the robot training, it is shown how to read the application’s display much like a user is shown.
Mainframe applications :
* It’s a single screen and keyboard-based application.
* There are separate set in-built commands supported by Blue Prism especially for mainframe applications

Non-mainframe applications :
* It includes multiple screens
* Control moves from one screen to another screen.
PGP is used to DECRYPT and ENCRYPT the file by assigning the PASSPHRASE.
The default host admin which is created while installing UiPath Orchestrator is the System Administrator. The host admin or most commonly known as the system administrator has the right to create new tenants, audit password change, create, update, delete actions on settings, and change application settings. The profile page enables the host admins to change their information and password along with viewing the last login attempts. Not only this, but the admin can enable or disable a tenant at any point.
A State Machine is a type of automation that uses a finite number of states in its execution. It can go into a state when it is triggered by an activity, and it exits that state when another activity is triggered. They also enable us to add conditions based on which to jump from one state to another. These are represented by arrows or branches between states.
 
There are no hard and fast rules, but the following are some desirable attributes that your identified process should possess :
 
* High transaction volumes
* Manual data entry and/or extraction
* Rule-based
* Multiple handling of the same data
* Disparate systems (especially legacy ones)
* Stable processes

Regarding the Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) savings, the concept is rather simple. You need to determine how long it takes for an employee to complete the transaction currently, and estimate the time it will take a bot to complete the same transaction. The time savings per transaction completed multiplied by the number of transactions will give you the figure you need.
 
Note the above is meant to be a quick back-of-the-envelope calculation of the FTE savings. Also, the challenge when calculating the FTE savings (prior to implementing RPA) lies in justifying and validating the assumptions you have made.
Two types of robots that can be configured in Orchestrator are :
 
Standard robot : It is a machine which is dedicated on a single standard machine.
Floating robot : It can use multiple machines like it can work on any standard or template.
In UiPath, debugging is the process of analyzing the entire project and then finding and removing errors. It highlights the activities and functionalities of the project and enables us to check all the project details. It displays information in the output panel and makes it easier for us to remove errors. While debugging a project, UiPath displays breakpoints throughout the project that can be used to pause the execution at any specific point. The debugging makes the process of identifying and removing errors easier.
The flowchart activities enable us to manage basic settings for any task in UiPath. We can use these activities for almost every type of automation project despite their length and complexity. Besides, flowcharts are used for segregating and building logical operations during the automation of complex business projects. Flowchart activities can be used to integrate necessary actions or functions in flowcharts during the automation process.
UiPath provides an option to stop any specific loop at any chosen point using the 'break' activity. We can use that time to proceed with any other single activity or multiple activities as per the project's need.
The 'do while' activity is a condition used to execute any particular part of the automation project when the condition is true. If the specified condition doesn't meet, means the condition is false, the project exits the loop. It can be used to step through array elements in the automation project in UiPath. The activity is also useful to execute any specific activity multiple times. We can easily increment counters if we want to browse through array indices or when we want to step through a list of items.
For Each activity in UiPath is used to step through arrays, lists, data tables, or other types of collections. It enables us to iterate through the data and then individually process each piece of the information.
Yes, UiPath allows us to record the actions and activities performed on the system automatically. The automatic recording feature provides a variety of options that we can use to customize the project easily. It generates a skeleton of the entire performed process. Because we can easily parameterize and customize the process, it saves a lot of time instead of manually automating the entire project.
* Text Variables.
* True or False Variables.
* Number Variables.
* Array Variables.
* Date and Time Variables.
* Data Table Variables.
The following are the steps you need to perform to activate the UiPath Studio license.
 
* To activate your license, you need to click the Activate License button first. The registration window for UiPath appears.
* Fill enter your email address in the Email Address field.
* Enter the license key you received in the License Key area.
* Select the option for automatic activation.
* Then press the Activate button.
The Citrix Recorder is the most suitable recorder in UiPath Studio for Virtual Environment Automation.
Yes, it can run the same process in two robots at the same time if each system is registered as a separate robot. On a machine running the Windows Server operating system :
 
* All Robots can perform the same process at the same time; 
* All Robots can perform the different processes at the same time; 

They are often referred to as high-density robots.
The practice of dealing with or addressing problems observed in various UiPath tasks is known as exception handling.
 
The following are the main options for managing exceptions :
 
Rethrow : When we wish to conduct actions before an exception is thrown, we use rethrow.

Terminate Workflow :
It is used when a job finds an issue and we want to stop the entire workflow from running.

Throw :
When we wish to throw an error before performing any action, we use this method.

Try Catch :
It is mostly used to deal with exceptions. The try block contains a list of activities that may fail during execution. Furthermore, the tasks to be performed once an exception occurs are contained within the catch block.
Tools required to read and send mail are :
 
* Microsoft Outlook
* IBM Notes
* Gmail
* Microsoft Exchange
There are two methods to filter the mail :
 
* Users can filter email through if condition in for each loop.
* Users can also filter email by providing filter conditions in the “Get outlook” filter option.
The meaning of debugging is identifying and decreasing errors from a process. In UiPath, debugging is combined with logging, which offers information about the process by conducting a step-by-step analysis to ensure that it is error-free. With the help of logging, you get to know what all is happening in your business operations, thus helping you debug the problems in the overall project.
Core activities : For the automation process
Cognitive activities: For language translations
Credential activities: For enabling the addition and deletion of credentials
Database activities: For executing queries, transactions, etc.
Excel activities: For automating MS Excel tasks
FTP activities: For performing functions in the FTP server
Intelligent OCR activities: For digitization and scraping
Mail activities: For working with IMAP, POP3, SMTP, Outlook, etc.
PDF activities: For data extraction from PDF
Python activities: For invoking Python scripts and methods
Terminal activities: For retrieving data from the terminal
Web activities: For performing SOAP and HTTP requests to any web APIs
Word activities: For automating activities in MS Word