A model-based adaptive non-null interferometry (MANI) is proposed for steep optical freeform surfaces in situ testing. The deformable mirror (DM) affording the flexible compensation is monitored with the beam in the interferometer by a wavefront sensor. The residual wavefront aberration in the non-null interferogram is eliminated by the multi-configuration ray tracing algorithm based on the system model, especially the DM surface model. The final figure error can be extracted together with the surface misalignment aberration correction. Experiments proving the feasibility of the MANI are shown.