Software Testing & QA — Zero to SDET in 16 Weeks

Master the art of manual test case design using industry-standard techniques and professional defect management in JIRA.

• Test case design: Boundary Value Analysis, Equivalence Partitioning, Decision Table Testing
• State transition testing, use-case testing, error guessing
• Writing test plans, test scenarios, and detailed test cases with preconditions
• Defect lifecycle: open → assign → fix → retest → close; severity vs priority matrix
• JIRA: bug tracking, sprint boards, Zephyr Scale for test management
• Risk-based testing, exploratory testing, regression and retesting strategies

Learn how to test web applications systematically — from HTML structure understanding to cross-browser, accessibility, and database validation.

• HTML/DOM basics for testers — browser DevTools for element inspection and network monitoring
• UI testing checklist: layout, responsive design, cross-browser, form validation, error messages
• Functional testing: navigation flows, search, filters, pagination, CRUD operations
• Accessibility testing with WCAG 2.1 guidelines, screen reader basics, WAVE tool
• Database testing: SQL SELECT/JOIN queries to verify test data and backend results
• Localisation and internationalisation (i18n/l10n) testing basics

Operate as a QA professional inside Agile/Scrum teams — sprint ceremonies, traceability, test coverage analysis, and meaningful metrics.

• Agile/Scrum for testers: sprint planning, daily stand-ups, retrospectives, definition of done
• Writing testable user stories and acceptance criteria (BDD intro: Given/When/Then)
• Requirements Traceability Matrix (RTM) construction and test coverage analysis
• Test estimation techniques: function point, use-case, experience-based
• Test metrics and reporting: defect density, test execution rate, pass/fail ratios
• Defect prevention strategies; test automation ROI justification for stakeholders

Get the Java programming and Selenium WebDriver foundation needed to write stable, maintainable automation scripts from day one.

• Java for testers: OOP basics, classes, methods, conditionals, loops, collections, exceptions
• Maven project setup, IntelliJ IDE, pom.xml dependencies management
• Selenium WebDriver architecture: browser drivers, ChromeDriver, GeckoDriver, EdgeDriver
• Locator strategies: XPath axes, CSS selectors, ID, Name, LinkText, PartialLinkText
• Handling waits: implicit, explicit (ExpectedConditions), FluentWait for dynamic elements
• Interactions: clicks, typing, dropdowns (Select), checkboxes, radio buttons, file upload
• Handling alerts, pop-ups, multiple windows, browser navigation, cookies

Build enterprise-grade Selenium frameworks with TestNG orchestration and POM design pattern — maintainable, scalable, and portfolio-ready.

• TestNG annotations: @Test, @BeforeMethod, @AfterSuite, @BeforeClass; groups and priorities
• DataProvider and @Parameters for data-driven and parameterised testing
• Page Object Model (POM) + Page Factory for maintainable page abstraction
• Handling complex UI: tables, nested iframes, drag-and-drop, hover, right-click (Actions class)
• JavaScript Executor for scroll, click hidden elements, get page title/URL
• Screenshot capture on failures; Extent Reports with logs, screenshots, and categories
• Cross-browser testing on Chrome, Firefox, and Edge via TestNG XML suite

Master manual API testing using Postman — validate REST, SOAP, and GraphQL APIs comprehensively and run collections from CI pipelines via Newman.

• REST vs SOAP vs GraphQL — fundamentals, differences, testing approach
• HTTP methods (GET, POST, PUT, PATCH, DELETE), status codes, response headers
• Postman: collections, environments, global/local variables, pre-request scripts
• Auth testing: Basic, Bearer token, OAuth 2.0, API Key, Digest
• Test assertions: status code, response body, response time, JSON schema validation
• Newman for CLI execution, Postman HTML reporter for CI integration
• API documentation: Swagger/OpenAPI reading; contract testing concepts

Write production-quality API test automation in Java using Rest Assured — integrated into your existing Maven/TestNG test suite.

• Rest Assured setup, BDD-style DSL: given().when().then() syntax
• RequestSpecification and ResponseSpecification for reusable, DRY test code
• JSONPath and XMLPath for deep response payload extraction and assertions
• Auth automation: JWT token injection, OAuth2 token refresh flow testing
• JSON Schema validation with Everit / json-schema library
• Integrating API tests into TestNG suites and Maven lifecycle
• Pact contract testing: consumer-driven contracts for microservices

Design and execute realistic load, stress, and soak tests — then analyse results to identify bottlenecks before production.

• Load testing concepts: throughput, response time, latency, error rate, percentiles (p90, p99)
• JMeter components: thread groups, HTTP samplers, listeners, timers, assertions, config elements
• Correlation for dynamic data: regular expression extractor, JSON extractor, CSS extractor
• Creating realistic scenarios: ramp-up, steady-state, spike test, soak/endurance test
• Distributed load testing: JMeter remote injection nodes for high concurrency
• JTL report analysis, HTML dashboard, identifying bottlenecks and reporting findings

Test web applications for the most critical security vulnerabilities using OWASP guidelines and automated scanning tools used by professional security testers.

• OWASP Top 10 (2021): injection, XSS, broken auth, insecure design, IDOR, misconfiguration
• OWASP ZAP: passive scanning, active scanning, spider, AJAX spider, alerts analysis
• Proxy-based testing: intercept, replay, and modify HTTP requests (Burp Suite Community basics)
• SQL injection: manual testing techniques, error-based detection, parameterised query validation
• Authentication flaws: session fixation, cookie manipulation, JWT algorithm confusion attacks
• Integrating OWASP ZAP into CI/CD pipelines for automated security scanning

Automate Android and iOS mobile application testing using Appium — the industry-standard mobile automation framework.

• Mobile testing strategy: native, hybrid, and mobile-web applications
• Appium architecture: client/server, UIAutomator2 (Android), XCUITest (iOS)
• Android emulator setup, physical device configuration, Appium Inspector for element discovery
• Mobile locators: Accessibility ID, UISelector, XPath for mobile, Resource ID
• Gesture simulation: tap, swipe, scroll, long-press, pinch-zoom with TouchAction/W3C Actions
• Appium + TestNG integration, parallel testing on multiple devices

Implement Behaviour-Driven Development (BDD) to write living documentation that bridges business expectations and automated test validation.

• BDD concepts: collaboration between BA, developer, and tester using shared language
• Gherkin syntax: Feature, Scenario, Given/When/Then, Background, Scenario Outline, Examples
• Writing feature files and step definitions in Java (Cucumber Java 7+)
• Cucumber + Selenium integration for BDD-driven UI test automation
• Cucumber + Rest Assured for BDD-driven API test automation
• Cucumber HTML/JSON/Allure reports for living documentation; BDD in Agile sprints

Integrate test automation into CI/CD pipelines and distributed test infrastructure — skills that define the modern SDET role.

• Git branch strategies for test code: feature branches, pull requests, code reviews
• Jenkins pipeline as code: Jenkinsfile (scripted & declarative), stages, artifacts, email notifications
• Selenium Grid 4: Hub + Node setup for parallel cross-browser test execution
• Docker basics for testers: containers, Dockerfile, docker-compose for test environments
• Running Selenium Grid inside Docker containers (Selenium Docker images)
• Allure reporting framework for CI dashboard integration; test trend analysis

Execute tests at cloud scale, detect visual regressions automatically, and explore AI-powered testing tools reshaping modern quality engineering.

• BrowserStack & Sauce Labs: cloud cross-browser and mobile device testing at scale
• Visual regression testing with Applitools Eyes or Percy — pixel-perfect UI comparison
• Playwright basics: modern web automation alternative, auto-wait, network interception
• Cypress overview: component testing, E2E testing for modern JavaScript apps
• AI-assisted test generation and self-healing locators (Testim, Katalon, Healenium)
• Shift-left & shift-right testing, continuous testing strategy, Chaos Engineering basics

Master test automation architecture principles and SDET-specific skills that differentiate a senior QA engineer from a basic tester.

• SDET vs QA Engineer: skills gap, responsibilities, salary benchmarks, career trajectory
• Test automation pyramid strategy: unit, integration, and E2E balance for maximum ROI
• Design patterns for automation: Builder, Strategy, Singleton, Factory in test code
• Test debt management: refactoring legacy selenium scripts, removing brittle locators
• Portfolio building: GitHub test projects, README documentation, test metrics dashboard
• SDET interview preparation: Java coding challenges, test design questions, system design for QA

Deliver an end-to-end industry-grade test project covering UI automation, API testing, performance testing, and security — your ultimate portfolio piece.

• Full-stack test project: UI (Selenium/BDD) + API (Rest Assured) + Performance (JMeter) + Security (ZAP)
• Jenkins CI/CD pipeline deploying complete test suite with Allure report dashboard
• Test strategy document: scope, approach, tools, risk, schedule, entry/exit criteria
• Resume building for QA/SDET roles, LinkedIn profile optimisation, cover letter guidance
• Mock technical interviews: Java coding, Selenium framework design, API testing scenarios
• Offer negotiation, SDET career roadmap, certifications to pursue (ISTQB, Selenium Specialist)