QA automation?
Learn about Automated Testing, QA Automation Engineer role in software development, and how to start a career as a QA Automation tester.
In the world of software, Automated Testing is like having a super-fast helper that checks if everything in the software works well. It uses special tools to do this quickly and without mistakes, saving time and making sure users have a good experience. Instead of people doing all the testing by hand, automation lets us set up tests from the beginning of a project and use them whenever we need to.
Automated testing helps software developers test their programs all the time, which means they can release them faster, update them easily, and keep up with what users want. The good things about QA automation testing are that it's very accurate, saves time, and lets us run tests all day, every day. People who do this job are called QA automation testers, and they're responsible for creating and managing these automated tests.
Test Automation offers several advantages, including:
-
Enhanced Coverage: Automated tests cover more code, functionality, and aspects of software, leading to better quality and faster delivery.
-
Rapid Results and Feedback: Automated testing provides quick results, enabling teams to address issues promptly and make improvements faster.
-
Improved ROI on Testing: Automation saves time and resources, allowing testers to focus on more valuable tasks like exploratory testing, which uncovers hidden defects.
-
Business Returns: Detecting defects early saves money in the long run, despite the initial investment required for Automation.
As a QA Automation tester, you'll work with different kinds of tests to check different parts of the program. For example, you might test how buttons and menus look and work (GUI testing), or you might check how different parts of the program talk to each other (API testing). Some common types of automated tests include:
Non-functional tests help increase the functionality, behavior, and performance of the system. Things like response time, speed of the software itself, and load time are measured by non-functional tests. Based on these metrics of quality, you set parameters and then use automation tools to test since these types of test are not possible to perform manually.
Non-functional tests should have a clear definition of how to be measured and never be subjective. These tests designed to test the non-functional aspects of a system include:
- Compliance Testing
- Compatibility Testing
- Usability Testing
- Performance Testing
- Security Testing
Functional testing is based on requirements and business scenarios. These include the initial requirements that are drafted during the planning phase of the software development lifecycle. It’s important for testers to be involved in the software development lifecycle from the start when requirements are being discussed because they understand functionality and how it can go wrong. Functional testing validates these given requirements and essentially tests the functionality, making sure that the system performs as expected in the real world and for real users.
Types of functional tests primarily include:
- Acceptance Testing
- System Testing
Besides these, we can also consider:
- Unit Testing
- Smoke Testing
- Integration Testing
- Interface Testing
- And others..
Prioritize tests that offer the greatest return on investment, focusing on lower-level tests like unit and API testing for optimal efficiency.
Adopt methodologies like Behavior-Driven Development (BDD) and Test-Driven Development (TDD) to seamlessly integrate Automation into workflows.
Select tools that meet your specific needs, optimize workflows, and align with your team's skills.
Integrate Automation tools into continuous integration and deployment pipelines to streamline processes and assess feature readiness.
Embrace Automation to streamline processes, enhance software quality, and deliver superior products to users.
As a QA Automation tester, your job is to create and run tests, write reports about what you find, and work with the rest of the team to fix any problems. You'll spend your days coming up with new ways to test things, managing the tests you already have, and making sure everything runs smoothly.
To begin a career in quality assurance:
- Gain Technical Proficiency: Learn coding languages and testing frameworks commonly used in the industry.
- Learn About Software Development: Understand software development methodologies and lifecycle models.
- Obtain Relevant Certifications: Consider certifications like ISTQB to demonstrate your expertise.
- Gain Practical Experience: Seek internships or entry-level positions in quality assurance or software testing.
- Develop Soft Skills: Cultivate communication, collaboration, and problem-solving skills.
- Stay Updated: Continuously learn about emerging trends and technologies in quality assurance and software testing.
By following these steps and honing your skills, you can start a rewarding career in quality assurance.
You'll need to know coding languages like Python or Java and understand how to make frameworks for testing. It's also helpful to know about networks, operating systems, and computer hardware. Experience with tools for automated testing and knowing how to write scripts is important too.
Besides technical skills, you'll need to be able to work well with others, be flexible with deadlines, and keep trying even when things get tough. Understanding what users want and being able to see things from their perspective is also important. And you should always be eager to learn and get better because the field of QA automation is always changing.
There's no one way to become a QA Automation tester, but having experience in testing and using Automation tools is helpful. Many QA Automation testers start in jobs like QA analysis and move up from there. It's also good to have experience in making software or websites.
To figure out if being a QA Automation tester suits you, ask yourself a few simple questions. Do you really like using Automation tech to test software and websites? This job needs dedication and a genuine interest, so it's essential to see if you're passionate about it. Here are some other questions to think about:
- Can you write scripts confidently?
- Do you enjoy solving problems and asking questions?
- Are you good at managing your time and deciding what's important?
- Can you understand data and explain what you find?
- Do you get what end-users need and can you test accordingly?
If you mostly answered "yes," this job might be right for you. And remember, you'll need to keep learning to keep up with changes in technology.