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The Bright Academy > Blog > Testing expertise > How to become a software tester?

How to become a software tester?

If you’re considering to become a software tester or are seeking to improve your skills, you’re on the right track. Software testers play a pivotal role in ensuring that software applications are free of high-risk defects, meet quality standards, and provide a seamless user experience.

Here’s a step-by-step roadmap to help you navigate your journey into the world of software testing and some interesting software testing trainings.

Step 1: Understand the basics

Begin by gaining a foundational understanding of software development processes and methodologies. Familiarize yourself with terms like SDLC (Software Development Life Cycle), Agile (Scrum, Kanban), and SDLC tools such as JIRA, Confluence, or Azure DevOps.

Courses to help you gain this basic knowledge:

 

Step 2: Learn testing fundamentals

If you want to become a software tester, then dive into the fundamental principles of software testing. Including types of testing (functional, non-functional, regression, etc.) and the ins and outs of test case analysis and design.

Learn how to build a test strategy for your team or project, and effectively communicate critical insights to your team members or lead.

Courses to help you learn these fundamentals:

 

Step 3: Develop technical skills

Familiarize yourself with test case management tools such as Azure DevOps Test Plan, TestRail, Zephyr Scale, Xray, … to design and maintain your test cases in the most efficient way.

If you want to specialize as a test automator, focus on building the necessary technical skills. Test automators typically require proficiency in programming languages and technologies such as Python, Java or JavaScript (node.js), TypeScript, SQL, XML, Gherkin/Cucumber, GIT, REST, Docker, Kubernetes and continuous integration systems like GitLab, Jenkins or Azure DevOps for creating automated test scripts and sets in tools such as as Katalon, Selenium, API-testing (Postman), performance testing (jMeter), etc.

Gain familiarity with as many of these technologies as possible. They are valuable for all software testers. You need to understand automated testing processes and collaborate with other test automators and developers on your team.

 

Courses on test case design

 

Overview of technical courses

 

Step 4: Gain domain knowledge

Depending on the industry software testers work in (e.g., healthcare, finance, gaming, …), acquire domain-specific knowledge or technologies to better understand the context of your testing projects.

To give one example; in the embedded testing world, you need additional skills in electronics, such as reading electronic schematics, understanding MQTT, queues, scripting in CLI (using bash scripting), SSH, BUS protocols, utilizing oscilloscopes, and programming microcontrollers (using embedded C or micro Python), …

 

Step 5: Practical experience

Practical experience is the cornerstone of becoming a proficient software tester. It’s through real-world application that you not only reinforce your theoretical and technical knowledge but also encounter the diverse challenges during testing projects.

 

Step 6: Pursue certifications

Consider earning certifications like ISTQB (International Software Testing Qualifications Board) to validate your expertise.

Some examples of Certification courses:

 

Step 7: Specialize yourself

Specialist testers, particularly those who focus on automation, performance, security, ERP, AI, embedded and other specialized testing domains, are in high demand today.

E.g. the role of a security tester has never been more vital than today. If you possess a passion for ensuring data integrity and thrive in an environment where every vulnerability is a challenge to conquer, then specializing in security testing is a choice that promises both personal fulfillment and professional reward.

Courses to gain basic security testing knowledge:

 

Step 8: Keep learning

Stay updated with industry trends, emerging technologies, and best practices by regularly attending conferences, webinars, and reading relevant blogs and books.

Some interesting suggestions:

Why you should invest in training