The topics on TesterPath, in the order that makes them easiest to learn. Each step lists what to learn, how to tell you are ready to move on, and the guides published so far.
Where to begin
- New to testing: start at Step 1 and go in order.
- Already testing manually: check the Step 1 list for gaps, then start at Step 2.
- Already writing automated tests: go to Step 4.
- Preparing for an interview: go to Step 5.
Step 1
Manual testing
Every other kind of testing builds on this one. You cannot automate a check that you could not design by hand.
What to learn
- How to write a test case that another person can run without asking you anything
- Test design techniques: equivalence partitioning, boundary value analysis and decision tables
- How to write a bug report: steps to reproduce, expected result, actual result and evidence
- The difference between severity and priority
- Smoke, sanity, regression and exploratory testing, and when each is used
- Where testing fits in the software development life cycle (SDLC) and the software testing life cycle (STLC)
Exit criteria
Move to Step 2 when:
- You can take a feature you have never seen, such as a login form, and write test cases for valid, invalid and boundary inputs.
- A developer can reproduce a bug from your report without asking you a question.
Guides for this step
Step 2
API testing
Most applications get their data from a server through an API. Testing the API directly is faster than testing through the screen, and it finds problems the screen hides.
What to learn
- HTTP basics: methods (GET, POST, PUT, PATCH, DELETE), headers and status codes
- How to read and write JSON
- Sending requests in Postman and saving them in collections
- Authentication: API keys, bearer tokens and the basics of OAuth 2.0
- What to check in a response: status code, body, data types and response time
- Negative tests: missing fields, wrong data types and requests without permission
Exit criteria
Move to Step 3 when:
- You can test an endpoint from its documentation alone, with no screen in front of you.
- You can say what a 400, 401, 403, 404 or 500 response tells you about where the problem is.
Guides for this step
Step 3
Automation
Automation runs the checks you would otherwise repeat by hand on every release. It only pays off when the test behind it is well designed, which is why it comes after Steps 1 and 2.
What to learn
- One programming language to a working level: JavaScript or TypeScript, Python, or Java
- Git basics: clone, branch, commit and pull request
- One browser automation tool: Playwright or Selenium
- Locators and waits, two common causes of flaky tests
- How to structure tests: the Page Object Model, test data and fixtures
- Running tests automatically in a CI pipeline such as GitHub Actions
Exit criteria
Move to Step 4 when:
- You can automate one full user flow, such as login to logout, and it gives the same result on every run.
- Your tests start by themselves on every code push.
Guides for this step
Step 4
Performance testing
A feature that works for one user can fail for a thousand. Performance testing measures how a system behaves under load.
What to learn
- Load, stress, spike and soak tests, and the question each one answers
- The main metrics: response time percentiles (p95, p99), throughput and error rate
- Writing a test script in k6 or JMeter
- Virtual users, ramp-up and think time
- Setting pass and fail thresholds before the test runs
- Reading the results to find where the system slows down
Exit criteria
This step is complete when:
- You can run a load test against a test environment and say whether it passed, using thresholds you set in advance.
- You can explain why the 95th percentile tells you more than the average.
Guides for this step
Step 5
QA career and interviews
Use this step whenever you are looking for a job or planning your next move. You do not need to finish Steps 1 to 4 first.
What to prepare
- A resume that says what you tested and what you found, not only which tools you used
- A small public project: a test plan, a set of bug reports or an automation repository
- Answers to the common interview questions for your level, in your own words
- One bug you can describe from start to finish: how you found it, how you reported it and what happened next
- A decision on direction: manual, automation (SDET), performance, or a mix
Guides for this step
Useful at any step
QA tools
These tools appear at every step, so learn each one when you first need it: Jira for tracking work and bugs, Git for version control, and browser DevTools for inspecting network requests and console errors.
Guides for these tools
Is a topic missing from this path? Write to ask@testerpath.com.