Learning path

How to Become a QA Engineer

A beginner path from what QA is to testing web apps and APIs, reading data with SQL, a first automated test and a final project on a training shop.

Times are estimates; take as long as you need.

1. Module 1

   Understanding QA

   What a QA engineer is responsible for, how QA differs from testing, and where quality work fits in a software team's workflow.

   1. What a QA engineer doesResponsibilities of the role, and the difference between assuring quality and testing a product.~8 min read · ~5 min practice
   2. QA in the development workflowWhere testing happens from requirements to release, and how acceptance criteria make features testable.~9 min read · ~10 min practice
2. Module 2

   Testing fundamentals

   Test levels and types, exploratory testing, and how to decide what to test first when time is limited.

   1. Test levels and test typesUnit to acceptance, functional to non-functional, and what regression and smoke tests are for.~9 min read · ~5 min practice
   2. Exploratory testing and risk-based prioritiesStructured exploration with charters, and ranking what to test by likelihood and impact.~10 min read · ~20 min practice
3. Module 3

   Test design

   Scenarios, test cases and checklists, and three techniques for choosing test data: equivalence partitions, boundary values and decision tables.

   1. Scenarios, test cases and checklistsThree levels of detail for writing tests down, and how to choose between them.~8 min read · ~15 min practice
   2. Equivalence partitions and boundary valuesChoose a small set of inputs that still covers each rule and its edges.~10 min read · ~10 min practice
   3. Decision tablesTurn business rules with several conditions into a complete set of test cases.~9 min read · ~15 min practice
4. Module 4

   Bug reporting

   Write reports a developer can act on: reproducible steps, expected and actual results, evidence, and the difference between severity and priority.

   1. Writing a bug reportThe parts of a useful report and how to make a problem reproducible.~10 min read · ~15 min practice
   2. Severity and priorityTwo different questions: how bad is the impact, and how soon should it be fixed?~7 min read · ~5 min practice
5. Module 5

   Web testing

   Use browser DevTools, understand cookies and sessions, and check responsive behaviour and accessibility basics.

   1. DevTools and network requestsRead what the page sends and receives, and turn it into evidence.~10 min read · ~15 min practice
   2. Cookies and sessionsHow sign-in state is kept, and the checks that catch session bugs.~10 min read · ~10 min practice
   3. Responsive behaviour and accessibility basicsCheck layouts across screen sizes, and the first accessibility checks every tester can do.~11 min read · ~15 min practice
6. Module 6

   API testing

   HTTP fundamentals, methods and status codes, authentication and request validation, and assertions that actually prove something.

   1. HTTP, methods and status codesThe request–response model every API test builds on.API practice lab~11 min read · ~10 min practice
   2. Authentication and request validationTest who may call an API and what it must reject.API practice lab~10 min read · ~10 min practice
   3. Meaningful response assertionsCheck what matters: status, structure, values, headers and side effects.API practice lab~9 min read · ~15 min practice
7. Module 7

   SQL for QA

   Read data to verify what the application stored: SELECT, filtering, NULL, joins and safe habits.

   1. SELECT, filtering and NULLQuery a table, filter rows and handle missing values correctly.SQL practice lab~10 min read · ~15 min practice
   2. Joins and verifying stored data safelyCombine tables to check consistency, without putting real data at risk.SQL practice lab~11 min read · ~20 min practice
8. Module 8

   Automation foundations

   Decide what is worth automating, write assertions that stay reliable, keep tests isolated, and run a first Playwright test.

   1. What to automate, and how to keep it reliableChoosing checks with a good return, and avoiding flaky tests.~10 min read · ~5 min practice
   2. A first Playwright testWrite and run an end-to-end test against the training shop on your own machine.~12 min read · ~30 min practice
9. Module 9

   Final project

   Test the Dar Al Souq training shop from start to finish: plan with a checklist, report what you find, and write a concise test summary.

   1. Project part 1: plan and test checklistScope the work, rank risks and build a checklist before you start testing.~6 min read · ~45 min practice
   2. Project part 2: bug reports and test summaryRun your checklist, report what you find, and summarise the results honestly.~6 min read · ~90 min practice