Start in QA

If you're thinking about testing as a career, or already studying and don't know where to look, or a junior who wants to grow — this roadmap is for you. Step by step, no fluff. All resources are free.

⏱ Full path is 3 months at 1-2 hours per day. After it you're ready to apply for junior positions.

Step 1 · Weeks 1-2

Foundations of testing

First understand what QA actually is. Not "press buttons and wait for it to break", but an engineering discipline with principles.

📚 Read

  • "The Art of Software Testing" by Glenford Myers. The classic, start here.
  • guru99 — Software Testing Tutorial — full free course.
  • ISTQB Glossary — core terms (test case, defect, test plan).

🎯 Understand

  • Difference between bug, defect, error, failure.
  • Types of testing: manual, automated, functional, non-functional.
  • Bug lifecycle: open → in progress → fixed → verified → closed.
  • SDLC (Waterfall, Agile, Scrum) — how testing fits into each.
Step 2 · Weeks 3-4

Test design

How to generate test cases from requirements. The main skill that separates a manual QA from a "button clicker".

📚 Techniques to learn

  • Equivalence classes — split all possible inputs into groups, test one from each.
  • Boundary values — bugs cluster at the edges of classes.
  • Pairwise testing — for tests with many parameters.
  • Decision tables — for business logic with multiple conditions.

💪 Practice

  • Take any app (bank, taxi, delivery) and write 30 test cases for one feature. Show to a senior QA for feedback.
  • Bug bashing: uTest — public apps with open bugs.
Step 3 · Weeks 5-6

QA tooling

Master the stack. Without tool knowledge you won't pass even the screening.

🛠 Core toolkit

  • Postman / Bruno — API testing. Make 10 requests to a public API (e.g. jsonplaceholder).
  • Chrome DevTools — Network tab, Console, mobile emulation. You can't be a web QA without it.
  • Jira / TestRail — bug trackers and test management. Sign up for a trial, run a project.
  • Git — basic commands (clone, commit, push, pull, branch). Required by everyone.
  • SQL — SELECT, WHERE, JOIN. SQLBolt — free interactive course.

📱 For mobile QA

Step 4 · Weeks 7-8

Soft skills and English

Junior offers depend on more than just hard skills. Soft and English often decide.

🗣 English

  • Minimum B1 for reading docs. Free resources.
  • Technical English: read Apple/Google docs, Stack Overflow, Playwright docs.

🤝 Soft skills

  • Clear bug description — critical skill. Steps to reproduce, expected, actual, environment.
  • Constructive communication with developers — not "your bug", but "here are the repro steps, can you confirm this behavior?"
  • Willingness to ask questions. Juniors shouldn't suffer in silence — ask.
Step 5 · Weeks 9-10

First automation

Manual-only QA without any automation knowledge is rare today. At least the basics — mandatory.

🐍 Python (fastest entry)

🌐 UI automation

  • Playwright — modern standard. Where to start.
  • Don't learn Selenium first — it's legacy. Go straight to Playwright.
Step 6 · Weeks 11-12

CV, portfolio and first interview

You have the knowledge. Now sell it.

📝 CV

  • One page. If it doesn't fit — trim the irrelevant.
  • Every line — a measurable result. Not "helped test", but "wrote 50 test cases, found 10 bugs".
  • List tech stack: Postman, Jira, SQL, Git, basics of Python/Playwright.

💼 Portfolio

  • GitHub repo with test cases for a public app.
  • Pet project: pytest tests for a public API.
  • Bug bashing open-source: GitHub Explore → find an active project → report bugs.

🎤 Interview

  • Expect classics: equivalence classes, boundary values, types of testing. Prepare.
  • Practical: "test a pencil / elevator / login form" — structure your approach.
  • Don't be afraid to say "I don't know". Way better than inventing.

Further reading

Communities and feeds

The main rule

Don't try to learn everything. Get the job — learn on the job. Junior QA is the entry. Senior is a 5-10 year path. Focus on passing your first interview. The skills will accumulate.

Got questions? Drop them in the Telegram channel comments — I read them.

Subscribe on Telegram All articles