Introduction

In today’s fast-paced software development environment, ensuring the quality of an application is crucial for delivering high-performance, reliable, and secure software. Software testing and quality assurance (QA) are vital components of the software development lifecycle (SDLC) that help identify bugs, verify functionality, and ensure the product meets user expectations. This comprehensive 5-day training course on Software Testing and Quality Assurance (QA) is designed to equip participants with the knowledge and practical skills to effectively design, execute, and automate tests, ensuring high-quality software delivery.

The course covers various testing methodologies, including manual and automated testing, as well as best practices for performance, security, and regression testing. It also introduces tools like Selenium, JUnit, TestNG, Jenkins, Jira, and Postman to streamline the testing process and improve efficiency. Whether you’re a beginner looking to get started with testing or an experienced QA professional aiming to refine your skills, this course provides a deep dive into modern testing techniques and practices.

Course Objectives

By the end of this course, participants will:

1. Understand Software Testing Fundamentals: Learn the core concepts of software testing, including types of testing, the SDLC, and the role of QA in ensuring software quality.
2. Master Manual Testing Techniques: Gain a thorough understanding of different types of manual testing such as functional, non-functional, system, integration, regression, and user acceptance testing (UAT).
3. Learn Automated Testing Tools: Become proficient in using popular automation tools like Selenium for functional testing and JUnit/TestNG for unit and integration testing.
4. Implement Continuous Integration/Continuous Testing (CI/CT): Understand how to integrate automated testing into CI/CD pipelines using tools like Jenkins.
5. Perform API and Web Service Testing: Master the process of testing RESTful APIs and web services using tools like Postman and SoapUI.
6. Understand Performance and Security Testing: Learn how to conduct performance testing (using tools like JMeter) and security testing to ensure software reliability and data protection.
7. Use Defect Management and Test Case Management Tools: Gain hands-on experience using popular defect management tools like Jira and test case management tools like TestRail.
8. Adopt Best Practices for QA and Testing: Learn industry best practices, including writing effective test cases, bug reporting, test documentation, and communication with development teams.

Who Should Attend?

This course is suitable for:

• Software Testers and QA Engineers who want to improve their testing skills and learn about modern tools and methodologies.
• Manual Testers who want to transition to automated testing or improve their automation expertise.
• Software Developers who wish to understand testing from a QA perspective and improve the quality of their code.
• Project Managers and Product Owners who want to better understand the role of testing and quality assurance in software projects.
• DevOps Engineers and CI/CD Practitioners interested in incorporating automated testing into the continuous integration and deployment pipeline.
• Aspiring QA Professionals who are looking to build a career in software quality assurance and testing.

Day 1: Introduction to Software Testing and Manual Testing

Session 1: Software Testing Fundamentals

• What is software testing? Why is testing important?
• Types of testing: Manual vs. automated testing
• Phases of the Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC)
• The role of QA in Agile, Waterfall, and DevOps
• Key testing concepts: Test cases, test plans, and test execution

Session 2: Manual Testing Techniques

• Types of manual testing:
  • Functional testing
  • Non-functional testing (performance, security, usability)
  • Regression testing
  • System, integration, and acceptance testing
• Writing effective test cases: Structure and best practices
• The bug lifecycle: Reporting, tracking, and verifying defects

Session 3: Test Case Design and Execution

• Understanding requirements and creating test scenarios
• Creating positive and negative test cases
• Test data management
• Best practices for executing manual tests
• Reporting defects and providing detailed bug descriptions

Hands-On Exercises:

• Write and execute test cases for a sample application.
• Report defects using a bug-tracking tool (e.g., Jira).

Day 2: Automated Testing with Selenium

Session 1: Introduction to Automated Testing

• Benefits of automated testing: Speed, repeatability, and efficiency
• When to automate: Criteria for test automation
• Overview of automation frameworks: Selenium, JUnit, TestNG, Cucumber
• The role of test automation in Continuous Integration/Continuous Testing (CI/CT)

Session 2: Getting Started with Selenium

• Introduction to Selenium WebDriver
• Setting up Selenium with Java (Maven, IDEs)
• Basic Selenium concepts: Locators, WebDriver commands, Synchronization
• Writing and running simple Selenium tests

Session 3: Advanced Selenium Features

• Page Object Model (POM) design pattern
• Using Selenium for cross-browser testing (Chrome, Firefox, Edge)
• Automating forms, mouse events, and keyboard inputs
• Data-driven testing with Selenium and Apache POI

Hands-On Exercises:

• Set up a Selenium WebDriver project and write a basic test script.
• Implement data-driven testing using Excel files.

Day 3: API Testing and Postman

Session 1: Introduction to API Testing

• What is API testing? Why is it important?
• Types of APIs: REST, SOAP, GraphQL
• The difference between UI testing and API testing
• Key components of API testing: Endpoints, HTTP methods, status codes

Session 2: API Testing with Postman

• Introduction to Postman for API testing
• Creating and sending requests (GET, POST, PUT, DELETE)
• Validating responses: Status codes, headers, and body content
• Organizing tests into collections and environments
• Automating API tests with Postman scripts

Session 3: Advanced API Testing with Postman

• Writing assertions for response validation
• Authentication and security in API testing (API keys, OAuth)
• Working with JSON and XML responses
• Running collections using Newman for CI integration

Hands-On Exercises:

• Test RESTful APIs using Postman (GET/POST requests).
• Automate API tests and integrate them with a CI pipeline.

Day 4: Performance, Security, and Mobile Testing

Session 1: Performance Testing with JMeter

• Introduction to performance testing: Load, stress, and scalability testing
• Setting up JMeter for performance testing
• Creating and running basic performance tests
• Analyzing performance results and interpreting metrics (response time, throughput, error rates)

Session 2: Security Testing Best Practices

• Common security vulnerabilities in software: SQL Injection, XSS, CSRF
• Overview of security testing tools and techniques
• Using OWASP ZAP for security testing
• Authentication and authorization testing (JWT, OAuth2)

Session 3: Mobile Application Testing

• Challenges in mobile testing: Device fragmentation, network conditions, and performance
• Manual and automated mobile testing techniques
• Tools for mobile testing: Appium, Selenium Grid for Mobile
• Testing mobile apps on real devices vs. emulators

Hands-On Exercises:

• Create and run a performance test using JMeter.
• Conduct security testing on a sample application.
• Set up Appium and automate a mobile testing script.

Day 5: CI/CD, Test Automation Best Practices, and Final Project

Session 1: Integrating Automated Tests with CI/CD

• What is CI/CD? Why is it important for software quality?
• Integrating automated tests with Jenkins, GitLab, or GitHub Actions
• Running automated tests as part of the CI/CD pipeline
• Continuous testing: Feedback loops and reporting

Session 2: Test Automation Best Practices

• Test Automation Strategy: Choosing the right tools and frameworks
• Test coverage, maintainability, and reliability
• Parallel test execution and cross-browser testing
• Reporting and tracking test results

Session 3: Real-World Test Scenarios and Final Project

• Applying testing techniques in real-world scenarios: eCommerce, banking, and SaaS applications
• Conducting a complete test cycle: Requirement analysis, test planning, test execution, and defect reporting
• Test Automation for complex applications

Hands-On Exercises:

• Implement a full CI/CD pipeline with automated tests in Jenkins or GitHub Actions.
• Final project: Execute a comprehensive testing cycle on a sample enterprise application (manual and automated testing).

Course Delivery Method:

• Format: Instructor-led live sessions with a mix of lectures, real-world examples, hands-on coding exercises, and group discussions.
• Materials: Course slides, sample code, video recordings, tools setup guides, and access to a GitHub repository with sample exercises.
• Prerequisites: Basic understanding of software development concepts and familiarity with programming languages (Java, JavaScript, or Python) will be helpful but not required.