It has often been observed that a manual tester does not really know the direction he should take to start his career in automation testing. With many tools available today, getting distracted and unable to decide how to start learning test automation is obvious. In this blog, we shall see how to streamline things so that you can learn automation testing at ease and without any Stress.



It is evident that because of a lack of clarity on such things, you cannot take that first step towards learning test automation. If you are new to automation testing, you can relate to what I am saying here. But, if you already have some experience in automation testing, this would help your fellow aspiring testers who aim to make their career in automation testing, or you can refer them to this article so that it will be beneficial for them.



<div id="toc_container" class="no_bullets">Table Of Contents<ul class="toc_list"><li><a href="#Mandatory_Steps_to_Become_an_Automation_Tester">1 Mandatory Steps to Become an Automation Tester </a></li><li><a href="#Software_Testing_Concepts">2 Software Testing Concepts</a></li><li><a href="#Programming_Languages">3 Programming Languages</a></li><li><a href="#Automation_Toolsnbsp">4 Automation Tools:&nbsp;</a></li><li><a href="#Web_Automation_Testing">5 Web Automation Testing:</a></li><li><a href="#Mobile_Automation_Testing">6 Mobile Automation Testing:</a></li><li><a href="#Performance_Testingnbsp">7 Performance Testing:&nbsp;</a></li><li><a href="#CICD_Pipeline">8 CI/CD Pipeline:</a></li><li><a href="#Approach_to_Learning_Automation_Testing">9 Approach to Learning Automation Testing:</a></li><li><a href="#Conclusion">10 Conclusion:</a></li></ul></div>
<h2 id="mandatory-steps-to-become-an-automation-tester">Mandatory Steps to Become an Automation Tester </h2>



To start learning automation testing, first, you must believe that you can do it. Nothing is impossible in this world if we are determined to do so. I know you won&#8217;t believe me. Keep reading, and you will see the answer. So, make up your mind before you continue reading the article.



Start your career in automation testing, and switch from a manual testing career to an automation testing profile by referring to this blog.&nbsp;



In this article, you&#8217;ll learn the tips, techniques, and approaches to learning test automation. Based on my real-time experience working in Software Test Automation Industry, I will be jotting down all the points for you to take care of, which will help you make a start and make you confident.&nbsp;



Get your tester horse to work! Take up the challenge.



<h2 id="software-testing-concepts">Software Testing Concepts</h2>



Software Testing concepts are a MUST to know for any tester, whether you are a manual tester or an automation tester. It includes the below:



<ol><li>Manual Testing concepts&nbsp;</li><li>Agile methodology, Scrum framework (widely used and known)</li><li>Defect tracking tool</li><li>Test Management tool</li></ol>



<h2 id="programming-languages">Programming Languages</h2>



Being a&nbsp; tester, you must know at least one programming language. One such language is Java which is widely used worldwide. Learning the basics completes the first step.



If you know the basics of any programming language or if you have created a project in your college, you can prepare more on that specific language and get expertise. If you know Java already, it is suggested to learn another programming language which will act as a bonus for you.&nbsp;



Having said that, if you are new to the programming world, then you can choose Python as your choice as it’s easy to learn comparatively.&nbsp;



<h2 id="h-automation-tools">Automation Tools:&nbsp;</h2>



Now, you must consider which tool you should learn to start your automation testing journey.



When you want to learn automation testing, you can go to any specific area like web automation, mobile application, API, Cloud, Performance, etc. There are automation tools available for each particular type of testing.&nbsp;



<h2 id="h-web-automation-testing">Web Automation Testing:</h2>



For web automation testing, I can suggest going with Selenium or Cypress. Depending on your chosen programming language, you can pick up the tool. You can go with Selenium with Java or Selenium with Python etc. Similarly, you can decide on other combinations as per your learning pace.&nbsp;



<h2 id="h-mobile-automation-testing">Mobile Automation Testing:</h2>



If you are inclined toward Mobile automation, you can start learning the Appium tool. But, again, if you are serious about making a career in mobile automation, you must understand mobile application testing (manually) before moving to mobile automation testing.&nbsp;



<h2 id="h-performance-testing">Performance Testing:&nbsp;</h2>



For Performance testing, we have JMeter, Neoload, etc. In contrast, NeoLoad is a powerful load and performance testing software solution designed for web and mobile applications. Jmeter is used for application&#8217;s load or performance testing. It is used to identify the bottleneck in the performance and improve the user experience.&nbsp;



<h2 id="h-ci-cd-pipeline">CI/CD Pipeline:</h2>



To be good at automation testing, you must know what CI/CD is. What does it entail? The purpose and the requirement should be clear to you first before understanding the basics of these tools. We have Jenkins available with us for CI. You also need to know about Maven, Gradle, GitHub, Git, Docker, etc.



<h2 id="h-approach-to-learning-automation-testing">Approach to Learning Automation Testing:</h2>



Let me share my approach, which I implemented when learning automation testing.&nbsp;Please note that the below points are not in order, and try to follow them daily.&nbsp;



1. Be strongly determined that you want to learn it.



2. Dedicate 1–2 hrs. each day to learn it.



3. Start from the very basics of any tool because when your basics are strong, you can quickly learn all advanced concepts.



4. While learning some concepts, make notes and explore more learning materials on the <a href="https://www.studocu.com/in" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">StuDocu</a> platform parallelly irrespective of whether it is basic knowledge, a programming language, or any automation tool, for example, Selenium.



5. If you are not working, then you can&#8217;t complain about timings. Spend 2–4 hrs. daily to learn.



6. After you learn, do hands-on on your personal computer without looking into a solution. It&#8217;s okay to go slow but don&#8217;t cheat. Remember, you are learning for yourself, not for others.



7. Next day, when you start a new topic, practice and revise what you learned on day 1. Check your hands-on exercises.



8. Keep following the same routine until you feel confident about yourself or for a minimum 3–4 months (religiously study).



9. Be serious about it. Have a goal in life and achieve it. It&#8217;s your life. Design the way you want it to be.



<h2 id="h-conclusion">Conclusion:</h2>



You can save these tips and share them with your friends looking to make a career in automation testing or who want to be automation testers. This will serve as a guide to you and them too. Also, please do not forget to come back to this blog after 4-5 months when you are prepared to embark on a test automation journey, and leave a comment for me to share your experience of becoming an automation tester.&nbsp;



I would be happy to hear all your success stories. Good Luck!&nbsp;

How to become an automation tester with no stress?

How to Become an Automation Tester with No Stress?

Many times, we spend our whole day planning out the activities but there is no real outcome. We think, plan, and decide to do multiple things in a day but unfortunately, we are not able to execute them. Reason? We will discuss the reasons and more in this blog.



As a Software Tester, we should be implementing the below tips/activities so that you can be a more efficient &amp; more productive, good tester :



<div id="toc_container" class="no_bullets">Table Of Contents<ul class="toc_list"><li><a href="#1_Understand_the_Requirements">1 1. Understand the Requirements </a></li><li><a href="#2_Testcase_designing">2 2. Testcase designing</a></li><li><a href="#3_Test_Data_Designing">3 3. Test Data Designing </a></li><li><a href="#4_Identify_Smoke_Test">4 4. Identify Smoke Test</a></li><li><a href="#5_Defect_Logging_Tracking">5 5. Defect Logging &amp; Tracking</a></li><li><a href="#6_Clear_Communication">6 6. Clear Communication </a></li><li><a href="#Conclusion">7 Conclusion</a></li></ul></div>
<h2 id="1-understand-the-requirements">1. Understand the Requirements </h2>



The first &amp; foremost point is to understand the requirements to save your time as a tester. Once you understand the requirements, the purpose of the requirement, and the objective of the requirement &#8211; it will be easier for you to design your high-level scenarios. Then, based on your high-level scenarios, you can identify test cases that can be further used during your test execution.&nbsp;



You can consider the same while working in an Agile software development model as well. In Agile software development methodology, you will get user stories from clients. So, to save your time as a tester, you can analyze those user stories, by brainstorming sessions, collaborating within teams, etc. Once you understand the need for a particular user story, it will then become easy for you to test it.&nbsp;



It’s a good practice to implement in your day-to-day life while working on a software testing project.&nbsp;



<h2 id="2-testcase-designing">2. Testcase designing</h2>



Often, it has been observed that we tend to lose our focus on <a href="https://testsigma.com/blog/test-case-design-techniques/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Testcase designing</a>. We, as a tester want to test the requirement as early as possible and complete the testing. This should not be the scenario nor should be the aim of a software tester. 



Sometimes, testers write detailed test cases whereas some testers design test cases on a very high level. You can choose and design as per the test process being implemented in your current organization where you are currently working.&nbsp;



Testcases should be designed in such a way that it reflects end-user behaviour. If we design our test cases (keeping the user requirement in mind) then it will give you a good outcome in terms of <a href="https://testsigma.com/blog/test-coverage/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">test coverage</a> as well as client satisfaction. 



<h2 id="3-test-data-designing">3. Test Data Designing </h2>



I am sure you will agree with me about the fact that test data is equally important as the other factors which I have described above.&nbsp;



Preparing good test data is very important for a software tester. When you create test data, you must include valid and invalid test data to test <a href="https://testsigma.com/blog/positive-and-negative-testing-scenarios/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">positive and negative scenarios</a> of your application.



While test case designing, if you think you know what type of test data you will require, you can create that and keep it aside for your reference. Having said that, during test execution also, you can prepare your test data and use it as you progress.&nbsp;



<h2 id="4-identify-smoke-test">4. Identify Smoke Test</h2>



If you want to be an efficient tester, try to identify the <a href="https://testsigma.com/blog/smoke-testing/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">smoke tests</a> out of a test suite that you or somebody else in the team might have created to test a particular functionality. This practice will help you as and when you receive any new build. Whenever you receive any new build, you can consider the set of smoke tests to be executed and ensure that the build is stable for testing and that testing can be carried forward.



For example, You have a total of 100 test cases. You can segregate the main functionalities in the app and identify the smoke tests. You can create a separate folder and keep smoke tests aside to use it as and when you require.&nbsp;



This set of smoke tests can be modified depending upon the addition of new functionalities or changes when they occur as you progress in the project.&nbsp;



<h2 id="5-defect-logging-tracking">5. Defect Logging &amp; Tracking</h2>



While you are testing a feature in AUT (Application under Test), during test execution, it is obvious that you will come across some functionality that might not work as per the user requirements. So, in that case, you would be raising a defect and failing your test case.



As a software tester, you must supply all the required information about a defect and assign it to the respective person/developer who can investigate it and fix it. Steps to reproduce, environmental changes, screenshots, expected result vs actual result, etc. should be provided while creating a new defect. Here, is a related article: <a href="https://testsigma.com/blog/how-to-write-a-good-bug-report-some-tips/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">how to write a good bug report</a>.



One important step which usually testers forget is to track the progress of their defects. Once you raise a new defect, it&#8217;s your responsibility to track that defect for you to re-test it and close the defect. 



Here know the <a href="https://testsigma.com/blog/defect-tracking-tools/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Best Defect Tracking Tools </a>



<h2 id="6-clear-communication">6. Clear Communication </h2>



Whether you are a <a href="https://financesonline.com/top-20-it-development-software/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow">fresher in software testing</a> or an experienced professional, you must be able to clearly express your thoughts to others. Communication is key when you are dealing with your client, manager, team, Business Analyst, Product Owner, etc. It’s good to be technically strong but at the same time, it will add as a bonus for you if you communicate in a clear &amp; concise way.



💡 Pro tip&nbsp;



<a href="https://testsigma.com/automated-testing" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Automate</a> Repetitive tasks using a Test Automation Tool.



<button class="btn bg-primary cta-btn" style="margin: auto"><a href="https://github.com/testsigmahq/testsigma" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color:#fff">Try Testsigma, a free and open-source tool for all your web and mobile test automation needs.</a></button> 



<h2 id="conclusion">Conclusion</h2>



Many of you may be already using the above tips whereas for others, it will be new. So, I would recommend you start implementing the above as soon as possible and you will observe changes in yourself as a software tester.&nbsp;



It will help you in being more efficient &amp; more productive with your work as well as you will add value to your organization &amp; the project you are working on. Let me quickly reiterate the points here for your benefit:



<ol><li>Understand the requirements&nbsp;</li><li>Testcase designing</li><li>Test Data Designing</li><li>Identify Smoke Tests</li><li>Defect logging &amp; tracking</li><li>Clear Communication&nbsp;</li></ol>



Thank you!



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How to be an efficient and productive software tester?

Mukta Sharma