Software Testing & QA Automation (SDET)

Build a rigorous mental model of how quality is engineered so every later test you write is deliberate, not guesswork.

• Principles of software testing and common testing myths
• Software Testing Life Cycle (STLC) phases and entry/exit criteria
• Software Development Life Cycle models and where testing fits (Waterfall, V-model, Agile)
• Verification vs validation and static vs dynamic testing
• Test levels: unit, integration, system, acceptance testing
• Test types: functional, non-functional, regression, smoke, sanity
• Defect life cycle, severity vs priority, and bug triage
• Test planning, test strategy, and test estimation basics
• Requirement traceability matrix (RTM) and coverage tracking
• Reviews, walkthroughs, and inspections (static testing)
• Roles and responsibilities in an Agile QA team
• Writing clear bug reports with reproducible steps

Design high-yield test cases using proven techniques so you catch the defects automation and ad-hoc testing miss.

• Equivalence partitioning and boundary value analysis
• Decision table testing and cause-effect graphing
• State transition testing for workflow-heavy applications
• Use-case based testing and exploratory testing charters
• Writing structured test cases: preconditions, steps, expected results
• Test data design and management strategies
• Positive, negative, and edge-case scenario design
• Prioritizing test cases by risk and business impact
• Cross-browser and cross-device manual test execution
• Usability and accessibility checks during manual passes
• Test case reviews and peer sign-off practices
• Building a regression test suite from scratch
• Session-based exploratory testing and bug hunting techniques

Gain the Java fluency automation frameworks assume, so Selenium and API code feel natural instead of copy-pasted.

• Java setup, JDK/JRE/JVM, and IDE (IntelliJ) fundamentals
• Variables, data types, operators, and control flow
• Loops, arrays, and String handling for test scripts
• Object-oriented programming: classes, objects, constructors
• Inheritance, polymorphism, abstraction, and interfaces
• Access modifiers, static vs instance members
• Collections framework: List, Set, Map for test data handling
• Exception handling: try-catch, custom exceptions in tests
• File I/O and reading external test data (CSV, Excel, JSON)
• Java 8+ features: lambdas, streams, functional interfaces
• Maven project structure, dependencies, and build lifecycle
• Git basics: clone, branch, commit, pull request workflow
• Writing reusable utility classes for test automation

Automate real browser interactions reliably so manual regression cycles shrink from days to minutes.

• Selenium architecture and WebDriver API fundamentals
• Locator strategies: ID, CSS selectors, XPath best practices
• Interacting with web elements: click, type, select, upload
• Handling dropdowns, checkboxes, radio buttons, and alerts
• Waits: implicit, explicit, and fluent wait strategies
• Handling frames, multiple windows, and browser tabs
• Actions class for mouse hover, drag-and-drop, keyboard events
• Working with dynamic web tables and dynamic locators
• Screenshot capture on failure for debugging
• Cross-browser testing setup with Chrome, Firefox, Edge drivers
• Selenium Grid basics for parallel execution
• Handling JavaScript execution and scrolling via JavascriptExecutor
• Common Selenium exceptions and troubleshooting flaky locators

Architect a maintainable automation framework so tests scale across features without turning into unmanageable spaghetti scripts.

• Page Object Model (POM) design pattern
• Page Factory and element initialization patterns
• TestNG annotations, test suites, and execution ordering
• Data-driven testing with TestNG DataProviders and Excel/CSV
• Keyword-driven and hybrid framework concepts
• Assertions vs soft assertions and validation strategies
• Configuration management with properties/YAML files
• Logging with Log4j and structured test reporting
• Extent Reports / Allure for readable HTML test reports
• Parallel test execution and thread-safety considerations
• Reusable utility and helper class design
• Framework folder structure and Maven project organization
• Version-controlling a framework with Git branching strategy

Validate backend contracts directly so you find defects earlier and faster than waiting on a full UI to be built.

• HTTP fundamentals: methods, status codes, headers, and payloads
• REST API concepts and JSON/XML request-response structures
• Manual API testing and collections in Postman
• Postman environments, variables, and collection runner
• Authentication schemes: API keys, Basic Auth, OAuth2, Bearer tokens
• Writing automated API tests with REST Assured in Java
• Request specification, response validation, and status code assertions
• JSON schema validation and JSONPath/XMLPath extraction
• Serialization/deserialization with POJOs for request bodies
• Chaining API calls and parameterizing test data
• Mocking and stubbing APIs for isolated test environments
• Integrating REST Assured with TestNG for structured suites
• Postman Newman for command-line collection execution

Turn business requirements into executable specifications so QA, developers, and product stay aligned on what 'done' means.

• Behavior-Driven Development (BDD) principles and benefits
• Gherkin syntax: Feature, Scenario, Given-When-Then
• Writing effective, business-readable feature files
• Step definitions and mapping Gherkin steps to Java code
• Scenario Outlines and Examples tables for data-driven BDD
• Cucumber hooks: @Before, @After for setup and teardown
• Tags for selective scenario execution and test grouping
• Cucumber Runner configuration with JUnit/TestNG
• Integrating Cucumber with Selenium WebDriver for UI automation
• Cucumber reports and living documentation generation
• Sharing state between steps via dependency injection (PicoContainer)
• Best practices for reusable, DRY step definitions

Wire automated suites into a pipeline so every code change is verified automatically before it reaches production.

• Continuous Integration concepts and why automation needs CI
• Jenkins installation, jobs, and freestyle vs pipeline projects
• Writing a Jenkinsfile for a declarative CI pipeline
• Integrating Git repositories and triggering builds on commit
• Running Maven test builds from Jenkins
• Scheduling automated test runs with cron-style triggers
• Publishing TestNG/Extent/Allure reports in Jenkins
• Parameterized builds for cross-environment test execution
• Email/Slack notifications on build pass/fail
• Managing Jenkins plugins, credentials, and environment variables
• Introduction to Selenium Grid/Docker execution inside CI
• Git branching workflows (feature branch, PR checks) supporting CI

Extend automation beyond the browser to mobile apps and load conditions so releases hold up under real-world usage.

• Mobile testing fundamentals: native, hybrid, and web apps
• Appium architecture and desired capabilities setup
• Setting up Android emulator/iOS simulator for automation
• Locating mobile elements with UiAutomator2/XCUITest
• Writing Appium test scripts for gestures, taps, and swipes
• Reusing Selenium/TestNG framework patterns for Appium
• Introduction to performance testing concepts and metrics (response time, throughput)
• JMeter test plan structure: thread groups, samplers, listeners
• Creating load, stress, and spike test scenarios in JMeter
• Analyzing JMeter reports and identifying bottlenecks
• Correlating and parameterizing dynamic data in performance scripts
• Integrating mobile and performance suites into CI pipelines

Consolidate certification-ready knowledge and interview fluency so you walk into SDET interviews with proof, not just practice.

• ISTQB Foundation Level syllabus overview and exam pattern
• Fundamentals of testing and testing throughout the SDLC (ISTQB Ch1-2)
• Static testing and test design techniques recap for certification
• Test management concepts: planning, monitoring, and control
• Testing tools landscape and tool selection criteria
• Mock ISTQB exam practice with timed question sets
• Building an end-to-end capstone framework (Selenium + REST Assured + Cucumber + Jenkins)
• Resume building for QA/SDET roles and portfolio project presentation
• Common manual testing interview questions and model answers
• Automation framework design questions asked in SDET interviews
• Live coding rounds: Java, Selenium, and API testing problems
• Behavioral interview prep: STAR method for QA scenarios
• Mock interviews and feedback on KodPrep Practice
• Salary negotiation and job search strategy for QA/SDET roles