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How to become a QA Engineer / SDET

Find what breaks before users do: testing fundamentals, automation, and the engineering skill to build test systems.

15-20 weeks4 phases13 steps23 free resources2 checkpoint tests

Best for

Students who are systematic, enjoy breaking things on purpose, and like being the person who catches what everyone missed.

Maybe not for you if

If you only want to build new features, this will frustrate you. Note also that manual-only QA is shrinking: the automation half is what makes this a durable career.

The 4 phases

What each phase gets you to. The steps, resources and checkpoint inside each one open with a free account.

  1. Phase 1 - One language, Git, and your first test suite

    4-5 weeks

    Goal: Write clean code in one language, work through a real Git workflow, and ship a unit-tested project.

    3 steps · ends in a build deliverable · assumes basic programming

  2. Phase 2 - Test design: knowing what to test

    2-3 weeks

    Goal: Derive test cases with formal techniques, file bug reports that stand alone, and write a test plan that finds real defects rather than restating the requirements.

    3 steps · ends in a build deliverable

  3. Phase 3 - Automation: UI, API, SQL, and a framework in CI

    5-6 weeks

    Goal: Automate a browser flow and an API contract, verify the data with SQL, and run the whole suite in CI.

    4 steps · ends in a scored checkpoint (60% to clear)

  4. Phase 4 - Clear the process

    4-6 weeks

    Goal: Pass the coding and written rounds, and reason aloud about edge cases and your own framework.

    3 steps · ends in a scored checkpoint (60% to clear)

Open the full QA Engineer / SDET roadmap

Free account, no card. It takes about a minute and you do not need to verify your email to start.

  • All 13 steps, in order, with why each one is there
  • 23 hand-picked free resources, no paid course upsells
  • The specific mistake people make at each stage
  • 2 scored checkpoint tests, so progress is earned not ticked
  • Progress saved per step, so a break does not cost you the thread
  • Adaptive start, phases your test history already clears are skipped
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What hiring actually looks like here

Automation-focused QA and SDET roles are typically valued more than manual-only testing, and many campus QA processes now include a coding round. Service companies commonly hire QA in volume.

We claim no placement outcome, salary or success rate. This describes what is commonly reported about the role, nothing more. Linked resources are credited to their authors.

Comparing paths?