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QA Automation Engineer

QA (quality assurance) automation engineers make sure software works before users see it. They plan test cases, write automated tests for user interfaces and APIs, run them in CI pipelines, and report bugs clearly so developers can fix them.

What the job involves

  • Design test cases from requirements, including edge cases.
  • Automate UI tests for web and mobile apps.
  • Test APIs and check data in databases.
  • Run tests in CI pipelines and report bugs with clear reproduction steps.

Core skills

  • A programming language (Java, Python or JavaScript/TypeScript)
  • Testing concepts and test design
  • UI automation (Selenium, Playwright, Cypress)
  • API testing
  • SQL
  • Git and CI

Your learning path

Work through the steps in order. Each one links to the lessons and practice to use.

  1. Step 1: A programming language

    Automation is programming. Java and Python are common with Selenium; JavaScript and TypeScript with Playwright and Cypress.

  2. Step 2: How web pages are built

    UI tests locate elements on the page, so you need to read HTML and CSS selectors confidently.

  3. Step 3: Testing concepts

    Know what to test and why before automating anything.

    Not on Laviyx Learn yet

    • Test levels: unit, integration, system and acceptance
    • Test design: boundary values and equivalence classes
    • Writing clear bug reports
    • Agile testing and the software development life cycle

  4. Step 4: UI and API automation

    Automate browser flows and API calls, and keep the tests reliable and maintainable.

    Not on Laviyx Learn yet

    • Selenium WebDriver, Playwright or Cypress
    • API testing with Postman or REST Assured
    • The Page Object pattern
    • Unit test frameworks (JUnit, pytest)

  5. Step 5: SQL for test data

    Testers check that the right data was saved and prepare test data.

  6. Step 6: Prepare for interviews

    Expect testing theory, test case design exercises, automation coding and SQL questions.

    Not on Laviyx Learn yet

    • Running tests in CI (GitHub Actions or Jenkins)

Projects to build

Projects prove your skills and give you something to show.

  • Automate sign-up and checkout flows of a demo shopping site.
  • Write an API test suite for a public REST API, including error cases.
  • Run your tests automatically on every push and publish a report.

Interview preparation

This path is a suggested order. Requirements differ between companies, so also read job descriptions for the roles you are applying to.

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