One of many great things about having a professional career in tech and software development is the abundance of career paths and specialization options that you have. As we mentioned recently when analysing how long an average developer’s career typically lasts, if you are tired from being a programmer you can always switch to analytical, customer-oriented, product-focused and other types of roles where your coding skills will still be applicable and valued. Same is true for the opposite career switch direction. We know that many people already working in various other tech-related positions are combining them with learning programming languages and plan to either switch to being developers or enrich their skill set for current roles. The data from CodeGym’s recent user community survey shows that around 30% of our students already work in tech and are looking to extend their knowledge.
Quality Assurance (QA) Engineer is a good example of an IT position with a potential to be a fully fledged career path that is in many ways parallel to Software Developer’s path. QA Engineer is also an in-demand position that is at the same time relatively accessible for beginners to grasp. Which makes it quite a good starting point for Junior programmers and those who are looking to get their first professional experience in software development.
How to get a QA Engineer job is exactly what we are going to focus on today. We already talked about what you need to become an Android Developer in a previous piece, now it’s QA Engineer’s turn.
Requirements for QA Engineer
The requirements for QA Engineer positions can, of course, be very different depending on the company, its business field and what technology stack it uses. Here are some of the most common requirements based on our analysis of a number of real currently open jobs in this field.- Proven work experience in software development,
- Proven work experience in software quality assurance,
- Strong knowledge of software QA methodologies, tools and processes,
- In-depth understanding of Java, Python, SQL, C++ and XML,
- Experience in writing clear, concise and comprehensive test plans and test cases,
- Hands-on experience with both white box and black box testing,
- Hands-on experience with automated testing tools,
- Solid knowledge of SQL and scripting,
- Experience working in an Agile/Scrum development process,
- Experience with performance and/or security testing is a plus,
- BS/MS degree in Computer Science, Engineering or a related subject,
- High proficiency in computer technology and programming languages,
- Strong knowledge of Linux and Microsoft Windows,
- Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills.
Top 25 QA technical interview questions
Now let’s go through the most common and popular questions interviewers typically ask candidates.for QA Engineer positions during technical interviews. Knowing answers to these questions won’t guarantee you getting the job, but not knowing them would most likely minimise your chances of being hired.Basic Quality Assurance knowledge
- What is the difference between Quality Assurance, Quality Control, and Testing?
- When do you think QA activities should start?
- What is a Bug?
- What is the difference between severity and priority?
- What is the QA Testing Life Cycle?
- What is the difference between the Test Plan and Test Strategy?
- What is bug leakage and bug release?
- What is data driven testing?
- Mention the different types of software testing?
- What are the contents of test plans and test cases?
- What are the tools used by a tester while testing?
Advanced QA knowledge
- What is the difference between Assert and Verify commands in test automation?
- What is the strategy for Automation Test Plan?
- What is the difference between Functional and Non-functional testing?
- What is Negative testing? How is it different from Positive testing?
- What are the different artifacts you refer to when you write the test cases?
- Explain stress testing, load testing and volume testing?
- What are the five common solutions for software development problems?
- What is CRUD testing and how to test CRUD?
- What is thread testing?
- Explain what are test driver and test stub and why it is required?
- What is meant by Verification and Validation?
- What are the different verification techniques you know?
- What is a Test Metric in software testing and what information does it contain?
- How do you determine which piece of software requires how much testing?
Learning sources to prepare for QA tech interview
Where to learn all of this professional QA knowledge and skills required to qualify for QA Engineer positions? Here is a selection of learning sources that you can use.1. CodeGym
Over the years CodeGym has been the favorite coding skills learning source for thousands of our students. In fact, for many of them, CodeGym became the gateway to the career in tech as they never had any contact with the programming world prior to registering on CodeGym. Teaching the fundamentals of Java and software development in general, crucially important knowledge for QA Engineers to possess, CodeGym helps students to learn theory and acquire real practical coding skills in an entertaining and gamified way. We recommend you to check this piece for more details on how Junior coders and QA testers can benefit from using CodeGym.2. Online courses
There is a great selection of various online courses focused on QA Engineering fundamentals as well as specific areas of knowledge in this profession. Here’s a list of solid online courses that are good for QA beginners.Software Testing and Automation Specialization by University of Minnesota
Price: Free.
Introduction to Software Testing by University of Minnesota
Price: Free.
Basic Manual Software Testing +Agile+Bugzilla for beginners on Udemy
Price: $11.99.
Quality Assurance Mastery - Manual Software Testing on Udemy
Price: $11.99.
Introduction to QA Engineering on Treehouse
Price: Free.
3. YouTube guides
For those who like to consume the knowledge in a visual form, and most of us do because it is easier, here are a few YouTube video guides, tutorials, and informational videos for QA Engineering beginners.- Tips for Landing a Job in QA Engineering
- How to pass a job interview | Software QA Engineer
- Software Testing Tutorials for Beginners
- QA Manual Testing Full Course for Beginners Part-1
- QA Interview Questions
- QA Testing Tutorial for Beginners
4. Coding tests and Q&As
Finally, a great way to ensure you are trained and prepared for an actual interview would be practicing on resources with coding tests often used on technical interviews for QA Engineer positions, as well as going through a number of the best Q&A lists:- Coding tests for QA on DevSkiller
- Top 40 QA Interview Questions & Answers
- Java Coding Questions for Test Automation Developers
- 37 QA Interview Questions and How to Answer Them
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