1. Executive Summary

This guide shares a beginner’s real-world journey into software testing—from understanding the basics of QA to diving into automation and API testing. Instead of focusing on theory-heavy concepts, it emphasizes practical steps, real-world tools, and hands-on examples using Playwright, Java, Selenium, Postman, and JIRA. It's perfect for those coming from non-tech backgrounds or switching careers into quality assurance. 

By the end of this blog, readers will know the fundamentals of manual testing, automation, API testing, and the tools I practiced with. It’s perfect for those coming from non-tech backgrounds or switching careers into quality assurance.

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2. Introduction: Why I Chose Testing

My career began in operations, but I was always drawn to how software worked—and more importantly, how it broke. In the initial stage, I even worked on a few small full-stack projects, which gave me firsthand experience of building features and then seeing where and how things could fail. That’s when I realized testing is more than bug-hunting; it’s about ensuring product quality, minimizing risk, and enhancing the user experience. That realization pushed me to learn software testing and share this journey.

That’s when I realized testing is more than bug-hunting; it’s about ensuring product quality, minimizing risk, and enhancing the user experience. That realization pushed me to learn software testing and share this journey.

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3. What is Software Testing?

Software testing ensures that an application works as expected, is user-friendly, secure, and performs well.

Two major types of testing:

• Manual Testing – Performed by humans; ideal for exploratory, UI, and usability testing.
  
• Automation Testing – Performed by scripts; ideal for regression and repetitive flows.
  

Testing is crucial in identifying issues before products reach users, thereby saving time, cost, and brand reputation.

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4. Where is Testing Used?

Testing is essential in nearly every industry that uses software, including:

• Mobile app development
  
• Web and enterprise applications
  
• API integrations
  
• Agile and DevOps pipelines
  
• Embedded and IoT systems
  

Whether it's healthcare, banking, or e-commerce, QA plays a vital role in ensuring reliable systems.

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5. When Should Testing Be Introduced?

Testing should begin as early as possible—starting with requirements analysis and continuing through development to post-release monitoring.

• During development: Unit, integration, and system testing
  
• Before releases: Regression, smoke, and acceptance testing
  
• After deployment: Monitoring, feedback-based improvements
  

Early testing saves exponential costs later.

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6. How I Practiced Testing (Manual to Automation)

STLC – Software Testing Life Cycle

1. Requirement Analysis
   
2. Test Planning
   
3. Test Case Design
   
4. Environment Setup
   
5. Test Execution
   
6. Test Closure
   

Bug Life Cycle

New → Assigned → Open → Fixed → Retest → Closed

Tools Used:

• JIRA for bug tracking
  
• Zephyr for test cases
• Excel sheets for scenarios
  

7. Test Architecture: SDLC Models I Practiced

Waterfall

• Sequential, fixed-phase
  
• Best for predictable projects

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Agile (Scrum)

• Iterative and collaborative
  
• Used in modern product teams
  
• Includes sprints, backlogs, and standups

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‍V-Model

• Parallel development and testing
• Best when quality is critical

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8. Core Concepts and Tools

1. Test Scenarios vs Test Cases

• Scenario: “Verify login with valid inputs.”
  
• Test Case:
  
  1. Open the login page
     
  2. Enter valid credentials
     
  3. Click login
     
  4. Expect dashboard redirect

Additional Example (Manual Test Case Table):

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2. Bug Reporting Format

• Title: Login fails on mobile view
  
• Steps: Enter valid inputs → Click login
  
• Expected: Redirect to dashboard
  
• Actual: No response
  
• Severity: Major
  
• Tool: JIRA
  

3. API Testing with Postman

POST https://reqres.in/api/users 

{  
  "name": "Joshi",  
  "job": "Tester"
}‍

Expected Status: 201 Created

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4. Automation Using Playwright (JavaScript)

// JS
test('Login Test', async ({ page }) => { 
  await page.goto('https://example.com/login');
  await page.fill('#email', 'test@example.com'); 
  await page.fill('#password', '123456');  
  await page.click('#login'); 
  await expect(page).toHaveURL('https://example.com/dashboard');
});

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5. Java + Selenium Example

// Java
WebDriver driver = new ChromeDriver();
driver.get("https://example.com");
driver.findElement(By.id("email")).sendKeys("test@example.com");
driver.findElement(By.id("password")).sendKeys("password");
driver.findElement(By.id("login")).click();‍‍

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9. Example: My Daily QA Stack

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10. Installation & Setup Steps

For Automation with Playwright (JS):

// Bash
npm init playwright@latest

# Follow CLI prompts

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For Java + Selenium:

• Install Java JDK
  
• Set up Maven/Gradle
  
• Download WebDriver
  
• Use Eclipse or IntelliJ
  

For Postman:

• Download the Postman app
  
• Create collections and environments
  
• Use Collection Runner for test suites

11. The Ecosystem: QA Tools and Learning Paths

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12. Key Benefits of Learning Testing

•  High demand in the tech job market
•  No coding background required to start
•  Gateway to automation and DevOps
•  Career flexibility: QA, SDET, Automation Engineer
•  Immediate feedback and impact on product quality
•  Clear career growth path: Tester → QA Lead → SDET → QA Manager

13. Conclusion: Learning in Public Works

You don’t need to be perfect to get started. You just need curiosity and consistency.

This blog is not a textbook—it’s a real journey in progress. If you’re switching to QA or just getting started, this roadmap is for you.

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14. License & Attribution

This article is a personal learning experience published as part of internal company contributions. Free to repurpose with proper attribution to the original author.

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15. References

• ISTQB Foundation Syllabus
  
• Playwright Docs
  
• Postman Learning Center
  
• Selenium with Java
  
• Zephyr Scale

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