Software tester is a sought-after profession. A tester is more than a profession The software testing market
IT is developing, new products are constantly being created that require verification before entering the market so that the end user receives a quality product. It depends on the tester in what condition the product will hit the market.
Who is a tester
In any case, it is important to receive a response in time, feedback on your work, it is desirable that they be objective. It's the same with programmers - in order to achieve high results, you need to receive positive and negative feedback about the work done as soon as possible. The task of the tester is to give feedback to programmers. The faster the response is received, the sooner the programmers will fix the error, if any.
Speaking specifically, who is a tester and what he does, then this is a person who checks the work done by the development team, points out errors in the work software(website, application, chatbot, etc.).
It's hard enough to define the word "testing", but it's not:
- development - even if the tester knows how to write code, testing is not software development;
- analysis and data collection - although in the work you have to refine the data, analyze them, but this work is done only when needed, not constantly;
- technical writing - in this case, the tester has to document his work and tests.
Testing does not belong to any of these activities, because they do all this work to facilitate the process of their own work.
Types of testing
There are no universal testers, otherwise the work would be of poor quality. There are several types of testing with their own characteristics.
Functional testing
Functional testing is based on the analysis of the specifications of the functionality of certain components or the system as a whole. Tests in this form are based on the functions that the system performs. Usually these functions are described in requirements, specifications.
The main advantage of functional testing is the simulation of the actual use of the system during testing. Disadvantage 2:
- the possibility of missing logical errors in the software;
- redundant testing.
Stress Testing
Load testing is also called performance testing. This is an automated type of testing that simulates the operation of the system.
The main task of this type of testing is to determine the capabilities of the application under certain loads. This must take into account:
- the time of performing operations at a certain intensity of their execution;
- the number of users who use the application at a time;
- the limits of acceptable performance with increased load;
- performance at very high load levels.
It also tests the reliability of the application. This is determined by the performance of the application during many hours of software testing with an average load.
Automated testing
Automated testing is software testing during which the main functions and testing steps are performed automatically using special tools. Checked actions include:
- launch;
- initialization;
- test execution;
- analysis;
- issuing a result.
The tester in this case creates, debugs and maintains test scripts, test suites and testing tools in automatic mode.
Usability testing
This is testing for the usability of the interface by the end user. Thanks to usability testing, you can find out how the product meets expectations and is comfortable to use. The usability tester must look at the product through the eyes of the user. During the verification process, it performs typical tasks that the user will do in the future, and brings the product to a better version, if necessary.
Usability testing can come in handy in several ways:
- interface usability testing;
- comparison of the product with competitors;
- comparison of several versions of interfaces of one product.
In this case, not only sites are tested. There are many other interfaces: voice, print forms, business processes, applications for smartphones and computers, and others.
Integration testing
The essence of integration testing is to check the connection of the components of the whole product and their interaction with other parts of the system.
There are several types of this testing:
- bottom-up - all modules, procedures, low-level functions are assembled together and tested, after which the next level of components is assembled;
- from top to bottom - first of all, high-level components are tested, then the level gradually decreases;
- big bang - all components, low-level and high-level, are put together and tested together, so you can do a quick test.
Configuration testing
Aimed at checking the functionality of the product in various configurations:
- platforms;
- drivers;
- computer configurations.
At the server level of verification, the interaction of the product with the environment where it will be installed is checked. The main task of this stage is to find out the optimal hardware configuration for working with the product.
At the client level, it turns out how convenient it is to use the product, its functionality.
Security Testing
Security testing is carried out to check security, analyze the risks associated with hacker attacks and viruses. The main task of safety testing is to establish maximum safety and comfort when using a product.
Testing principles:
- availability;
- confidentiality;
- integrity.
Game testing
Game testing, despite the attractive name, is quite complicated and dreary. Its main goal is to check the game for bugs so that the product reaches the consumer in a high-quality form. The game and its segments have to be played and replayed several dozen times, since fixing one bug can lead to another bug. All testing is done manually and takes a very long time. In addition, games can have several versions, for example, for a computer and an Android smartphone - then the test has its own characteristics and the number of tests is doubled.
What skills does a tester need?
The main quality of a good tester is passion for his work. You also need to strive for self-realization in this area. To increase the level of testing, you need to constantly study information on how to improve the quality of work, what features certain products may have.
Requirements for a software tester (plus / minus depending on the company):
- Understanding what a bug is, a test case, a testing strategy (and the ability to build it), a bug report;
- Basic knowledge of automated testing;
- Quick learner, adaptability to a rapidly changing environment;
- Ability to work with the database - basic concepts and queries;
- Communication skills - important for interaction with the team;
- Analytic mind;
- Ability to quickly process large amounts of information.
Knowledge of java, python for a tester and other programming languages may also come in handy. But at the same time, their knowledge can interfere with the work, since the tester may try to correct other people's mistakes, that is, do not do their job. And that reduces the quality.
Tester salary
The average salary of a tester in Moscow is about 70 thousand rubles, in St. Petersburg - 50. Yekaterinburg is a little behind - 45 thousand rubles. In smaller cities, wages are lower. In Volgograd, Voronezh, Perm, Ufa, Kazan, the salary is 33-40 thousand rubles.
Novice testers without experience can expect a salary that is half or 2/3 of the average tester salary in the city.
A tester with a higher education and work experience of at least 1 year can count on a salary of 65 thousand in St. Petersburg and 80 thousand in Moscow. The maximum income in the capital is 150 thousand, in St. Petersburg - 120 thousand rubles.
Above 150 thousand income are specialists involved in the verification of complex products. Gaming and usability specialists earn the least.
A tester at home earns about the same as in the office. For the most part, freelancing salaries here depend on the city in which the employer is located. Sometimes software development companies from Moscow specifically look for a specialist from a small town in order to pay less. In addition, freelancing for testers is an opportunity to combine several projects and earn more.
How to become a tester
To become a tester, it is not necessary to have a higher education. It is important to be able to concentrate attention, not to miss the little things. You can even become a tester from scratch, but you still need to have some knowledge. For example, you need to be able to handle a computer and programs like “you”, be able to navigate in unfamiliar environments. It is also good to know at least one programming language, to understand the basics of the database.
If you have a higher education - good. Companies prefer applicants with a technical background, as they are the ones who have an analytical mindset. But if education is humanitarian, do not despair. You need to create a resume in which to place information about what projects you had to deal with. Even if there is no work experience, but there are term papers with a practical part, a thesis, experience in internship in IT - all this should be included in the resume to attract attention. Be sure to indicate your main advantages that may be useful in the work of a tester. These can be: attention to detail, perseverance, familiarity with computer software, empathy, knowledge of programming languages, knowledge of foreign languages.
In preparing for the interview, you should familiarize yourself with the following topics:
- software quality assurance;
- what is testing;
- types of testing;
- testing levels;
- test artifacts and their purpose;
- familiarity with test design;
- test automation and its types;
- test metrics, how to use them.
Courses for testers
The easiest way to learn the basics of testing is . The main thing is that they be of high quality, and the curators do not pour “water”.
There are such platforms and schools as GikBrains, Testbase, Alexei Sukhorukov Academy and others. You can choose the level of training, or you can take a stress course to find out what knowledge is not enough.
There is a training center at Bauman Moscow State Technical University that regularly conducts testing courses. They are led by practitioners.
Do not miss the opportunity to attend internships. You will have to work for free, but you can gain experience. You can find internships on the headhater’s website or by searching Google for “tester internship in (city name)”.
There are not many open internship offers, but you can independently offer your services to companies that produce software, games, applications, websites.
Is it worth it to be a tester?
As you can see, the profession of a tester has its pros and cons. There is no need to force yourself to this work - you will get bored very quickly, because it requires perseverance, meticulousness. If you didn’t manage to find yourself on the path of a programmer, developer, it might be worth trying yourself in testing. The main disadvantages of the profession:
- you need to be extremely attentive, pedantic, assiduous;
- great responsibility;
- testing is not taught at the university.
- it’s enough just to learn at least the basics of testing yourself;
- employers hire testers without experience;
- cultivating willpower, patience.
Tester, tester, QA engineer, Software Quality Assurance Engineer - specialists in functional software testing are called differently, but the essence of the work is the same for everyone: together with the software developer (software), they provide the best quality of the software product.
general description
Software testing is an activity performed to evaluate and improve the quality of software. In most cases, it is based on the detection of defects in software systems. Testers act in two roles at the same time - both as users and as experts in identifying problems. On the one hand, they build an algorithm for the behavior of a typical user when solving problems using this software product, and on the other hand, they compare the results of the program with benchmarks, study debugging information, and so on, that is, they search for probable errors and failures in the functioning of the program.
By simulating various situations that may arise during the use of the program, testers try to find out whether the result matches the initial expectations. They report errors and incorrect behavior of the program to software developers so that they can fix them before the moment when the application falls into the hands of the end user.
Software testing is seen by many young IT professionals as the start of a career in information technologies and the first step to gain experience and knowledge in software development with the aim of further work as a programmer.
Education
Not a single Russian university teaches such a profession as a software functional testing specialist, because in Russia the software production industry has only recently begun to take shape, and a real division of labor in this area has begun.
Although a higher technical education in the field of information technology is not a necessary condition for an applicant for a tester vacancy, as a rule, employers first of all consider just such candidates, since such a diploma indicates that a specialist has basic skills in programming and knowledge of basic technologies. Vitaly Anatolyevich Maltsev, a reader of the Encyclopedia of Career, notes: “Personally, I expect from a programmer knowledge of programming principles, good command of sound logic, the ability to learn and adapt to existing tasks. And this person must have a certain mindset. If he does not know PHP today, but tomorrow he needs this knowledge, then he will study it and apply it.
A plus for the applicant will be the presence of a diploma of completion of specialized courses, the focus of which depends on the position for which he is applying. So, if a company needs a head of the testing department, then it will not hurt to undergo trainings on the organization of quality management. And in the case when an employer needs a specialist with knowledge of automated testing, a certificate of completion of IBM Rational Robot courses will be just right.
Related careers
Professional testing implies the following features: coverage of the program functionality with tests (autotests); knowledge of the system under which testing takes place; experience of similar work; intuitive sense of error detection. The owners of all of the above are programmers, but they are more highly paid specialists in the labor market. Therefore, there is an opinion that in most cases, novice programmers become testers.
At the same time, many applicants consciously make their choice in favor of testing rather than programming from the very beginning. Such people see the specifics of their work in a slightly different perspective. The programmer has a creative mind, and the tester, first of all, has a special gift to “disassemble and break” everything that falls into his hands. Very often enthusiastic people come to this profession, for whom the opportunity to be the first to see and try out a new program or computer game is of great importance.
Functional responsibilities
The main responsibilities of a software functional testing specialist are as follows:
- development of plans, schedules, methods and descriptions of testing;
simulation of situations that may arise in the conditions of actual operation of the software;
development of test software modules;
filling database tables with test data;
analysis of the results obtained during the tests;
description of the identified errors and their entry into a special database for the current software product;
control over the process of elimination of identified errors by the software developer;
communication with developers and clients.
Skills
A tester is a specialist with a good memory, able to quickly switch from one type of task to another, able not only to write code that covers the functionality, but also to come up with various tests and even intuitively predict where the program might “fall off”. He should understand at least at the level of an advanced user in the features operating system in which testing is performed, be able to use special software for automated testing and error logging (WinRunner, TestComplete, TestExecute, TestRecorder), work with packages necessary for professional activities (various bug-tracking systems), have basic knowledge of the programming language in which test program is written. It is also desirable to have knowledge in a specific area for which software is being developed. For example, if we are talking about the 1C program, then the minimum information in the field of accounting is simply necessary.
Of the qualities that a specialist needs to possess, one can single out communication skills and the ability to work in a team, because in some companies, for example, XP testing is used (working in tandem with another tester). Patience and perseverance are equally important for applicants. Firstly, because the work of a tester is painstaking work on checking hundreds of options for the functioning of one module. Secondly, since one of the main duties of a specialist is to document the results of his work (preparation of test-cases, test-plans and check-lists), and this is a rather laborious task, especially since documents often have to be rewritten or edited from version to version. In addition, the applicant must have healthy curiosity, so that he would be interested in doing not only what is indicated in the documentation, but also trying to experiment.
Pros and cons
Due to the fact that the formation of the profession "software tester" is at an early stage, the emergence of methods for training such specialists is also late. Until now, in many companies, testers are involved only at the final stages of the project, instructing them to test the interface and general functionality. At the same time, there is a departure from the methodology of testing itself and no test documentation is accumulated, which is so necessary for the subsequent development of the project. Unfortunately, there are even companies that do not record errors found during testing.
The disadvantages of the profession include the allocation of insufficient resources for testing and the lack of experienced professional testers in the team, which naturally negatively affects the overall results of work. Among the shortcomings, one can point out the monotony and monotony of the labor process, it is not for nothing that most experts assure that in order to work as a tester, you need an appropriate character, because not everyone can withstand pressing various buttons all day long, entering test data and carefully logging their actions. However, there is a solution to this problem - either the growth of a specialist within the company, or a change of projects.
An obvious plus of the profession is the possibility of remote work, and the distance does not matter at all, whether it is another city or even another country. This position is a good start for applicants who are ready to link their future activities with the IT field, as it allows them to “get in the know”, in practice, understanding all the nuances of this professional field.
Salary
In most cases, the income level of testers is approximately 80% of the programmer's salary and, depending on their work experience, varies from $700-800 for beginners to $1500-2000 for professionals.
prospects
Today, highly qualified testers are in great demand in the labor market. It makes sense for such specialists to build their career in a horizontal direction - to master new methods and technologies of software testing, to participate in various projects. Vertical growth is limited to a small number of steps that you can climb: lead tester, test team leader, system analyst, project manager. Having solid experience in the last two positions, the chances of taking the position of head of the company's technical control department are quite high.
A tester is a specialist who is engaged in testing software (software) in order to identify errors in its work and then correct them. However, there is a slightly different name for this profession - QA Tester (or QA Manager, Engineer), which usually includes a wider range of responsibilities. The tester controls the quality of the product after its development, while the task of the QA tester is to ensure product quality at all stages of software development, release and operation.
Places of work
The profession of a tester is primarily in demand in IT companies that develop software, computer games and Internet sites.
Tester Responsibilities
Key responsibilities of a tester:
- Quality control of developed products.
- Identification and analysis of errors and problems that users encounter when working with software products.
- Development of autotests and their regular run.
- Development of test scenarios.
- Documentation of found defects.
Also, the position of a tester may involve the preparation of technical documentation in Russian and foreign (more often English) languages.
Requirements for a tester
Main requirements for a tester:
- Experience in organizing and conducting various types of testing.
- Knowledge of programming languages.
- Knowledge of tools and libraries for autotesting.
- Experience in writing automated tests.
- Higher education.
- Analytic skills.
Additional requirements:
- Ability to test web applications.
- Knowledge of mobile platforms (iOS, Android).
- Knowledge of English at a level sufficient to read and write technical texts.
tester resume sample
How to become a tester
There are no universities in Russia that teach this profession, so the functions of a tester can be successfully performed by people with an analytical mindset and higher technical or secondary specialized education.
The best way to become a tester is to go learn programming and understand in practice how software is created, what difficulties programmers face and how software debugging works.
Tester salary
The salary of a tester varies from 30 to 130 thousand rubles per month. High earnings, most often, can be found in Moscow or other million-plus cities. The average salary of a tester is 70 rubles per month.
Software testing. Level 1. 1 month.
Theoretical knowledge and initial experience
At present, the profession of a tester has become relevant in the IT field more than ever. First of all, there is a high demand for specialists involved in software testing. The main duties of such employees are to identify errors in the operation of programs and simulate various situations associated with their additional workload. Thus, by detecting and describing errors, sending reports about them for making corrections to the program, testers constantly interact with the development team. The GeekBrains Software Tester Level 1 course is for those who want to start a career in software testing. Within its framework, the theory and practice of creating test cases, test kits, bugs and reporting on test results are considered. This course is 8 practical sessions where you will gain the knowledge and skills necessary to easily get involved in the work on creating and improving an IT project.
Lesson 1
What is testing. How to determine software quality (ISO standards, quality criteria, metrics). Categories of software errors. Terminology.
Lesson 2
Software development cycle. Software testing cycle. Types of tests in the software development process. Compliance of testing with software development methodology.
Lesson 3
Definition and structure of test cases. Characteristics of a good test Axioms of testing. Maintainability of test cases. Quality management systems. Test kits. Checklists. Preparing test data.
Lesson 4. Equivalence classes and boundary conditions. Planning and working with requirements
Definition and search of Equivalence Classes. Boundaries of equivalence classes. Work with software requirements. Participation in software release planning. What to do if there is no documentation.
Lesson 5
Definition and functions of a bug tracker. How to correctly formulate tasks. The life cycle (workflow) of errors. Operational tracking of issues in the bug tracker.
Lesson 6
Purpose of regression testing. When is regression testing required? Selection of test kits for regression testing. Prioritization and optimization of test kits.
Lesson 7
Job hierarchy in testing. Planning and estimation of terms for testing. Test start/end criterion. Reporting on test results. Workplace preparation.
Lesson 8: Testing the User Interface
Features of testing user interfaces GUI and web applications.
Software testing. Level 2. 1 month.
Working with documentation and testing applications
Many people think that the profession of a tester is boring and monotonous. However, this opinion is unfair. A professional tester is, first of all, a person who can creatively approach the solution of the tasks facing him. The experience gained in this profession can be a stepping stone to a career as a programmer. An important feature of the work of a tester is the possibility of full-fledged outsourcing and freelancing. The GeekBrains Software Tester Level 2 course is designed for those who are already familiar with the basics of testing and want to gain deeper knowledge and skills required to start a career in the IT field. Within its framework, methods for studying software under test are analyzed, techniques for determining the required number of tests and ways to visualize the tested functionality are studied. This course consists of 8 practical sessions, after which you will be able to prove yourself as an expert user of the software, having your own vision of the best organization of the testing process.
Lesson 1. Test analysis. Software research
Types and purposes of software research. Application decomposition.
Lesson 2
Lesson 3
Creation of a test set. Minimum checks. Enumeration of values. Atomic checks. Pairwise. Method of interrelated checks.
Lesson 4: Testing States and Transitions
Software analysis for possible states and transitions. Identification of life cycles of entities and combination of states. Selection of valid checks.
Lesson 5
Select the terms of the business requirement. Create decision tables. Combining tests based on a decision table.
Lesson 6
Definition of the software functionality to be tested. Identification of potential errors and their gradation. Definition of strategy.
Lesson 7
Goals and objectives of the testing strategy. The choice of suitable techniques depending on the functionality and features. Accounting for non-functional testing.
Lesson 8
Test coverage evaluation. Evaluation of the effectiveness of tests.
Introduction to test automation. 1 month.
Automated testing
Automation is part of the overall testing process and is an important part of building work and tracking the testing process within software development. On the course, you will analyze various aspects of using approaches to building automated testing processes. Find out what types of software for conducting autotests. Understand how to automate testing processes and create your first autotests.
Lesson 1: Introduction to Automated Testing
What is automated testing; What are the types of automated testing? design choice: manual or automated; black and white box in automation; review and selection of tools.
Lesson 2. Strategy for automated testing. Practical test creation with Autoit.
Deciding on the introduction of automation; designing autotests; automated testing strategies; automation deployment process; test environment for automation; creating an autotest with Autoit.
Lesson 3
Types of automated testing; automated functional testing; usability testing tools; automated load testing.
Lesson 4. The Selenium project and its components.
Goals, tasks, features of Selenium. selenium webdriver. Selenium RC. selenium server. selenium grid. An example of using Selenium IDE in practice.
Lesson 5
Stress Testing; principles and practice of building load tests; tool overview; an example using Apache Jmeter.
Lesson 6
Mobile application testing; automated tools - overview, selection; Stress Testing; mobile emulators; mobile farms.
Lesson 7
Automation of the testing process and test creation; utilities for automating testing processes; test generation; frameworks; plugins.
Lesson 8
Requirements, tasks; systems for working with requirements and setting tasks; bug tracking systems; setting up testing processes and their automation and tools.
Database fundamentals. 20 lessons.
Database design and SQL queries
Databases (DB) are data storage and processing systems accessed using SQL (Structured Query Language). Any modern website, game or desktop application needs data storage. At the moment, there are many different database management systems (DBMS), the most popular being MySQL. “Database Fundamentals” is 20 intensive video lessons (10 minutes each), where we will go through all the stages of database design together using the example of an online store using the SQL query language. After this course, you will be able to use various databases such as MS SQL and Postgre Sql, since the syntax of the SQL language is almost the same for them.
Lesson 1
What is the difference between a database and a DBMS? what databases are called relational; review of modern DBMS.
Lesson 2
Installing the MySql DBMS and the Mysql Workbench graphical application.
Lesson 3
Data design in Excel; normal forms; primary key.
Lesson 4
Creating tables in the MySql Workbench GUI; CREATE command; data types; work in the console.
Lesson 5
Filling tables with data using a graphical interface; INSERT command; AUTO INCREMENT.
Lesson 7
Retrieving and filtering data using the DISTINCT and LIMIT SQL commands; sorting with the ORDER BY command.
Lesson 9
The concept of consistency or data consistency.
Lesson 10
The concept of a foreign key and constraints on column values; FOREIGN KEY CONSTRAINTS.
The field of testing is developing rapidly. If a few years ago it was possible to get a job as a manual tester with little knowledge and experience and learn directly at work, then in 2018 it is already more difficult to do so. Below is a minimal list of what you need to know to work as a tester - or QA engineer, as members of our profession are increasingly called - and not a monkey who just poke buttons.
The task of the tester is to make sure that all the product features described in the functional task work as expected. It detects work errors, or bugs, by different types of testing. The design, frontend, and server side are checked for bugs - and more than once. If you want to order from us mobile app, you can rely on our quality department, which employs some of the most demanding people in the company. You can discuss cooperation after you fill out.
What are the main human qualities of a tester
- soft skills. I think they are more important than hard skills. The latter can be developed or memorized, but soft skills are most often born. Communication in our business is almost the main part of the work, and the ability to find a common language even with those who cause hostility is extremely important;
- Ability to communicate effectively orally and in writing. Since we write a lot of different reports, this is also very important. Slurred scribbling can greatly complicate the work of the entire team;
- proactivity and willingness to take responsibility. You can't just sit back and wait to be told what to do. It is important to understand that you are part of a team and your action or inaction directly affects the quality of the product and, as a result, the company;
- planning your time using a calendar, task tracker, diary or notepad. It is important to see ahead of time where there may be downtime or overload in the work, and take steps to smooth them out.
What should a tester know and be able to do?
We have compiled a list of key skills and abilities of software testers. So, the tester should:
- speak English at the level of reading;
- to have patience, attentiveness and the ability to look at the same thing from different points of view. It's the most important;
- know what a user story is, check list and test case, be able to compose them correctly;
- understand what types and types of testing exist and when to apply them. It will help to understand: "Software testing - basic concepts and definitions";
- know how to use the bug tracker. In it YouTrack, but if you have learned to use one, consider that you have learned to use all;
- be proficient in test design techniques, at least analysis of equivalence classes and boundary values and state transition diagrams;
- have a general understanding of iOS and Android guidelines;
- be an experienced user of at least one of the operating systems;
- understand the principles of client-server interaction;
- the software tester must be able to deal with the product in the absence of documentation;
- work with IDE (Xcode / Android Studio);
- sniffer and modify traffic via Fiddler /Charles ;
- construct queries in Postman ;
- know what the browserstack is for;
- create emulators in Genymotion, Android Studio, Xcode;
- to have or develop a sense of beauty. Gorbunov's bureau can help here;
- understand what cross-platform applications are and how they differ from native ones. Will help to understand: ;
- work with VirtualBox and Vagrant virtual environment;
- understand how it works and know the basic commands of Git. It will help you figure it out: "Git Basics";
- be able to use the tool for developing test scripts Selenium IDE;
- understand how the Yandex Tank load testing tool works and be able to configure it.
Nice plus if you:
- have automation skills with Appium, Katalon studio;
- have deep knowledge of Selenium WebDriver;
- know how to organize load testing using Apache jMeter;
- know how to conduct security testing for a mobile or web application.
Where can a beginner start?
Let's figure out how to become a software tester from scratch and what a novice tester needs to know. List of books and useful articles worth reading:
- "Dot-com testing" by Roman Savin. The book is not new, but will give a basic understanding of the specialization;
- Tap into mobile application testing, Jonathan Kohl. A book about the specifics of mobile application testing;
- guidelines
