Golad Academy · Course syllabus
Software Testing & QA
- Duration
- 12 weeks
- Skill level
- Beginner to Intermediate
- Next cohort
- 1 March 2027
- Course price
- £99
Overview
The Software Testing & QA course provides essential knowledge and practical skills to ensure software quality and reliability. Learn testing principles, methodologies, automation tools, and quality assurance practices. Designed for beginners and professionals, this course equips you to identify bugs, improve performance, and deliver secure, high-quality software confidently.
Format: Live online classes + GADLE
Learning outcomes
- Plan and design tests using ISTQB techniques
- Write clear defect reports and manage defects in Jira
- Perform functional, regression, API and cross-browser testing
- Automate UI tests with Selenium or Playwright, and API tests with Postman
- Run automated tests in CI/CD pipelines
- Report QA metrics and quality risks to stakeholders
Curriculum
Module 1: Introduction to Software Testing & QA
- Overview of Software Testing and QA Roles
- Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) and QA Involvement
- Testing Principles and Objectives
- Testing Levels and Types: Unit, Integration, System, Acceptance
Module 2: Testing Methodologies
- Manual vs Automated Testing
- Agile Testing Methodologies
- Risk-Based and Exploratory Testing
- Test Planning and Test Case Design
Module 3: Test Planning & Documentation
- Writing Test Plans and Defining Scope
- Test Strategy and Entry/Exit Criteria
- Traceability Matrices and Requirement Coverage
- Reporting Defects and QA Documentation Best Practices
Module 4: Functional Testing
- Understanding Functional Requirements
- Test Case Creation for Functional Scenarios
- Regression Testing and Retesting
- Integration Testing Techniques
Module 5: Non-Functional Testing
- Performance Testing: Load, Stress, Scalability
- Usability Testing: Accessibility, User Experience
- Security Testing Basics
- Compatibility and Cross-Browser Testing
Module 6: Automated Testing Fundamentals
- Introduction to Test Automation Benefits and Challenges
- Automation Frameworks: Keyword-Driven, Data-Driven, Hybrid
- Writing Automated Test Scripts
- Continuous Testing in CI/CD Pipelines
Module 7: Defect Management & Bug Tracking
- Bug Lifecycle and Defect Reporting Standards
- Prioritization and Severity Classification
- Tracking, Communicating, and Resolving Defects
- Using Dashboards for Defect Trends and Analytics
Module 8: Quality Assurance Metrics & Reporting
- QA KPIs: Test Coverage, Defect Density, Mean Time to Detect/Resolve
- QA Metrics Dashboards
- Monitoring Testing Effectiveness and Efficiency
- Continuous Improvement using QA Metrics
Module 9: Security & Compliance Testing
- Understanding Compliance Requirements (GDPR, HIPAA, ISO Standards)
- Vulnerability Scanning and Penetration Basics
- Security Test Cases and Risk Assessment
- Auditing and Reporting Security Findings
Module 10: Mobile & Web Application Testing
- Mobile App Testing: Functional, Performance, Usability
- Web App Testing: Browser Compatibility, Responsiveness
- Automation for Mobile and Web Apps
- Cloud-Based Testing Environments
Module 11: Agile QA Practices
- Agile Testing Strategies and Principles
- Test-Driven Development (TDD) and Behavior-Driven Development (BDD)
- Continuous Integration and Continuous Testing
- Collaboration with Agile Teams for Quality Delivery
Module 12: Capstone Project & Career Workshop
- Capstone: Develop a Full QA Plan and Automated Test Suite for a Sample Application
- Execute Manual and Automated Tests, Generate Reports and Dashboards
- Present Test Results and Quality Improvement Recommendations
- Career Workshop: Resume Building, LinkedIn Branding, Interview Preparation
Industry-extension modules (optional, on GADLE)
- API & Performance Testing in Depth — REST API testing with Postman and Newman; Contract and schema validation; Load and stress testing with JMeter or k6; Analysing and reporting performance results
- Accessibility & AI in Testing — WCAG 2.2 accessibility testing with axe and screen readers; Testing AI features and chatbots; AI-assisted test design, and its limits; Building a quality strategy for a product team
Tools
Jira, TestRail, Zephyr, Selenium WebDriver, Playwright, Cypress, Postman, JMeter, BrowserStack, GitHub Actions
Prepares you for
- ISTQB® Certified Tester Foundation Level (CTFL v4.0)
- ISTQB® Agile Tester
- ISTQB® Test Automation Engineer (next step)
Career paths
QA Tester, Software Test Analyst, QA Engineer, Test Automation Engineer, UAT Analyst, Quality Assurance Analyst
What you’ll gain
Improves Software Quality · Reduces Costs · Enhances Security · Boosts User Satisfaction