This FAQ provides answers to the common questions software testers have about learning test automation and test automation tools.
Pick one language, one tool, and one small workflow from a real app. Learn Git, write a few smoke tests, and run them locally and in CI such as GitHub Actions or Jenkins. If you like structure, AT*SQA's Test Automation micro-credentials give a step-by-step path you can finish alongside a small project.
Choose what fits your team and stack. Playwright is fast with cross-browser support and strong auto-waiting. Cypress has an integrated runner and easy stubbing. Selenium is widely used across languages and grids. Go deep on one before you add others.
API tests are fast and stable for logic and contracts. UI tests prove a few core user journeys. Many teams emphasize the API layer and keep UI paths thin.
TypeScript or JavaScript pair well with Playwright and Cypress. Python works well for Playwright and API testing. Java is common with Selenium and Rest Assured. Pick what your team already uses so you can contribute sooner.
Use resilient locators, avoid fixed sleeps, rely on built-in waits, and reset state through APIs or seeds. Keep data unique per run. Move fragile checks from the UI to the API where possible.
Sometimes. Playwright auto-waits for actionability. Cypress encourages waiting on or stubbing network calls where it makes sense. Selenium expects you to add explicit waits for the states you care about.
Focus on ideas that carry across stacks: test layering and the test pyramid, deterministic tests and isolation, stable selectors and waiting strategies, mocks and stubs for external calls, contract and schema validation for APIs, and maintainable patterns such as Page Object or Screenplay. A short course or micro-credential that drills waits, selectors, and layering can help these stick.
Keep locators in one place. Use Page Object or Screenplay to avoid duplication. Name tests by behavior, not by step. Tag suites for smoke, regression, and integration. Add linting and formatting in CI so the code stays tidy.
Stub when a dependency is slow, flaky, or rate limited. Keep a small set of true end to end journeys that hit real services. Document what is stubbed and why so failures are still meaningful.
Start with official docs for your chosen tool and language. Test Automation University offers curated tracks. If you want milestones for your resume, consider AT*SQA automation micro-credentials or ISTQB-aligned study toward CTAL-TAE.
Use a public API or your staging API. Validate status codes, headers, and JSON schema. Add negative and idempotency cases. Postman is fine to begin. Move to code-based tools like Rest Assured, requests, or Karate as your suite grows.
One UI project that shows login plus a core user flow with screenshots or traces, one API project with contract checks and negative cases, and a short readme that explains decisions. Link to CI runs. A compact portfolio plus a relevant credential reads better than many unfinished experiments.
If you need multi-browser coverage and strong auto-waiting, Playwright is a good fit. If your front-end team wants an integrated runner with easy stubbing, Cypress is a good fit. Try each against your CI and app to see which requires less setup and produces more stable runs.
Yes. It remains common in large organizations, supports many languages, and works with grids. Expect to manage waits and synchronization yourself.
Pick a lane for 30 to 60 days: Web UI, API, or Mobile. Set a small goal, like one reliable flow in CI with screenshots and a short report. Add another flow only after the first is stable.
You can point to a small but reliable CI suite (API and 1–2 critical UI flows) with readable code and artifacts (reports, screenshots/traces). Your tests run in parallel and use stable selectors, fixtures, and data isolation; you demonstrate basic pipeline skills (e.g., caching, containers). You can mock/stub external calls thoughtfully and still keep a few true end-to-end checks. A concise README explains design choices. Credentials are optional but help: ISTQB CTFL, ISTQB Test Automation Engineer (CTAL-TAE), A4Q Selenium Tester Foundation, Postman API Fundamentals Student Expert, or AT*SQA automation micro-credentials.
Use targeted training to close gaps your project reveals: selectors and waits, API contracts, and CI basics. Options include vendor docs, Test Automation University, ISTQB-aligned courses (e.g., CTAL-TAE), A4Q Selenium, and micro-credentials.
QACred: Credible Answers for QA Questions