QA and Testing — Roadmap¶
How this topic fits into broader learning paths and what comes before and after.
Where This Topic Sits¶
flowchart TD
A["Basic Programming\n(Python or JavaScript)"] --> B["QA and Testing\n← you are here"]
C["Software Development Lifecycle"] --> B
B --> D["django-fastapi-flask\n(web framework testing)"]
B --> E["devops-platform-engineering\n(CI/CD pipelines)"]
B --> F["javascript-typescript-react\n(frontend testing)"]
B --> G["feature-flags-monitoring\n(production quality)"]QA and Testing sits at the intersection of development skills and operational quality. It requires basic programming ability and pays dividends in every downstream topic.
Learning Path Options¶
Path A: Backend Developer¶
Focus on unit testing, integration testing, and API testing. TDD is particularly valuable here.
- Module 01 → 02 → 03 → 04 → 06 → 07 → 11
Path B: Frontend Developer¶
Focus on unit testing, E2E testing with Playwright, and accessibility testing.
- Module 01 → 02 → 03 → 05 → 10 → 11
Path C: QA Engineer / SDET¶
Cover the full curriculum with extra emphasis on strategy, metrics, and tooling.
- All 12 modules in order
Path D: DevOps / Platform Engineer¶
Focus on test integration into pipelines, performance testing, and QA strategy.
- Module 01 → 02 → 04 → 05 → 09 → 11 → 12
Prerequisites From Other Topics¶
| Prerequisite | What You Need |
|---|---|
| Basic Python | Writing functions, using pip, running scripts |
| Basic JavaScript | Functions, async/await, using npm |
| Git basics | Committing code, branches (for CI integration context) |
What This Topic Unlocks¶
After completing QA and Testing, the following topics become significantly more accessible:
| Topic | Why Testing Helps |
|---|---|
| [[django-fastapi-flask]] | Module 10 of that topic is dedicated to testing web applications; this topic provides all the prerequisites |
| [[devops-platform-engineering]] | CI/CD pipelines (Module 06 there) run test suites; understanding test structure is required |
| [[javascript-typescript-react]] | React Testing Library and Playwright are covered there; this topic provides the conceptual foundation |
| [[feature-flags-monitoring]] | A/B testing and feature flag testing patterns build directly on testing fundamentals |
Suggested Study Schedule¶
| Week | Modules | Focus |
|---|---|---|
| 1–2 | 01, 02 | Foundations: the pyramid, unit testing with pytest and Jest |
| 3–4 | 03, 04 | Mocking, stubs, integration testing |
| 5–6 | 05, 06 | E2E with Playwright, API and contract testing |
| 7–8 | 07, 08 | TDD and BDD methodology |
| 9–10 | 09, 10 | Performance testing, accessibility testing |
| 11–12 | 11, 12 | QA strategy, capstone project |
Milestones Towards Expert¶
| Level | What It Looks Like |
|---|---|
| Beginner | Can write basic pytest and Jest unit tests; understands the testing pyramid conceptually |
| Intermediate | Writes integration tests with real dependencies; uses mocks correctly; runs E2E tests with Playwright |
| Advanced | Practices TDD; writes Gherkin scenarios; implements contract tests; integrates all test tiers in CI |
| Expert | Designs QA strategies for teams; measures and improves test quality with mutation testing and coverage analysis; runs performance and chaos tests; defines quality metrics and SLAs |