This introductory course develops your ability to design effective tests, enabling you to contribute more confidently within software delivery teams. Throughout the course, you will apply structured, systematic approaches to testing, gaining experience in areas such as requirements-based test design, defect management, and both static and dynamic testing. This ensures you not only understand key concepts but can apply them in practice.
Introduction to Test Engineering
Foundational skills for aspiring software testers
Designed for individuals at the beginning of their career or seeking a cross-functional understanding of testing practices, this course offers an introduction to the end-to-end test process. You’ll explore core test design techniques and understand how testing supports quality throughout the software development lifecycle, including within Agile and DevOps environments. Build essential skills in raising and managing defects, recording test outcomes, and contributing to both component and system-level testing activities.
Learning objectives
- Define the core principles and purpose of software testing
- Recognise how testing operates within Agile and DevOps environments
- Apply specification-based techniques to design effective test cases
- Identify developer testing practices and where they fit in the development lifecycle
- Manage and document defects in line with standard testing processes
- Explain the role of automation within a testing workflow
- Describe how continuous integration supports ongoing software quality
- Design and execute practical test cases
Key facts
Certification
This is a skills and knowledge-based course with no formal certification.
Who it’s for
Designed for those new to software testing who want to gain an understanding of the key concepts and skills required.
Prerequisites
There are no formal prerequisites for this course.
Exam information
There is no formal exam associated with this course.
Optional extras
There are no optional extras to accompany this course.
Pre-course
There is no pre-course work.
Course syllabus
Dive into the detail of the course by looking at the syllabus below.
- Overview of traditional vs Agile vs DevOps working environments
- Static test techniques
- Formal reviews
- Informal reviews
- Developer testing and code coverage measures
- Continuous integration and testing
- Practice in specification-based techniques
- Equivalence partitioning
- Boundary value analysis
- Classification trees
- Pairwise testing
- Decision table testing
- State transition testing
- Process cycle testing
- Model-based testing
- User story testing
- Test automation (with tool demonstration)
- Raising and managing defects
FAQs
Software testing plays an important role in delivering reliable applications. This course introduces the core techniques and practices used by testers, helping those new to the discipline understand how testing supports development teams and contributes to improved software quality.
How does this course relate to Agile and DevOps environments?
The course will teach you how testing fits within different delivery approaches, including traditional models, Agile teams and DevOps environments. You will gain an understanding of how testing supports frequent releases, and collaboration between developers and testers, plus learn continuous integration practices that help identify defects earlier in the development lifecycle.
What is the difference between developer and tester-led testing?
Developer testing typically focuses on validating individual pieces of code during development, often using techniques such as unit testing and code coverage measurement. Tester-led testing focuses on evaluating the behaviour of the system from a broader perspective using structured test design techniques to ensure the software meets requirements and works as expected.
What career opportunities will this course help me with?
The Introduction to Test Engineering course opens doors to a range of roles in software development and quality assurance, including entry-level positions such as, Test Engineer, QA Analyst and Software Tester.
This distinction is explored within the course, helping you understand how different testing roles and activities work together to support effective software quality across the development lifecycle.
How does testing support software development teams?
Testing helps development teams identify defects, validate requirements and assess system behaviour against expected outcomes. By applying structured testing techniques and managing defects effectively, testers provide valuable feedback during development. This helps teams detect issues earlier and deliver more reliable software.
Is the course relevant for roles outside dedicated testing teams?
Yes. While the course is aimed at people starting a career in software testing, it can also benefit professionals who work alongside testers, such as developers, analysts or project team members. Understanding how testing works helps teams collaborate more effectively and contributes to improving overall software quality.
Can this course help me move into a software testing role?
This course offers an introduction to the techniques, terminology and practices used in software testing. It provides the foundational knowledge needed for those looking to start a career in testing or move into testing responsibilities as part of a broader software development role.
What our customers say
Rosie was very friendly and kind whilst teaching the course. She clearly knew more than just the content she was teaching and was able to offer different ways of viewing the content in order to help us understand the concepts. Overall she was a fantastic trainer.
George Stephens
Introduction to Test Engineering
Introduction to Test Engineering
Rosie was a very well spoken trainer who broke down the training very well. I was able to understand the content and was able to contribute to disscussions and activities. Thank you Rosie!
Rio Kandekore
Introduction to Test Engineering
Introduction to Test Engineering
Rosie has good knowledge of the course material and presenting it however she may need to review the data within the course for presenting and examples as some confusion was caused when she got a little confused about the data.
Keiron Webb
Introduction to Test Engineering
Introduction to Test Engineering
Very thorough explanations of all the concepts and test techniques covered, plenty of class engagement and applications and realisation of labelling the techniques to what we do already in our day-to-day testing lives on projects
Zak Polley
Introduction to Test Engineering
Introduction to Test Engineering
the course was rely good Rosie Sheldon was rely good at explaining how things work
Ibrahim Waraich
Introduction to Test Engineering
Introduction to Test Engineering
Course covered a wide range of topic in good detail and had enough exercises to go through the differnet approaches and methods to testing.
Adriano Aru
Introduction to Test Engineering
Introduction to Test Engineering
She was extremely lovely in her learning. so skilled a asset so well explained i really enjoyed this course lernt alot
Samadul Islam
Introduction to Test Engineering
Introduction to Test Engineering
Good course with a helpful and patient instructor
Emrys Ruck
Introduction to Test Engineering
Introduction to Test Engineering
Good detail, I liked the examples and the walkthrough of the different types of reporting tests. It was engaging and a nice short course
pacey clark
Introduction to Test Engineering
Introduction to Test Engineering
Overall the course was very informative and packed with information which I enjoyed learning. Maybe a few more engagement exercises would be useful.
William Pollyn
Introduction to Test Engineering
Introduction to Test Engineering
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