How to Be QA Automation Developer - Job Description, Skills, and Interview Questions

Nov 17, 2021   /   5 Minutes Read   /   By Albert
  • How to Become
  • Job Descriptions
  • Skill & Competencies
  • Interview Questions
  • Common Tools
  • Professional Organizations
  • FAQ
  • Links

    • The increasing demand for automation in the software development process has caused a surge in the need for QA Automation Developers. In order to fulfill this need, organizations are now actively looking for developers with a range of skill sets, such as an understanding of different programming languages, debugging techniques, and software testing tools. As a result, these professionals are in high demand and can command a higher salary than their non-automation counterparts.

    QA Automation Developers are often expected to have a deep understanding of their organization's software development processes and be able to anticipate potential defects before they occur. This is a key factor in ensuring that any automation tests are both reliable and effective in finding potential software issues.

    Steps How to Become

    1. Gain experience in software testing. To become a QA Automation Developer, you’ll need to have a solid understanding of software testing. You should have experience in manual testing, writing test plans, creating test cases, and executing tests.
    2. Learn programming language. You’ll need to learn a programming language such as C#, Java, or Python to become a QA Automation Developer. It’s important to learn a language that’s commonly used in the software industry.
    3. Become familiar with automation tools. To become a QA Automation Developer, you’ll need to be familiar with automation tools such as Selenium, Appium, and Cucumber. These tools are used to automate tests and improve the speed of the software development process.
    4. Gain experience in API testing. API testing is essential for QA Automation Developers. You’ll need to have experience in testing APIs and writing automated tests for them.
    5. Learn test-driven development. Test-driven development is an important skill for QA Automation Developers. It involves writing tests for a feature before developing it to ensure it meets the requirements.
    6. Develop a portfolio. You’ll need to develop a portfolio of projects to show potential employers your skills and experience. This should include projects that demonstrate your knowledge of automation tools, programming languages, and API testing.

    Staying ahead and efficient as an automation developer requires dedication, discipline and foresight. Dedication to the job means devoting time and effort to the task, and understanding the importance of the job. Discipline is necessary to ensure that tasks are completed in a timely and effective manner.

    Foresight helps the automation developer anticipate upcoming needs and plan accordingly. In addition, staying abreast of the latest technology, trends, and tools also helps the developer remain ahead of the curve. Furthermore, employing agile development techniques and automation frameworks allows for faster testing cycles and improved efficiency.

    Finally, effective communication between stakeholders and developers is key to ensuring a successful project outcome. By taking all these factors into consideration, an automation developer can stay ahead and be more efficient.

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    Job Description

    1. Develop and maintain automated test scripts using a variety of tools and languages such as Selenium, Cucumber, Java, JavaScript and Python.
    2. Design, develop, and execute automated tests for web applications and API services.
    3. Configure and maintain test automation frameworks and environments.
    4. Develop and maintain detailed test plans and test cases.
    5. Monitor test execution, analyze results, and debug test failures.
    6. Analyze system requirements and develop automated test plans to validate functional and nonfunctional requirements.
    7. Identify opportunities for automation and suggest improvements where appropriate.
    8. Work closely with software developers, product owners and other stakeholders to ensure the quality of the system being tested.
    9. Document defects and collaborate with developers to ensure timely resolution.
    10. Advise on best practices in automation testing, including code reviews and maintenance.

    Skills and Competencies to Have

    1. Knowledge of software development processes and methodologies, such as Agile and Scrum.
    2. Knowledge of programming languages such as Java, Python, C#, and JavaScript.
    3. Familiarity with automation frameworks such as Selenium, Cucumber, and Robot Framework.
    4. Ability to write and maintain automated tests for web applications.
    5. Experience with source control systems such as Git and Subversion.
    6. Knowledge of databases, SQL, and NoSQL.
    7. Understanding of software testing principles such as functional, regression, and integration testing.
    8. Familiarity with continuous integration/continuous delivery (CI/CD) pipelines.
    9. Understanding of object-oriented design principles and design patterns.
    10. Ability to work in a team environment and communicate effectively with other members.

    Cause: Automation developers are responsible for creating and maintaining automated tests that can be used to test software applications. Effect: To be successful as an automation developer, it is important to have a range of technical skills, including coding ability, problem solving, debugging and communication. knowledge of the application that is being tested is also important.

    Automation developers must also have the ability to understand how the application works, what types of tests should be developed and how to report the results of the tests. Finally, automation developers must be able to work well with other people on the software development team, in order to ensure that the automated tests are developed and maintained in a timely manner.

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    Frequent Interview Questions

    • What experience do you have in developing and executing QA automation tests?
    • Describe your experience in developing automated test scripts.
    • How familiar are you with coding languages such as Java and JavaScript?
    • What is your approach to creating effective test plans?
    • What techniques do you use for debugging test scripts?
    • What tools have you used to create automated tests?
    • How do you ensure that automated tests are reliable and repeatable?
    • Explain the process you use for tracking and reporting defects.
    • What challenges have you faced when developing automated tests?
    • What do you consider to be the key elements of successful QA automation?

    Common Tools in Industry

    1. Selenium. An open-source automated testing framework used to test web applications. (eg: testing web applications on different browsers)
    2. Cucumber. A software tool used for behavior-driven development (BDD). It allows developers to write test cases in plain English and execute those tests. (eg: verifying the functionality of a web application)
    3. SOAPUI. A free and open source testing tool used for functional, regression, and load testing. (eg: testing web services for performance and reliability)
    4. TestComplete. A commercial automated testing platform used for functional, regression, and load testing. (eg: testing desktop applications)
    5. Appium. An open-source mobile application automation testing framework used to automate native, hybrid and mobile web applications. (eg: testing mobile applications)
    6. Protractor. An end-to-end test framework for Angular and AngularJS applications. (eg: testing web applications built with the Angular framework)
    7. Postman. A collaboration platform for API development used to simplify the process of API testing. (eg: testing APIs for performance and reliability)

    Professional Organizations to Know

    1. Association for Software Testing (AST)
    2. Association for Computing Machinery (ACM)
    3. American Society for Quality (ASQ)
    4. International Institute of Software Testing (IIST)
    5. Automation Federation
    6. International Test and Analysis Association (ITAA)
    7. Quality Assurance Institute (QAI)
    8. Software Test Professionals (STP)
    9. International Forum of Software Testing (IFST)
    10. Agile Alliance

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    Common Important Terms

    1. Test Automation. The process of using software to automate the execution of tests, as well as the comparison of actual outcomes to expected results.
    2. Test Scripts. A set of instructions that are executed by a testing tool to automate a test process.
    3. Test Cases. A set of conditions or variables under which a tester will determine whether a system under test satisfies requirements or works correctly.
    4. Test Frameworks. Structures or frameworks that provide a basis for developing and executing automated tests.
    5. Continuous Integration (CI). A development practice in which developers integrate code into a shared repository several times a day, and then run automated tests to ensure the integrity of each build.
    6. Continuous Delivery (CD). An automated process to ensure that changes to software are tested and deployed in a safe and timely manner.
    7. Test Data Generation. The process of creating test data for use in an automated application testing environment.
    8. Test Suites. A collection of test cases for a particular application, system, or feature that are designed to evaluate the functionality and performance of the system under test.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Q1: What is the main role of a QA Automation Developer? A1: The primary responsibility of a QA Automation Developer is to create automated tests to ensure the quality and accuracy of software applications. Q2: What skills are required for a QA Automation Developer? A2: A QA Automation Developer should possess strong programming skills, knowledge of testing methodologies, and experience with various automation tools and frameworks. Q3: What type of tasks does a QA Automation Developer typically perform? A3: A QA Automation Developer typically performs tasks such as writing automated tests, developing test plans, executing tests, and analyzing test results. Q4: How much experience is typically required for a QA Automation Developer? A4: Generally, a QA Automation Developer should have at least 2-3 years of experience in software quality assurance and automation testing. Q5: What is the average salary for a QA Automation Developer? A5: According to PayScale, the average salary for a QA Automation Developer is $74,391 per year.

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