📚 QA Learning Plan

Curated training courses mapped to your QA journey

🎓Fresh Graduate
😐Stuck Mid-Career
🎖️Senior/Expert
🧗Ambitious Climber
🔄Career Switcher
🤖Manual→Automation
🦸Solo QA
👔New QA Lead
🔬Specialist
🔥Burnout Recovery
🎓

The Fresh Graduate

Just landed my first QA job!

💭 "I don't know what I don't know"
Level 1 — Novice → Level 2 — Advanced Beginner

📘 QA Fundamentals & Certification

▼
Software Testing Fundamentals for ISTQB Exams Prep
Coursera 12 weeks Board Infinity

Master foundational testing principles, techniques, and tools. Prepare for ISTQB certification.

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ISTQB Certified Tester Foundation Level (CTFL v4.0)
ISTQB Official Self-paced Exam ~$250

Industry-recognized certification proving QA fundamentals knowledge.

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Essential Testing Techniques in Software Development
Coursera 4 weeks

Learn essential testing techniques for software development lifecycle.

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🐛 Bug Reporting & Test Case Writing

▼
Writing Test Cases from User Stories
FREE Test Automation U 1 hour

Learn to translate user stories into effective test cases.

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Exploring Service APIs through Test Automation
FREE Test Automation U 2 hours

Understand API basics and how to document test scenarios.

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😐

The Stuck Mid-Career

3-5 years in, feeling plateaued

💭 "I'm doing the same thing, not growing"
Level 2-3 — Competent → Level 4 — Proficient

🎯 Ownership & Leadership

▼
Coaching Skills for Leaders and Managers
LinkedIn Learning 33 min Sara Canaday

Learn GROW coaching model, feedback techniques, and mentoring fundamentals.

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Grow Your Impact as a Mentor
LinkedIn Learning 8 hours 13 courses

Comprehensive mentoring path covering relationship building and career guidance.

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Managing as a Coach
Coursera 4 weeks UC Davis

Develop coaching approach to team development and performance.

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⚙️ Process Improvement

▼
Six Sigma Yellow Belt Specialization
Coursera 3 months

Learn systematic process improvement methodology.

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ISTQB Advanced Test Analyst
ISTQB Official Self-paced Exam ~$350

Advanced certification for risk-based testing and test techniques.

View Certification →
🎖️

The Senior/Expert QA

7+ years, highly skilled

💭 "What's next? Lead? Architect? Switch?"
Level 4-5 — Expert → Leadership / Specialization

👔 People Leader Path

▼
Essential Skills for First-Time Managers Specialization
Coursera 4 weeks 11 courses

Comprehensive leadership fundamentals: communication, EQ, team performance.

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Succeeding as a New Manager Professional Certificate
LinkedIn Learning 11 hours 12 courses

Transition from IC to manager with coaching, change management skills.

View Path →

🧠 Strategist Path

▼
Software Quality Assurance
Coursera 4 weeks U of Minnesota

Strategic view of quality assurance and organizational practices.

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Building Your Personal Brand
LinkedIn Learning 2 hours

Establish thought leadership and industry presence.

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🧗

The Ambitious Climber

Junior/Medior, hungry for growth

💭 "How do I level up faster?"
Level 2 — Advanced Beginner → Level 3 — Competent

🚀 Skill Acceleration

▼
Cypress: Web Automation Testing from Zero to Hero
Udemy 25 hours ~$15

Master modern automation framework to stand out from peers.

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Postman Tutorial: Getting Started with API Testing
Coursera 7 hours

Add API testing to your skillset — high demand skill.

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Root Cause Analysis: Solving Complex Problems
LinkedIn Learning 1 hour

Develop analytical skills that set you apart.

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🔄

The Career Switcher

From Dev/BA/Support to QA

💭 "I have skills but need QA context"
Mixed Levels → Consistent Competent

📚 QA Foundation Building

▼
Software Testing Fundamentals for ISTQB Exams Prep
Coursera 12 weeks

Learn QA vocabulary, concepts, and industry-standard practices.

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Foundations of Software Testing and Validation
Coursera 4 weeks Free audit

Understand QA mindset and testing methodologies.

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Agile with Atlassian Jira
Coursera 4 weeks

Understand Agile/SDLC and how QA fits into sprints.

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🤖

Manual → Automation Seeker

Manual QA wanting to automate

💭 "Everyone says learn automation"
Level 1 — Automation Novice → Level 2-3 — Hybrid QA

💻 Programming Fundamentals

▼
Python Programming
FREE Test Automation U 3 hours

Python basics specifically for test automation.

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JavaScript Tutorial
FREE Test Automation U 2 hours

JavaScript fundamentals for Cypress/Playwright.

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🔧 Automation Frameworks

▼
Cypress: Web Automation Testing from Zero to Hero
Udemy 25 hours 4.7★

Most popular Cypress course. Beginner-friendly with modern practices.

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Playwright: Web Automation Testing From Zero to Hero
Udemy 15 hours 4.8★

Microsoft's modern automation tool. Great for cross-browser testing.

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Introduction to Cypress
FREE Test Automation U 2 hours

Quick start with Cypress basics before investing in paid course.

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Selenium WebDriver with Java
FREE Test Automation U 3 hours

Classic automation framework still widely used in enterprise.

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🔄 CI/CD Integration

▼
CI/CD for Test Automation: Jenkins & GitHub Actions
Coursera 16 modules

Run automated tests in CI/CD pipelines.

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Learning GitHub Actions for DevOps CI/CD
Coursera 5 hours

Master GitHub Actions for test automation pipelines.

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🦸

The Solo QA in a Startup

Only QA in the company

💭 "I need to do everything, where to start?"
Generalist → Efficient Generalist

🎯 Prioritization & Process

▼
Agile Project Management by Google
Coursera 6 weeks

Work effectively in startup agile environments.

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Technical Writing by Google
FREE Coursera 5 hours

Document processes efficiently for scaling.

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Introduction to Cypress
FREE Test Automation U 2 hours

Quick automation for critical smoke tests.

View Course →
👔

The New QA Lead/Manager

Just promoted to lead a team

💭 "How do I grow my team?"
Level 1 — Leadership Novice → Level 3 — Competent Leader

👥 Leadership Fundamentals

▼
Management Skills for New Managers
Coursera 5 hours 4.8★

Delegation, communication dynamics, performance management.

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Essential Skills for First-Time Managers
Coursera 4 weeks 11 courses

Comprehensive leadership specialization.

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Coaching Skills for Leaders and Managers
LinkedIn Learning 33 min 4.7★

GROW model, feedback, goal setting for team development.

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📚 Recommended Reading

▼
The Manager's Path
📖 Book Camille Fournier ~$30

Essential reading for tech managers. Covers IC to Director journey.

View Book →
First, Break All the Rules
📖 Book Gallup ~$20

Research-based insights on great management practices.

View Book →
🔬

The Specialist Seeker

Generalist QA wanting to specialize

💭 "Should I focus on perf/security/mobile?"
Level 3 — Generalist → Level 5 — Specialist Expert

⚡ Performance Testing Track

▼
JMeter Training for Beginners
Coursera 3-4 hours

Setup, configuration, thread groups, samplers, listeners.

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Master JMeter on Live Apps for Performance Testing
Coursera 2 weeks

Advanced JMeter scripting, distributed testing, server monitoring.

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Gatling Fundamentals
FREE Test Automation U 2 hours

Modern load testing with code-based approach.

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🔒 Security Testing Track

▼
A Detailed Guide to the OWASP Top 10
Coursera 5 hours

Essential security vulnerabilities every QA should know.

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Web Application Security Testing with OWASP ZAP
Coursera 1.5 hours

Hands-on vulnerability scanning with OWASP ZAP.

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Hands-On Web App Pentesting
Coursera 11 hours

XSS, SQL Injection, Command Injection exploitation.

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📱 Mobile Testing Track

▼
Appium - Mobile Testing (Android/iOS) from Scratch+Frameworks
Udemy 26 hours 4.6★

Complete Appium 2.0 course with framework design and CI/CD.

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Appium - Mobile Testing with Latest 2.0 and Live Projects
Udemy 65 hours 4.8★

In-depth training with real device automation.

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🔌 API Testing Track

▼
API Test Automation with Postman
FREE Test Automation U 2 hours

API testing fundamentals with Postman.

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Postman Tutorial: Getting Started with API Testing
Coursera 7 hours

Comprehensive Postman training with environments and collections.

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Getting Started with APIs
Coursera 9 hours

API fundamentals, RESTful design, CI/CD integration.

View Course →
🔥

The Burnout Recovery

Tired, lost passion for QA

💭 "I used to love QA, now I'm just tired"
Recovery Focus → Sustainable Performance

🧘 Wellbeing & Recovery

▼
The Science of Well-Being
FREE Coursera / Yale 6 weeks 4.9★

Yale's most popular course. Science-backed strategies for happiness.

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Managing Stress for Positive Change
Coursera 4 weeks UC Davis

Practical stress management techniques.

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De-Mystifying Mindfulness
FREE Coursera 6 weeks Leiden University

Evidence-based mindfulness practices for recovery.

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⚖️ Work-Life Balance

▼
Work-Life Balance
LinkedIn Learning 1 hour

Strategies for sustainable work practices.

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Setting Professional Boundaries
LinkedIn Learning 30 min

Learn to say no and protect your energy.

View Course →
Preventing Burnout
LinkedIn Learning 45 min

Identify warning signs and prevention strategies.

View Course →

🆓 Free Learning Resources

Test Automation University

50+ free courses on automation, API testing, Cypress, Selenium, and more.

testautomationu.applitools.com

Ministry of Testing

Community, podcasts, articles, and free resources for QA professionals.

ministryoftesting.com

Postman Learning Center

Official Postman documentation and tutorials for API testing.

learning.postman.com

freeCodeCamp

Free programming courses for JavaScript, Python, and more.

freecodecamp.org

ISTQB Syllabus

Official study materials for ISTQB certification preparation.

istqb.org

Coursera (Free Audit)

Many courses available to audit for free without certificate.

coursera.org

💰 Platform Pricing Summary

Test Automation U

FREE

All courses free forever

Coursera Plus

$59/month

or $399/year for unlimited access

LinkedIn Learning

$29.99/month

Best for soft skills & leadership

Udemy

$10-20/course

Wait for sales (frequent)

ISTQB Certification

$250-350

Per exam for formal credential