How to Become a Software Tester [Paperback]

Roman Savenkov (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 2008

How to Become a Software Tester promises to train a new generation of software testers and help them find high-paying tech jobs in a challenging economy. The self-study practical course, authored by former PayPal QA Architect Roman Savenkov, includes a textbook guide that walks students through the concepts with useful advice, and a series of online exercises that ensure they learn how to work out real-world problems.

To become a solid tester requires a lot of hands-on experience, explains Savenkov. You cannot get that by reading without practicing. This course was created to give everyone an opportunity to gain that experience, without paying the thousands of dollars usually spent for a comparable education in testing.

The approach is targeted towards the practical aspects of testing, using everyday situations and real-life situations to illustrate the examples. There is no excessive theory, but rather copious practice exercises through a dedicated online website.

The course is built upon the educational and professional experience Savenkov gained at one of the world s leading software companies, PayPal, where his testing approaches have already been successfully implemented. That is important, as a tester s mistake at a money-transferring service like PayPal could cause millions of dollars in damages.

Students progress at their own pace, and even beginners can gain the skills needed to perform software testing and quality assurance in just weeks.

Ultimately, it s all about getting a job that can change your life, adds Savenkov. People don t pass software tester interviews by saying "I read about it" but by saying "I did it" and "I can demonstrate exactly how."

Editorial Reviews

Review

"I just wanted to drop you a line and let you know that our boss from our QA department made us read through your tutorial. I wanted to thank you and let you know that your tutorials were a pleasure to read, not boring and dry."

Nancy M.

"Just want to thank you. Your material is so well delivered, so well organized, so cleverly put together that had I not had already this passion for testing in me I would have gotten passionate about QA just from reading your course."

Yana Y.

"I read Roman's book "How to become a software qa tester" : This material is one of the best introductions to testing I've read, and it gives the non experience tester a view of how important qa role is, this is especially important for folks who have been thrown into testing.This is the kind of book you'll want to read from cover-to-cover,. I highly recommend this book to anyone who needs to learn about software testing at the beginning level!"

Klavdia G. --Email

About the Author

Roman Savenkov (a.k.a. "Savin") is a professional QA engineer with 9+ years of Silicon Valley experience. His professional accomplishments include starting and building QA departments for several Silicon Valley start-ups, the most notable of which is PayPal. His teaching experience comes from tutoring in the areas of software testing and Python. In 2006, he published a book on software testing, Testing Dot Com (in Russian), which became a best seller on the largest Russian online book retailer, Ozon.ru.

Mr. Savenkov's mission statement:

I help my clients to improve their software; I help my students to improve their lives.

Product Details

• Paperback: 405 pages
• Publisher: Roman Savenkov; First edition (November 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0615233724
• ISBN-13: 978-0615233727
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 8.4 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,234,838 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Practical and comprehensive, July 16, 2009

By 

Phil Libin - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: How to Become a Software Tester (Paperback)

This is an excellent overview of how to do professional software Quality Assurance. The text is very detailed with many examples and exercises covering both the philosophy and specific tactics of testing. There's even a section on how to find a job in the industry that's, despite my general distaste for most "how to land a job" advice, is actually quite charming and effective. I've hired many QA engineers, and can vouch for the effectiveness of much of the material here.

Mr. Savenkov's writing style is enthusiastic and direct, though not very polished. The production values of the book are similarly basic, and some more attention to fonts, layout and general editing would have improved the overall experience. It's obvious that the vast majority of the effort went into the 400 pages of content, which is exactly as it should be in a book about this subject matter. Most of the material here will remain relevant for a very long time.

If you don't have the patience to work through this kind of book, then QA probably isn't the right field for you. However, if you're serious about becoming a software tester, I can't think of a better way to start.