Learning paths · Free
Start anywhere.Keep going all the way.
Reading lists that build on each other, from your first test to running a test function. Start at the level that fits you, follow the steps in order, and look up any unfamiliar word in the glossary.
27
Steps, in order
4
Levels, beginner to leader
55
Glossary terms
Learning path
Software testingfrom first test to test leader.
Four levels, read in order: what testing is and how to start, the techniques working testers use every day, how professional teams plan and run testing, and how leaders build and measure a test function.
Level 1
Start here
Students, teens, and anyone curious. No experience needed.
What testing is, what a bug really is, how to design and report tests, and where the careers lead.
5 steps, starting with “What Is Software Testing? A Plain-English Introduction”
Level 2
Foundations
Career changers, new testers, and developers who want to test well.
Why quality has a cost, the main kinds of testing, and the everyday tools of the trade: test cases, bug reports, test data, and automation.
6 steps, starting with “Investing in Testing, Part 1: The Cost of Software Quality”
Level 3
Practitioner
Working testers, test analysts, and automation engineers.
Risk-based testing from analysis to reporting: decide what matters most, plan around it, run it, measure coverage, and test the hard parts.
9 steps, starting with “Prioritize risk before you prioritize tests.”
Level 4
Leader
Test leads, test managers, and engineering leaders.
Estimate, staff, report, and measure a test function, and improve it with Rex Black's Critical Testing Processes framework.
7 steps, starting with “Test Estimation: Realistic, Actionable, Flexible”
Glossary
Every term,in plain English.
Choosing a partner
Evaluating us?Read these first.
Short reading paths for buyers, one per practice: the problem, how we work, proof from client programs, and the questions to ask any partner before you sign.
4 stops · 6 reads
Hiring a team for your site or store
Four short stops for anyone choosing a partner to rebuild a website or store: what is changing in commerce, how we plan a build and a migration, what the result looked like for a client, and the questions to ask any agency before you sign.
See the path →
4 stops · 9 reads
Putting an AI agent into production
Four stops for leaders deciding whether and how to put an AI agent to work: when an agent is the right tool, how we choose models and test them before launch, what agents we run in production, and the questions to ask before you sign.
See the path →
4 stops · 6 reads
Fixing CRM, ERP, and order systems
Four stops for operations, finance, and RevOps leaders whose systems disagree: why the numbers drift, how we decide the system of record and rescue a stalled project, what it looked like for a client, and the questions to ask before you sign.
See the path →
4 stops · 9 reads
Bringing in a testing partner
Four stops for engineering and quality leaders: what poor quality costs and when outside help pays, how we assess and improve a test function, programs we have run, and the questions to ask before you sign.
See the path →
4 stops · 6 reads
Training and certifying a team
Four stops for engineering and L&D leaders: when training is the right answer, how we measure skills and plan certifications, a certification program we ran, and the questions to ask before you sign.
See the path →
For teachers, parents, and managers
Use it with a group.
Students
The Start here level assumes no background. Each primer ends with a short exercise that works with any app or website.
New testers
Read Start here and Foundations in order, then work toward the ISTQB Foundation certification.
Teams
Managers can assign a level to a whole team. We also teach these topics live and certify teams through ISTQB.