1. How to use this roadmap
Test Automation · 48 pages source format
This is a strategy-first curriculum, not a tool tutorial. You will learn how to think like an automation engineer before you pick Playwright, Cypress, or Selenium. Follow the order, pass checkpoints, and build a public strategy repo employers can review.
What you'll learn
- How to pace 8–10 weeks part-time
- Why strategy beats tool-hopping
- What job-ready means for automation strategy roles
Study pace
Plan 1–1.5 hours most days (≈ 7–10 hrs/week). Accelerated learners at 2–3 hrs/day can finish in ~5–6 weeks. Busy schedule? Stretch to 12–14 weeks — consistency beats speed.
- Recommended: ~8–10 weeks at 7–10 hrs/week
- Accelerated: ~5–6 weeks at 2–3 hrs/day
- Slow track: ~12–14 weeks — still valid
Do this now
Block calendar slots for the next 7 days. Write your target finish date in a README.
Rules of the road
Follow chapters in order. Strategy before scripts. Checkpoints are gates — do not skip. Prefer writing artifacts (memos, pyramids, standards) over collecting bookmarks.
Do this now
Create a GitHub repo named test-automation-strategy today. You will push artifacts starting Chapter 1.
Pro tip. Pick one practice site (Sauce Demo or the-internet.herokuapp.com) and reuse it all path.
Checkpoints are contracts
Each checkpoint lists pass criteria. Treat them like exam requirements. If you fail, fix gaps before advancing — interviewers probe the same judgment.
Do this now
Read both checkpoint chapters now. Copy their pass criteria into your repo README.
Job-ready definition
You are job-ready when you can: draw a test pyramid for a product, write a one-page automation strategy, explain why a check belongs at API vs UI layer, demo a green CI run, and walk through your public repo live.
Do this now
Write a one-paragraph “done looks like…” note in your repo README.