SDET Study Plan for Working Professionals
🌙 Introduction
Let me ask you a question -- have you ever attempted to study after a long day at work and find your brain is half asleep and your eyes are focused on the ceiling fan rather than your computer screen?
If your answer is "yes," then "hey," you’re just like me. That is how NightStudyNotes came to exist.
For my QA professionals and manual testers out there who are planning to transition into an SDET (Software Development Engineer in Test) role but can only study at night - this blog is just for you.
Let me lead you through a practical, real-life, week-by-week SDET study plan especially created for working professionals that have jobs, home, kids, and life.
Grab your chai, dim the lights, and let's get started.
🧭 Who Is This Study Plan For?
- Working professionals in QA or Manual Testing
- Newcomers who are learning automation from zero.
- Stay-at-home parents who want to resume their careers, or
- Anyone who likes to study in the late evenings (Welcome to the owl club!)
If you are one of those people who have 1–2 hours available in the evening and it is your goal to transition into a SDET role, then this plan is for you!
📅 4-Week Night Owl SDET Study Plan
🔹 Week 1: Learn Basic Java (Foundations Week)
You, of course, do not need to be a Java developer—but if you want to get into automation, you need to know the basics of Java.
What to Use:
- Variables, Data types, Loops
- Conditional statements
- Methods and Functions
- Classes & Objects (basic OOPs)
- Collections (ArrayList, HashMap)
Tools:
- Java (Install OpenJDK)
- IDE: Eclipse or IntelliJ IDEA
Tip: I used to take 30 mins just to watch a video and then 30 more minutes to try doing the same in Eclipse. Very important to think through the example you were just shown and try it out yourself. Hands-on practice is the best way to learn—even if the code doesn't work like it should!
🔹 Week 2: Selenium WebDriver + TestNG (Your Automation Kit)
This week, I will introduce you to the world of test automation.
What you will learn:
- Intro to Selenium WebDriver
- How to locate web elements (ID, name, XPath, and so on.)
- Writing simple test cases
- Using @Test, @BeforeMethod in TestNG
Suggested Resources:
- ToolsQA Selenium Tutorials
- YouTube (search: Selenium Java Beginners Tutorial by Mukesh Otwani or Naveen AutomationLabs).
A late night story: I remember trying to understand XPath expressions at 11 PM, and after 4 tries it finally clicked! So don't give up, it happens to us all!
🔹 Week 3: API Testing with Postman & Rest Assured
APIs are everywhere nowadays. Learning to test APIs is important for any new SDETs.
Focus Points
- What is an API?
- Basic HTTP methods: GET, POST, PUT, DELETE
- How to use Postman (to test public APIs)
- Intro to Rest Assured for automation
Tools:
- Postman (Free app)
- Use public REST APIs like reqres.in or jsonplaceholder.typicode.com
Mini Goal: By end of week 3, create simple API collection in Postman, and write 2-3 automated tests using Rest Assured.
🔹Week 4: Git, GitHub, and CI/CD Basics (Team Workflow)
Dealing with version control and CI/CD pipelines is common in this field. It’s not that difficult, so don’t let it worry you.
Topics to Learn
- Learning the basics of Git (clone, add, commit, push).
- Creating a project on GitHub.
- You can choose to install Jenkins yourself or use live demos online.
- A basic pipeline for automation tests.
Tools:
- Git (Install the Git Bash program).
- GitHub account
- Jenkins is optional to include.
Reality Check: Commands aren't straightforward at start. A sticky note near my desk displayed some everyday commands. Eventually, your mind starts to remember the commands.
🎯 Tools & Resources You’ll Need
🕒 Nightly Study Routine (Mon to Fri)
💡 Tips to Stay Consistent
- Make your device’s display dark: It’s gentler on your eyes at night.
- Stay hydrated and keep snacks.
- Monitor Your Progress: You can use Google Sheet for this purpose.
- Different people learn at different rates, so stay comfortable with your learning.
If you can’t wake up early to study every time, that is normal. Not showing up on a given day is still OK because no one is perfect.
You can make the switch to SDET, even if you don’t have any experience yet.
All you have to do is:
- It’s valuable to set aside some time for studying every day.
- Hands-on practice
- Knowledge comes with patience (things get easier as you keep practicing).
I started from the basics, and now I am adept at creating frameworks and helping others.
Rather than waiting for tomorrow, make a start tonight.
🔗 Found this helpful?
- Feel free to let your friends or teammates know about this article.
- For more beginner-friendly study plans, follow NightStudyNotes
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