During software development, QA testing brings quality standards to life. It is a procedure of inspecting whether a software product behaves as it should.

If you're new to software QA testing and wondering where to start, you're not the only one. Many developers, testing team, and product owners find themselves asking: what is QA testing, and how do you do it right from the beginning?

Let’s simplify the process. Here’s the lowdown of everything you need to know.

Understanding the Basics of QA Testing

QA testing, short for quality assurance testing, is a set of activities designed to assure that software performs like it is supposed to do so. It covers everything from early planning to rollout.

In the software development life cycle (SDLC), QA usually runs in parallel with development—starting early and ending only after the last feature is verified.

With the software testing market valued at $51.8 billion in 2023 and projected to grow at over 7% CAGR through 2032, its growing place in modern-day software development is hard to overlook.

Manual vs. Automation QA Testing

manual vs automation qa testing

Manual testing is exactly what it sounds like—a person runs tests on the software manually, clicking around and checking behavior. It’s well-suited for experience-based testing and one-off checks.

Automated testing, conversely, uses scripts or testing tools to run tests repeatedly without input from a human. This shines when you’re testing the same flows again and again, like login or checkout. As your product grows, automated QA testing speeds up work and avoids human slip-ups.

7 Main Types of QA Tests to Know

Before you start testing, it is helpful to be aware of what you’re testing for. Each type of test catches a different kind of issue. Here’s a breakdown.

Unit Testing

Unit testing targets individual elements of code. Dev team usually writes them to look over if small parts behave as expected. While not always a QA task, understanding unit tests helps testers follow how logic works under the hood.

Integration Test

A QA testing type that assesses how multiple components act together. As an example, when the login page connects to the data repository, integration testing assures both ends are interacting properly. These tests find bumps that may not show up in isolation.

Performance Testing

Apps that lag out or crash under pressure lose users fast. Performance testing assists measure speed, stability, and expandability. It’s notably useful for mobile apps, sites, and anything that has to process thousands of users at once.

Smoke & Sanity Testing

Smoke tests confirm if the build is stable enough for deeper testing. Look at it like inserting and spinning the key in a new car to see if the engine starts. Sanity testing is similar but more focused. After a bug fix, sanity tests make sure the fix didn’t break something else.

Regression QA Testing

This is about safety. When new features are dropped in or bugs are fixed, regression testing assists assure existing functionality continues to work. It’s a critical part of software QA testing, mainly as projects get bigger in size.

Cross-Browser Testing

Your app may look perfect on Chrome but glitch on Safari. Cross-browser testing assures the UI and features work reliably over various browsers. It's primarily suitable for front-end QA roles.

Accessibility Testing

Accessibility testing helps assure your product works for everyone, including those users who have differing abilities. Screen readers, keyboard-based navigations, and visual differentiation levels are all part of this testing. It’s a growing focus in QA software testing, thanks to increasing compliance requirements.

Want to go deeper? Explore more types of QA testing here to build a stronger base in your testing journey.

A Beginner’s QA Testing Workflow

Knowing what to test is half the story. Knowing how to approach it in an organized way is the rest. Here’s a simplified QA workflow:

Step 1: Know What’s Needed

Before writing a test case, make sure you know what the application is supposed to do. That means reviewing user stories, design mockups, or acceptance criteria.

Talk to product managers. Clarify functionality. Do open questioning if anything seems vague.

Testing without taking this context in account frequently ends up causing missed bugs or wasting time on things that don’t matter.

Step 2: Design Well-Defined Test Cases

Good test cases are like checklists; they steer your process and make it repeatable.

Each testing case should have a defined objective, input variable, expected result, and the action steps. Avoid blending in too many conditions in one test—it makes debugging harder later.

Make sure your tests address both baseline behavior and unusual inputs. Real users aren’t predictable, and your tests shouldn’t assume they are.

Step 3: Do Testing and Write Down Results

Now it's time to kick off your tests. That might mean going through steps manually, or executing automated scripts across environments.

Test in the right versioned build and on compatible platforms. If you're using software test tools like Playwright, Selenium, or vStellar’s low-code framework, don’t forget to verify test logs carefully.

Document what passed, what failed, and under what conditions. Screenshots or debug logs help back up your outcomes.

Step 4: Report Bugs and Validate Fixes

Found a bug? Log it clearly. A good bug report is one that is detailed.

Point out the environment, phases to reproduce, actual behavior, and what you expected instead. Link it to the testing case if possible.

Once developers push a fix, your job isn’t done. You’ll need to verify the patch and make sure it didn’t cause new issues (which links back to regression testing).

Step 5: Retest and Close

After bugs are fixed and retested, you’ll do one final pass to make sure the feature or release is ready.

This is also when you can close related test cases, mark bugs as verified, and fix up documentation. If it’s part of a sprint, these results may feed into demo readiness or release planning.

5 Best Practices Every QA Beginner Should Follow

There’s a difference between doing QA and doing it well. The tips below can help you build good practices at an early point in your QA career:

1. Begin Testing Soon

Waiting until the end of a sprint to test everything brings about hasty work, missed bugs, and burned-out testers.

Instead, start testing as soon as there's something testable—even if it's just one small component. Locating bugs early means the dev team can fix them quickly, without disrupting everything else.

This is especially important in agile or CI/CD setups where work moves fast. The sooner you give feedback, the better the product becomes.

As per the Systems Sciences Institute at IBM, a bug caught during the design phase costs nearly six times less to fix than one found during implementation.

2. Automate Where It Saves Time

You don’t need to automate everything. But some tests—like login flows, form entries, or sanity checks—are run so often they eat up your time.

That’s where automation helps. It’s not about swapping manual testing, but saving time for work that needs human eyes.

Test automation frameworks like vStellar streamline this by letting you create tests with light-code and run them across browsers or devices without switching tools.

Focus your automation efforts where the repetitive pattern is high and failure risk is costly.

3. Keep Test Cases Organized

If your test cases are scattered across emails, spreadsheets, and sticky notes, you’re setting yourself up for confusion.

Use version-control tools or centralized platforms to oversee your test cases. Label them plainly. Archive old ones. Group them by functionality or release.

This assists when your team expands in capacity, or when someone else needs to pick up where you left off.

4. Integrate QA with CI/CD

In modern workflows, software testing isn’t a phase, it’s part of the QA lifecycle.

Set up your tests to carry out automatically each time code is checked in or deployed. This gives developers instant feedback and avoids the “it worked on my machine” problem.

Integrating with CI/CD tools helps QA stay in sync with code modifications.

5. Document Everything

It’s tempting to skip documentation, especially when you’re pressed for time. But unclear bug reports, missing test logs, or forgotten assumptions slow everyone down later.

Write down what you test, why you tested it, and what happened. If you find a bug, log every detail: steps, device, browser, timestamps, and screenshots.

This habit builds answerability. It also helps when others need to understand your work—or pick up where you left off.

How vStellar Supports Beginners in QA

vstellar for qa testing

Testing is easier when the right tool is on your side.

vStellar is a low-code QA testing software that supports an array of testing needs—UI, API, mobile, performance, and more—all in one place.

For beginners, this means:

You don’t need deep coding skills to start writing tests.
Tests can be run across several browsers or devices in parallel.
CI/CD integrations with Jenkins, GitHub, Azure, and AWS make continuous testing easier.
Built-in analytics help you spot unstable tests and focus on high-impact fixes.
Smart data tools let you import test data from Excel or CSV files effortlessly.

vStellar is built to make QA testing accessible from day one. Explore our documentation to start learning the basics of how to download and install vStellar and automate UI, API, Mobile testing with it.

QA is a Mindset, Not Just a Role

At the end of the day, QA testing isn’t about chasing bugs; it’s about caring whether what you build actually works. It’s about thinking like a user, planning for the unexpected, and helping teams move faster with fewer problems.

If you’re just starting, don’t stress about being error-free. Focus on learning the types of testing, practicing good workflows, and using the optimal tools.

And yes, the right tools really do matter.

That’s where vStellar comes in. Whether you’re testing your first app or working on a fast-paced Agile team, vStellar keeps things simple, fast, and beginner-friendly.

To see it in action, book a demo and walk through the platform with our team.

FAQs

How to Start QA Testing?

Start by learning testing basics; types of tests, workflows, and testing tools. Try writing manual test cases, then explore automation.

What Are Some QA Best Practices?

Get a head start early, automate when needed, write clear test cases, version your tests, and document each and everything. Keep test data relevant and always test unusual cases.

How to Write a QA Checklist?

Break your checklist into steps: requirements, test case writing, test execution, bug logging, and retesting. Add items like environment setup, test data prep, and reporting.

What is the Biggest Challenge in QA?

Keeping up with fast-paced changes. Features evolve, requirements shift, and test cases call for updates. Staying organized and making use of automation helps manage the chaos.

QA Testing Guide for Starters with Top Practices

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