99 essential resources to help software testers

Software testing is like navigating a vast ocean. There are countless tools, resources, and methodologies. But finding the good ones can be challenging. When I began my career over a decade ago, I often felt like I was searching for needles in a haystack of web pages. 

This list aims to simplify that search, providing you with a curated collection of resources that have proven invaluable to me and many others in the field. 

In this article, I’ve compiled a list of 99 things to help software testers. This isn’t just a list; it’s a handpicked collection of resources that can elevate your testing game to the next level. This list covers a wide spectrum of resources and topics, from the basics of testing and automation to insightful blogs and communities. 

Testing theories & definitions

Understanding the basics of testing theories and foundational concepts is essential for anyone starting in the testing field. Of course, no one expects you to know everything! But getting a basic understanding of many things can open up areas, ideas, and possibilities that you might otherwise miss. This section will guide you through the fundamental concepts, certifications, courses, etc. that you can use to learn key testing concepts. There’s something for everyone no matter your experience. 

1. Software Testing Glossary | Ministry of Testing - Learn key software testing terminology rapidly with 99-second introduction videos on Software Testing topics.
2. What is testing? | Ministry of Testing – A collection by the Ministry of Testing that covers essential materials on the foundations of software testing
3. What Do Software Testers Do? | Ministry of Testing – A list of things that software testers do or can do as part of their testing roles at work.
4. BBST® Foundations Open Course Materials - BBST® Courses – Free course on Software Testing Foundations by Dr. Cem Kaner.
5. BBST® Test Design Open Course Materials - BBST® Courses – Free course on Software Test Design by Dr. Cem Kaner.
6. BBST® Bug Advocacy Open Course Materials - BBST® Courses - – Free course on Software Bug Advocacy by Dr. Cem Kaner.
7. Resources – DevelopSense – Curated resources on testing topics from foundational to advanced topics by Michael Bolton
8. Explore It? Explore It! - An explanation of the Who, What, When, Why, and How of exploratory testing by Elisabeth Hendrickson.
9. Useful Software Testing Heuristics Resources | Ministry of Testing - A collection by the Ministry of Testing that covers useful software testing heuristics for your testing.
10. Foundational Skills for Testers – A model for foundational skills for testers by Shrinivas Kulkarni.
11. Great Resources – Magnificent: exploring software testing (huibschoots.nl) – A collection of software testing resources by Huib Schoots covering topics on various sections.
12. 30 Days of Testing | Ministry of Testing – A list of 30 challenges on software testing to help you learn the foundations.
13. Software Testing by Daniel Knott - YouTube - On this channel, you will find videos about Software Testing, Mobile Testing, Testing Leadership, Tools, etc.
14. Testing Checklists - Rahul’s Testing Titbits – Collection of checklists on software testing attributes such as UI, UX, Usability, Errors, etc.
15. Testing Mnemonic Cards Repository - Rahul’s Testing Titbits – Collection of popular testing mnemonics along with the references to sources.
16. Library of Testing – Community-Sourced Learning Resources for Software Testers
17. The Community’s Guide to Test Plans and | Ministry of Testing - A collection by the Ministry of Testing that covers resources for test planning and strategies.
18. Katrina the Tester: Pathway (katrinatester.blogspot.com) – Curated pathways for learning testing, security testing, automation, API testing, etc.
19. Test Heuristics Cheat Sheet | Ministry of Testing - Curated ideas for generating tests, finding inspiration, and gaining testing wisdom.

Testing in action

Seeing theory come to life through the practical implementation of testing concepts can be an exciting step in your testing journey. This section will introduce you to real-world testing scenarios, pair-testing exercises, and testing games where you will see how testing principles are applied in various contexts. By engaging with these resources, you’ll gain valuable insights and experience that will enhance your understanding and skills in software testing.

1. Demo: #Testing of “RedBus SortBy” - YouTube by Ajay Balamurugadas
2. Testing² - live pair testing - YouTube by Sam Connelly and testing experts on different kinds of testing assignments
3. Testers Playground – Learn testing via games and fun challenges
4. Testopsies Dissecting Your Testing - CAST 2020 - YouTube – Live example of testing and then dissecting it to understand your testing process.
5. Testing Challenges – Different levels of testing challenges to practice software testing.
6. Portfolio – Cristina Sipos by Cristina Sipos consists of test reports, bug reports, and other testing artifacts on live applications.

Automation in testing

Automation in testing enables testers to execute repetitive and manual tasks efficiently and focus on exploratory testing. This section will introduce you to essential courses, certifications, frameworks, and good practices for implementing automation in your testing processes. By exploring these resources, you’ll learn how to enhance your testing efficiency and effectiveness, making your work both easier and faster.

1. MoT Certifications in Test Automation| Ministry of Testing – Level up your software testing skills with the credibility of a Ministry of Testing certification.
2. Test Automation University | Applitools - Free test automation courses with videos, transcripts, quizzes, credits, ranks badges, and certificates by Applitools
3. Test Automation Framework Essentials | Ministry of Testing - A collection by the Ministry of Testing that covers resources on developing a test automation framework.
4. Getting Started with Test Automation | Ministry of Testing - A collection by the Ministry of Testing that covers resources for test automation.
5. Test Automation Certifications - Free Certifications For Automation Testing Professionals on Selenium, Appium, Playwright, etc. by LambdaTest
6. Selenium | Ministry of Testing - A collection by the Ministry of Testing that covers resources on Selenium for Testing.
7. Test Automation Talks From TestBash | Ministry of Testing - A collection of TestBash Talks by the Ministry of Testing that covers resources on test automation and beyond.
8. Community Guide on UI Automation | Ministry of Testing - A collection by the Ministry of Testing that covers resources on UI Automation.
9. Execute Automation - YouTube -  A channel for all the automation testing related videos for C# learners.
10. Automation Testing by Joe Colantino – A channel for automation testing tutorials, news, and tips by Joe Colantino.
11. EvilTester - Software Testing - YouTube – A channel that covers technical skills and practical techniques to help you improve as a tester.
12. Naveen AutomationLabs - YouTube – A channel that covers technical tutorials on automation testing by Naveen Khunteta.
13. Mukesh otwani - YouTube  – A channel that covers technical tutorials on automation testing by Mukesh Otwani.
14. Testing Mini Bytes - YouTube  – A channel that covers technical tutorials on automation testing by Amuthan Sakthivel.
15. Mickey & Minnie Stories - Automation Step by Step – Small stories to understand complex automation and testing concepts.

AI in testing

Artificial Intelligence is influencing the field of software testing, offering innovative possibilities as well as solving the basic challenges for testers. This section will explore how you can systematically learn AI in testing, from prompt engineering to creating your own AI testing tools. By delving into these resources, you’ll discover how to leverage AI for your testing.

1. 30 Days of AI in Testing | Ministry of Testing - A list of 30 challenges on AI in software testing to help you learn the foundations of AI in Testing.
2. AI in Testing by Rahul’s Testing Titbits - YouTube – A set of videos available on YouTube posted as a response to the 30 Days of AI in Testing Challenge.
3. Prompt Engineering Guide | Prompt Engineering Guide (promptingguide.ai) – A collection of research material on prompt engineering and various prompting use cases.
4. AI in Testing – Compiled Resource Repository - Rahul’s Testing Titbits – A collection of resources on AI in testing from various sources.
5. ChatGPT Sucks for Test Automation | by Jason Arbon | Medium – An article by Jason Arbon on how to use ChatGPT for Test Automation.

Free tools

Access to the right tools can significantly amplify your testing capabilities. While testing is a world filled with tools, this section will introduce you to a number of free and popular tools that can assist with different aspects of software testing. Having options in your testing toolbox is always an advantage so check out these must-have options. 

1. XPath Plugin for Browser – SelectorsHub. It is a useful tool to generate and verify XPath and CSS selectors for web elements.
2. Browser Actions Recorder Plugin – TestCaseStudio. This tool enables recording user actions performed on a web application and converts them into plain English sentences along with screenshots. 
3. Check My Links - A link checker that crawls through the webpage and looks for broken links.
4. TestCraft – AI-powered testing assistant that leverages GPT 4 for generating functional and accessibility tests. It also supports writing script code for popular UI library tools.
5. Accessibility Insights – An accessibility testing extension that performs automatic checks and gives ideas for manual checks.
6. Xray - Exploratory Testing App – A tool to perform systematic exploratory testing, create charters, and report your results.

GitHub repositories

GitHub repositories aren’t just for developers. Testers have been using them to create knowledge banks and document practical testing examples and case studies for years. This section will guide you to some of the most essential repositories for testing tools, frameworks, and learning resources. 

1. GitHub - enaqx/awesome-pentest - A collection of awesome penetration testing resources, tools, and other shiny things
2. GitHub - abhivaikar/howtheytest - A collection of public resources about how software companies test their software
3. GitHub - minimaxir/big-list-of-naughty-strings - The Big List of Naughty Strings is a list of strings that have a high probability of causing issues when used as user-input data.
4. GitHub - tanprathan/MobileApp-Pentest-Cheatsheet - The Mobile App Pentest cheat sheet was created to provide a concise collection of high-value information on specific mobile application penetration testing topics
5. GitHub - akikoo/accessibility-testing-tools - A collection of useful tools for accessibility testing and debugging in the browser, online, and desktop
6. GitHub - automationhacks/testing-checklists - A curation of different checklists for testing and automation
7. GitHub - PaulWaltersDev/FreeLearningResourcesForSoftwareTesters - A New Project to create a set of links to free Online Learning Resources for New and Experienced Software Testers.
8. GitHub - TheJambo/awesome-testing- A curated list of testing resources
9. GitHub - tkisason/getting-started-in-infosec - A new to testing friendly guide for juniors starting in infosec.
10. GitHub - jlevy/the-art-of-command-line - Master the command line, in one page
11. GitHub - veeral-patel/how-to-secure-anything - How to systematically secure anything: a repository about security engineering

Blogs, community support and conferences

Finding and staying connected with testing communities is essential for continuous learning and growth. This section will introduce you to influential blogs, our supportive community, and key conferences that can keep you updated with the latest trends and practices in software testing. By engaging with these, you’ll build your network, gain fresh insights, and stay inspired in your testing journey.

1. Ministry of Testing Articles – Articles and learning material from the Ministry of Testing community.
2. The Club – Free discussion portal for software testers by the Ministry of Testing.
3. Ministry of Testing - YouTube – YouTube channel by the Ministry of Testing containing a list of software testing and automation testing videos.
4. Tea Time with Testers – An international software testing journal and periodical with rich content on software testing and industry insights.
5. Rapid Software Testing – Free testing videos and interviews by the Rapid Software Testing authors and instructors.
6. Blog – DevelopSense – Blog by Michael Bolton with a rich collection of material on software testing topics.
7. Testing Trends | Ministry of Testing - Collection of regular trends and polls from the wider testing community.
8. Software Testing Conferences – A live list of software testing conferences around the globe.
9. Testing Daily – A live feed of testing material, events, tools, etc. from around the world.
10. Testμ Conferences – Free annual conference on the Future of Testing by LambdaTest

Free Ebooks

This section will provide you with a curated list of ebooks covering various aspects of software testing, tooling, productivity, and much more. By exploring these books, you’ll have access to a wealth of information that can help you both deepen and widen your skills and knowledge.

1. The Little Black Book on Test Design by Rikard Edgren
2. eBook Archives – Collection of e-books from the EuroSTAR Huddle
3. 99 Things to Become a Better Tester by Ministry of Testing
4. Ultimate Productivity Toolkit – Ebook with 400+ Free Tools for Testers
5. Testing Foundations – Mindmap summary book on Testing Foundations
6. How To Test by Mike Talks
7. 50+ Tips to Win Testing Contests by Ajay Balamurugadas
8. 50+ Tips to Boost Your Productivity by Ajay Balamurugadas
9. 50+ Tips to Improve Testing Programmer Relationships by Ajay Balamurugadas
10. Mobile Testing: Ready Reckoner by Ajay Balamurugadas
11. UI and UX Testing: Ready Reckoner by Ajay Balamurugadas
12. Testing Stories by Melissa Fisher. Available for free you can donate to mental health charity if you wish to pay for the efforts.

Presenting work & storytelling

Effectively presenting your work and telling compelling stories are crucial yet underrated skills for testers. This section will provide you with resources on how to communicate your findings clearly, create engaging reports, and use storytelling techniques to highlight the impact of your work. By mastering these skills, you’ll be able to convey your insights more persuasively. Make stronger cases and improve your personal reputation for your testing work.

1. Beginning Sketchnoting – Beginner’s Guide to Sketchnoting
2. Storytelling – By Huib Schoots
3. Storytelling Webinar – By Alex Schladebeck & Huib Schoots
4. Telling Your Exploratory Story – By Jon Bach
5. Testers Tell A Compelling Story – The art of telling compelling stories
6. Effective Data Storytelling and Visualization - By Zheng Ding
7. Excellent Software Testing – By Ingo Philipp
8. 8 Principles for Selling the Value of Professional Testing – By Ingo Philipp
9. My note-taking system for work – By Joep Schuurkes
10. Making Your Presentations More Accessible | Ministry of Testing - By Ady Stokes
11. Caught in the Study Web – Channelizing information from various sources

Talking about and advocating for testing

A few others may advocate for testers and testing work but it is vital that testers do it for themselves. Effectively communicating the value of testing is essential for gaining support and driving process improvements. This section will provide you with different ways to articulate the importance of testing, negotiate testing deliverables, and influence stakeholders. By mastering these meta-skills, you’ll be able to become a key influencer of testing at your work. 

1. A software tester’s guide to influence | Ministry of Testing - A collection by the Ministry of Testing that covers essential materials on influence for software testers.
2. Yielding to Pressure vs. Negotiating – How to negotiate for better estimates in project meetings.
3. Persuasion Skills for Testers – Collection of some tips and tactics on persuasion for testers.
4. 3 Tips to Negotiate the Best Software Test Estimations – Negotiation hacks for test estimations.

Are there any resources we’ve missed? 

Testing is a continuous learning journey. While it’s impossible to learn everything, focusing on what excites you or will help you in your current work can make a significant difference. We know that the community is constantly exploring new topics, discovering interesting resources, and creating amazing content to help everyone grow and become better versions of themselves. 

Testing is going to grow with new facets and possibilities being added to it with time and new advancements. That’s where your help will be crucial in taking this list to the next level. While we could add thousands of references. Your contributions will ensure we include or update only the best, tried-and-tested ones. By sharing our knowledge, we can help each other grow and learn as a community.

If you know of software testing resources that we should add to the list, please share your findings on The Club post and we’ll review it to be added to this list.