New Year’s Resolutions for Fake Automated Testers: Do Real End-to-end Test Automation

Say No to “Fake End-to-End Test Automation”

My Definition of Fake Automated Tester: a full-time software professional is hired to perform Automated End-to-end (via UI, if the app has) Testing, but he/she fails to accomplish daily execution of the automated test suite as regression testing to provide quick and valid feedback. Therefore, the team lacks confidence in the results of the automated testing and heavily relies on manual functional testing.

Readers can self-assess. For those who prefer specifics, check out the article, One Simple Test Automation Scenario Interview Question that Most Candidates Failed.

Table of Contents:
· Fake Test Automation is Common
· The Results of wide-spread Fake Test Automation these years
· The Nonsenses
· There is a way

Fake Test Automation is Common

Drawing from my 17 years of experience in this industry, 95+% of so-called “test automation engineers” and “automated testers” are fake. This figure is quite conservative compared to the ones from some experts.

“95% of the time, 95% of test engineers will write bad GUI automation just because it’s a very difficult thing to do correctly”.
- this interview from Microsoft Test Guru Alan Page (2015), author of “How We Test Software at Microsoft”
(let me clarify: test automation engineers need to provide accurate feedback nearly 100% of the time. So, according to Alan, only 0.25% is considered to be good. And, this is assuming Microsoft-level engineers, which shall be far higher than the average)

“In my experience, great developers do not always make great testers, but great testers (who also have strong design skills) can make great developers. It’s a mindset and a passion. … They are gold”.
- Google VP Patrick Copeland, in an interview (2010)

While ‘Fake Automated Testers” sounds bad, it is largely not the individual’s fault. Why?

1. No E2E Test Automation courses are offered at universities.
   I was aware of it due to my experience working at two universities, alongside the fact that my daughter is currently pursuing an Honor’s degree on a part-time basis.

2. Companies rarely provide training on test automation, despite of
   Check out this article: “Promised E2E Test Automation Training Never Came”

So, I don’t belittle fake automated testers, but I despise the ones who sabotage real E2E test automation, like in this story.

The Results of wide-spread Fake Test Automation these years

One thing I clearly noticed (in my country, Australia) is that there are fewer and fewer test automation job ads on End-to-end test automation. A reader (in Europe) contacted me via LinkedIn just a few days ago.

This is unfortunate and should not happen because the demand for End-to-end test automation is not only strong but shall be growing.