Test Automation University (also called “TAU”) is one of the best online platforms for learning testing and automation skills. TAU offers dozens of courses from the world’s leading instructors, and everything is available for free. The platform is proudly powered by Applitools. As of November 2022, nearly 140,000 students have signed up! TAU has become an invaluable part of the testing community at large. Personally, I know many software teams who use TAU courses as part of their internal onboarding and mentorship programs.
So, which TAU courses are currently the most popular? In this list, we’ll count down the top 10 most popular courses, ranked by the total number of course completions over the past year. Let’s go!
#10: Selenium WebDriver with Java
Starting off the list at #10 is Selenium WebDriver with Java by none other than Angie Jones. Even with the rise of alternatives like Cypress and Playwright, Selenium WebDriver continues to be one of the most popular tools for browser automation, and Java continues to be one of its most popular programming languages. Selenium WebDriver with Java could almost be considered the “default” choice for Web UI test automation.
In this course, Angie digs deep into the WebDriver API, teaching everything from the basics to advanced techniques. It’s a great course for building a firm foundation in automation with Selenium WebDriver.
#9: Python Programming
#9 on our list is one of our programming courses: Python Programming by Jess Ingrassellino. Python is hot right now. On whatever ranking, index, or article you find these days for the “most popular programming languages,” Python is right at the top of the list – often vying for the top spot with JavaScript. Python is also quite a popular language for test automation, with excellent frameworks like pytest, libraries like requests, and bindings for browser automation tools like Selenium WebDriver and Playwright.
In this course, Dr. Jess teaches programming in Python. This isn’t a test automation course – it’s a coding course that anyone could take. She covers both structured programming and object-oriented principles from the ground up. After two hours, you’ll be ready to start coding your own projects!
#8: API Test Automation with Postman
The #8 spot belongs to API Test Automation with Postman by Beth Marshall. In recent years, Postman has become the go-to tool for building and testing APIs. You could almost think of it as an IDE for APIs. Many test teams use Postman to automate their API test suites.
Beth walks through everything you need to know about automating API tests with Postman in this course. She covers basic features, mocks, monitors, workspaces, and more. Definitely take this course if you want to take your API testing skills to the next level!
#7: Introduction to Cypress
Lucky #7 is Introduction to Cypress by Gil Tayar. Cypress is one of the most popular web testing frameworks these days, even rivaling Selenium WebDriver. With its concise syntax, rich debugging features, and JavaScript-native approach, it’s become the darling end-to-end test framework for frontend developers.
It’s no surprise that Gil’s Cypress course would be in the top ten. In this course, Gil teaches how to set up and run tests in Cypress from scratch. He covers both the Cypress app and the CLI, and he even covers how to do visual testing with Cypress.
#6: Exploring Service APIs through Test Automation
The sixth most popular TAU course is Exploring Service APIs through Test Automation by Amber Race. API testing is just as important as UI testing, and this course is a great way to start learning what it’s all about. In fact, this is a great course to take before API Test Automation with Postman.
This course was actually the second course we launched on TAU. It’s almost as old as TAU itself! In it, Amber shows how to explore APIs first and then test them using the POISED strategy.
#5: IntelliJ for Test Automation Engineers
Coming in at #5 is IntelliJ for Test Automation Engineers by Corina Pip. Java is one of the most popular languages for test automation, and IntelliJ is arguably the best and most popular Java IDE on the market today. Whether you build frontend apps, backend services, or test automation, you need proper development tools to get the job done.
Corina is a Java pro. In this course, she teaches how to maximize the value you get out of IntelliJ – and specifically for test automation. She walks through all those complicated menus and options you may have ignored otherwise to help you become a highly efficient engineer.
#4: Java Programming
Our list is winding down! At #4, we have Java Programming by Angie Jones. For the third time, a Java-based course appears on this list. That’s no surprise, as we’ve said before that Java remains a dominant programming language for test automation.
Like the Python Programming course at spot #9, Angie’s course is a programming course: it teaches the fundamentals of the Java language. Angie covers everything from “Hello World” to exceptions, polymorphism, and the Collections Framework. Clocking in at just under six hours, this is also one of the most comprehensive courses in the TAU catalog. Angie is also an official Java Champion, so you know this course is top-notch.
#3: Introduction to JavaScript
It’s time for the top three! The bronze medal goes to Introduction to JavaScript by Mark Thompson. JavaScript is the language of the Web, so it should be no surprise that it is also a top language for test automation. Popular test frameworks like Cypress, Playwright, and Jest all use JavaScript.
This is the third programming course TAU offers, and also the top one in this ranking! In this course, Mark provides a very accessible onramp to start programming in JavaScript. He covers the rock-solid basics: variables, conditionals, loops, functions, and classes. These concepts apply to all other programming languages, too, so it’s a great course for anyone who is new to coding.
#2: Web Element Locator Strategies
I’m partial to the course in second place – Web Element Locator Strategies by me, Andrew Knight! This was the first course I developed for TAU, long before I ever joined Applitools.
In whatever test framework or language you use for UI-based test automation, you need to use locators to find elements on the page. Locators can use IDs, CSS selectors, or XPaths to uniquely identify elements. This course teaches all the tips and tricks to write locators for any page, including the tricky stuff!
#1: Setting a Foundation for Successful Test Automation
It should come as no surprise that the #1 course on TAU in terms of course completions is Setting a Foundation for Successful Test Automation by Angie Jones. This course was the very first course published to TAU, and it is the first course in almost all the Learning Paths.
Before starting any test automation project, you must set clear goals with a robust strategy that meets your business objectives. Testing strategies must be comprehensive – they include culture, tooling, scaling, and longevity. While test tools and frameworks will come and go, common-sense planning will always be needed. Angie’s course is a timeless classic for teams striving for success with test automation.
What can we learn from these trends?
A few things are apparent from this list of the most popular TAU courses:
- Test automation is clearly software development. All three of TAU’s programming language courses – Java, JavaScript, and Python – are in the top ten for course completions. A course on using IntelliJ, a Java IDE, also made the top ten. They prove how vital good development skills are needed for successful test automation.
- API testing is just as important as UI testing. Two of the courses in the top ten focused on API testing.
- Principles are more important than tools or frameworks. Courses on strategy, technique, and programming rank higher than courses on specific tools and frameworks.
What other courses are popular?
Here’s a concise list of the top 25 courses ranked by course completion:
- Setting a Foundation for Successful Test Automation
- Web Element Locator Strategies
- Introduction to JavaScript
- Java Programming
- IntelliJ for Test Automation Engineers
- Exploring Service APIs through Test Automation
- Introduction to Cypress
- API Test Automation with Postman
- Python Programming
- Selenium WebDriver with Java
- Scaling Tests with Docker
- Introduction to TestNG
- Mocha JavaScript Test Framework
- Cucumber with Java
- Continuous Integration with Jenkins
- Test Automation in DevOps
- Automating your API tests with REST Assured
- The Whole Team Approach to Continuous Testing
- Introduction to Robot Framework
- Introduction to pytest
- Source Control for Test Automation with Git
- Introduction to Chai Assertions
- Test Automation for Accessibility
- Tools and Techniques for Performance and Load Testing
- Selenium 4 in Java
However, keep in mind that all TAU courses are great. They are taught by the world’s leading instructors. Many cover niche topics or special frameworks. Be sure to peruse the catalog to see them all!