QA Course

You deserve the best education

Welcome to the

professional course

on software testing

for beginners!

This course is exactly for you if:

  • You like to make informed decisions, don't believe that "software testing is for everyone", and before payment you want to undergo a fair aptitude test and personalized career guidance with a QA mentor (it's really fair - only 30% pass)
  • You are demanding of both yourself and the educational process - and therefore want to receive both uncompromising quality professional training and the full experience of working as a real QA before you graduate
  • Want to work as a software tester in the US or international IT

Mentorpiece - is professional
(not commercial) software testing education from top mentors

What is a professional approach to education and how does it differ from a commercial one?

Professional QA education has emerged as a response to the significant shortcomings of the commercial approach to education:

  • Fact #1
    7 out of 10 students in the course do NOT become software testers
    01
  • Fact #2
    Bootcamps don't provide enough depth of knowledge
    02
  • Fact #3
    Resumes without IT experience are the last to be considered
    03

Professional training is a close to individualized learning in groups of 10-15 career-oriented students and QA mentors with a minimum of 10 years of IT experience.


The professional approach utilizes an uncompromising quality three-tiered training model. Theory in an interactive textbook, practical workshops in a group of 15 students, and a two-month internship on a real business project. This gives a completely different level of knowledge and skills compared to commercial training and completely different employment outcomes.

To ensure that a new career is guaranteed to take off, you need to make the most informed decision possible.

So let's talk in detail about the following:


1

Software testing

- is it easy?

Why is the IT industry open to me?
Because software development today needs all kinds of professionals
The software development market is facing a big shortage of qualified specialists.
And there aren't enough QA testers. But their work is very important — the quality of the final program or service depends on them. At the same time, software testers don't need a technical education. Good QA courses are enough.
I've been told that software testing is the easiest entry point into IT.
Is this true?
Not really. It is really easy to become a software tester, "who checks that the buttons are properly displayed and pressed". But it is difficult to find a job for such a specialist.
Becoming a QA-specialist who, for example, understands Linux or debugging of three-level applications, is more difficult.
But his career prospects are much better.
Oh, then it's probably not for me. I'm 35 now, and I've never had any experience with computers.
There is no need to make any hasty decisions.
35 is the average age of our students. For example, in our experience, former teachers and accountants make the best software testers.
How do I know then that testing is really mine?
First, you can watch the video QA mentor says: What signs can help you realize that testing is for you? and other videos on our channel.
Second, we do a free orientation with every applicant. For those who don't qualify for testing, we're honest and say so (and they save their time and money).
For the rest, we help them start a new, exciting and enjoyable stage in life.
But because of the crisis and competition from other courses, finding a job in IT is no longer as easy as it used to be?
Yes, in recent years there have been more graduates of QA courses. But there are very few really qualified ones among them. And companies, as before, find it difficult to find prospective software testers.
That is why we make a course that is unlike the others.
How is it different?
It is built on a professional, not a commercial approach to education. It's not easy to learn, but it's easy to find a job afterwards (not the other way around).
Why are you sure this is the way to do it?
We are QA-mentors with 10 to 25 years of experience in international IT. We've worked in dozens of companies, and many junks have passed through us. And we know how to get it right.

2

How professional QA education differs from commercial education

What is a professional approach to education and how does it differ from a commercial one?

It is a close to one-on-one training of career-oriented students by international QA mentors with 10-25 years of experience to help them gain advanced knowledge including deep test design and troubleshooting, build skills in 35+ workshops and hands-on assignments, and hone professional skills in a two-month internship by a full-fledged QA engineer on a real business project.

The 4 main differences

in professional education:

COMMERCIAL APPROACH
✓ mentors motivation: self-actualization and $
✓ the commercial interests of the school take precedence over the interests of the student
✓ enrollment after successful payment
✓ school KPIs: number of students, ROI
PROFESSIONAL APPROACH
mentors motivation: improving the quality of IT professionals in the marketplace
the interests of the student take precedence over the commercial interests of the school
enrollment after a successful entrance exam
school KPI: number of successful careers of graduates
In what exactly is it expressed that the interests of the student are above the commercial interests of the school?

Why do teachers in a professional QA school have no monetary motivation?

Why in the professional approach the success of the school is not measured by the number of students?

Learn more in a short video:
And a little more from our chief mentor:

In a year, as a professional QA-school, we graduate about 100 QA. Why so few? Because we try to be the Harvard of QA courses and focus on quality, not quantity

A fee-based QA school with a competitive admissions process
The $ is not taken from everyone who is willing to pay, but only from those who have undergone vocational guidance with an experienced QA mentor, testing and who actually have prospects in QA. Out of 35 applicants, an average of 10 get the green light to study.
QA school with mentors with IT experience 10+ years only
It is the mentors, not yesterday's graduates of the same course, who give feedback on each of the 50+ homework assignments.
QA school where the internship lasts a full 1000+ man hours
A two-month internship by a full-fledged QA on a real business project in a US company is the first QA experience on a graduate's resume and a faster job placement.

3

What will you get from studying on a professional QA course

Why do you believe that a professional approach is somehow better than a commercial approach to QA training?

Because it takes into account what actually happens when learning software testing and when looking for your first job:

Fact #1

7 out of 10 students in courses do NOT become software testers

Commercial courses declare "software testing is easy" and enroll anyone who is willing to pay. As a result, most people drop out of the training and do not start an IT career.

In professional education, only those who have demonstrated aptitude through testing, vocational guidance with a primary mentor, and examination are enrolled in the course and paid money.


Entry screening (an average of 3 people per place) creates a maximally productive and motivating learning atmosphere in the study groups without doubters and procrastinators. This is why 90% of the entrants reach the end of the course, despite the challenging training.


Could you get on the course?
Then QA is really your thing.

Fact #2

Bootcamps don't provide enough depth of knowledge

Competition in the labor market is forcing employers to make ever higher demands on job seekers.

Bootcamps are only practice-oriented and often provide very superficial knowledge for candidates.

The professional approach utilizes an uncompromising quality three-tiered training model. Theory in an interactive textbook, practical workshops in a group of 15 students and a two-month internship on a real business project. This gives a completely different level of knowledge and skills compared to commercial training and completely different employment outcomes.


We read faster than we listen. One hour of video is only 15 pages of text. And a ten-hour video course is actually a slim book of 150 pages.

The course is using an interactive 700-page QA textbook. 100-Year QA-Textbook is an interactive textbook containing 42 modules, 42 online tests, 700+ pages with basic knowledge (yes, 700 pages is only the basics of software testing) on test design, requirements, documentation, testing levels, databases, three-tier architecture, Linux, networks, services, development methodologies and automation basics.

It allows students to learn all the necessary theory in depth without "googling".

So when you graduate, you are not a "junior QA" specialist, but a "pre-middle QA" specialist.

Fact #3

Resumes without IT experience are the last to be considered

To break the vicious circle, a professional approach requires a two-month internship as a full-fledged QA engineer on a real business project in a US company. This is a) real QA experience b) the first IT entry in your resume.

It's too late to start looking for your first job after completing your software testing training. The search can take months, and in that time the knowledge and skills will be forgotten.
Preparing for employment should start from the first day of training. That's why training at Mentorpiece doesn't start with learning Hard skills, but with planning effective training, pumping up Soft skills and taking the first steps towards employment.

Students are helped in this:
- A specially designed Orange textbook on HOW to study for software testing.
- SDL course Interstate 60 - a paid supplement to the Orange Textbook (comes as a gift for students of the course). Teaching HOW to get your first QA job.

At the end of the internship, a final interview exam is taken, and each student receives one-on-one rigorous job mentoring until they find a job.

Therefore, Mentorpiece graduates have no problem finding jobs in US and international companies.

We are working hard towards the goal of "90% of graduates are employed within 6 months".

3 conditions to make professional education work

(and what is generally unavailable to students of commercial courses):

  • 1. Only you come first
    — lessons in groups of maximum 15 students, where feedback is given to you, not to the flow of 100+ people
  • 2. Only top mentors with at least 10 years of IT experience
    strictly selected mentors - current technical specialists of international IT companies with 10 to 25 years of experience, who are involved in recruiting testers in their companies and know the most current requirements in the QA market
  • 3. Only a comfortable and effective learning environment
    An old computer will suffice for studying and you won't have to set up many programs from scratch - practice takes place in a cloud-based sandbox.

    You can take tests in a convenient iOS/Android app.

    Mentors will add individual feedback to your training diary 150 times in the form of comments and grades for test completion, workshop activity, homework completion, internship activity and quality of work, as well as a grade for the final individual interview exam.
So,
No novice mentors "with 4-5 years of IT experience"
No pre-recorded lectures.
No "platform teaching in a Matrix for 100 people, where one person gives a lecture and the other checks the homework"
No "a little theory, a little practice, and a thesis for a tick"
No "If you find some work after the course, that's great".

All 10 qualities of your studies
- in a short 56-second video:
In short, it's a course after which you don't have to do any more studying.
It's a course that really opened the door to a new life for many.
I am very unsure whether I will be able to find a job as a software tester as a result of the education.
Our course is difficult. And if you can study it well, then the question of work will disappear, we promise.
You'll have another question:
Your question will be
How awesome will my future job be?
Still, what evidence is there that the course is working?
The quality of any course is measured by two parameters: the number of applicants who successfully reach graduation. And the number of graduates who are successfully employed.
For an ordinary online QA course, how many students who start actually go on to take the final exam?

Some online courses achieve up to 50%. Some courses have a graduation rate less than 30%.

And those who don't reach the finish line face a long and painful procedure to get a partial refund of their tuition. You've probably seen reviews of such QA courses.

At Mentorpiece, more than 90% of students reach and pass the final exam. This notable outcome is the result of all of the above — we have living mentors with more than 10 years of experience in the industry. Each student is in a group of no more than 15 highly motivated fellow students. During an entrance interview with a mentor and entrance exam, each student makes a conscious decision and demonstrates willingness to successfully dive into this new profession.

By the way, entrance testing also helps to avoid unnecessary loss of time and money for those for whom training would be too difficult.
In general, is there an objective indicator of the quality of courses?
Yes. It is about whether the QA school is doing the training for the employees of the IT companies or not.
Students who are just entering the IT field are not always in a position to objectively assess the quality of the course. Even after graduation. It may take a year after they start employment before they can tell whether it was really the best and high-quality.
But it's a good sign that well-known IT companies with their own experienced in-house QA experts take advantage of the course.

4

What is and is not included in the course

 

1
Duration: 2 months
Real project: Yes
Hours worked on the project: from 100
Standups: 40
Lead Mentor: Yes
Lead Intern: Yes
Opportunity to become a Lead Intern: Yes
Opportunity to include experience on resume: Required
Internship is not included in the course or its cost.
Internship is separate and free of charge.
2
JOB INTERVIEW FINAL EXAM
Individualized: Yes
Interview feedback: Immediately
3
EMPLOYMENT MENTORING
FOR ALL GRADUATES
SDL-course Interstate 60: Yes
Assistance in preparing resumes: Yes
Cover letter assistance: Yes
Individual vigorous employment mentoring: Yes
Duration: Until graduate finds a job

FOR GRADUATES WITH A GRADE OF 80+
SDL-course Interstate 60: Yes
Assistance in preparing resumes: Yes
Cover letter assistance: Yes
Individual vigorous employment mentoring: Yes
Duration: Until graduate finds a job
+
Validation on LinkedIn by three mentors: Yes
Video recommendation from the main mentor: Yes
A short informative video is worth a thousand words.
We asked our QA mentor to talk about the curriculum and how each module will benefit you:
What will I be able to work with?
If there are too few tools in the training program, there won't be enough of them to work with. If there are too many, they will be hard to learn, and all of them will be weeded out of your head before the first interview.
Here is the optimal set:
What about automation? I didn't see anything about it in the course curriculum.
The detailed answer to this question is:
What about mobile app testing?
Mobile applications are not included in the program for the same reason as automation.
During 4 months with the load within 15 hours per week it is realistic to study and consolidate in practice only the standard QA-knowledge on the test-design, requirements, documentation, testing levels, databases, three-link architecture, Linux, networks, services, development methodologies, and automation starts. If they are studied qualitatively, it is more than enough to get your first job.
But I've seen a course where in 4 months with several classes a week they go through both the basics of testing, automation, and mobile app testing.
As practice shows, with this approach graduates do not know how to do manual testing properly, nor how to automate, nor how to test mobile applications.

It is like a musician learning to play all instruments at once, and a doctor learning how to treat teeth and perform brain surgery. Such a doctor would not be hired in dentistry or neurosurgery.

We recommend starting to learn mobile testing and automation after 6-12 months as a manual tester. In the long run, it will be both more efficient and cheaper.
Is web application testing, APIs being studied?
Yes. And at the deepest level, including troubleshooting and localization of defects in three-link applications. This is a serious advantage our graduates have over their competitors from other courses.

5

Mentors and alumni on their journey in IT

QA Mentors
  • Lilia Urmazova
    School Founder, Chief QA Expert (AM)

    In QA since 2001.

    Has worked at Star Software, Exigen Services, Grid Dynamics, Rostelecom. Taught at Luxoft Training, Grid Dynamics.

    I like QA because it lets me participate in the entire software development process from A to Z and also interact with a lot of people all at once.

    I'm a good mentor because I can explain complex things well using simple examples, pictures, diagrams and tables.

  • Fedor Kulishov
    Linux and Security Expert / Lead Security Expert at Acronis (CH)

    In IT since 2005.

    Has worked at several startups, Scientific Research Institute Voskhod and Positive Technologies.

    I like IT, and especially security, because you always have to stay in shape. There is often something interesting to investigate. And you're surrounded by excellent specialists and enthusiasts.

    I'm a good mentor because I like to see excitement in my students' eyes, to notice their progress, and to receive their goodwill in return.

  • Sergei Ivin
    Expert mentor in API, Web UI, Git / Senior BE developer at AddIntel (UK)

    In IT since 2012.

    Has worked at ADCI, Burning Buttons and Alyce.

    I like IT because a small group of people can create something that will benefit millions.

    I am a good mentor because I try to make every student want to ask the right questions.

  • Maxim Usmanov
    AT Expert Mentor / Lead QA Automation engineer at Semrush (US)

    In IT since 2012.

    Has worked at Deutsche Bank, Motorola Solutions, Digital Design.

    I like IT as an opportunity to please my inner perfectionist and help something become better, because we are talking about QA.

    I am a good mentor because I like to explain complex things in simple language. And I don't know how to do it any other way.

They started out just like you...
...and now
they work here

6

Studying for your results

Work for your happy ending

  • Our top QA experts will send you straight to the big leagues
    The best QA courses don't involve learning from people teaching theory or practice with just 4-5 years of experience.

    We only hire QA mentors with 10+ years of IT experience. Mentorpiece does not try to teach everything at once. We specialize exclusively in QA and testing. As a result, your instruction comes from carefully selected mentors who are current technical managers at the largest global IT companies, who are involved in hiring testers at their companies.

  • A live high-quality course with feedback, where the focus is on you, not a crowd of 100 people
    You're not paying for access to year-old webinars made by a teacher who never checks the homework.

    This is a genuine live QA course with living, breathing teachers. They teach the latest theory, adapt the course for each specific group, lead practical exercises, answer questions, guide and support students, check homework, provide grades, and conduct exams.

    Our groups are limited to 15 motivated students, not 30, 40, or even 300 people put into groups on some platforms. That means you won't be working with a host of instructors, supervisors, tutors, assistants, coordinators, and technical support specialists, but rather just a few QA experts. This dedicated team can give you the attention you need along with high-quality feedback.
  • An internship on a real project that will make you shine in the eyes of your future employer
    Can you become a specialist without working on a real project?

    At Mentorpiece, we believe that software testing courses that don't offer this leave much to be desired.
    That's why our students complete internships on a live project.
    During your training, you will gain experience testing real software as part of a real project. You can add this work to your resume.
More about our internships:
The CEO of a California company was so pleased with the work of Mentorpiece graduates at the internship that he recorded a video review:
If the resume of yesterday's QA-student is not "empty", but demonstrates the acquisition of practical experience in a real business project, then such a graduate has no problem finding a job within 2-3 months of active search.

On the QA Internship page, see reports on the performance of interns at US companies.


Each report contains the following information:

- customer and internship objectives

- challenges

- problems

- achievements

- whom the lead mentor appointed as the lead intern

- internship results

- personal impression of one of the interns


In addition, an interim or final retrospective report of each project is given.


QA Internships

If the resume of yesterday's QA student is not "empty", but demonstrates getting practical experience on a real business project, such a graduate has no problem finding a job within 2-3 months of active search.

Online QA Course in numbers

70 / 140 / 100+ hours
theory / practice / internship
4 + 2 months
course + internship
no more than
15 people
in a group
62 years
total experience of lecturers of the QA school in IT:
22+18+11+11

7

40+ frequent questions

I still have so many questions...
We're not going to suggest that you get a call from a sales manager to "consult." 🙂

That's why we have detailed answers to all possible questions:

8

Price & possible discounts

I don't have a lot of money, and I need inexpensive training. But after graduation I want to find a job in IT in two, maximum three months.
Alas, quality cannot be cheap. Many of the trainees on inexpensive courses for a long time can not find a job and are forced to re-train.
At the same time, the cost of a quality course pays for itself in 3 months of QA.
Course Comparison
A commercial course with live lectures and 3+ months of education
Professional course by Mentorpiece
Career Guidance from a QA mentor with 20+ years of experience
Entrance test with an opportunity to assess the complexity of the course
Theoretical block, lectures
Interactive QA-textbook to prepare for lectures and interviews
Mentors with 10 years of experience only
< 20 students per group
Practical exercises
The lecturer checks the homework, not the assistant
Practice can also be done on an old computer
Graduation exam - as a real individual interview
Assistance in preparing resumes, cover letters, at casts
For the excellent students: a video recommendation from the chief mentor, proof of knowledge from three mentors & job security
Employment textbook, one-on-one rigorous mentoring to the point of employment
Price
$4'200 to $6'000
$4'900

Full course fee (not including internship)

1 seat in a group of 15 people:

PRICE
$816 / month
• "No Obligation" installment - 6 equal payments without interest, commissions, insurance
• no obligations: the installment is provided by Mentorpiece without any documents
• if it is necessary to interrupt the training, simply no further payment is made
upon 100% prepayment
$4'410
• 10% discount
Discounts?
We never have "hot discounts of 40%. Discounts are usually given on something that is not very high quality and not selling well.
But there is an opportunity to reduce the cost of studying:
10%
"First 5 Places"
10% off
seats #1,2,3,4,5 in the group
5%
"Second 5 Places"
5% off
seats #6,7,8,9,10 in the group
5%
Cashback
Cashback 5% for yourself and 5% off for a friend.
Presents?
Sure:

Two-month internship opportunity for a full QA on a real business project is free.

If I want an installment plan, should I go to the bank?
No, we give installments ourselves.
By the way, we always recommend paying attention to whether the course offers its own installments or only through the bank. This is also one of the indicators of its quality.
Why so?
As we said above, many courses drop more than 50% of their students. It is more profitable for such courses to send the student to the bank, to get the full amount of tuition from the bank at once, and if the student withdraws, to delay the refund process as long as possible.
I see. And then what about the case when the installment is from the course?
In this case, if a student decides to stop studying, he simply stops paying and no longer owes anyone anything. That is why this option is only offered by courses that are confident in quality and where the vast majority of students make it to graduation.

An important note about installments: we always recommend that you pay attention to whether the course offers its own installments or only through the bank. This is also one of the indicators of its quality.

Why is that?
As we said above, on many courses more than 50% of students drop out. It is more profitable for such courses to send the student to the bank, receive the full amount of tuition from the bank at once, and if the student withdraws - to delay the refund process as much as possible.
And what if there are installments from the course?
In this case, if a student decides to stop studying, he or she simply stops paying and no longer owes anyone anything. Therefore, this option is only offered by courses that are sure of quality and where the vast majority of students reach graduation.

9

How not to waste

time and money

I would like to start studying to become a software tester, but I'm still not sure if this is my profession.
And there are still a number of questions about the profession and the course.

Building your career doesn't start with a sales manager. We want you to make an informed decision, and no one pressures you.


So let's start not with payment, but with a free orientation interview with a top QA-manager with 20+ years of experience, who has grown a lot of middles, leads.

How is it going?
The purpose of the orientation interview is to answer all of your questions and see if the profession is right for you. The interview allows you to find out all the questions, to understand "Is it mine?", "Can I do it?", to weigh all the pros and cons.
To make it easier to find an answer to this question, you need to do a small preliminary test. At the same time it will help you assess the format of the education.
So I should already know something about software testing or IT?
No. You don't need any knowledge of IT, you need a certain mindset to do the task. You can be a humanitarians to pass the test. But a careful humanitarian.
What if I don't pass the orientation with a mentor?
In this case, you will save money and six months to a year of your life for training and work that would not have made you happy and successful. The mentor will recommend the necessary literature to study or suggest looking towards another IT profession.
Other than a job interview and orientation, there's nothing else?
There's also an entrance exam. You don't need any special knowledge to pass it either. It is more a test of attentiveness, logic and a "tester's mind".

We don't want you to start studying rashly and fall off in the middle of the path. And we want you to be really sure that testing is for you.
Is the exam easy to pass?
If we look at the entire admission cycle (preliminary tests, career guidance, and the exam), about 50% pass.

If we talk about the exam, those who have reached the exam pass it with a probability of 70%.
Okay, I'm ready!
Then let's do it:

10
If you make a deliberate decision,
you will succeed.
3 days to complete the test
3 days to complete the test
Admission: Ask questions, get answers and complete a preliminary test
• get answers to all questions from the administrative director
• watch a QA lecture and then perform a small preliminary task that tests both the ability to learn the material and to understand the task facing the tester in a given situation; no prior knowledge of the software testing is required!
Wednesdays on schedule
Wednesdays on schedule
Admission: Individualized vocational guidance with the chief QA mentor
• provide a resume before the vocational guidance so that the mentor can evaluate previous experience
• the goals of the orientation are to resolve questions and doubts and to find out: the enrollee's motivation and incentives, whether he/she has the right idea about the profession, what are his/her strengths/weaknesses, what is his/her talent, whether the psycho-portrait matches the QA psycho-portrait, whether there is anything in the past experience that will help/interfere with the training and work of the tester, how organized and ready for intensive training
weekends as scheduled
weekends as scheduled
Admission: Entrance exam
• before the entrance exam, familiarize yourself with the technical training material, knowledge of which will be useful at the entrance exam.
• the entrance exam takes place in a group and lasts on average 1.5-2 hours - it contains three large tasks that test the aptitude for three different "test-taker superpowers".
• collegial review of the results of career guidance, completed tasks and passed exam; decision on admission
by decision
by decision
Upon successful admission
• payment
• access to the telegram group of your study group, acquaintance
• access to the LMS, to the course program, theory and first homework assignments
• access to the Orange textbook, SDL-course Interstate 60 and its checkpoints (which should be started before the start of the main course)
on the group's school schedule
on the group's school schedule
Interstate 60: Workshop #1: Who is Competitive QA
• is hosted by a chief QA mentor
• co-hosted by an alumnus who shares with newcomers recent experiences of studying, interning and finding a job
• "Goals: What I want from my new profession"
• discussion of the results of the mini-survey "What employers want"
on the group's school schedule
on the group's school schedule
Interstate 60: Workshop #2: How to properly become a competitive tester so you don't waste time and money
• "Goals: What I want from training"
• discussion of crisis management plans "How not to stress and stay on track"
on the group's school schedule
on the group's school schedule
Interstate 60: Workshop #3: How to get your first QA job
• "What companies I want to work for and what questions I will ask in an interview"
• strengths and achievements
• discussion of the remaining checkpoints of the SDL course Route 60 on preparing for job search
• how long it took different graduates to find a job
on the group's school schedule
on the group's school schedule
Main Course: Workshop #1: Relational Databases
• before the workshop: studying the textbook chapter, taking a test
• reviewing, reading and discussing different ER-diagrams.
• comparing UI-objects and DB-objects of the FTB training application.
• after the workshop: doing homework (2 attempts)
on the group's school schedule
on the group's school schedule
Main Course: Next
• 35+ practical online workshops, 70 hours of theory and 140 hours of practice, 150 elements of feedback from mentors in the diary
• Alongside the main course - completing the checkpoints of the SDL course Route 60 on preparing for a job search
two-month internship
• final individual exam-interview
• one-on-one rigorous job placement mentoring
• probationary release on first QA job
Useful for future software testers
Professional education