What is SDET? Full Form, Meaning, Role and Responsibilities
In testing, an SDET (Software Development Engineer in Test) is a qualified IT professional who is capable of working equally as well as effectively in both development and testing roles. SDETs are involved in all phases of the software development process, as well as the software testing phase. Testability, robustness, and overall performance of the software testing and development process are the primary focus for SDET professionals’ knowledge.
They are also capable of participating in the design of production software as a contributor or as a reviewer of existing designs.
Difference between SDET and Tester?
| SDET | Manual Tester |
|---|---|
| Knows the entire system start to end | Limited knowledge about the system |
| SDET is involved in every step of the software development process like
Designing, development, and testing. |
QA is only involved in the testing life cycle of the software development process. |
| Highly skilled professional with development as well as testing knowledge. | Software tester is only involved in preparing and executing the test cases |
| SDET can participate in test automation tool development and may make it for generic use. | Not expected to develop test automation tools or frameworks. |
| SDETs need to perform duties like performance testing, automated generation of test data, etc. | Only testing related task will be performed by the tester. |
| Know requirements and guidelines for the products | No such knowledge expected from QA professionals. |
When do you need SDET?
Organizations are currently on the lookout for professionals who are capable of participating in software development. At the same time, he should be in charge of testing the software that has been developed. Therefore, employing the services of SDET is beneficial to them because they can work on developing high-performance code or designing the testing framework.
The following are the advantages of being an SDET professional:
Using their coding skills, SDETs professionals can automate the acceptance test and reduce the number of errors.
These professionals are in charge of dealing with end users or customers and their interactions with them. They already possessed engineering abilities, allowing them to think in the same way that a developer would.
Unit testing ensures that all code has been thoroughly covered.
Individuals have the ability to build, deploy, run, and manage their applications.
Contribute to the technical implementation and user scenarios of the development, programme management, and design teams
SDET is required by a number of industries.
Companies are increasingly adopting new technology and methodologies, which is a positive development. As a result, software professionals with SDET certifications are in high demand. Software developer engineers are in high demand in the testing industry, particularly in the following fields:
SDETs are in high demand.
Skills in both technical and nontechnical areas
An SDET must possess the following nontechnical abilities in addition to their technical abilities:
Industries in need of SDET
A SDET must be able to communicate effectively both verbally and in writing. It is important that testing materials such as test cases, plans for testing, test strategies, and bug reports are simple to read and comprehend.
Time management and organisational abilities are required.
A SDET’s job is extremely demanding, especially during the period of code release. A software tester must be able to manage their workload efficiently, be highly productive, and have excellent time management skills.
OUTSTANDING Attitude
You must have a positive attitude if you want to be a successful Software Development Engineer in Test. You should be able to keep up with technological advancements and upgrade your technical skills. Your attitude should be able to function independently of your surroundings. In order for you to be able to take ownership of the task assigned to you without excessive supervision.
Passion
To achieve success as an information technology professional, you must have a strong sense of passion for what you do. A passion for testing, development, and design should be present in an SDET candidate.
The following are some technical skills that are expected of SDET graduates:
Technical and Nontechnical skills
Knowledge of programming languages such as C#,.NET, Java, or other similar languages.
Working knowledge of the “AGILE + DevOps” process management methodology is required.
SDETs should be familiar with a variety of test methods and corresponding tools, such as Microsoft Test, NUnit, TestNG, Selenium WebDriver, and others.
SDETs should be familiar with the concept of Behaviour Driven Development.
With the aid of automation tools, it is possible to identify bottlenecks and thresholds in existing code.
Object-Oriented Design Concepts and Techniques
In what capacities and responsibilities does an SDET function?
SDETs should be able to perform Test Automation and set up frameworks on a variety of application platforms, including web, mobile, and desktop applications, among others.
Investigate customer issues that have been referred to you by the technical support team.
Create and manage bug reports, as well as communicate with the rest of the team.
Capable of developing a variety of test scenarios and acceptance tests.
SDET is responsible for handling technical communications with Partners in order to understand the client’s systems or APIs (application programming interfaces).
SDET also collaborates with deployment teams to identify and resolve any system-level issues that may arise.
Test automation frameworks should also be set up and maintained by SDETs, as well as operated by them.
The skills and responsibilities listed above are essential for SDET. They may differ from one company to the next.
Wages and Benefits The compensation structure for an SDET varies from company to company. In India, the average annual salary for a Software Development Engineer in Test (SDET) is 6,92,692 and in the United States, the average annual salary is $74,291.
An SDET also receives benefits such as health insurance, a gratuity, and other perks.
What are the roles and responsibilities of an SDET?
Workday in a Nutshell
Throughout the day, you will be responsible for understanding project documents, creating and executing test cases, reporting, and debugging bugs that have been discovered. You will also provide feedback to the design team, make suggestions for the development team, and participate in other team-building activities.
Progression in One’s Professional Life
It is likely that your career progression as an SDET will look something like the following in a typical CMMI level 5 company, though this will vary from company to company.
A Sr. SDET with 2 to 3 years of experience replaces an SDET with less than one year of experience. Team Coordinator (5-8 years’ experience) => SDET Manager (8+ years’ experience) SDET Coordinator (5-8 years’ experience)
Conclusion
A SDET professional is a hybrid of a developer and a tester who also has experience with project management techniques. SDET jobs are becoming more challenging and highly demanded in the current market because of this all-in-one type of skill set requirement.