Manual testing to automatic testing A formal training programme for testers at Bands 3 to 7

Module 6 Induction and baseline

Hours 88–95.5, about 6.5 hours, after the three basics modules (Module 1 to Module 3). Gate 0.

Purpose

Each person, their line manager, and the training lead agree where the person starts, which track they join, and how they will be supported. Module 6 sets a formal, evidenced baseline.

Outcomes

  • A calibrated baseline on the full capability self-assessment (Parts A to C).
  • A track, an individual learning plan, and a signed learning agreement.
  • A working development environment.

Module 6 supports Learning outcome 13 (fully meet the person's own band and UK GDaD PCF role).

Depth by track

Module Band 3 Band 4 quality assurance Band 4 test engineering Band 5 quality assurance Band 6 quality assurance Band 6 test engineering Band 7 test engineering Band 7 test management
Module 6 Induction and baseline Independent Independent Independent Independent Independent Independent Independent Independent

Session plan

# Session Duration Format Who
1 Programme welcome: aims, tracks, gates, the "same band, full capability" principle, developmental-only gates 1 hour Core Cohort, training lead, head of test
2 How to self-assess honestly: evidence, "rate what you do regularly", a gap is not a failing 30 minutes Core Cohort, training lead
3 Self-assessment working time, with the mentor available 2 hours Individual Each person
4 Manager independent rating (the manager's time, not the participant's) 1.5 hours Individual Line manager
5 Calibration meeting 1 hour One to one Person, line manager, mentor if needed
6 Diagnostic coding exercise (unscored) 30 minutes Individual Each person, mentor
7 Environment set-up pairing 1 hour Pairing Each person, mentor
8 Individual learning plan and learning agreement meeting, which also starts Role foundations 30 minutes One to one Person, line manager, training lead

The participant's sessions add up to 6.5 hours. The last hour of the first 7.5 hours starts Module 7.

Activities

  1. Welcome and briefing. Explain the programme, the eight tracks, the six gates, and Principle 14: gate results never start capability or performance procedures.
  2. Self-assessment. The person completes the full capability self-assessment, with a short, specific example as evidence for each "Meets". The instrument is in instruments/, built from the roles-skills reference. People may complete it in writing or in conversation with their mentor.
  3. Manager rating. The line manager rates independently, without seeing the self-ratings.
  4. Calibration. Agree each rating. Where the two differ by more than one level, the evidence decides. If they still disagree, the mentor or training lead moderates.
  5. Track placement. Place the person by band and UK GDaD PCF role. Apply the mapping rule from the spec where there is no reference role level. For Band 3, agree the expected job evaluation factor levels from the person's job description, with a total of 216 to 270 points.
  6. Diagnostic. A short, unscored coding exercise. Its only use is to tune Module 8 pacing and to decide whether Band 3 and Band 4 people take the 368-hour option.
  7. Environment set-up. Install Node.js, Google Chrome, VS Code with the ESLint extension, and git. No Docker is needed. Check access to the team's repository and CI.
  8. Individual learning plan and learning agreement.

Diagnostic coding exercise

Unscored. 30 minutes. The mentor sits alongside and notes where the person gets stuck.

  1. Open a terminal. Make a folder. List its contents.

  2. In VS Code, create hello.js that prints your team's name, and run it with node hello.js.

  3. Change it to print the numbers 1 to 5.

  4. Change it to print only the even numbers.

  5. Read this code and say, in your own words, what it does:

    function isAdult(age) {
  return age >= 18;
}
console.log(isAdult(17));

The mentor records: comfort with the terminal, editing, running code, and reading code. Most people at Bands 3 and 4 will not finish. That is expected.

Evidence

Evidence 6, for every track:

  • the full capability self-assessment (Parts A to C), with evidence, and the manager's independent rating, calibrated at Gate 0
  • the person's track, and any mapping decision
  • an individual learning plan: the gaps that matter most from Parts A to C, an action, owner, and date for each, the automation target, reasonable adjustments, and preferred learning formats
  • a signed learning agreement: protected time, mentor, and gate dates
  • a working development environment: Node.js, Google Chrome, VS Code with the ESLint extension, git, and access to the team's repository and CI.

Use the templates in this folder:

Assessment

Gate 0 (hour 88). Baseline only: no threshold. Gate 0 records the mentor's sign-offs of the three basics walkthroughs (Evidence 1 to 3), and passes when the individual learning plan is agreed and signed. The individual learning plan uses the continuing professional development plan the person drafted in Module 3.

Resources

View this document on GitHub materials/modules/module-6-induction/index.md