December 12th, 2025 by Audrey Marcum
Tools matter, but they don’t create experts. A surgeon isn’t defined by a premium scalpel, and a software tester won’t become world-class just by adopting powerful QA solutions. Too many teams expect tools alone to deliver excellence, only to find that real capability comes from pairing them with education, experience, and judgment. This article breaks down why training is the true multiplier in QA and software testing — how experience builds perspective, how education provides structure, and how continuous learning elevates the craft. If you want to strengthen your testing practice, maximize the value of your tools, and learn about this exclusive offer then read on.
Authored by Bob Crews of Checkpoint Technology
The tools used in any profession are key. Imagine a surgeon performing an operation without scalpels and forceps — that would be tricky. Once a skilled worker becomes more experienced or an expert, they often upgrade their tools. Maybe they get a Medtronic scalpel with the 3-nanometer obsidian blade!
I could buy surgical masks, Medtronic scalpels, and Crile hemostats with titanium-coated tips, but that wouldn’t make me a surgeon!
We all know that’s not how it works. Yet in the world of Quality Assurance and Software Testing — and likely others — there are those who invest in excellent tools (solutions) and expect that alone to magically turn their team into world-class software test engineers.
That’s usually not the case.
Tools are designed to enhance processes and strategies. They enable efficiency, precision, and cost-effectiveness. But tools alone don’t create skilled software test engineers. The real transformation comes when tools are paired with education and experience — the elements that build understanding, context, and judgment.
Experience and Education: The Real Differentiators
Experience means being exposed to a variety of scenarios, challenges, and lessons — and learning from them. You’ve made mistakes (I know I have) and made mental notes not to do that again.
Yes, I once spent 23 hours automating a test even though the requirement and functionality it validated would be obsolete the following week. Oops!
Experience builds perspective. Education provides structure. Together, they shape the professional.
Education: A Continuous Process
Education is the process of learning — acquiring knowledge, skills, beliefs, and habits with the goal of becoming or improving as a software test engineer.
This process involves:
- Purposeful activities aimed at specific objectives
- Gaining information, technical abilities, and practical skills
- Developing intellect, critical thinking, and judgment
Education takes place in multiple settings:
- Structured (schools, colleges, universities)
- Non-formal (workshops, professional training)
- Informal (daily experiences, mentoring, collaboration)
And here’s the key point:
Education is continuous.
It doesn’t — and shouldn’t — stop.
The Role of Training in QA and Software Testing
Training and education in QA and software testing benefit those who:
- Have just started or are looking to start a career in software quality
- Need a refresher or want to stay current with modern concepts and strategies
- Want to expand their expertise into advanced topics and techniques
A great training course on QA and software testing should:
- Cover topics relevant to today’s technologies while staying true to the fundamentals
- Allow flexibility while maintaining clear learning objectives
- Offer scheduling and delivery options that fit real-world constraints
When Education Meets Tools
The benefits of truly understanding Quality Assurance and Software Testing are many. One often-overlooked advantage is that deeper understanding leads to better, smarter utilization of testing tools.
The right training and education don’t replace your tools — they amplify them.
They create professionals who know how to make the most of every feature, function, and framework.
Education and tools together are what elevate a tester from competent to exceptional.
Special Offer for Inflectra Customers
Checkpoint Technologies is proud to be an Inflectra-certified Platinum Solutions Partner. To support Inflectra users and advance our shared commitment to high-quality software delivery, we are offering our “Essentials of Software Testing” course to Inflectra customers at a special discounted rate.
This popular two-day (16-hour) course is available with flexible scheduling and delivery options:
Engagement options
• Two consecutive full days, or two one-day sessions over two consecutive weeks
• Four sessions of four hours each, delivered within two consecutive weeks
Delivery formats
• Virtual
• Onsite (two-day option only; T&E additional)
Standard Cost: $3,200
Special Inflectra Customer Rate: $2,000
For a minimal added investment, this course can be modified with the addition of Rapise and/or Spira mentoring.
VISIT OUR WEBSITE OR CONTACT US TODAY AT TRAINING@CHECKPOINTECH.COM
TO SCHEDULE YOUR “ESSENTIALS OF SOFTWARE TESTING” TRAINING!
