SDET Full Form: An Emerging Professional Asset

“Software Testers do Not Make Software; They only Make it Better”

The SDET Full Form: Software Development Engineer in Test is an explanation of the multiple roles and responsibilities that an SDET is expected to execute in his professional position. In that sense, the above quote which states that Testers only make software products better by testing it; is definitely proved wrong.

SDETs are one such category of professionals who make as well as break software. This implies that SDETs are positioned somewhere in the middle of a developer and a tester. The SDET Full Form is an expansion of his role as one who writes test codes as well as is involved in the software testing phase of the Software Development Life Cycle.

SDET Full Form: Who are SDETs?

The Full Form of SDET is Software Development Engineer in Test. The SDET Full Form is in itself reflective of the multiple roles that SDETs are expected to assume within a business organization. They happen to be IT professionals who occupy an intermediate position between a developer and a tester.

Not only do they develop and write test codes and scripts, but also test them in the pursuit of fixing bugs as part of the process. The SDET Full Form: Software Development Engineer in Test is reflective of their expertise in the field of Software Development as well as Quality Engineering.

Since SDETs occupy a middle position between a tester and a developer; it is quite natural to consider them as being more close to developers or testers, respectively. However, the SDET Full Form: Software Development Engineer in Test is indicative of an equidistant position of SDETs from developers as well as testers.

SDETs do possess knowledge of programming languages which help them build automation scripts and perform test automation. However, the role of a developer is much more than that. Apart from possessing knowledge of programming languages, developers are also responsible for building the test automation framework, test automation tools and features of a software.

Similarly, SDETs are not entirely akin to testers as well. Their difference with Manual Testers shall be elaborated in the sections below; however, the demarcating line between a SDET and an Automated Tester is all the more blurred and quite overlapping.

The only difference between the two would stem from the fact that a SDET can be considered to be more close to a developer than an automated tester. This implies that SDETs can write unit tests, write and review test data and codes as well as understand the internal structure of an application and the coverage of the test.

On the other hand, Automated Testers can also write codes which can help test an application. However, they are not really acquainted with the way in which the software is built.

SDET Role Full Form: Utility within Business Organizations

The shift towards the Agile process methodology which happens to be fast paced, necessitated the need to test everything within a short span of time. Thus, in order to maintain market responsiveness, there was an increasing realization that it was important to discard the conventional division between the process of writing codes and that of testing its quality.

It became imperative to involve Automated Testers who will be able to write automated checks and will be able to overcome the delays associated with Manual Testing. The involvement of SDETs in the workforce helped to solve this issue as they could participate in the process of code development, right from the initial stages, and not only write, but also test those codes.

Consequently, the SDET Full Form would hint at IT professionals who are definitely priceless assets for business organizations.

Given the significant contribution that SDETs are capable of making towards the productivity and efficiency of business organizations; they happen to be in high demand. Moreover, their rising requirement has accelerated the shift from the position of QA to that of SDETs. If you wish to read more on how to initiate this transition, do read our blog on, “How to Move from being QA to SDET?”

Furthermore, the presence of manifold opportunities for SDETs within the tech world implies that they are guaranteed a handsome remuneration package. The average SDET salary in the U.S.A is $117,000. Thus, the range is usually from $90,000 to $140,000.

Additionally, educational qualification, competencies, certifications and years of experience, are also bound to have an impact on the final package that a person receives.

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SDET vs. Testers

A single glance at the SDET Full Form will give a sense that a Software Development Engineer in Test, embodies some of the attributes of a Tester, but goes beyond that. Their professional position cannot be sufficiently understood, unless one makes an attempt to look at the difference between SDET and Tester. 

In the first place, the SDET Full Form: Software Development Engineer in Test clearly hints at the fact that SDETs happen to be involved in the development as well as the testing phase of the Software Development Cycle. On the contrary, testers are professionals who have the sole responsibility of executing test cases and thus are only involved in the testing phase of the SDLC. 

The incorporation of the word ‘Engineer’ in the SDET Full Form is significant in terms of signaling at the ability of SDETs to build test automation tools, to participate in instituting test environment setup, in white box testing and black box testing as well as in having expertise in multiple testing types (performance testing, security testing, acceptance test, and so on) and techniques.

On the other hand, Testers do not possess expertise to be involved in the process of test automation frameworks or test automation tool development. They participate in black box testing alone and have expertise in testing the functionality aspect of the application solely. 

In the last instance, it can be ascertained that SDETs generally command a higher salary than Manual Testers.

Skills Required

The SDET Tester Full Form hints at a highly skilled and competent individual who happens to possess a strategic balance of hard and soft skills.

Software Development Engineer in Test Roles and Responsibilities

The SDET Role Full Form can only be adequately made sense of, after an elucidation of the professional tasks and activities that SDETs are expected to undertake. 

• SDETs act as a vehicle of communication between the team which makes the product and final users who use those products. They are the best advocates who can justify the need of the software. 
• SDETs participate in product design, data design as well as user interface. 
• As a Software Test Engineer, they enjoy a wide scope in testing. They are required to and are competent in executing functional as well as non-functional testing.
• SDETs are quite close to Automation Engineers and in such capacity; they are required to build high quality and robust test automation solutions for performance, functional and regression testing. 
• SDETs are a part of architectural design discussions and are also responsible for investigating customer problems which are referred to by the technical support team.

Conclusion

In essence, the SDET Full Form: Software Development Engineer in Test has tremendous implications. It is indicative of a highly skilled, multi-talented professional individual who are competent enough to participate in the development as well as the testing phases of the SDLC.

The SDET Full Form points at the way in which the gradual evolution of the Agile process methodology, only helped in somewhat fusing certain aspects of the role of a software developer and a tester, in one single individual. This one individual is the Software Development Engineer in Test who has emerged as a valuable asset for business organizations. 

Given the kind of benefits SDETs are capable of ensuring for business enterprises, the position has definitely emerged as one of the most in-demand jobs within the tech industry. Acquiring SDET expertise through online bootcamps can be a cost effective solution for those seeking to initiate their career in the field. 

If you happen to be someone seeking to ace an SDET interview, you can refer to our blog on “Top 25 SDET Interview Questions”

We, at Syntax Technologies, provide you an exciting opportunity to develop expertise in consonance with that of an SDET. Enroll now for our SDET Training course.