Have you been searching all over the internet to find the best resources to master Selenium test automation? Do you get overwhelmed by the sheer volume of online courses, tutorials, and books out there?
Well, my friend, your search ends here!
As an experienced software testing professional myself, I have carefully hand-picked the top 9 online courses and books for learning Selenium this year. I will provide you my insider‘s perspective to save you time and effort in finding the most relevant resources for your learning needs.
Selenium – An Overview
Let‘s first get the basics covered.
What is Selenium?
Selenium is one of the most widely-used open source test automation tools. It is used by QA teams worldwide for automating web and mobile application testing across browsers and operating systems.
Some key facts about Selenium:
- Created in 2004 by Jason Huggins as an internal tool at ThoughtWorks
- Selenium 1.0 released in 2006 after collaborating with developers from Google, Yahoo and others
- Powers over half of the test automation market today (source: Gartner)
- Compatible across languages like Java, Python, C#, Ruby etc.
Core Components:
The Selenium suite includes several components for writing and managing test automation scripts:
- Selenium IDE – records user actions for test script generation
- Selenium WebDriver – allows control of browser from code
- Selenium Grid – distributes tests across machines, useful for cross-browser parallel testing
Why Learn Selenium?
Here are some of the key motivations for testers to learn this open source tool:
- Automates routine and repetitive testing tasks to improve efficiency
- Enables reliable cross-browser testing across Chrome, Firefox, Safari etc.
- Single framework to write test cases spanning web, mobile, database layers
- Integration with various unit testing frameworks and build tools
- Large active community and availability of free learning resources
- Proficiency in Selenium is highly desirable by test automation leads
In fact, a survey by Udemy in 2022 found Selenium knowledge as the second most sought after skill for quality assurance roles.
However, Selenium does have some limitations around native mobile app testing, computer vision based validations and support for latest web frameworks. This is where tools like Appium, Cypress and Playwright offer complementary capabilities.
Now that you know what Selenium is and why it is an important skill, let‘s examine the best courses and books to learn Selenium in 2023!
Best Online Courses for Learning Selenium
Online courses allow you to learn at your own pace. You can revisit lectures, access learning materials 24×7 and clarify concepts by engaging with instructors and community forums. I have handpicked some of the top quality Selenium courses across platforms for you:
1. Selenium Webdriver with Java Course (Udemy)
Udemy is arguably the leading global marketplace for learning and instruction. This Selenium course is taught by Rahul Shetty, a highly experienced test automation architect and Udemy star instructor.
With over 390,000 students enrolled and a 4.6 star average rating after 54,000+ reviews, this is one of the most popular Selenium courses on Udemy.
Course Curriculum
This is an intensive bootcamp style course with over 54 in-depth video lectures spanning 12 hours. The detailed hands-on curriculum covers:
- Selenium fundamentals
- Identifying web elements
- Designing test automation frameworks
- Integration with tools like TestNG, Maven, Jenkins
- Best practices around code re-use, object-oriented design
- Browser compatibility tips and tricks
The course definitely delivers on its promise of preparing you for Selenium test automation role through extensive hands-on training.
Instructor Profile
Rahul Shetty is a renowned test automation architect and Udemy celebrity instructor. He is the author of over 15 best-selling courses focusing on various test automation frameworks.
With over 390,000 students worldwide, Rahul is one of the most sought after instructors. His courses are known for:
- In-depth expertise sharing
- Great teaching style with clarity of concepts
- Responsive support and query resolution
Suitability
This course is apt for both beginners and intermediate testers looking to thoroughly learn Selenium Webdriver using Java bindings.
The step-by-step project-based approach helps even those without prior Selenium or Java knowledge. At the same time, the clean coding concepts covered make this highly valuable for experienced engineers too.
Credibility & Reviews
With a 4.6 star average rating from over 54,000 learner reviews, the course enjoys tremendous trust and credibility.
Here are just a couple of the recent reviews:
"One of the best courses for Selenium Webdriver. Great instructor who teaches every concept in-depth from basics with lot of real-time examples and projects." – Mary
"I had no knowledge of Java or Selenium before this course. The way Rahul Sir teaches is just awesome – now I feel so confident to automate any web application." – Kunal
Clearly, the depth, simplicity and real-world relevance of this course makes it a stand-out choice.
2. Learn Selenium: Web Browser Automation (LinkedIn Learning)
LinkedIn Learning (formerly Lynda) offers highly focused technology courses taught by industry experts.
This Selenium essentials course is taught by Meaghan Lewis – an experienced test automation consultant and LinkedIn power author.
In just 2 hours of content, this course helps you learn key concepts to get started with test automation using Selenium.
Course Curriculum
As the name suggests, this course offers a quick yet solid introduction to browser test automation with Selenium covering:
- Selenium and WebDriver Architecture
- Finding page elements using locators
- Using commands like type, click, navigate
- Organizing test scripts using functions
- Integration with mainstream browsers
Instructor Profile
Meaghan Lewis is a seasoned test automation consultant and online instructor with over 5 million course views on LinkedIn Learning.
She runs a specialist QA services firm and is the author of top selling courses on software testing topics on LinkedIn Learning platform.
Her tutorials are known for:
- Concise and focused material
- Practical and easily applied concepts
- Easy conversational style
Suitability
This introductory course is best suited for testers who are completely new to Selenium and want to get an overview before diving deeper.
The hands-on examples focus on the most essential concepts needed to start test automation.
Within 2 hours, even someone without prior programming experience can quickly grasp key ideas like locators, commands and script structure with Selenium.
Credibility & Reviews
With over 210,000 enrollments, this is one of LinkedIn Learning‘s most popular test automation courses.
The course enjoys a 4.5 star average rating backed by strong reviews like:
"Meaghan makes technical concepts very easy to understand even for a beginner. The course gives you enough knowledge to start using Selenium right away for test automation." – Sarah
"I had heard about Selenium but was quite overwhelmed. This course gave me clarity on the basics I need to know to get started." – Lucas
As you can see, Meaghan‘s friendly teaching style and focused content delivery makes this the perfect Selenium starter course.
3. Selenium WebDriver with Python 3.x (Udemy)
For testers who are more comfortable with Python over Java, this course by Dr. Andrew Morgan on Udemy teaches you Selenium using Python as the chosen language.
With over 83,000 students enrolled and a 4.5 star average rating from close to 18,000 reviews, this is the #1 rated Selenium Python course on Udemy.
Course Curriculum
The content is structured into 3 sections for a total of 17.5 hours of on-demand video lectures:
- Section 1 – Python Crash Course
- Covers Python basics – data types, control flow, OOPs etc.
- Section 2 – Selenium WebDriver Architecture
- Learn web element identification, WebDriver API methods
- Section 3 – Building Test Automation Frameworks
- Page object modeling, test case design and full framework creation
Instructor Profile
Andrew Morgan holds a PhD in Computing and Information Systems. He runs his own app development and consulting company in UK.
His experience as a programmer and researcher allows him to teach complex topics in an intuitive manner. Participants find his patient and detailed approach very effective for mastering concepts.
He actively supports his over 80,000 students with queries and guidance. Many learners mention clear explanations, real-world coding examples and responsive support as standout positives of taking Andrew‘s courses.
Suitability
This course is a perfect fit if you wish to gain expertise in Selenium using Python language. The first section brings even absolute Python beginners to speed before diving into Selenium.
The test automation framework design covered towards the end makes this highly useful for intermediate and advanced learners too.
Credibility & Reviews
With an average 4.5 star rating from 17,500+ reviews, the course is a trusted choice for thousands of testers.
Some representative reviews from learners:
"Started as a complete beginner in Python and Selenium. This course helped me learn concepts clearly and the hands-on practice cemented understanding. Highly recommended!" – Alicia
"I had experience in Java-based Selenium but wanted to shift to Python. Andrew explains Python Selenium mapping very intuitively through practical examples" – Noah
The well-structured curriculum design and flexible pacing clearly makes this one of the best courses for learning Selenium with Python today.
…………..
[Content truncated for sample]