Back to list

Will QA Manual Testing disappear in five years?

Job Market
Jul 15, 2020
Will QA Manual Testing disappear in five years?

This is one burning question! And if we received a dollar for every time someone asked us this question we’d be richer than Zuckerberg!

Today, the ever popular job site Indeed.com has about seven thousand QA Manual Testing jobs being advertised, and this is only in the United States! Becoming a software tester is increasing in popularity and it’s easy to see why. People are attracted by the potential for rapid career growth, and also by the opportunity to enter a dynamic and ever developing world of IT. However, many argue that the world will change soon and there will be no room for manual testing.

Let's check out some of the myths surrounding the idea that QA Manual Testing will disappear in five years.

Myth 1. Automation will replace manual testing.

The main reasons why people think automation will replace manual testing are: automation does work faster, and it is cheaper in the long run. 

However, with all the potential advantages of "automation", manual testing will not disappear. Why? Because you’ll always need a person at the end of the testing line to verify the results! Basically, there’s nobody better than a person to check the workability  of the user interface, the service functions, and user instructions.

In addition, manual testing that’s used for projects that are up to a year long can significantly save the project’s budget. Manual testing engineers can start testing almost immediately after they’ve received the product, there’s no need to waste time setting up automatic tests, and manual testers can work with minimum instructions and documents. Automation, although it can be quick, would struggle to obtain such results on its first day of work.

Myth 2. Artificial intelligence will replace manual testing.

Man is creative, AI isn’t quite there yet. 

An actual person is able to empathise with real users. Meaning a person can put themselves in the user's shoes and can experience the product as it should be experienced. Sadly, as clever as AI is, it is limited by the fact that it’s just tech! Even with all the developments within the field of artificial intelligence, manual testing will not be replaced by it in the near future because testing needs the human touch.

Myth 3. Big companies don't need manual testing specialists.

We have already said that for short-term projects manual testing is more profitable than automatic, but, in some large companies both manual testing and automation is required. 

The reason for using both methods of testing is because one method can pick up the errors that might’ve been missed by the second method, and vice versa. Doing both methods is a good way of ensuring that most errors are eliminated, or are investigated. Long-term projects manual testers may also be required – at the start there is a need to test the business model of the project, and this is often combined with a large number of changes. As we know, manual testers can easily work “just in time”.

At the same time, it’s simple to become a Manual tester, which makes it very desirable to individuals. To study at Careerist, you don’t need to have experience in IT and you don’t need a technical background. Our courses are designed to provide you with real skills and  opportunities to get into  a long-term profession that will be around for many many years.

Apply for the Manual QA course


Subscribe to Careerist Digest to stay tuned!

Careerist guarantee your privacy. Read our terms and conditions