//QA Engineer & Manual Tester

//Expanding into Test Automation and AI Development

Marcela
Sýkorová

Detail-oriented, curious, and driven by quality.

View My Work Contact Me

Years in QA

ISTQB®

Certified Tester

Tech Stack

QA & AI-Assisted Dev

📍 SK & CZ

Remote-Friendly

//About Me

QA with an eye for detail

A quick look at my background and learning journey in software quality assurance.

Marcela Sýkorová

📍 Holíč, Slovakia

Certificates

2026
ISTQB® Certified Tester Foundation Level
Czech and Slovak Quality Board
2023
Java Developer Junior Course
TM-Consulting, s.r.o. · Online

Languages

Slovak (Native)Czech (Bilingual)English (B2 + Technical)

Professional Bio

Detail-oriented QA Engineer with a background in economics, a strong passion for software quality and continuous improvement. Experienced in collaborating within Agile teams and contributing to structured development cycles - from test planning and execution to delivery.

Skilled in manual testing of web and mobile applications, including functional, regression, exploratory and API testing. Experienced in identifying defects, validating business requirements and improving product reliability across multiple platforms.

Proficient in leveraging AI-powered tools to enhance test planning, documentation, workflow automation and overall QA efficiency. A fast learner who quickly adapts to new technologies and modern development practices.

In addition to QA expertise, I also explore AI-assisted web development, building modern and clean websites using current tools and technologies.

Skills

Manual Testing

Functional TestingRegression TestingExploratory TestingSmoke TestingUI/UX TestingBlack-box TestingStatic & Dynamic TestingCross-platform Testing (web & mobile)

QA Documentation & Tools

Test Case CreationDefect ReportingTest PlanningJiraTestinyPostmanSwaggerConfluenceChrome DevToolsAndroid Studio

Web & AI Development

HTMLCSSJavaScript (basics)FigmaResponsive DesignAI-assisted Development (Claude, Gemini)UX/UI Principles

Soft Skills

Attention to DetailAnalytical ThinkingCritical ThinkingSelf-organisationProactivity & OwnershipTeamworkEffective Communication

//Experience

Professional experience

A record of my work in QA and finance.

//QA Process

A structured workflow, every time

Carefully reviewed and tested before launch.

01
Test Planning and Analysis
Defining scope, approach, resources and test schedule. Understanding features, acceptance criteria and user flows.
02
Test Case Creation
Designing and maintaining structured test cases to ensure consistent test coverage.
03
Test Execution
Executing functional, exploratory and API tests.
Supported by requirements and documentation reviews.
04
Defect Reporting
Documenting defects with clear reproduction steps, impact assessment, and relevant details.
05
Retesting & Validation
Verifying defect fixes and ensuring affected functionality works as expected.
06
Summary reporting
Summarizing test results, defects, and key findings in a clear and structured format.

//Work Examples

Quality assurance, documented end to end

A showcase of how I plan, execute and report on testing.

Inbox Module — Demo Fintech Platform

Test Analysis & Risk Assessment

Test period: 01.07.2026 – 05.07.2026 · Tester: Marcela Sýkorová

The Inbox module provides in-app messaging functionality: users can list messages, view message detail, mark individual or all messages as read, and check the count of unread messages. The module also supports a reset operation used to restore all messages to unread state for testing purposes.

ID	Module	Test Case	Steps	Expected Result	Priority	Status
TC-001	Inbox	List displays all messages on load User logged in, inbox contains at least 3 messages	Open inbox → observe message list	All messages displayed with subject, timestamp and read/unread indicator	Medium	Pass
TC-002	Inbox	Unread counter shows correct count Known number of unread messages in inbox	Open inbox → read unread counter value	Counter matches the actual number of unread messages	High	Pass
TC-003	Inbox	Read one message - counter decreases by 1 At least 2 unread messages, note current unread count	Mark one message as read → check unread counter	Counter decreases by exactly 1	High	Fail
TC-004	Inbox	Read all - all messages marked read, counter = 0 At least 1 unread message in inbox	Trigger read-all → check message list and counter	All messages marked as read, counter = 0	High	Fail

ID	Module	Test Case	Steps	Expected Result	Priority	Status
TC-005	Inbox	Only Unread filter - shows only unread messages Inbox contains both read and unread messages	Apply Only Unread filter → observe message list	Only unread messages displayed	High	Fail
TC-006	Message Detail	Detail view shows full message content At least 1 message in inbox	Select a message → open detail view	Full message displayed: subject, body text and timestamp	Medium	Pass
TC-007	Inbox	Reset - all messages reset to unread At least 1 read message in inbox	Trigger reset → check message list and counter	All messages marked as unread, counter reflects total message count	Medium	Pass
TC-008	Inbox	Pagination - no duplicate messages across pages Inbox contains more messages than the page size	Fetch page 1 (size=5) → fetch page 2 → compare message IDs	No duplicate IDs across pages; each page returns the correct count	Low	Pass

ID	Module	Test Case	Steps	Expected Result	Priority	Status
TC-001	Inbox	List displays all messages on load User logged in, inbox contains at least 3 messages	Open inbox → observe message list	All messages displayed with subject, timestamp and read/unread indicator	Medium	Pass
TC-002	Inbox	Unread counter shows correct count Known number of unread messages in inbox	Open inbox → read unread counter value	Counter matches the actual number of unread messages	High	Pass
TC-003	Inbox	Read one message - counter decreases by 1 At least 2 unread messages, note current unread count	Mark one message as read → check unread counter	Counter decreases by exactly 1	High	Fail
TC-004	Inbox	Read all - all messages marked read, counter = 0 At least 1 unread message in inbox	Trigger read-all → check message list and counter	All messages marked as read, counter = 0	High	Fail

1–4 of 8

BUG-001 · Inbox — Unread Counter · 04.07.2026

CriticalOpen

Unread counter does not decrease after marking one or all messages as read

Environment

Staging · Chrome

Version

Staging v1.0.0

Affects

TC-003, TC-004, API-04, API-05

Steps to Reproduce

1.Log in and navigate to the Inbox section
2.Note the unread counter displayed in the inbox header
3.Click on any unread message to open and mark it as read
4.Return to the Inbox list and observe the counter value
5.Repeat using 'Mark all as read' and observe the counter again

Expected Result

Count Unread decreases by 1 after single read; countUnread = 0 after read-all.

Actual Result

Count Unread remains unchanged after both single read and read-all. The counter does not reflect the updated read state.

Impact: Counter is non-functional for all read flows. Clients relying on unread count for notification badges or inbox indicators receive stale data. Affects TC-003, TC-004, API-04 and API-05.

BUG-002 · Inbox — Message List · 04.07.2026

HighOpen

Only Unread filter returns all messages including already read ones - filter has no effect

Environment

Staging · Chrome

Version

Staging v1.0.0

Affects

TC-005, API-02

Steps to Reproduce

1.Log in and navigate to the Inbox section
2.Open at least one message to mark it as read
3.Return to the Inbox list and apply the 'Unread only' filter
4.Observe the messages displayed in the filtered list

Expected Result

Only unread messages returned - the read message should be excluded from the response.

Actual Result

All messages returned regardless of read status. The onlyUnread parameter is accepted without error but has no effect on the server response.

Impact: Filter is non-functional. Clients relying on it to display only unread messages will show incorrect data. Affects notification badges and inbox UX for all users.

BUG-003 · Inbox — Message List · 04.07.2026

MediumOpen

Message id field returned as integer - API schema defines it as string

Environment

Staging · Postman

Version

Staging v1.0.0

Affects

API-01, API-06

Steps to Reproduce

1.Call POST /api/inbox/message/list
2.Inspect the id field on any item in responseObject
3.Compare the actual type with the documentation schema
4.Repeat the steps with calling POST /api/inbox/message/detail

Expected Result

id returned as string type, as defined in the documentation schema.

Actual Result

id returned as integer. Strict-type clients and schema validators fail on this field.

Impact: Breaking for clients using strict type validation. May cause unexpected 400 errors in /detail and /read requests when the integer id is passed without conversion.

BUG-001 · Inbox — Unread Counter · 04.07.2026

CriticalOpen

Unread counter does not decrease after marking one or all messages as read

Environment

Staging · Chrome

Version

Staging v1.0.0

Affects

TC-003, TC-004, API-04, API-05

Steps to Reproduce

1.Log in and navigate to the Inbox section
2.Note the unread counter displayed in the inbox header
3.Click on any unread message to open and mark it as read
4.Return to the Inbox list and observe the counter value
5.Repeat using 'Mark all as read' and observe the counter again

Expected Result

Count Unread decreases by 1 after single read; countUnread = 0 after read-all.

Actual Result

Count Unread remains unchanged after both single read and read-all. The counter does not reflect the updated read state.

Impact: Counter is non-functional for all read flows. Clients relying on unread count for notification badges or inbox indicators receive stale data. Affects TC-003, TC-004, API-04 and API-05.

1 of 3

Inbox - Unread Counter & Flow Consistency

04.07.2026 · 60 minInbox

Explored unread counter accuracy and flow behaviour after various combinations of read, read-all and reset operations, focusing on state consistency across the app.

Only Unread filter returns all messages regardless of read status - confirmed as BUG-002. The parameter is ignored by the server.
Unread counter via /count does not decrease after marking an individual message or all messages as read - counter remains at the pre-read value. Confirmed as BUG-001 (Critical).
Navigating away from the inbox and returning preserved the visual read/unread state correctly - no unintended resets or flickering on re-entry.
Load time when opening individual messages was consistently fast - no visible delay or flicker when switching between messages in the inbox list.
Messages containing long subject lines and body text rendered correctly - no layout overflow or text truncation issues across tested screen sizes.

Inbox Module — Demo Fintech Platform

Test Execution Summary Report

Test period: 01.07.2026 – 05.07.2026 · Tester: Marcela Sýkorová · Env: Staging v1.0.0

Manual Testing

Total TC

Passed

Failed

Pass rate62.5%

Fail rate37.5%

API Automation

Scenarios

Passed

Failed

Pass rate28.6%

Fail rate71.4%

Scope

Inbox: message list, message detail, read one/all messages, unread counter, reset, pagination, Only Unread filter

Critical Defects

BUG-001 (unread counter non-functional - Critical): affects all read flows and must be fixed before release.

BUG-002 (onlyUnread filter non-functional - High): filter is ignored, incorrect data shown to users.

Conclusion

Tested 8 manual TCs and 7 API scenarios across 6 Inbox endpoints.

3 manual TCs failed. BUG-001 (unread counter) and BUG-002 (onlyUnread filter) confirmed across both manual and API tests.

BUG-003 (id type mismatch) detected via API schema validation in API-01 and API-06.

Recommendation: BUG-001 (counter) is the highest priority - it breaks core state management across multiple flows and must be fixed before release. BUG-002 (filter) should follow. BUG-003 should be resolved to prevent integration failures in strict-typed clients.

ID	Endpoint	Method	Scenario	Expected	Status
API-01	/api/inbox/message/list	POST	List messages — returns 200 with valid response schema see BUG-003	200 OK	Fail
API-02	/api/inbox/message/list	POST	onlyUnread:true filter — returns read messages too see BUG-002	200 OK	Fail
API-03	/api/inbox/message/list	POST	Missing requestObject body returns 400 Bad Request	400 Bad Request	Pass
API-04	/api/inbox/count	POST	Count decreases by 1 after marking one message as read see BUG-001	200 OK	Fail
API-05	/api/inbox/count	POST	Count = 0 after read-all see BUG-001	200 OK	Fail
API-06	/api/inbox/message/detail	POST	Detail response includes body field and matches schema see BUG-003	200 OK	Fail
API-07	/api/inbox/message/read	POST	Single message marked as read — confirmed in subsequent list	200 OK	Pass

Postman Collection — Inbox Module API tests

1 of 2

Work in Progress

Coming Soon - Automated Testing Projects

Expanding into test automation to complement manual testing expertise across the full QA cycle.

Playwright

Cross-browser end-to-end automated testing.

//Portfolio

Projects

QA testing engagements and AI-assisted web projects.

QA Projects

Earthbanc

Internal mobile and web map based application.

AndroidWebCross-platformSmokeRegressionE2E

Shopiduo

Mobile and web app for shared shopping lists with deals.

AndroidiOSCross-platformE2E

Coming Soon

Pro Real

In progress

Testing a real estate platform from both user and administrator perspectives. Ongoing freelance engagement.

WebAdminResponsive DesignE2E

Web Development

M.Sýkorová Portfólio

QA Engineer portfolio. Design, content and structure built together with AI.

Next.jsTypeScriptTailwind CSSClaude Code

You're currently viewing

Masáže u Ľubky

Designed and developed a responsive website for a local massage therapy business using Claude Code with QA-review before launch.

ReactTypeScriptResponsive DesignQA reviewed

Next Project

Coming soon...

Space for the next project - a client website, a QA case study or a new AI experiment.

//References

Trusted by clients & teams

Feedback from people I've worked with on QA and development projects.

Earthbanc AB

Employment Reference

“I'm very happy with how the website turned out. Communication was smooth and everything went exactly as I imagined. I especially appreciate the patience. I had various requests and changes, and everything was handled quickly and without fuss. I will definitely recommend.”

Ľubka, Masáže u Ľubky

Client reference

“Working with Marcela on testing Shopiduo was great. She's really good at catching things others would miss, and issues were always explained in a simple, clear way. She also didn't just stick to testing and gave us another point of view on product direction and business logic too, which really helped. Happy to recommend her to anyone looking for someone thorough and easy to work with.”

Vladimír, VM Digital s.r.o.

Client reference

//Contact

Let's improve product quality together.

Available for QA roles and freelance projects.

Marcela Sýkorová

Open to new opportunities

msykorova28@gmail.comlinkedin.com/in/msykorova+421 951 454 979

Email Me

MarcelaSýkorová

QA with an eye for detail

Marcela Sýkorová

Manual Testing

QA Documentation & Tools

Web & AI Development

Soft Skills

Professional experience

Self-Employer

QA Engineer

Accountant

A structured workflow, every time

Test Planning and Analysis

Test Case Creation

Test Execution

Defect Reporting

Retesting & Validation

Summary reporting

Quality assurance, documented end to end

Test Analysis & Risk Assessment

Test Strategy

Risk Areas & Coverage

Patterns in Findings

Recommendations

Unread counter does not decrease after marking one or all messages as read

Inbox - Unread Counter & Flow Consistency

Test Execution Summary Report

Coming Soon - Automated Testing Projects

Playwright

Projects

QA Projects

Earthbanc

Shopiduo

Pro Real

Web Development

M.Sýkorová Portfólio

Masáže u Ľubky

Coming soon...

Trusted by clients & teams

Let's improve product quality together.

Marcela Sýkorová

Marcela
Sýkorová