Training course · OpenAI Codex · Test Automation & QA

OpenAI Codex for Test Automation and QA

Delegate development work with OpenAI Codex: CLI and cloud agent, AGENTS.md, sandboxing, approvals and team PR workflows.

Duration
2 days (14 hrs)
Format
Online or on-site
Language
German or English
Participants
open dates or exclusive for your team
Certificate
Certificate of attendance

Overview

“OpenAI Codex for Test Automation and QA” is a hands-on course for roles such as Test automation engineers and SDETs, QA engineers and test managers and Developers responsible for test suites. Rather than learning OpenAI Codex in the abstract, you work on tasks from your daily routine – with examples, exercises and templates from Test Automation & QA.

OpenAI Codex is a coding agent that runs both locally, as a command-line tool and IDE extension, and as a cloud agent. Locally, Codex reads your repository, proposes changes and runs commands inside a sandboxed environment. In the cloud, it works on delegated tasks in parallel inside isolated containers and returns results as traceable diffs or pull requests. Over two days you will learn how to combine both modes effectively and how to scope tasks so that the agent can complete them reliably and with minimal back-and-forth.

Control and security sit at the heart of the course. With AGENTS.md you hand Codex project knowledge, build and test commands, and conventions. You configure approval modes and sandboxing so that the agent only does what you permit, and you set up cloud environments with suitable setup scripts. You will also integrate Codex into your pull request workflows, use automated code review, and define team rules on which tasks are delegated and how results are checked before they are merged into the main branch.

Quality assurance is under pressure: release cycles are getting shorter, applications more complex, and AI-assisted coding produces more code in less time – all of which needs testing. Test automation engineers and QA professionals therefore benefit particularly from AI assistants and agents. These tools derive test cases from user stories and acceptance criteria, write Playwright or Cypress tests with robust selectors, generate API tests from OpenAPI specifications, analyse flaky tests and build test data generators. At the same time the role is shifting: QA becomes the function that systematically safeguards AI-generated code too. This course teaches you to use AI for test design, automation and failure analysis and to adapt your test strategy to the new pace of development.

The course is delivered live – either online in a virtual classroom or on-site in our training rooms in Munich, Salzburg, Berlin, Augsburg, Hanover, Bremen, Stuttgart and Kaiserslautern. We can also run it exclusively for your team.

Who is this course for?

  • Test automation engineers and SDETs
  • QA engineers and test managers
  • Developers responsible for test suites
  • Business testers moving into automation

Typical challenges we address

  • Unstable end-to-end tests with timing issues and fragile selectors
  • High effort for test case creation, maintenance and test data
  • Gaps in coverage of APIs, edge cases and failure scenarios
  • Growing volumes of AI-generated code that need targeted safeguarding

What you will be able to do

  • You use Codex locally and in the cloud for the development tasks each mode suits best.
  • You write an AGENTS.md that guides the agent reliably through your project.
  • You configure approval modes and sandboxing to match your security requirements.
  • You delegate tasks to the cloud agent and review the results systematically.
  • Derive test cases systematically from requirements with AI and automate them in Playwright, Cypress or API tests.
  • Analyse flaky tests and coverage gaps with AI support and fix them for good.
  • Adapt your test strategy to AI-assisted development and safeguard generated code in a targeted way.

Course outline

Day 1

Module 1 Codex at a glance: CLI, IDE and cloud
  • Comparing how Codex works locally and in the cloud
  • Installing the Codex CLI, signing in and starting it in a repository
  • Interactive sessions, non-interactive execution and model choice
  • Distinguishing tasks that suit a coding agent from those that do not
Module 2 Project knowledge with AGENTS.md
  • Building an AGENTS.md with build, test and lint commands
  • Stating conventions, architectural notes and prohibitions precisely
  • Using nested AGENTS.md files for monorepos and sub-projects
  • Checking effectiveness and refining instructions iteratively
Module 3 Sandboxing, approvals and security
  • Choosing approval modes deliberately, from read-only to largely autonomous
  • Understanding sandbox boundaries for file system and network access
  • Handling secrets, dependencies from the internet and prompt injection
  • Configuration files for team standards and safe defaults
Module 4 Delegating tasks to the cloud agent
  • Configuring cloud environments with setup scripts and dependencies
  • Writing tasks with a clear goal, context and acceptance criteria
  • Launching several tasks in parallel and comparing the results
  • Using logs and test output to understand the proposed solutions

Day 2

Module 5 PR workflows and code review in the team
  • Turning results into pull requests and requesting follow-up changes
  • Using automated Codex code review on GitHub
  • Embedding Codex in scripts and CI pipelines
  • Setting team rules for delegation, review duties and accountability
Module 6 Practice lab: Test Automation & QA
  • Deriving test cases from requirements
  • Writing Playwright and Cypress tests
  • Analysing flaky tests
  • API tests from specifications
  • Generating test data
  • Coverage and mutation testing
Module 7 Data protection, quality & transfer to daily work
  • Test data should be synthetic or effectively anonymised, as production data containing personal information must not be used unprotected in test environments or prompts (GDPR). Credentials for test systems belong in secret stores rather than test code, and in regulated sectors test results must be traceable and documented, for example as evidence under NIS2 or the Cyber Resilience Act.
  • Ground rules for safe AI use in your team
  • Checking results: facts, sources, tests and the four-eyes principle
  • Personal action plan for the next 30 days
  • Open questions, outlook and resources for further learning

Practical scenarios from your field

Deriving test cases from requirements

The assistant turns user stories and acceptance criteria into structured test cases with equivalence classes, boundary values and negative scenarios, optionally as Gherkin scenarios for behaviour-driven development.

Writing Playwright and Cypress tests

The AI writes end-to-end tests with role-based selectors, page objects or fixtures and proper waiting instead of fixed delays, and runs them iteratively until they are stable.

Analysing flaky tests

The agent examines test history, traces, screenshots and logs, identifies causes such as race conditions, test interdependencies or unstable test data, and proposes lasting fixes.

API tests from specifications

OpenAPI descriptions are turned into API tests for status codes, schemas, authentication and error cases, plus contract tests that surface interface changes between teams early.

Generating test data

The AI builds generators for realistic synthetic test data, factories and seed scripts that deliberately cover edge cases without relying on real personal data. Privacy issues in test environments are avoided.

Coverage and mutation testing

Coverage reports and mutation testing results are analysed, untested paths identified and missing tests added in a targeted way to increase the real value of the suite.

Possible hands-on projects

Flaky test report

A script that merges JUnit XML results from multiple CI runs, detects unstable tests and produces a prioritised list with failure patterns.

Test data generator

A CLI that creates realistic synthetic records, including edge cases, from a database schema or JSON schema. Data volume and distribution are fully configurable.

E2E suite for a demo app

A Playwright test suite with page objects, visual comparisons and CI integration, built by an AI agent for an existing web application.

Prerequisites

You have hands-on programming experience, are comfortable with Git and the command line, and know pull-request-based workflows. Experience in software testing or test automation and a working knowledge of at least one programming language such as JavaScript, TypeScript, Python or Java.

Technical requirements

Your own laptop with a terminal, Git and a Node.js runtime; a ChatGPT plan with Codex access or an OpenAI API key, plus a GitHub account for the cloud exercises.

Data protection & compliance

Test data should be synthetic or effectively anonymised, as production data containing personal information must not be used unprotected in test environments or prompts (GDPR). Credentials for test systems belong in secret stores rather than test code, and in regulated sectors test results must be traceable and documented, for example as evidence under NIS2 or the Cyber Resilience Act.

Suggested dates

All dates are suggestions – your preferred date is always possible.

  • Mon, 23 November 2026 – Tue, 24 November 2026 Online Request
  • Tue, 1 December 2026 – Wed, 2 December 2026 Augsburg Request
  • Tue, 15 December 2026 – Wed, 16 December 2026 Online Request
  • Thu, 14 January 2027 – Fri, 15 January 2027 Kaiserslautern Request
  • Wed, 27 January 2027 – Thu, 28 January 2027 Online Request
  • Tue, 9 February 2027 – Wed, 10 February 2027 Bremen Request

Frequently asked questions

When should I use Codex locally and when in the cloud?

Locally you work interactively and close to the code, for example when debugging or making exploratory changes where you want to follow every step. The cloud agent suits well-defined tasks that can run independently, such as adding tests or fixing smaller bugs. You can start several of these in parallel and review each one as a pull request.

What belongs in a good AGENTS.md?

A good AGENTS.md explains how the project is built, tested and checked, which conventions apply and which areas must not be touched. It is concise, concrete and kept up to date. Notes on architecture and common pitfalls also help. During the course you write an AGENTS.md for a project of your own and test how it changes the agent’s behaviour.

How safe is it to let Codex run commands?

By default Codex works inside a sandbox with restricted file and network access and asks for approval before risky steps. You decide how much autonomy to grant through approval modes and configuration. In the course you learn to choose these settings deliberately and to limit risks such as prompt injection or running unfamiliar dependencies.

Do I need programming skills for this course?

A working knowledge of a programming language helps, since you should be able to read, understand and adapt generated tests. Business testers with little coding experience still benefit greatly, because the AI explains code and supports the move into automation. The exercises are designed to accommodate different levels of prior knowledge.

Will AI replace manual and exploratory QA?

No. AI automates recurring tasks such as test case creation, scripting and failure analysis, freeing up time for exploratory testing, risk assessment and acceptance. With AI-generated code in particular, the critical judgement of experienced QA professionals becomes more important, not less.

How much does “OpenAI Codex for Test Automation and QA” cost?

The course costs a flat €949 plus VAT per participant – whether online or on-site. This includes 2 training day(s) with a live trainer, course materials, a lab environment and a certificate of attendance.

Can I suggest my own date?

Yes. Our suggested dates are just a guide. In the request form you can always describe your preferred date or period in free text – we check availability and confirm within one working day.

Is the course online or on-site?

Both are possible: live online in a virtual classroom or on-site in Munich, Salzburg, Berlin, Augsburg, Hanover, Bremen, Stuttgart or Kaiserslautern. We can also run the course exclusively for your team.

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