Monark University Students: Testing an E-Commerce Site as an Internship Practice Project

Testing an e-commerce site is one of the best practice projects for a software testing internship, because cart, payment and search combine business rules, data validation and integrations in one small product. Over 14 days you can write about 60 scenarios, run them against a practice shop, log defects properly and score your own work with a rubric. The plan below gives you all of it, ready to copy.

Why a shop site suits a two-week testing internship

Interviewers for QA roles tend to ask about flows everyone understands: add to cart, pay, search. A project on these flows lets you show test design, not just clicking. It also fits a short internship: the scope is bounded, the outputs are concrete (scenario sheet, defect log, summary) and each can be reviewed by a mentor in minutes.

The free two-week online internship from CareerSwami is a natural place to run this project, since it spans 14 days and offers a free offer letter and a free completion certificate after successful completion. The project works equally well on your own as a portfolio piece.

Choosing a safe target site

Never run security-style or high-volume tests against a live business without written permission. Use a site built for practice, or one you run yourself.

• A public demo shop intended for testers (check its terms of use first).
• An open-source shop installed on your laptop, such as a local sample storefront.
• A small project built by a classmate in the Computer Application or ICT faculty, with their consent.

Record the site name, URL, build or date tested, browser and device in your report header. Without it, a defect cannot be reproduced.

The 14-day plan for the testing project

Scenario set for product search

Each row below is a scenario to expand into steps, test data, expected result and actual result. IDs are illustrative labels for your sheet.

Scenario set for the shopping cart

Scenario set for payment and checkout

Use only test or sandbox payment details provided by the practice site. Never enter real card numbers into a site you are not sure about.

Defect log template for the e-commerce project

A defect log is judged on whether a stranger could reproduce the problem. Use one row per defect with these columns.

Worked example: turning one failed cart scenario into a defect entry

This example is illustrative; it describes a hypothetical result, not a run against a real site.

Scenario C07 says to set quantity above available stock. Suppose a product shows “Only 3 left”, and you type 10 in the cart quantity box and press Update. The cart accepts 10 and shows a total for 10 units. Checkout is not blocked until the payment step. That is a defect, because the stock rule is enforced too late.

Defect ID: D004
Linked scenario: C07
Title: Cart accepts quantity 10 when only 3 units are in stock
Environment: Chrome (latest), Windows laptop, test date noted
Steps:
1. Open product page showing "Only 3 left".
2. Click Add to cart.
3. In cart, change quantity to 10 and click Update.
Expected: Message limiting quantity to 3; total unchanged.
Actual: Quantity 10 accepted; total recalculated for 10 units.
Severity: Major (customer can reach payment with unavailable stock)
Priority: High
Evidence: D004-cart-quantity.png
Status: New

Notice what makes it strong: a precise title, a clean starting state, an expected result tied to a visible rule, and a severity reasoned from user impact.

Scoring rubric for completeness of your testing project

Score each row from 0 to 4 (0 missing, 1 weak, 2 adequate, 3 good, 4 strong). The maximum is 40.

• 34-40: portfolio-ready.
• 26-33: solid; fill the lowest-scoring rows before sharing.
• Below 26: revisit the scenario sheets and defect quality first.

Monark University students: fitting this testing project to your programme

Monark University’s homepage lists 14 faculties, including Information & Communication Technology, Computer Application, Engineering & Technology and Commerce. That spread suits this project: a Computer Application or ICT student can focus on test design and automation later, while a Commerce or Management student can lead on business rules such as coupons, tax and refunds.

The same page shows a CDC section with sub-pages for the placement cell, recruiters, training programs, guest lectures and industry workshops. The placement cell page exists, but its contents should be read directly. Once your project is done, the cell is a sensible place to ask whether a testing portfolio can be shown in training sessions.

Several things are not publicly confirmed in the material available: whether the university has rules on internships or project work, whether an online internship is accepted, whether any credit applies, and which semester break dates apply. The homepage’s Academic Calendar item did not show dates when checked. Treat this project as practice and portfolio work unless your department tells you otherwise in writing.

Verification steps:

1. Ask your department or faculty office whether an internship or project regulation exists for your programme, and request the document by name.
2. Email your coordinator asking if an online internship is accepted for any required training, and keep the reply.
3. Ask the CDC or placement cell whether it keeps a record of student internships or certificates, and in what format.
4. Request the current academic calendar from the office so you can fit the 14 days around exams.
5. If you plan to use a classmate’s project as the test target, get their consent in writing and note it in your report.
6. Ask your faculty mentor if they will review your defect log and rubric score before you share the project externally.

Packaging the finished project for interviews

• Export the scenario sheets and defect log as a single spreadsheet with one tab each.
• Write a one-page summary: scope, number of scenarios, pass/fail/blocked counts, top three defects and what you did not test.
• Attach evidence files with clear names that match defect IDs.
• Keep the rubric score visible with a short note on your weakest area.
• Be ready to explain one defect end to end, from scenario to severity decision.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many test scenarios are enough for an e-commerce testing project?

About 60 well-written scenarios across search, cart and payment is a good target for 14 days. Quality matters more than count: each should have data, steps and an expected result.

Should I test a real online store for my practice project?

No, not without written permission. Use a demo shop built for testers, an open-source store on your laptop, or a classmate’s project with consent.

What is the difference between severity and priority in a defect log?

Severity is the damage a defect does to the user or business. Priority is how soon it should be fixed. A typo on the home page may be low severity but high priority before a launch.

Can I use automation tools for this project?

Yes, once the manual scenarios are written and run. Automating a few stable flows, such as add to cart and search, can be a bonus, but a manual set with a strong defect log is still a complete project.

How do I handle payment testing safely?

Use only sandbox or test card details given by the practice site, and never enter real card or bank details. Note in your report that payments were simulated.

Will this project count towards credit at Monark University?

That is not confirmed in the material available. Ask your department in writing whether any internship or project can count, and which documents they would need.

How do I show this project on a CV?

List it under projects with one line on scope (search, cart, payment), the number of scenarios and defects, and a link to the spreadsheet or summary. Be accurate about the site tested.

What if I find no defects on a well-built site?

Report that honestly, and show coverage instead: execution results, boundary cases tried and exploratory notes. Then add depth with more devices, data combinations and error conditions.

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