Python Learning Path: Start Here

In short: you learn core Python in 7 milestones, building one small project in each. Then you pick a role — SDET, SDE, or SRE — and go deeper on the skills that role uses.

How to use this page

Read this page once to see the plan. Then, for each milestone, follow the same four steps: learn → build → test → commit. Come back here whenever you're unsure what to do next.

The pages in this learning path

In short: each page has one job. You'll use two of them side by side for every milestone.

Page	What it's for	When to open it
Comprehensive Syllabus	What to learn in each milestone, with examples and a self-check	At the start of each milestone
Milestones & Mini-Projects	A full working project for each milestone, with tests	After reading the syllabus section
Python Comprehensive Guide	Syllabus and projects combined in one long page	If you prefer everything in one place
Role Guides	Why each skill matters for SDET, SDE, and SRE	When choosing your track, or when motivation dips

Quick lookups while you work: the Python cheat sheet and the Quick Reference.

Part 1 — Core Python: Milestones 1–7

In short: everyone does these seven, in order. Each one ends with a working project in your portfolio.

Milestone	You learn	You build
1	Setup, values, types, type hints	Config manager
2	Lists, tuples, sets, dicts, comprehensions	JSON API response parser
3	if, loops, handling errors	Email validator & classifier
4	Functions, closures, decorators	Rate limiter & retry handler
5	Classes, inheritance, dataclasses	User management system
6	Modules, generators, context managers	Log parser
7	Files, regex, measuring speed	Data processing pipeline

For each milestone:

1. Learn — read that milestone in the Syllabus.
2. Build — follow its project in Milestones & Mini-Projects. Type the code; don't paste it.
3. Test — run the tests with python -m pytest -v until they pass. Then add one test of your own.
4. Commit — save your progress with git:

git add .
git commit -m "Milestone 1: config manager, 5 tests passing"
git push

Part 2 — Your role track: Milestone 8 onwards

In short: after Milestone 7, pick the role you're aiming for. Not sure? The Role Guides overview compares them.

Track	Focus	Read	Final project
SDET (test engineer)	Testing and test frameworks	Syllabus, Milestones 8–13 and Advanced Python for SDET	A full test automation suite with CI
SDE (software developer)	Building and shipping services	Python for SDE and Advanced Python for SDE	A deployable web service
SRE (reliability engineer)	Automation and running systems	Python for SRE and Advanced Python for SRE	A reliability toolkit: health checks, metrics, alerts

Your portfolio

In short: by Milestone 7 you'll have seven small, tested projects in one GitHub repository — proof you can write real Python.

python-mastery/
├── milestone1-config-manager/
├── milestone2-json-parser/
├── milestone3-email-validator/
├── milestone4-rate-limiter/
├── milestone5-user-management/
├── milestone6-log-parser/
├── milestone7-data-pipeline/
└── README.md            # one line per project: what it does, how to run it

Your role track then adds one larger final project.

How you know you're ready to move on

After Milestone 7:

• Seven projects built, each with passing tests.
• You can explain when to use a list, set, or dict.
• You can read a file, handle errors, and log what happened.
• Your git history shows steady progress.

After your role track:

• You finished the final project for your track.
• You can explain the design choices in it to someone else.

If you get stuck

Problem	What to do
A milestone feels too hard	Re-read that milestone's syllabus section, slow down, and run each example on its own. Compare with the finished project code.
"I already know Python"	Still do Milestones 1–7, but extend each project with an extra feature and more tests.
Losing motivation	Look back at your portfolio, and read your role's guide to see where each skill is used on the job.
Not enough time	Do less, but regularly. One milestone done well beats four rushed. Milestones 2 and 3 combine easily.

Start now

Create a folder and a virtual environment (a private space for this project's libraries), then open Milestone 1 in the Syllabus.

mkdir -p ~/projects/python-mastery/milestone1-config-manager
cd ~/projects/python-mastery
git init
python -m venv .venv
source .venv/bin/activate          # Windows: .venv\Scripts\activate
python -m pip install pytest

Helpful tools (install when you reach the milestone that uses them):

Tool	What it does
pytest, pytest-cov	Run tests; show which lines your tests cover
ruff	Finds likely bugs and formats your code
mypy	Checks your type hints

Good books to read alongside: Fluent Python (Luciano Ramalho) for idiomatic Python, and The Pragmatic Programmer (Hunt & Thomas) for professional habits.