Do you know what a Lab is? 

QA Labs are hands-on assessments in real, isolated environments pre-loaded with all required tools, libraries, and services. No account setup, local installations, or risk to live systems.

Labs cover cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP, Alibaba), IT operations, security, data management, and software development. Designed for your learning stage, each lab targets specific goals—from structured skill-building to independent problem-solving to AI-powered job simulations. All formats simulate real job demands.

All labs are time-based. Content authors set limits to challenge you without removing the constraint. Environments are temporary and automatically cleaned after each session. No data is retained; no cleanup is needed.

Labs run in secure, isolated environments requiring no additional accounts beyond your QA subscription. Your progress is protected, and session data remains confidential. Each session uses a dedicated environment scoped to the task and is destroyed afterward. Nothing persists.

Browse the full catalog in the QA Library.

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Lab types

• Hands-on Labs: Guided, step-by-step practice in a real cloud or code environment. Each step includes detailed instructions and references to the tools you need. Optional validation checks confirm your solution at each stage, keeping you on track. Use Hands-on Labs to build and reinforce skills in a structured way.
• Lab Challenges: Unguided, mission-based scenarios that test what you can do independently. You're given a scenario and a provisioned environment — no step-by-step instructions. When you're ready, run a verification check to confirm your solution. You can refine and recheck as many times as you need until time runs out. Use Lab Challenges to validate practical skills against real-world problems.
• Lab Playgrounds: Open sandboxes with no objectives, no guided steps, and no impact on your skill profile. You explore freely within a pre-configured environment. Sessions average 4 hours. Use Playground to experiment with tools, test ideas, or get familiar with a technology outside of a structured exercise.
• SimuLabs (NEW!): AI-powered scenarios that combine hands-on work with real-world communication skills. You take on an active role — for example, as an IT Engineer handling live support tickets — and work through tasks with limited information, interacting with an AI character to gather context and reach a resolution. Use Simulation Labs to practice how you'd handle situations on the job, not just whether you can execute a task.

All lab types are available as Code, Cloud, Hybrid, or Remote Desktop environments.

Lab features

• Pause and Resume (Beta) Available in select labs. Allows freezing a session to resume later. You can pause only after the environment finishes deploying.
• Enterprise Bridge, or "Bridge". For enterprise users whose corporate firewall blocks cloud lab access. Contact Customer Support to verify if it's enabled for your account.
• Ai Lab Assistant (Beta). An AI chatbot is integrated into select code labs, providing support and feedback during sessions.

Lab environments

Labs run on two core environment types, with hybrid and remote desktop options available when the topic requires them.

Code labs are designed to practice, master, and assess programming skills. You complete coding exercises and challenges directly in a browser-based IDE — no installation required. Instructions and the coding environment are in the same tab.

Cloud labs are designed to practice, master, and assess cloud technology skills. You work in an actual cloud environment (AWS, Azure, GCP, or Alibaba), engaging with real-world scenarios and solving challenges as you would on the job. Instructions appear in one tab, the cloud environment in another — you'll switch between them as you work.

Hybrid labs run code and cloud environments simultaneously when the topic requires both.

Remote Desktop labs give you access to a virtual machine through a browser-based interface,pre-loaded with all required tools. Used for exercises involving complex or expensive software that would otherwise require direct environment interaction.

Instructions and the environment are in the same tab.

Lab restrictions

• You can only have one active lab session at a time. If you try to start a second one while another is running, you'll be asked to choose between them.
• Inappropriate use of lab environments — including violations of the Terms of Service or intentional misuse of resources — results in immediate account suspension. Depending on the severity, this may lead to a permanent ban.
• Each lab session has a time limit based on the topic. Some commands and operations may be restricted if they aren't required to complete the lab objectives.
• During a free trial, some labs may not be accessible. Free trial accounts are limited to 6 lab sessions per hour and 10 sessions per 24 hours.