How to become Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Tester in 2024

Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Tester Develop and execute software tests to identify software problems and their causes. Test system modifications to prepare for implementation. Document software and application defects using a bug tracking system and report defects to software or web developers. Create and maintain databases of known defects. May participate in software design reviews to provide input on functional requirements, operational characteristics, product designs, and schedules.

Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Tester is Also Know as

In different settings, Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Tester is titled as

  • Automation Tester
  • Information Technology Analyst (IT Analyst)
  • Quality Assurance Analyst (QA Analyst)
  • Quality Assurance Engineer (QA Engineer)
  • Quality Engineer
  • Software Quality Assurance Analyst (SQA Analyst)
  • Software Quality Assurance Engineer (SQA Engineer)
  • Software Quality Engineer
  • Software Test Engineer
  • Test Engineer

Education and Training of Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Tester

Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Tester is categorized in Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed

Experience Required for Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Tester

A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.

Education Required for Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Tester

Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.

Degrees Related to Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Tester

Training Required for Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Tester

Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.

Related Ocuupations

Some Ocuupations related to Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Tester in different industries are

What Do Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Tester do?

  • Design test plans, scenarios, scripts, or procedures.
  • Test system modifications to prepare for implementation.
  • Develop testing programs that address areas such as database impacts, software scenarios, regression testing, negative testing, error or bug retests, or usability.
  • Document software defects, using a bug tracking system, and report defects to software developers.
  • Identify, analyze, and document problems with program function, output, online screen, or content.
  • Monitor bug resolution efforts and track successes.
  • Create or maintain databases of known test defects.
  • Plan test schedules or strategies in accordance with project scope or delivery dates.
  • Participate in product design reviews to provide input on functional requirements, product designs, schedules, or potential problems.
  • Review software documentation to ensure technical accuracy, compliance, or completeness, or to mitigate risks.
  • Document test procedures to ensure replicability and compliance with standards.
  • Develop or specify standards, methods, or procedures to determine product quality or release readiness.
  • Update automated test scripts to ensure currency.
  • Investigate customer problems referred by technical support.
  • Install, maintain, or use software testing programs.
  • Provide feedback and recommendations to developers on software usability and functionality.
  • Monitor program performance to ensure efficient and problem-free operations.
  • Conduct software compatibility tests with programs, hardware, operating systems, or network environments.
  • Install and configure recreations of software production environments to allow testing of software performance.
  • Collaborate with field staff or customers to evaluate or diagnose problems and recommend possible solutions.
  • Identify program deviance from standards, and suggest modifications to ensure compliance.
  • Design or develop automated testing tools.
  • Coordinate user or third-party testing.
  • Perform initial debugging procedures by reviewing configuration files, logs, or code pieces to determine breakdown source.
  • Visit beta testing sites to evaluate software performance.
  • Evaluate or recommend software for testing or bug tracking.
  • Conduct historical analyses of test results.
  • Modify existing software to correct errors, allow it to adapt to new hardware, or to improve its performance.
  • Recommend purchase of equipment to control dust, temperature, or humidity in area of system installation.
  • Store, retrieve, and manipulate data for analysis of system capabilities and requirements.

Qualities of Good Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Tester

  • Written Comprehension: The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
  • Oral Expression: The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
  • Oral Comprehension: The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
  • Problem Sensitivity: The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.
  • Deductive Reasoning: The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
  • Inductive Reasoning: The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
  • Written Expression: The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
  • Information Ordering: The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
  • Near Vision: The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
  • Speech Recognition: The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
  • Category Flexibility: The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
  • Perceptual Speed: The ability to quickly and accurately compare similarities and differences among sets of letters, numbers, objects, pictures, or patterns. The things to be compared may be presented at the same time or one after the other. This ability also includes comparing a presented object with a remembered object.
  • Flexibility of Closure: The ability to identify or detect a known pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) that is hidden in other distracting material.
  • Speech Clarity: The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
  • Selective Attention: The ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.
  • Fluency of Ideas: The ability to come up with a number of ideas about a topic (the number of ideas is important, not their quality, correctness, or creativity).
  • Originality: The ability to come up with unusual or clever ideas about a given topic or situation, or to develop creative ways to solve a problem.
  • Mathematical Reasoning: The ability to choose the right mathematical methods or formulas to solve a problem.
  • Time Sharing: The ability to shift back and forth between two or more activities or sources of information (such as speech, sounds, touch, or other sources).
  • Visualization: The ability to imagine how something will look after it is moved around or when its parts are moved or rearranged.
  • Number Facility: The ability to add, subtract, multiply, or divide quickly and correctly.
  • Far Vision: The ability to see details at a distance.
  • Memorization: The ability to remember information such as words, numbers, pictures, and procedures.
  • Speed of Closure: The ability to quickly make sense of, combine, and organize information into meaningful patterns.
  • Finger Dexterity: The ability to make precisely coordinated movements of the fingers of one or both hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble very small objects.
  • Auditory Attention: The ability to focus on a single source of sound in the presence of other distracting sounds.
  • Manual Dexterity: The ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.
  • Control Precision: The ability to quickly and repeatedly adjust the controls of a machine or a vehicle to exact positions.
  • Hearing Sensitivity: The ability to detect or tell the differences between sounds that vary in pitch and loudness.
  • Visual Color Discrimination: The ability to match or detect differences between colors, including shades of color and brightness.
  • Arm-Hand Steadiness: The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.
  • Wrist-Finger Speed: The ability to make fast, simple, repeated movements of the fingers, hands, and wrists.
  • Trunk Strength: The ability to use your abdominal and lower back muscles to support part of the body repeatedly or continuously over time without "giving out" or fatiguing.
  • Depth Perception: The ability to judge which of several objects is closer or farther away from you, or to judge the distance between you and an object.
  • Dynamic Strength: The ability to exert muscle force repeatedly or continuously over time. This involves muscular endurance and resistance to muscle fatigue.
  • Multilimb Coordination: The ability to coordinate two or more limbs (for example, two arms, two legs, or one leg and one arm) while sitting, standing, or lying down. It does not involve performing the activities while the whole body is in motion.
  • Static Strength: The ability to exert maximum muscle force to lift, push, pull, or carry objects.
  • Spatial Orientation: The ability to know your location in relation to the environment or to know where other objects are in relation to you.
  • Sound Localization: The ability to tell the direction from which a sound originated.
  • Response Orientation: The ability to choose quickly between two or more movements in response to two or more different signals (lights, sounds, pictures). It includes the speed with which the correct response is started with the hand, foot, or other body part.
  • Rate Control: The ability to time your movements or the movement of a piece of equipment in anticipation of changes in the speed and/or direction of a moving object or scene.
  • Glare Sensitivity: The ability to see objects in the presence of a glare or bright lighting.
  • Peripheral Vision: The ability to see objects or movement of objects to one's side when the eyes are looking ahead.
  • Night Vision: The ability to see under low-light conditions.
  • Reaction Time: The ability to quickly respond (with the hand, finger, or foot) to a signal (sound, light, picture) when it appears.
  • Speed of Limb Movement: The ability to quickly move the arms and legs.
  • Gross Body Equilibrium: The ability to keep or regain your body balance or stay upright when in an unstable position.
  • Gross Body Coordination: The ability to coordinate the movement of your arms, legs, and torso together when the whole body is in motion.
  • Dynamic Flexibility: The ability to quickly and repeatedly bend, stretch, twist, or reach out with your body, arms, and/or legs.
  • Extent Flexibility: The ability to bend, stretch, twist, or reach with your body, arms, and/or legs.
  • Stamina: The ability to exert yourself physically over long periods of time without getting winded or out of breath.
  • Explosive Strength: The ability to use short bursts of muscle force to propel oneself (as in jumping or sprinting), or to throw an object.

Tools Used by Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Tester

  • Application servers
  • Computer network routers
  • Computer servers
  • Desktop computers
  • Digital cameras
  • Directory servers
  • Flash disks
  • Graphics processing unit GPU
  • In circuit emulators ICE
  • Laptop computers
  • Logic analyzers
  • Mainframe computers
  • Mainframe operating systems
  • Multi-core central processing unit CPU
  • Notebook computers
  • Personal computers
  • Supercomputers

Technology Skills required for Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Tester

  • 3M Post-it App
  • A programming language APL
  • ABC Compiler
  • ABC: the AspectBench Compiler for AspectJ
  • Acresso InstallAnywhere
  • Ada
  • ADO.NET
  • Adobe Acrobat
  • Adobe ActionScript
  • Adobe After Effects
  • Adobe Creative Cloud software
  • Adobe Dreamweaver
  • Adobe Flex
  • Adobe Illustrator
  • Adobe InDesign
  • Adobe Photoshop
  • Advanced business application programming ABAP
  • Airtable
  • AJAX
  • Algorithmic language ALGOL
  • Allaire ColdFusion
  • Amazon Data Pipeline
  • Amazon DynamoDB
  • Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud EC2
  • Amazon Kinesis
  • Amazon Redshift
  • Amazon Simple Storage Service S3
  • Amazon Web Services AWS CloudFormation
  • Amazon Web Services AWS software
  • American National Standards Institute ANSI C
  • Ansible software
  • Anti-spyware software
  • Antivirus software
  • Apache Ant
  • Apache Avro
  • Apache Cassandra
  • Apache Flume
  • Apache Groovy
  • Apache Hadoop
  • Apache HBase
  • Apache Hive
  • Apache HTTP Server
  • Apache JMeter
  • Apache Kafka
  • Apache Maven
  • Apache Oozie
  • Apache Pig
  • Apache Solr
  • Apache Spark
  • Apache Sqoop
  • Apache Struts
  • Apache Subversion SVN
  • Apache Tomcat
  • Apple Cocoa
  • Apple macOS
  • Apple Safari
  • Atlassian Bamboo
  • Atlassian Confluence
  • Atlassian JIRA
  • Autodesk AutoCAD
  • Automated installation software
  • AWK
  • B-Method
  • Backbone.js
  • Backup and archival software
  • Bash
  • Beginner's all-purpose symbolic instruction code BASIC
  • Bentley MicroStation
  • Bigloo Scheme
  • Blackbaud The Raiser's Edge
  • Blackboard software
  • Blink
  • Borland SilkTest
  • Bugzilla
  • C
  • C#
  • C++
  • Call-processing language CPL
  • Canu
  • Cascading style sheets CSS
  • Chef
  • Cisco IOS
  • Cisco Webex
  • Citrix cloud computing software
  • Collaborative Application Markup Language CAML
  • Common business oriented language COBOL
  • Common Lisp Object System CLOS
  • Component object model COM software
  • Component-based Scalable Logical Architecture CSLA
  • Computer Associates integrated data management system CA-IDMS
  • Computer On-line Real-time Applications Language CORAL 66
  • Configuration management software
  • CruiseControl
  • Customer information control system CICS
  • Dassault Systemes CATIA
  • Data analysis software
  • Data definition language DDL
  • Data manipulation language DML
  • DataVision
  • Debugview
  • Defect tracking software
  • Delphi Technology
  • Deployment software
  • Disk operating system DOS
  • Distributed component object model DCOM software
  • Distributed database management software
  • Django
  • Docker
  • Document management system software
  • Document Object Model DOM Scripting
  • Dropbox
  • Drupal
  • Dynamic analysis software
  • Dynamic hypertext markup language DHTML
  • Dynamic modeling software
  • E++ pattern language
  • Eclipse IDE
  • Eiffel
  • ej-technologies JProfiler
  • Elasticsearch
  • Embarcadero Delphi
  • Embarcadero JBuilder
  • Embedded systems development software
  • Emerald Software Group Emerald Green Office
  • Encryption software
  • Enterprise application integration EAI software
  • Enterprise JavaBeans
  • Enterprise resource planning ERP software
  • Epic Systems
  • ESRI ArcGIS software
  • Event-driven State-machines Programming
  • Evernote
  • Ext JS
  • Extensible hypertext markup language XHTML
  • Extensible markup language XML
  • Extensible stylesheet language transformations XSLT
  • FaceTime
  • Fault testing software
  • File server software
  • FileMaker Pro
  • FileMon
  • Firewall software
  • FitNesse
  • Flipgrid
  • Formula translation/translator FORTRAN
  • Forth
  • Functional testing software
  • Gambit Scheme
  • Geographic information system GIS software
  • Git
  • GitHub
  • GNU Image Manipulation Program GIMP
  • Go
  • Google Analytics
  • Google Angular
  • Google Docs
  • Google Drive
  • Google Gmail
  • Google Meet
  • Google Sheets
  • Google Sites
  • Google Slides
  • Graphical user interface GUI builder software
  • Graphical user interface GUI design software
  • GroupMe
  • Haskell
  • Hewlett Packard HP-UX
  • Hewlett Packard LoadRunner
  • Hewlett-Packard HP QuickTest Professional
  • Hewlett-Packard HP TestDirector for Quality Center
  • Hewlett-Packard HP WinRunner
  • Hibernate ORM
  • Human resource management software HRMS
  • Hypertext markup language HTML
  • IBM AIX
  • IBM Cognos Impromptu
  • IBM DB2
  • IBM Domino
  • IBM InfoSphere DataStage
  • IBM Middleware
  • IBM Notes
  • IBM Power Systems software
  • IBM Rational ClearCase
  • IBM Rational ClearQuest
  • IBM Rational PurifyPlus
  • IBM Rational RequisitePro
  • IBM Rational Robot
  • IBM Rational Rose XDE
  • IBM SPSS Statistics
  • IBM WebSphere
  • IBM z/OS operating systems
  • ICON programming language
  • IEA Software Emerald
  • Integrated development environment IDE software
  • Integration testing software
  • Interface definition language IDL
  • Interoperability testing software
  • Interstate connection ICON
  • J
  • JamBoard
  • JavaScript
  • JavaScript Object Notation JSON
  • Jenkins CI
  • JetBrains IntelliJ IDEA
  • Job control language JCL
  • jQuery
  • JUnit
  • Jupyter Notebook
  • KornShell
  • LAMP Stack
  • LexisNexis
  • LibreOffice
  • LinkedIn
  • Linux
  • List processing language LISP
  • Load testing software
  • LogMeIn GoToMeeting
  • LogMeIn GoToWebinar
  • Loom
  • Magellan Firmware
  • MathWorks Simulink
  • McAfee
  • Microsoft .NET Framework
  • Microsoft Access
  • Microsoft Active Server Pages ASP
  • Microsoft ActiveX
  • Microsoft ASP.NET
  • Microsoft ASP.NET Core MVC
  • Microsoft Azure software
  • Microsoft DirectX
  • Microsoft Dynamics
  • Microsoft Dynamics GP
  • Microsoft ESP SDK
  • Microsoft Excel
  • Microsoft Exchange
  • Microsoft Internet Explorer
  • Microsoft Internet Information Services (IIS)
  • Microsoft Office software
  • Microsoft OneNote
  • Microsoft Outlook
  • Microsoft PowerPoint
  • Microsoft PowerShell
  • Microsoft Project
  • Microsoft Publisher
  • Microsoft SharePoint
  • Microsoft SQL Server
  • Microsoft SQL Server Integration Services SSIS
  • Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services SSRS
  • Microsoft Team Foundation Server
  • Microsoft Teams
  • Microsoft transact-structural query language T-SQL
  • Microsoft Visio
  • Microsoft Visual Basic
  • Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications VBA
  • Microsoft Visual Basic Scripting Edition VBScript
  • Microsoft Visual Basic.NET
  • Microsoft Visual C# .NET
  • Microsoft Visual SourceSafe
  • Microsoft Visual Studio
  • Microsoft Windows
  • Microsoft Windows SDK
  • Microsoft Windows Server
  • Microsoft Word
  • MicroStrategy
  • Migration software
  • Migration testing software
  • Minitab
  • Modula
  • MongoDB
  • Moodle
  • Mozilla Firefox
  • MUMPS M
  • Mutation testing software
  • MySQL
  • Nagios
  • National Instruments LabVIEW
  • NetSuite ERP
  • Network intrusion detection software
  • Node.js
  • NortonLifeLock cybersecurity software
  • NoSQL
  • NUnit
  • Oberon
  • Object Management Group Object Request Broker
  • Objective C
  • Objective Caml
  • Open Graphics Library OpenGL
  • Operating system shells
  • Oracle Application Server
  • Oracle Business Intelligence Discoverer
  • Oracle Business Intelligence Enterprise Edition
  • Oracle Business Intelligence Suite
  • Oracle Database
  • Oracle E-Business Suite Financials
  • Oracle Eloqua
  • Oracle Fusion Applications
  • Oracle Fusion Middleware
  • Oracle Hyperion
  • Oracle Java
  • Oracle Java 2 Platform Enterprise Edition J2EE
  • Oracle JavaServer Pages JSP
  • Oracle JD Edwards EnterpriseOne
  • Oracle JDBC
  • Oracle PeopleSoft
  • Oracle PeopleSoft Financials
  • Oracle PL/SQL
  • Oracle Primavera Enterprise Project Portfolio Management
  • Oracle Reports
  • Oracle Solaris
  • Oracle WebLogic Server
  • Pascal
  • Patch management software
  • Perforce Helix software
  • Perl
  • PHP
  • PostgreSQL
  • Postman
  • Programming language one PL/I
  • Prolog
  • Puppet
  • PuTTY
  • Python
  • Qlik Tech QlikView
  • QNX
  • Quest Erwin Data Modeler
  • R
  • React
  • Real time operating system RTOS software
  • Recovery testing software
  • Red Hat Ansible Engine
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux
  • Red Hat OpenShift
  • Red Hat WildFly
  • RegMon
  • Regression testing software
  • Relational database management software
  • Requirements management software
  • RESTful API
  • Restructured extended executor REXX
  • Revision control software
  • Ruby
  • Ruby on Rails
  • Salesforce software
  • Salesforce Visualforce
  • SAP Adaptive Server Enterprise
  • SAP Business Intelligence
  • SAP Business Objects
  • SAP Crystal Reports
  • SAP NetWeaver
  • SAP PowerBuilder
  • SAP software
  • SAS
  • Scala
  • Scheme
  • Screencastify
  • Security testing software
  • Selenium
  • Shell script
  • Simple API for XML SAX
  • Simulation program with integrated circuit emphasis SPICE
  • Skype
  • Slack
  • Smalltalk
  • SmartBear Software AutomatedQA TestComplete
  • SmugMug Flickr
  • Social media sites
  • Software distribution management software
  • Source code editor software
  • Splunk Enterprise
  • Spring Boot
  • Spring Framework
  • StataCorp Stata
  • Static analysis software
  • Storage area network SAN software
  • Stress testing software
  • String oriented symbolic language SNOBOL
  • Structured query language SQL
  • Structured Query Report SQR
  • Supervisory control and data acquisition SCADA software
  • Swift
  • Symantec Visual Cafe
  • System testing software
  • Tableau
  • Talend Big Data Integration
  • Talend Data Fabric
  • Tax software
  • Teradata Database
  • Test design software
  • Test implementation software
  • TestNG
  • The MathWorks MATLAB
  • Transact-SQL
  • Trimble SketchUp Pro
  • Twiki
  • Ubuntu
  • Unified modeling language UML
  • Unit testing software
  • UNIX
  • UNIX Shell
  • Usability testing software
  • Verilog
  • Veritas NetBackup
  • Version control software
  • Virtual private networking VPN software
  • Visible Razor
  • VMware
  • VMWare ESX Server
  • VMWare Workstation
  • Voice over internet protocol VoIP system software
  • Watir
  • Web application software
  • Web browser software
  • Web server software
  • Web service definition language WDSL
  • Win CE
  • Wind River Systems VxWorks
  • Wind River VxWorks
  • Wireshark
  • Workflow software
  • Xcode
  • XML Path Language XPATH
  • YourKit Java Profiler
  • YouTube
  • Zoom