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Quality assurance test analyst

Find out what a quality assurance test analyst in government does and the skills you need to do the role at each level.

Last updated 30 May 2025 — See all updates

What a quality assurance test analyst does

A quality assurance test analyst designs and executes test plans, and carries out exploratory testing as part of a broader risk-based approach.

Quality assurance test analyst role levels

There are 4 quality assurance test analyst role levels, from associate quality assurance test analyst to lead quality assurance test analyst.

The typical responsibilities and skills for each role level are described in the sections below. You can use this to identify the skills you need to progress in your career, or simply to learn more about each role in the Government Digital and Data profession.

1. Associate quality assurance test analyst

An associate quality assurance test analyst works closely with test engineers and quality assurance test analysts to learn the activities and techniques required to establish the basis of testing.

At this role level, you will:

  • have domain and business knowledge
  • develop test scripts under supervision
  • identify and manage defects

This role level is often performed at the Civil Service job grade of:

  • EO (Executive Officer)
  • HEO (Higher Executive Officer)
Skill Description

Communicating between the technical and non-technical

Level: awareness

Awareness is the first of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • explain why it's important to communicate technical concepts in non-technical language
  • explain the types of communication that can be used with internal and external stakeholders, and their impact

Designing and executing tests

Level: awareness

Awareness is the first of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • contribute to deciding the most appropriate test types and techniques to use
  • follow guidance to design, build and maintain simple tests that align to user needs and requirements
  • execute simple tests with support
  • explain the value of automation within testing

Managing, reporting and resolving defects

Level: awareness

Awareness is the first of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • explain how to report and track defects
  • follow a defect management process to report, communicate and maintain defects with appropriate information
  • retest and escalate defects when needed

Test analysis

Level: awareness

Awareness is the first of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • describe quality characteristics and explain why they are important
  • analyse information, such as user stories, prototypes, processes and designs, with support
  • explain what might be a risk in achieving quality goals

Test and quality planning

Level: awareness

Awareness is the first of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • explain the value of quality testing approaches, plans and strategies
  • explain how different delivery methodologies affect quality testing approaches, plans and strategies
  • follow quality testing approaches, plans and strategies, with support
  • explain how to measure the effectiveness of quality testing approaches, plans and strategies, and why it’s important

Test engineering

Level: awareness

Awareness is the first of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • explain why testing processes, environments and tools are important
  • follow test engineering practices and standards, with support
  • support the maintenance of automated tests and tools required for testing

2. Quality assurance test analyst

A quality assurance test analyst undertakes and executes appropriate test design, and performs exploratory testing.

At this role level, you will:

  • collaborate with delivery teams and determine the testability of functional and non-functional requirements
  • have domain and business knowledge
  • take a business and operational view when analysing the system under test

This role level is often performed at the Civil Service job grade of:

  • HEO (Higher Executive Officer)
  • SEO (Senior Executive Officer)
Skill Description

Communicating between the technical and non-technical

Level: working

Working is the second of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • communicate effectively with technical and non-technical stakeholders
  • support and host discussions within a multidisciplinary team, with potentially difficult dynamics
  • be an advocate for the team externally
  • manage differing stakeholder perspectives

Designing and executing tests

Level: working

Working is the second of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • set up suitable environments with some support
  • select appropriate test types and techniques with some support
  • design, build, maintain and execute tests that align to user needs and requirements
  • conduct exploratory testing
  • research and try new test types and techniques

Managing, reporting and resolving defects

Level: working

Working is the second of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • collaborate with others to create a defect management process to report, communicate and resolve defects, with support
  • critically assess dependencies, defects and risks, with support
  • contribute to mitigation and contingency plans
  • clearly communicate risks and the impact of defects to stakeholders

Test analysis

Level: working

Working is the second of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • work with stakeholders to determine which functional and non-functional quality characteristics add value
  • determine what to test following an agreed approach
  • identify and advocate for test needs, such as data, access and environments, with support
  • analyse information to identify risks

Test and quality planning

Level: working

Working is the second of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • create or adapt quality testing approaches based on risk, with some support
  • follow a quality testing strategy and contribute to its development
  • contribute to continuous improvement of quality testing approaches, plans and strategies

Test engineering

Level: awareness

Awareness is the first of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • explain why testing processes, environments and tools are important
  • follow test engineering practices and standards, with support
  • support the maintenance of automated tests and tools required for testing

3. Senior quality assurance test analyst

A senior quality assurance test analyst has similar responsibilities to a quality assurance test analyst but at a more complex level and on a greater scale.

At this role level, you will:

  • take a business and an operational view to finding solutions to complex problems
  • provide test coverage support for test engineers and software developers
  • come up with functional and non-functional testing procedures and requirements

This role level is often performed at the Civil Service job grade of:

  • SEO (Senior Executive Officer)
  • G7 (Grade 7)
Skill Description

Communicating between the technical and non-technical

Level: practitioner

Practitioner is the third of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • listen to and interpret the needs of technical and non-technical stakeholders, and manage their expectations
  • manage active and reactive communication
  • support or host difficult discussions within the team or with diverse senior stakeholders

Designing and executing tests

Level: practitioner

Practitioner is the third of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • set up suitable environments
  • influence and guide the use of appropriate test types and techniques to mitigate risk early
  • lead others in designing, building, maintaining and executing tests that align to user needs and requirements
  • contribute to developing and implementing standards for designing and executing tests
  • improve test types and techniques through a structured process.

Managing, reporting and resolving defects

Level: practitioner

Practitioner is the third of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • contribute to developing standards for defect management processes
  • manage and escalate dependencies, defects and risks across teams
  • contribute to mitigation and contingency plans across teams
  • use defect patterns and trends to make recommendations on testing and quality approaches, with support
  • manage stakeholder expectations and communications during defect resolution

Test analysis

Level: practitioner

Practitioner is the third of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • lead work with stakeholders across teams to determine which functional and non-functional quality characteristics add value
  • determine if an approach needs to change based on effort and risk
  • ensure test needs are implemented early
  • use multiple techniques to analyse complex information to identify risks
  • coach others in test analysis

Test and quality planning

Level: practitioner

Practitioner is the third of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • work with teams to develop and implement appropriate quality testing approaches, plans and strategies
  • contribute to organisational quality testing strategies
  • implement ways to capture data to drive continuous improvement of quality testing approaches, plans and strategies
  • advocate for full team ownership of quality testing activities, encouraging early engagement

Test engineering

Level: awareness

Awareness is the first of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • explain why testing processes, environments and tools are important
  • follow test engineering practices and standards, with support
  • support the maintenance of automated tests and tools required for testing

4. Lead quality assurance test analyst

A lead quality assurance test analyst sets the strategy for test analysis, establishing standards and methods. They are accountable and responsible for activities at high risk.

At this role level, you will:

  • take both a business and an operational view
  • have management responsibilities
  • coach and mentor staff
  • lead the delivery practice, focusing on complex problem solving and influencing senior team members
  • be a specialist in an area of testing and influence the quality assurance test industry
  • have expert technical understanding and provide advice to project team

This role level is often performed at the Civil Service job grade of:

  • G7 (Grade 7)
  • G6 (Grade 6)
Skill Description

Communicating between the technical and non-technical

Level: expert

Expert is the fourth of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • mediate between people and strengthen relationships, adopting the appropriate communication method with stakeholders at all levels
  • manage stakeholder expectations and moderate difficult discussions about high risk and complex topics, even within constrained timescales
  • speak on behalf of, and represent the community to, large audiences inside and outside the organisation

Designing and executing tests

Level: expert

Expert is the fourth of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • set standards and influence organisational decisions for test types, techniques, design and execution
  • coach others in test types, techniques, design and execution
  • advocate for continuous improvement and refinement of test types and techniques
  • make strategic decisions on new or improved test types and techniques used in your area

Managing, reporting and resolving defects

Level: expert

Expert is the fourth of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • lead and coach others in improving test and defect management processes
  • support others in assessing complex and challenging defects across the organisation
  • lead and coach others in using defect patterns and trends to make tactical and strategic recommendations
  • influence improvements to quality processes, informed by defect patterns and trends

Test analysis

Level: expert

Expert is the fourth of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • lead and guide multiple teams in test analysis, ensuring it is implemented early in the life cycle
  • advocate for risk-based analysis to drive improvements across many teams
  • set standards and principles for test analysis across the organisation

Test and quality planning

Level: expert

Expert is the fourth of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • create and manage multiple quality testing plans, approaches and strategies
  • lead and guide multiple teams in adopting quality testing strategy
  • advocate for early quality testing involvement in organisational delivery processes
  • guide teams across an organisation in optimising quality testing approaches, plans and strategies by using appropriate data

Test engineering

Level: awareness

Awareness is the first of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • explain why testing processes, environments and tools are important
  • follow test engineering practices and standards, with support
  • support the maintenance of automated tests and tools required for testing
Role Shared skills
Test engineer

Test analysis

Communicating between the technical and non-technical

Designing and executing tests

Managing, reporting and resolving defects

Test and quality planning

Test engineering

Test manager

Test analysis

Communicating between the technical and non-technical

Designing and executing tests

Managing, reporting and resolving defects

Test and quality planning

Test engineering

Analytics engineer

Communicating between the technical and non-technical

Data analyst

Communicating between the technical and non-technical

Data architect

Communicating between the technical and non-technical

Updates

Published 7 January 2020

Last updated 30 May 2025

30 May 2025

The quality assurance testing (QAT) analyst role has been renamed quality assurance test analyst. All 4 role levels have been updated: associate quality assurance testing analyst, quality assurance test analyst, senior quality assurance test analyst and lead quality assurance test analyst.

The role has been refreshed with updated skills. The role now includes the new skills ‘communicating between the technical and non-technical’, ‘designing and executing tests’, ‘managing, reporting and resolving defects’, ‘test and quality planning’ and ‘test engineering’, and the updated skill ‘test analysis’.

These skills have been removed from the role: 'functional testing’, ‘non-functional testing’ and ‘technical breadth’.

7 January 2020

First published.