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
Contents
- — What a quality assurance test analyst does
- — Quality assurance test analyst role levels
- — 1. Associate quality assurance test analyst
- — 2. Quality assurance test analyst
- — 3. Senior quality assurance test analyst
- — 4. Lead quality assurance test analyst
- — Roles that share quality assurance test analyst skills
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:
|
Level: awareness Awareness is the first of 4 ascending skill levels |
You can:
|
Managing, reporting and resolving defects Level: awareness Awareness is the first of 4 ascending skill levels |
You can:
|
Level: awareness Awareness is the first of 4 ascending skill levels |
You can:
|
Level: awareness Awareness is the first of 4 ascending skill levels |
You can:
|
Level: awareness Awareness is the first of 4 ascending skill levels |
You can:
|
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:
|
Level: working Working is the second of 4 ascending skill levels |
You can:
|
Managing, reporting and resolving defects Level: working Working is the second of 4 ascending skill levels |
You can:
|
Level: working Working is the second of 4 ascending skill levels |
You can:
|
Level: working Working is the second of 4 ascending skill levels |
You can:
|
Level: awareness Awareness is the first of 4 ascending skill levels |
You can:
|
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:
|
Level: practitioner Practitioner is the third of 4 ascending skill levels |
You can:
|
Managing, reporting and resolving defects Level: practitioner Practitioner is the third of 4 ascending skill levels |
You can:
|
Level: practitioner Practitioner is the third of 4 ascending skill levels |
You can:
|
Level: practitioner Practitioner is the third of 4 ascending skill levels |
You can:
|
Level: awareness Awareness is the first of 4 ascending skill levels |
You can:
|
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:
|
Level: expert Expert is the fourth of 4 ascending skill levels |
You can:
|
Managing, reporting and resolving defects Level: expert Expert is the fourth of 4 ascending skill levels |
You can:
|
Level: expert Expert is the fourth of 4 ascending skill levels |
You can:
|
Level: expert Expert is the fourth of 4 ascending skill levels |
You can:
|
Level: awareness Awareness is the first of 4 ascending skill levels |
You can:
|
Roles that share quality assurance test analyst skills
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.