QA Roles: What is a QA Analyst
Quality Assurance (QA) involves several roles and career paths. One role that stands firmly in all QA projects is the position of QA Analyst or Test Analyst. In this article, we will look to define the responsibilities, mission, and objectives of QA analysts.
As a leading testing services provider,Q-Prosrelies on a diverse arsenal of professional experts. The QA roles series looks to supply insight into these professions and give a closer look at the grand scheme of the QA process.
Definition: QA Analyst
A quality analyst is a person responsible for implementing the principles and practices of quality assurance throughout the SDLC (Software Development Life Cycle)
A QA analyst would look for flaws and weaknesses in programs and make certain that all requirements were fulfilled. They would implement plans to scan thousands of lines of code and inspect the system from several corners, such as functionality, interface, user-friendliness, and much more.
The role of QA Analyst comes at the final stages of SDLC just before public release. They would also make sure that the software fits the targeted market and is fully compatible.
A QA Analyst or Software Analyst would hold a professional certificate from a software testing certification board, such as theInternational Software Testing Qualifications Board(ISTQB).
The QA field in general requires a set of skills related to problem-solving and attention to detail, a skill set that is ever so emanant with QA analysts. As the job title describes, QA analysts must be analytical and exact to ensure bug-free/defect-free systems.
QA Analyst Daily Roles
Quality Analysts have many duties depending on the organization and project where they are stationed, but the role mainly centers around sealing the deal before releasing the product to customers/users.
Here is a set of duties expected from QA analysts:
- Creating efficient test plans
- Implementing the test plans to ensure the three main aspects of quality: functionality, performance, and reliability
- Track and report bugs
- establishing a criterion to prevent future bugs and crashes in the system
- Ensuring layout correctness and assessing proper formatting for all aspects of interface and user experience
- Some roles might include conducting localization tests and compatibility checks
- Leading the testing team through a swift and clear path throughout the whole QA procedure. This task includes knowledge of project development methodologies such as Agile and Waterfall.
Most QA jobs require a good knowledge of programming languages, that is because testing engineers need to be able to design plans that deal withcode corrections and scans.It also helps the testing experts understand how systems work. QA analysts have the responsibility to be extensively experienced with multiple programming languages and dealing with various operating systems.
How to Become a Quality Assurance Analyst?
For starters, the minimum qualification for testing analysts is a bachelor’s degree in an IT-related field, and preferably a specific major related to software development and quality.
QA analysts in many cases, even on a junior level, are required to have prior experience in QA and software testing in general. Most companies hold the QA analyst’s role with high regard in terms of accountability and proficiency, this is because the nature of the job is incredibly detailed oriented.
Most QA analysts end up becoming quality managers and would hold senior positions in QA companies, this is because the nature of the job involves being present in and cooperating with multiple channels and sectors throughout the entire project duration.
To become a QA analyst, here is a list of several characteristics and skills needed:
- Good programming knowledge
- Broad knowledge of a variety of software applications and hardware
- attention to details and the ability to think on a larger scope
- creativity and innovation in working methods
- communication skills
- the ability to utilize logical thinking in identifying the strong and weak points in any system
- Good knowledge of modern tools and constantly tracking the latest updates
In Conclusion
QA analysts are one of the most vital members of any QA team. They maintain structure and establish the foundation for other team members to work more efficiently.
Being a QA analyst is a career path worth chasing if you want to get involved with more than one sector in the QA hierarchy. It guarantees experience and growth in the world of software testing.
We at Q-Pros make certain that our QA projects are well equipped with professional test analysts who can inspire team members and assure perfect outcomes for our clients and end-users.
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