ICT Test Analyst
What the work is
Specifies, develops and executes test plans and test scripts, produces test cases, carries out testing using various techniques, and documents the results of tests in defect reports and related documentation. Uses automated test software applications to test the behaviour, functionality and integrity of ICT software and systems.
Would you enjoy the work?
These are the main tasks in the official description. Mark how each one sounds to you.
- Tests, identifies and diagnoses functionality errors and faults in software and/or systems
- Defines user acceptance scenarios based on business requirements
- Develops test plans outlining strategy, scope, resources and timelines for testing software and/or systems
- Develops test cases describing the input, execution conditions and expected output of systems to examine functionality
- Creates and maintains test documentation such as procedural and operational manuals, as well as test cases and test reports
- Conducts unit, integration and functional testing to ensure software meets requirements
- Tests software across different platforms, browsers, operating systems and devices
- Provides feedback and recommendations based on analysis of test results, and ensures it aligns with business requirements and specifications
- May automate software and/or system test cases using testing tools and frameworks
- May undertake system performance, load and stress testing
Try it
A simulation and a case study from this kind of work, set in a small software team at a fictional ferry company, building a booking and refund app. They are fictional.
The kind of days you could have
Good days
- You find a bug that would have caused real trouble, and the team fixes it before launch
- A developer asks for your opinion on a design before they write it
- A release goes out and nobody phones the support line
Hard days
- You find a serious problem the night before a launch everyone has promised
- Someone says testing is slowing things down, and they may be right
- Reproducing a bug that only happens once in a while, on one phone, at one time of day
Written by Career Calling as a general guide. Real roles vary by employer and place.
Work a mission
Step into a simulated workplace in this field, with a brief from your manager.
Description and tasks: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Occupation Standard Classification for Australia, 2024, Version 1.0 (opens another site), occupation 272233, used under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence. The skill guide above is our plain English summary.