A Test Analyst is responsible for defining, designing, and executing test cases based on detailed requirements and specifications. Their primary goal is to ensure that software systems meet functional and non-functional requirements, as well as detect and address potential issues early in the development cycle. The Test Analyst works closely with stakeholders, including developers, project managers, and business analysts, to create robust test strategies tailored to the project.

In addition to developing test plans and cases, the Test Analyst performs manual testing activities and provides thorough documentation of testing outcomes. Their work contributes significantly to maintaining software quality, user satisfaction, and compliance with business objectives.

Knowledge Required

• Requirement analysis and traceability
• Test design techniques (e.g., boundary value analysis, equivalence partitioning)
• Defect lifecycle management
• Test management tools (e.g., JIRA, TestRail)
• Risk-based testing approaches

Skills Required

• Requirement Analysis
• Test Case Design and Execution
• Defect Management
• Traceability Matrix Development
• User Acceptance Testing (UAT)

Typical Responsibilities

• Analyzing and understanding project requirements to develop effective test plans and cases
• Designing and executing test cases for functional and non-functional testing
• Documenting and reporting defects, working closely with developers for resolution
• Providing test status reports and metrics to project stakeholders
• Collaborating with cross-functional teams to ensure testing aligns with business goals

Common Tools

JIRA, TestRail, Zephyr, HP ALM, Bugzilla

Connect & Facilitate

The role of a Test Analyst often overlaps with Test Managers and Quality Assurance (QA) Engineers when it comes to test planning, strategy development, and tracking test coverage. They may also collaborate with Automation Testers to incorporate automated test scripts for increased test efficiency.

Rate Table (National Average)

Please note that rate averages will change slightly by state, and precision of practice can also influence rates (testing for avionics, medical, or safety equipment can require compliance with particularly rigorous government standards etc)

Remuneration	Value
Daily Rate (contract)	$800 – $900
FTE Salary (Permanent)	$100,000 – $120,000

Project Hiring Cost (average)

These percentages are derived from an annualized amount. Given the costs involved in sourcing, vetting, and correspondence for a role of this type, a recruiter would expect a minimum fixed fee of 15K, although most recruiters operate on percentages nowadays.

Project Hiring Cost	Value
Internal HR	15-20%
Recruiters	25%

Interview Questions

Here are some interview questions you will most likely encounter for this role. While we don’t provide answers, we do clarify the intent behind the questions, which makes them a great resource when researching the role in readiness for an interview.

ATS Keyphrases

These keywords are commonly used by recruiter Application Tracking Systems to determine the relevance of a CV or cover letter to a specific position description. By ensuring at least a few of these key phrases appear throughout your CV and cover letter, you increase your relevance where an ATS is being used.

Test Case Design, Manual Testing, Functional Testing, Regression Testing, Requirement Analysis, Test Data Preparation, Defect Management, Test Execution, Test Plan Creation, Bug Tracking Tools, Root Cause Analysis, Test Documentation, User Acceptance Testing (UAT), System Testing, End-to-End Testing, Exploratory Testing, Test Strategy Development, Cross-Browser Testing, Test Scenarios, Business Process Testing, Test Closure Reports, Test Metrics Reporting, Test Environment Setup, Traceability Matrix, Risk-Based Testing