What is a QA engineer? We also explain recommended qualifications, annual income and future potential!

1. What is a QA engineer?

About QA engineer

Definition of QA engineer
Difference between QA engineer and test engineer
I will explain.

1.1 QA Engineer Definition
QA is an abbreviation of “Quality Assurance” and is a profession that manages the overall quality of software. As the name implies, QA engineers are leaders in Quality Assurance .

We are involved in the entire development as a ” first user ” from the upstream process such as requirement definition and design to the testing of the downstream process . If it is a quality-related work other than testing, we can carry it out.

For example, in order to improve the development process, we have introduced a mechanism to automatically check coding conventions, and the work is diverse. The feature is that it is involved in the entire development process.

A similar engineer is the “test engineer”.

1.2 Differences between QA engineers and test engineers
QA engineer

Requirement definition
design
Implementation
test
We are involved in all development work, such as quality assurance.

Test engineers, on the other hand, are engineers who specialize in “testing” in development. Test from the viewpoint of whether the program works normally and whether there are any problems.

for example,

• Unit tests to check the return value of variables and the behavior of classes

• Integration test to check the cooperation and operation of functions
It is an image of doing business such as.

Summary,

QA engineer: General work related to quality assurance
Test engineer: General work related to testing
There is a difference.

2. Role and work content of QA engineer

I will explain the role and work content of the QA engineer.

In particular, it also has a role as the main person in charge of improving the KPI (numerical target) by including the bug occurrence rate.

Strictly speaking, the duties of a QA engineer differ slightly depending on whether it is a “SIer QA engineer” or “a QA engineer of an in-house service development company”. For those who want to know more about the role of QA engineers in each company, in addition to the work contents explained below, it is recommended to check the recruitment requirements related to QA engineers on each company’s corporate site as a set.

2.1 Confirmation of function design contents
The first step in application development is the upstream process such as requirement definition and design. QA engineers will continue to play an active role in this phase as well.

to be specific,

• Requirement definition: Check if the functions that can solve the problem are covered

• Design: Check for omissions of requirements (leakage of functions) in the design
We will confirm such things from the perspective of a third party, and if there are any omissions related to quality, we will proceed with development while pointing out.

If there is a gap in the upstream process,

• What the client was looking for

• Actually developed application
Gap will be created and the trust of clients may be lost. In that respect as well, the presence of QA engineers will be significant.

2.2 Formulation of test plan
Testing isn’t just about making sure your application works. This is because there are cases where even if there are no errors, the requirements decided by the customer are not met.

for that reason,

Requirement definition
basic design
Detailed design
You have to plan each test at the level of, and make sure that each one works as intended. Especially in basic design and requirement definition level tests, it is necessary to carry out user tests for customers.

User testing also requires coordination with the customer, so you need to plan for that as well.

2.3 Test case design
Once the schedule and outline have been created in the test plan, we will make a concrete design. When designing a test case, it is necessary to decide on a sense of level rather than thinking about the case.

Specifically, there is a concept called ” coverage “. For example, suppose you get the following message when you enter a number.

■ Sample

1: Registration completed
2: Registration failed (characters have been entered in the numerical value)
3: Registration failed (reason unknown)
At this time, if you have created a test case saying “Can be registered correctly”, you can confirm “Can be registered” by checking only the successful case where you entered “1”. However, when entering the numbers “2” and “3”, there is a possibility that a bug that the screen is not displayed due to a system error will be found.

Therefore, it is necessary to check 1, 2, and 3 respectively, and also confirm that there is no problem in operation (in the case of an error, the error message is displayed correctly). Based on these cases, it is necessary to consider test cases

2.4 Test execution and result analysis
Once you have a test case, you can actually run the test. It is a flow to create a test specification etc. and carry out the test according to the procedure of the created test case.

However, if it goes well, you have to leave the result including the case of error. Furthermore, if an error occurs, it is necessary to decide in advance “when and when to fix it” and take corrective action.

Also, when requesting a user test from a customer, you will be requesting a test that is close to the actual business. The procedure may be ambiguous, so decide in advance what you will write in the test result report.

If you get an error and it doesn’t work, but I don’t know how you did it, it takes time to reproduce the error. In this way, it is a good idea to think about how to proceed smoothly.

The test results will be summarized in a report. At that time, not only simply summarize the number

r of errors, but also

• Common error trends

• Consider automating time-consuming tests

• Examining the development system and environment that does not create bugs

In many cases, the information that will lead to the next is summarized. The strengths of QA engineers who lead quality assurance may be the points that can be utilized.

However, some of you may have heard so far and wondered, “I know the role and what it should be, but do I need to be a professional engineer?” Next, let’s see why we need a QA engineer

3. Why do you need a QA engineer?

I will explain why you need a QA engineer by referring to the article ” I asked about the appeal of working as a GA QA engineer ” by GA technologies Co., Ltd.

3.1 Service improvement from the “user’s point of view” rather than the developer
Because it is a QA engineer, it can lead to improvements from an invisible perspective during development. For example, as follows, there are also opinions about the QA perspective.

What I am aware of in my daily work is to think about what causes the discomfort if I feel discomfort in any trivial matter. This may be called the QA perspective. I am conscious of having a line of sight to notice problems and discomfort. To that end, an objective perspective as a user is indispensable, so I make it a habit to look at monogoto from various angles every day.

Source: I asked about the appeal of working as a GA QA engineer / GA Technologies | Wantedly

It is because you see it from the perspective of a third party that you notice problems and discomfort. It’s worth finding bugs early and making it easier to notice missing specifications.

.2 Can formulate improvement plans based on accurate technical understanding
As a QA engineer who leads quality assurance, it is possible to make improvement plans based on accurate technology. For example, the following cases.

However, there are many factors that make up quality, such as analyzing the appearance of defects from a statistical point of view and finding out in which process of development the problem occurred.

Source: I asked about the appeal of working as a GA QA engineer / GA Technologies | Wantedly

Because it is a QA engineer who has quality methods and knowledge, it is possible to make improvement plans from a perspective that is difficult for developers to think of.

3.3 Multi-faceted verification of improvements in the development process
As a QA engineer who leads quality assurance, it is possible to verify improvements in the development process from multiple perspectives. For example, it can lead to the following improvements:

The quality of the finished product changes drastically just by changing the design of the development process and the way of doing business, so it is QA’s job to actively take measures to improve the quality even in parts other than such tests. is.

Source: I asked about the appeal of working as a GA QA engineer / GA Technologies | Wantedly

For example, suppose you have a problem such as “I want to implement it so that there are as few unnecessary errors as possible”. There is a method of creating a coding convention in a document and checking it, and there is also a mechanism to check it automatically at the time of coding.

I think the strength of QA engineers who are good at methods for improving quality has a great influence. These three are the reasons why a QA engineer is needed.

4. Skills required of QA engineers

Here are five skills required of a QA engineer.

4.1 Communication skills
In software development, the “sales” that sell software and the “engineers” that develop it may be in a hostile relationship. Actually, as shown below, it seems that there are cases where it takes more than a week to reply even for the same company.

If the company has a bad relationship between the employees who are in charge of the real side and the engineers who are in charge of the Tech side, it feels like the organization is really divided, and even if you ask a question about the system specifications, there is no response for more than a week. It’s difficult to even exchange information, such as being blatantly unpleasant.

Source: I asked about the appeal of working as a GA QA engineer / GA Technologies | Wantedly

QA engineers are characterized by being able to move from the perspective of a third party, so they can be a bridge. Communication skills will be essential for that.

4.2 Knowledge of agile development and waterfall development
QA engineers who lead quality assurance must also be familiar with development methods. Because the points to see change depending on the development method.

Take, for example, agile development. Agile development requires a sense of speed. Therefore, there is a tendency for many “exploratory tests” to execute tests while identifying test cases with an emphasis on speed.

It may speed up development, but

• May find bugs

• Know-how is not accumulated
The problem remains.

Even if you leave a note on a ticket such as Redmine or JIRA and think “let’s organize it later”, you may not be able to handle it until you put it together because you need a sense of speed. Over time, the test itself can become a bottleneck.

Therefore , it is important to have a deep understanding of the development method and to be able to propose proposals that will lead to improvement .

4.3 Quality control
There are various factors in terms of quality.

for example,

• Check for defects from a statistical point of view and analyze which development process caused the problem

• Analyze whether you can improve the quality by changing the design of the development process and the way of doing business
Etc.

In this way, knowledge related to quality control can be said to be indispensable.

4.4 Statistics
In some cases, “depending on the bug, it occurs only once in 10 times.” At this time, suppose that the problem is identified and the program is modified.

However, when actually testing, the question “How many times should I test?” May come up. In the case of a bug that occurs stochastically, the number of times is a concern.

Even if the bug didn’t happen, it’s possible that it just happened to happen. In these difficult-to-judgment cases, indicators are needed.

Specifically, it ‘s a good idea to decide how many tests should be done from a statistical point of view . If the number of tests is calculated based on that, it may be possible to guarantee a certain level of quality.

As you can see, statistical knowledge is also required.

4.5 Programming skills
QA engineers play a leading role in quality according to each development process. Therefore, it is necessary to have the skill to evaluate the specifications and design contents, which is the flow of development.

to be specific,

• Skills to read requirement definitions, etc.

• Skills that allow you to imagine an actual program from a design document, etc.
Etc.

Therefore, knowledge about the language used in development (programming skill) is required.
We may also make corrections when we discover vulnerabilities or glitches, or create analysis automation tools for tests that deal with vast amounts of data. It’s a good idea to acquire programming skills.

5. Qualifications to help QA engineers
Here are three qualifications that will help you as a QA engineer.

5.1 Software Quality Engineer Qualification

Source: Software Quality Engineer Qualification | Union of Japanese Scientists and Engineers

Qualification name Software quality engineer qualification
Exam outline Qualification to efficiently acquire knowledge about software quality improvement
2021 schedule ・ Saturday, June 12, 2021 10: 30-11: 30 ・ Saturday, November 13, 2021 10: 30-11: 30
price 11,000 yen (tax included)
Venue Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka, Fukuoka, etc. (planned)
The official website explains the details of the qualification as follows.

One way to efficiently acquire knowledge about improving software quality is to use the qualification system. We, SQiP, have started a qualification system for software quality in order to eradicate quality accidents from the Japanese software industry and realize a safe and secure society.

Source: In establishing the qualification system | Union of Japanese Scientists and Engineers

It is a recommended qualification to prevent quality accidents

5.2 JST QB Certification Test Engineer Qualification

Source: JSTQB Certified Test Engineer Qualification | JSTQB

Qualification name JST QB Certified Test Engineer Qualification
Exam outline Software test engineer qualification
2021 schedule Saturday, February 13, 2021 15: 00-16: 00
price 22,000 yen (tax included)
Venue Sapporo, Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka, Fukuoka, Naha
This qualification is especially recommended for those who want to acquire knowledge about testing, such as test planning, test design, and precautions when conducting tests.

5.3 IT Verification Engineer Certification Exam

Source: IT Verification Engineer Certification Exam | IT Verification Industry Association

Qualification name IT verification engineer certification exam
Exam outline Test engineer qualification test certified by the IT Verification Industry Association (IVIA)
2021 schedule * Not stated at the time of writing. The following is for 2020. ・ Spring: May 24, 2020 (Sunday) ・ Autumn: November 29, 2020 (Sunday)
price ・ Level 1: 19,800 yen (tax included) ・ Level 2: 22,000 yen (tax included) ・ Level 3,4,5: 25,300 yen (tax included)
Venue May: Tokyo, Nagoya, Sapporo, Iwate (planned) November: Tokyo, Nagoya, Sapporo, Iwate, Osaka, Okinawa (planned) * Temporary holdings in other areas upon request
It is recommended for those who want to acquire skills that can be utilized in the practice of the test, as problems that emphasize the practice in the field of the test will appear.

6. Estimated annual income of QA engineer
In the job change support service “My Navi Agent”, the average annual income of QA engineers was presented as follows.

Reference: Quality Control / QA / Average Annual Income Ranking | My Navi Agent

According to the “Average Annual Income Ranking (Average Annual Income / Lifetime Wage) [Latest Version]” compiled by doda, the average annual income for all occupations was “4.09 million yen”. If you listen to this much, you may feel that your annual income is lower than your average.

However, when I actually looked up the QA engineer’s projects on doda, there were 190 projects with more than 6 million.

Source: List of job information search results | doda

From this, you can see that you can aim for a high annual income. If you have high skills such as knowledge of statistics and knowledge of testing, it may be easier to aim for a high unit price.

7. Future potential of QA engineers

I will explain the future potential of QA engineers.

7.1 The need for “two-wheeled quality assurance and schedule management” remains
As I mentioned before, the QA engineer

• Improvements including perspectives such as statistics

• In addition to quality assurance such as improvements that take into account the development process, the ability to manage schedules including repairs is required. Because no matter how high the quality is, if you don’t meet the deadline, you will lose your trust.
To put it the other way around, QA engineers who can carry out quality assurance and schedule management as a set are useful . In order to become a useful QA engineer, it is important to proceed with the test from the following perspectives.

• Extensive identification of bugs, and whether there is a lack of testing after repair

• Is it possible to analyze the root cause as well as crush the bug with the error result?

• Can we consider cases where bugs did not occur stochastically?

If you have these skills, it will be easy to come in handy at any development site.

7.2 There is room for ingenuity to speed up the test process
Acceleration and automation are essential to get the test on time.

• System testing is a bottleneck with all the wrinkles you’ve seen so far

• The release must be postponed because the test man-hours cannot be secured.

• I don’t know how to keep quality and schedule

It is necessary to have someone who looks at such problems and thinks about ways to improve them. In that sense, QA engineers will continue to be needed.

Also, if system testing becomes the final bottleneck, the QA engineer and the development site may confront each other, creating a terrible mood. It is important to accelerate and automate the test process so that QA does not become a bottleneck.

7.3 Will the role approach “manager with high technical ability”?
The core of QA engineers is quality control and statistical perspectives. Therefore, you will have less chance to actually write a program than a programmer or engineer.

Rather, it is more likely to move to higher layers such as management. There is also work to actually design and review the development process, and it is expected that the role will be closer to that of a manager with high technical capabilities.

In some cases, the role may be integrated with a manager / director such as “QA manager” instead of “QA engineer”.

8. Summary
QA engineers have a great deal to do with the quality of software. It is no exaggeration to say that the quality changes depending on the skill.

There are many required skills such as statistics knowledge, test knowledge, and programming skills, but it is a worthwhile job. If you are interested in it, why not take the qualifications we introduced? I hope this article will be helpful to those who are interested in QA engineers.