Characteristics or qualities of a good QA/Tester

A good test engineer has a 'test to break' attitude, an ability to take the point of view of the customer, a strong desire for quality, and an attention to detail. Tact and diplomacy are useful in maintaining a cooperative relationship with developers, and an ability to communicate with both technical (developers) and non-technical (customers, management) people is useful. Previous software development experience can be helpful as it provides a deeper understanding of the software development process, gives the tester an appreciation for the developers' point of view, and reduce the learning curve in automated test tool programming. Judgment skills are needed to assess high-risk areas of an application on which to focus testing efforts when time is limited.





The same qualities a good tester has are useful for a QA engineer. Additionally, they must be able to understand the entire software development process and how it can fit into the business approach and goals of the organization. Communication skills and the ability to understand various sides of issues are important. In organizations in the early stages of implementing QA processes, patience and diplomacy are especially needed. An ability to find problems as well as to see 'what's missing' is important for inspections and reviews.

• Have good analytical skills
• Never compromise on quality
• Ensure the end user /business user satisfication
• Think like an end user and work like technical person
• Ability to prioritize the work
• Open to accept challenges and suggestions
• Ability to start testing as early as possible
• Ability to identify and manage risks
• Ability to have research on latest tools and technologies
• Thinker out of the bound
• Ability to accept issues
• A good observer