Skills
Software QA Tester Skills & Tools
The technical skills, people skills and tools employers look for in software QA testers, and how to build and show them.
What skills do software QA testers need?
Software QA Testers need technical skills such as test case design, manual testing, and test automation, plus people skills like attention to detail and curiosity. They also use tools such as Selenium, Playwright or Cypress and Jira.
Technical (hard) skills
- Test case design
- Manual testing
- Test automation
- Bug reporting
- SQL and APIs
- Agile processes
People (soft) skills
- Attention to detail
- Curiosity
- Clear communication
- Persistence
Tools, equipment and technology
- Selenium, Playwright or Cypress
- Jira
- Postman for API testing
- TestRail or similar tools
- Browser developer tools
- CI pipelines
Skills in action: common tasks
These step-by-step guides show how software QA testers put their skills to work:
- How to write a clear bug report
- How to design test cases for a feature
- How to automate a basic UI test
How to show these skills on a resume
- Lead your skills section with the technical skills from the job posting, for example, “Test case design” and “Manual testing.”
- Prove soft skills with results: instead of listing “attention to detail,” describe a situation where you used it.
- List credentials such as ISTQB Certified Tester Foundation Level near the top, with the issuing organization and date.
- Use the employer’s vocabulary. Our software QA tester glossary covers the terms hiring managers expect.
How to build these skills
Formal training, supervised practice and certification are the most direct routes. Our Software QA Tester training introduces each of these skills with plain-language lessons, procedures and a final knowledge check: a strong foundation before hands-on training or your first day.