Qualification Overview

Qualification Title New Zealand Diploma in Software Testing (Level 6)
Qualification Type Diploma
Level 6
Credits 120
Subject Area
  • Information Technology » Other Information Technology » Information Technology not elsewhere classified
Strategic Purpose Statement
This qualification was co-developed by IT Professionals New Zealand (ITP) and NZQA National Qualifications Services (NQS).
The purpose of this qualification is to provide Aotearoa New Zealand with people who have attained internationally transferable industry-relevant knowledge and technical skills that will equip them to work in entry-level roles in the specialised field of software testing, or to proceed to further study.
Businesses, organisations and communities will benefit from having testing professionals who have developed a testing mindset. They will be able to verify and validate IT systems, and identify, analyse and communicate product/service and organisational risks to support product/service quality and organisational performance.
Graduates will be capable of operating within the applicable professional standards and practice, both independently and as part of a team.
Graduate profile
Graduates of this qualification will be able to:

- Apply the fundamental principles, concepts, processes, techniques and types of testing, consistent with industry standards, to support the delivery of quality systems.
- Perform the role and responsibilities of a tester within the dynamics of a development team to support the test process across both waterfall and agile/lean development methodologies.
- Determine test effort and approach, create and execute functional and non-functional test plans, in a context of waterfall and agile/lean methodologies to determine whether systems meet requirements.
- Locate issues, analyse and report testing outcomes and findings in multiple scenarios using defect management tools, to enable effective reporting and decision making by the development team and key stakeholders.
- Select, configure and apply appropriate tools to support testing activities across software architectures, technology stacks, application types and industries.
- Create, maintain and run test scripts using a scripting language with industry standard tools to automate testing.
- Behave with integrity as a responsible IT professional, in accordance with legal and organisational regulatory requirements, applying professional and ethical practices.
- Apply communication, information design, teamwork, personal, and interpersonal skills, to enhance working effectiveness, efficiency, and quality outcomes in a variety of situations in an organisational environment.
- Apply project management tools and techniques, using knowledge of project planning, management and control, to an IT related project, to analyse and solve problems.
Education pathways
This qualification provides an education pathway from:
- New Zealand Diploma in Information Technology Technical Support (Level 5) [Ref: 2596]
- New Zealand Diploma in Information Systems (Level 5) [Ref: 2597]
- New Zealand Diploma in Web Design and Development (Level 5) [Ref: 2598]
- New Zealand Diploma in Software Development (Level 6) [Ref: 2604]
or other Level 5 IT related qualifications,
or relevant industry experience, to specialised re-training into the field of software testing.

This qualification provides a pathway to further specialisation through industry specific training in specialist fields of software testing, and industry certifications.

Other education pathways include higher level IT-related qualifications and industry certifications.
Employment pathways
Graduates of this qualification will have the skills and knowledge to gain employment in entry-level testing roles such as test analyst, tester, test engineer or other testing related support roles.

Graduates will also have the skills and knowledge to progress into more advanced testing roles including test manager, senior/lead test analyst/engineer.To find out more about employment opportunities click on the CareersNZ logo, then the provider who offers this qualification.
Entry Requirements
Current legislation and regulations can be accessed at www.legislation.govt.nz
Current AS/NZS standards can be accessed at www.standards.govt.nz
Industry standards impacting testing include New Zealand Government web standards, appropriate International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) and IEEE standards, and ISTQB guidelines.
Relevant codes of ethics and professional practice, including the following, can be accessed at:
- ITP Code of Ethics www.itp.nz/Members/Code-of-Ethics
- ITP Professional Practice Guidelines, including the ITP Code of Practice and ITP Professional Knowledge Curriculum www.itp.nz/Members/Practice-Guidelines
- ISTQB International Software Testing Qualifications Board Code of Ethics www.istqb.org/about-as/istqb%C2%AE-code-of-ethics-for-test-professionals
Education Organisation Te Pukenga - New Zealand Institute of Skills and Technology
Developed By Toi Mai Workforce Development Council
Quality Assured By New Zealand Qualifications Authority
Number 3849
Status Current
Created 2018-11-01 11:20:16.0
Next Review 2023-10-31 00:00:00.0
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Strategic Purpose Statement

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