A software quality assurance (QA) analyst, also referred to as a software quality analyst or simply a quality assurance (QA) analyst, is an individual who is responsible for applying the principles and practices of software quality assurance throughout the software development life cycle.[1]
Software testing is one of many parts of the larger process of QA.[2] Testing is used to detect errors in a product, while QA also fixes the processes that resulted in those errors.[3]
Software QA analysts may have professional certification from a software testing certification board, like the International Software Testing Qualifications Board (ISTQB).