Advanced Diploma in Software Testing & QA
Course Overview
The Advanced Diploma in Software Testing & QA at the London School of Commerce and Technology (LSCT) is a 12 to 15 month Level 5/6 qualification for QA engineers, test analysts and developers moving into test leadership. Sitting in the Information Technology department, the programme covers strategic test design, automation framework engineering, performance and security testing — taught against UK engineering quality expectations rather than abstract theory.
You will build a multi-layer automation framework against a working application, run a load test against a stated SLO, and produce a regression test strategy you would defend in a release governance call. Online, on-campus and distance routes are available from 2026.
Industry Context
UK QA hiring in 2026 is increasingly bifurcated between SDETs writing automation frameworks and risk-aware test analysts running release-governance calls. The Advanced Diploma in Software Testing & QA is sequenced against that reality: students build a multi-layer automation framework themselves, run a real load test against an SLO, and write a release-readiness report engineering directors will actually sign off. Tutors include working test leads from London product teams, and module structure is confirmed at enrolment.
Assessment Approach
Assessment on the Advanced Diploma in Software Testing & QA combines a coded automation framework, performance and security reports, a release-readiness write-up and a capstone defended in viva before a working UK QA lead. Students leave with a public-or-private GitHub portfolio and a folder of release-governance artefacts.
Key Features of the Advanced Diploma in Software Testing & QA
- Level 5/6 UK Advanced Diploma with content mapped to ISTQB Advanced syllabuses and BCS testing knowledge areas.
- Three flexible study modes with cloud-hosted application under test shared across cohorts.
- Automation framework build — students engineer their own framework in Playwright or Selenium.
- Performance testing module using k6 against a real SLA target.
- Security testing strand — OWASP Top 10, ZAP and threat-modelling for testers.
- Capstone defended in viva in front of a working QA lead from a UK product team.
What You Will Learn
The diploma is built around three demands modern QA places on senior engineers: build automation that pays for itself, prevent expensive defects with smart strategy, and explain quality to product managers in their language. You will graduate able to design a test pyramid, choose what to automate (and what not to), and write a release-readiness report engineering directors will sign off.
- Test strategy, risk-based testing and test design techniques
- Automation frameworks — Playwright, Selenium, Cypress
- API testing with REST Assured and Postman
- Performance and load testing with k6 and JMeter
- Security testing — OWASP Top 10, ZAP, threat modelling
- CI/CD integration and pipeline testing strategy
- Test data management and synthetic data
- Mobile and accessibility testing
- Leadership for QA — coaching, mentoring and metrics
Who This Course Is For
- Manual test analysts moving into automation engineering.
- Developers wanting credible test-design and quality-leadership skills.
- QA leads preparing to run a multi-team test capability.
- Career switchers from IT support or analyst roles entering software quality.
Career Pathways
Graduates work across UK product teams, fintechs, public-sector digital and consultancies, with consistent demand from organisations shipping software under regulatory expectations. Typical destinations include:
- QA Engineer progressing to Senior QA Engineer
- Automation Engineer / SDET
- Performance Engineer
- Security Testing Specialist
- QA Lead / Test Manager
- DevOps Engineer with quality focus
The diploma articulates into an MSc in Software Engineering or to ISTQB Expert-level certification routes.
Entry Requirements
- A relevant Diploma (Level 4), Foundation Year, or at least two years of professional experience in software testing or development.
- GCSE English Language at grade 4/C and Mathematics at grade 4/C (or equivalent).
- English language: IELTS 6.0 overall (no band below 5.5) for non-native English speakers.
- A short statement of intent demonstrating exposure to a test or development workflow, plus one academic or professional reference.
Why Study at LSCT
The London School of Commerce and Technology (LSCT) is a specialist higher-education provider based in central London and part of Harold International College. We teach in small cohorts so every student is visible to their tutor, run a single intake schedule that students can rely on, and partner with UK professional bodies so qualifications carry weight with employers. London puts Whitehall, the City, Silicon Roundabout, the Royal Courts of Justice, the West End and the NHS estate within a short tube ride of every classroom — and our students use that proximity in their projects, placements and graduate job hunts. QA students get capstone reviews from working test leads in London product teams that ship daily.
Why Study the Advanced Diploma in Software Testing & QA at LSCT
The diploma is taught inside the LSCT Information Technology department alongside DevOps, full-stack and cloud cohorts. Cross-discipline review is structurally encouraged — QA students review CI/CD pipelines with DevOps students, and exchange threat models with cyber students.
Apply for the Advanced Diploma in Software Testing & QA
Step up into the senior track with the Advanced Diploma in Software Testing & QA. Click Enrol Now and our admissions team will respond within one working day with intake dates and credit-transfer guidance from prior ISTQB or BCS testing certifications.
