Software Test Engineer Review
at IBM
Higher Level Apprenticeship
Information Technology
London
Review Submitted: April 2026
Overall Rating
4.5 /5
The Overall Rating is the average of all the ratings given in each category. We take those individual ratings and combine them into one final score!
4.5/5
-
Overview of Role
5/5
-
Skills Development
4.4/5
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Structure and Support
Overview of Role
Please give an overview of your role and what this involves on a day-to-day basis:
5/5
Testing Aerospace & Defence products to ensure that new features work & haven't broken older features. Involves lots of communicating with developers, architects, business users, etc, to get to the root of an issue and solve it.
To what extent do you enjoy your programme?
4/5
I liked the job, wasn't too keen on meeting the apprenticeship requirements.
Skills Development
Have you learnt any new skills or developed existing skills?
5/5
Communication, Time-Keeping, Organisation.
Many different testing techniques & methodologies.
Technical knowledge of the system.
Consultancy.
Many different testing techniques & methodologies.
Technical knowledge of the system.
Consultancy.
Structure and Support
How well organised/structured is your programme?
5/5
Very well structured. If you put the effort in, you can finish the apprenticeship in just over a year.
How much support do you receive from your employer?
5/5
Lots of support. I was given one day per week allocated to apprenticeship work, and had colleagues that were understanding of my commitments.
How much support do you receive from your training provider when working towards your qualifications?
4/5
There is a limited amount they can do since the bulk of my work is not related to them. Besides that, we had monthly calls to check up.
How well do you feel that your qualification (through your training provider) helps you to perform better in your role?
5/5
My knowledge of testing is far greater than it otherwise would've been because of the courses we attended.
Are there extra-curricular activities to get involved in at your work? (For example, any social activities, sports teams, or even professional networking events.)
3/5
There is a lot of options, however less so than pre-covid since WFH has become more prevalent
Recommendations & Advice
Would you recommend IBM to a friend?
Yes
Why?
Good work/life balance culture in the UK. Salary is good for the level of experience I have, and will grow a lot throughout the apprenticeship. Most of the people I've interacted with at the company have all been great,
What tips or advice would you give to others applying to IBM?
Highlight relevant experience and be enthusiastic. It doesn't matter how much knowledge you have of the role/apprenticeship you're applying for - what matters is that you are somebody that meets IBM's values and are willing to put in effort to learn & grow.
