This is the 2026 ACS skills assessment guide for ANZSCO 263213 — ICT Systems Test Engineer. For visa pathway selection see the 263213 pathway guide; for cost/timeline see the case study.
ACS pathways at a glance
| Pathway | Suitable for | Deduction |
|---|---|---|
| Major in ICT | Bachelor / Master ICT or Electronic Engineering | 2 years from career start |
| Minor in ICT | Bachelor with significant ICT subjects | 4-5 years |
| RPL | Non-ICT degree + 6+ years systems test experience | 6 years |
| RPL — Vendor Cert | No degree but ISTQB Advanced + 8+ yrs | 8 years |
Documents
- Certified copy of degree certificate(s).
- Academic transcripts.
- Detailed CV mapped to ANZSCO 263213.
- Employment reference letters on letterhead (or stat dec) with role title, dates, hours/week, salary, and detailed duties.
- Identity — passport bio page, certified.
- Payslips / tax records.
RPL pathway (additional)
- RPL Form — ACS template.
- Two RPL project reports — each ~2,000 words. Suggested mix:
- One major systems integration test program (e.g., HIL test for an electronic control unit, defence platform integration test, medical device V&V). - One regulated-industry V&V activity (DO-178, ISO 26262 ASIL, IEC 62304 SOUP, IEC 61508). - One project must be within last 3 years.
ANZSCO 263213 task mapping for reference letters
Reference letters must show at least 65% time on systems / integration test tasks:
- Authoring system test plans, integration test plans, V&V plans.
- Hardware-software integration test execution.
- Hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) testing using NI TestStand, dSPACE, Vector tools.
- Environmental / stress testing — temperature, vibration, EMI / EMC.
- Regulated-industry test compliance — DO-178 (aerospace), ISO 26262 (automotive), IEC 62304 (medical), IEC 61508 (functional safety), DO-254 (avionics hardware).
- Test automation framework selection for systems / hardware test.
- Systems acceptance testing and customer factory acceptance test (FAT) / site acceptance test (SAT) support.
Useful certifications
- ISTQB Advanced — Test Manager / Technical Test Analyst — gold standard.
- ISTQB Specialist — Mobile / Performance / Security — for relevant specialisations.
- NI TestStand certification — for HIL / automated test stations.
- Vector tooling certifications (CANalyzer, CANoe, vTESTstudio).
- Regulated-industry domain experience matters more than a single cert — DO-178, ISO 26262 etc.
English
ACS doesn't directly require English. Home Affairs requires Competent English; for points-tested visas target Proficient or Superior.
Common pitfalls
- Application tester mislabelled as systems test engineer. If your work is web / mobile / SaaS application testing, 261314 fits better.
- No regulated-industry context. 263213 candidates from regulated industries (defence, automotive, medical, avionics) are more readily recognised — non-regulated systems test work needs strong evidence of integration / hardware-in-the-loop scope.
Tools
Authoritative sources
Next step
Want a personalised ACS plan against your systems test profile? Book a 30-minute free strategy call.