Qualification type
Foundation / requirements
An introduction to a standard: what it requires, the vocabulary and how the clauses fit together. Usually one or two days, with a short test or none. The usual first step, and often a recommended prerequisite for auditor courses.
1 Who it is for
- People new to a standard — new quality, environment, safety or security staff, project team members, managers
- Anyone booking an auditor or implementer course who does not yet know the standard well
- Staff in organisations preparing for certification
2 What it involves
Providers use different names for this level: foundation, introduction, requirements, understanding, awareness or essentials. The content is similar — the purpose of the standard, its terms and definitions, and a walk through the requirements clause by clause, usually with exercises applying them to an organisation.
Awareness and executive briefings are shorter (an hour to half a day) and usually have no assessment. A CQI and IRCA certified foundation course or a PECB foundation course ends with a short exam and gives a scheme-certified certificate; many provider-branded introductions give a certificate of attendance.
3 Typical length and assessment, by scheme
| Scheme | Typical length | Assessment |
|---|---|---|
| CQI and IRCA | Auditing foundation approx. 7 hours; quality foundation courses approx. 8–16 hours | Short assessment at the end (format varies by provider) |
| PECB | 2 days (e.g. ISO/IEC 27001 Foundation, ISO 9001 Foundation) | Exam; leads to a “Certificate Holder” credential |
| IBITGQ (GRC Solutions) | 1 day (ISO 27001 Foundation) | 60-minute online exam |
| Provider-branded courses | 1 day classroom/live online, or a few hours of eLearning | Often none, or a short quiz |
4 Foundation / requirements qualifications we list
| Qualification | Standard topic | UK courses listed |
|---|---|---|
| ISO 9001 Foundation / requirements | Quality management | 10 |
| ISO 14001 Foundation / requirements | Environmental management | 6 |
| ISO 45001 Foundation / requirements | Occupational health and safety | 4 |
| ISO/IEC 27001 Foundation / requirements | Information security | 6 |
| ISO 22301 Foundation / requirements | Business continuity | 6 |
| ISO 50001 Foundation / requirements | Energy management | 3 |
| ISO 22000 Foundation / requirements | Food safety | 1 |
| ISO 13485 Foundation / requirements | Medical devices quality | 5 |
| ISO/IEC 27701 Foundation / requirements | Privacy information management | 2 |
| ISO/IEC 42001 Foundation / requirements | Artificial intelligence management | 6 |
| ISO 37001 Foundation / requirements | Anti-bribery management | 3 |
| ISO 31000 Foundation / requirements | Risk management (guidance) | 2 |
5 How to prepare
- Foundation: getting started with a standard in 2 weeksHow to get the most from a foundation or requirements course when a standard is completely new to you.
S Sources
Facts on this page last checked 3 October 2026.
- CQI and IRCA, “Become an Approved Training Partner” (course levels table) — https://www.quality.org/approved-training-partners
- CQI and IRCA, three levels of certified training — https://www.quality.org/article/are-you-taking-advantage-cqi-and-irca-certified-training
- PECB course pages (e.g. ISO/IEC 27001 Lead Auditor, Lead Implementer, Foundation) — https://pecb.com/en/education-and-certification-for-individuals
- GRC Solutions, Certified ISO 27001:2022 ISMS Foundation Training Course — https://uk.grcsolutions.io/product/certified-iso-270012022-isms-foundation-training-course