Qualification type
Lead auditor
The full auditor course: how to plan, lead and report first-, second- and third-party audits of a complete management system. Usually 4–5 days (about 40 hours) with continuous assessment and an exam. The qualification most auditor job adverts ask for.
1 Who it is for
- Anyone who will audit suppliers (second-party) or work for a certification body (third-party)
- Internal auditors who will lead audit teams or manage an audit programme
- Consultants and managers who want a thorough understanding of how certification audits work
2 What it involves
Lead auditor courses take you through the whole audit life cycle in ISO 19011 and, for certification audits, ISO/IEC 17021-1: initiating the audit, document review, audit planning, opening meeting, collecting and verifying evidence, generating findings, closing meeting, reporting and follow-up — plus leading a team and managing an audit programme. Most courses run a case-study audit through the week.
You are expected to know the standard before you start. CQI and IRCA approved training partners commonly recommend prior knowledge of the standard and of the Plan-Do-Check-Act cycle; many offer a foundation course or pre-course eLearning.
Passing a lead auditor course is a training qualification. To be registered as an auditor (for example IRCA Auditor or Lead Auditor, or a PECB Auditor/Lead Auditor credential) you also need audit experience — see auditor career paths.
3 Typical length and assessment, by scheme
| Scheme | Typical length | Assessment |
|---|---|---|
| CQI and IRCA | Approx. 40 hours — usually 5 days (some providers run 4 longer classroom days) | Continuous assessment plus an exam. CQI and IRCA’s course table describes a 2-hour written examination; some providers now use an online multiple-choice exam after the course (Batalas: 1 hour 45 minutes, within 30 days) |
| PECB | 5 days, exam on day 5 | PECB exam — the ISO/IEC 27001 Lead Auditor handbook describes 80 multiple-choice questions, open book, 70% pass mark |
| IBITGQ (GRC Solutions, ISO 27001 only) | 5 days | CIS LA exam; qualification valid for three years |
| Provider-certified (e.g. BSI for some standards) | 4–5 days | Written exam and skills assessment, as stated by the provider |
4 Lead auditor qualifications we list
| Qualification | Standard topic | UK courses listed |
|---|---|---|
| ISO 9001 Lead auditor | Quality management | 9 |
| ISO 14001 Lead auditor | Environmental management | 6 |
| ISO 45001 Lead auditor | Occupational health and safety | 6 |
| ISO/IEC 27001 Lead auditor | Information security | 8 |
| ISO 22301 Lead auditor | Business continuity | 3 |
| ISO 50001 Lead auditor | Energy management | 2 |
| ISO 22000 Lead auditor | Food safety | 2 |
| ISO 13485 Lead auditor | Medical devices quality | 3 |
| ISO/IEC 27701 Lead auditor | Privacy information management | 1 |
| ISO/IEC 42001 Lead auditor | Artificial intelligence management | 4 |
5 How to prepare
- Lead auditor: a 4-week study planFour weeks of evening study (about 5 hours a week) before a five-day lead auditor course — what to read, what to practise and how to arrive…
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
- PECB course pages (e.g. ISO/IEC 27001 Lead Auditor, Lead Implementer, Foundation) — https://pecb.com/en/education-and-certification-for-individuals
- PECB Candidate Handbook, ISO/IEC 27001 Lead Auditor (multiple choice), v1.5 — https://pecb.com/pdf/candidate-handbooks/pecb-candidate-handbook-iso-27001-lead-auditor-mc.pdf
- Batalas, ISO 9001 Lead Auditor course — https://www.batalas.co.uk/courses/iso-9001-lead-auditor/
- BSI, ISO 45001 Lead Auditor course — https://www.bsigroup.com/en-GB/training-courses/iso-45001-lead-auditor/
- GRC Solutions, Certified ISO 27001:2022 ISMS Lead Auditor — https://uk.grcsolutions.io/product/certified-iso-270012022-isms-lead-auditor-training-course