ISO 9001:2015 Lead Auditor (QMS) – CQI & IRCA Certified

Throughout the course the following content will be covered in detail:

• Introduce the purpose and benefits of a Quality Management System, evolution of the ISO 9000 series of standards, the continuing development process of these standards and key ISO 9000 series related concepts and terminology.
• Explain the structures, purpose and interrelationship of ISO 9000, ISO 9001, ISO 9004 and ISO 19011 and the difference between auditable standards and guidance documents.
• Use ISO 9004:2009 and the 7 Quality Management Principles, where appropriate, for illustration and to enhance understanding.
• Discuss the benefits and approaches of documentation, circumstances of exclusion of the ISO 9001:2015 requirements and the Process-based Quality Management system Model.
• Describe the certification/registration and accreditation processes, types of audits (1st, 2nd and 3rd party) and the differences between legal compliance and conformance with ISO standards.
• How to plan and prepare QMS audits based on the "Process Approach" including the ability to develop and use Checklists and Process-based Audit Plans, using appropriate information gathered during the document review and/or stage-1 audit.
• How to Conduct, Report and Follow-up QMS audits based on the "Process Approach" including various Audit Methodology, Questioning Techniques, Roles and Responsibility in order to collect and analyse evidence, exercise objectivity and make decisions on the significance of observation made in accordance to relevant audit criteria.
• Outline CQI IRCA Auditor Certification requirements.

This course necessitates some evening work. For those who are attending the course on a non-residential basis we must stress that the course is very intense and may involve personal study.

The course has been designed for delegates who intend to become practising auditors, and is suitable for individuals of any background -- manufacturing, service, public, or private sectors. It will be of particular interest to individuals who have responsibility for conducting external audits either as a single person or in a team, are managing the development and implementation of Quality Management Systems, and/or who want to enhance their auditing skills and knowledge.

Examples of functions who may wish to attend this course include;

• Staff involved in designing, implementing or managing quality systems
• Staff who have responsibility for internal, external and cross-audits
• Quality Managers/Engineers/Coordinators
• Those wishing to apply for CQI IRCA QMS Auditor grades*
• Departmental Managers and Supervisory staff, (e.g. Design, Engineering, Purchasing and Materials)
• Sub-Contractors and Suppliers who wish to gain an insight into customer audits (2nd Party audits) and how they can prepare for and facilitate these audits.

*Successful completion of this CQI IRCA certified ISO 9001:2015 Lead Auditor (QMS) Training course will satisfy the training requirements for CQI IRCA certification to all grades of Quality Management System Auditor, however, additional requirements apply. Please see CQI IRCA website www.quality.org/IRCA-grades

Participants achieve the following learning outcomes from the programme:

• Explain the role of an auditor to plan, conduct, report and follow up a quality management systems audit in accordance with ISO 19011.
• Plan, conduct and report and follow-up an audit in accordance with ISO 19011 and by interpreting ISO 9001.

Delegates are expected to have the following prior knowledge:

(a) Knowledge of the following quality management principles and concepts:

• The Plan-Do-Check- Act (PDCA) cycle.
• The relationship between quality management and customer satisfaction.
• Commonly used quality management terms and definitions and the 7 Quality
• Principles as given in ISO 9000.
• The process approach used in quality management.
• The Model of a Process Based Quality Management System, the structure and content of ISO 9001.

(b) Knowledge of the requirements of ISO 9001

This prior knowledge may be gained by completing an SQT ISO 9001:2015 Foundation (QMS) training course or equivalent.

(c) Fluency in spoken and written English. For applicants whose first language is not English, SQT recommends a minimum English language competency of IELTS 5.5 (or equivalent) for successful completion of this programme. It is important to note that learners are not expected to have an IELTS or equivalent examination complete. Potential delegates are expected to self-assess their English language competency against the IELTS Band scores which can be found in this

If you have access to a copy of the ISO 9001 standard, please bring a clean copy of the standard with you. If you don’t have access, a copy will be provided for you and will be collected at the end of the course.

The CQI IRCA exam is quite challenging with a pass mark of 70%. To achieve a pass mark requires a good understanding of the ISO 9001 standard so pre-reading is encouraged.

Delegates are assessed throughout the course by continual assessment and then by an online examination, completed in the delegates own time, within a 30 day window from the last day of the course.

All Lead Auditor online exams are structured as follows:

Continual assessment is based upon the delegate’s participation and demonstrable performance during the exercises, role-plays, case study and question & answer sessions. It is essential that delegates take an active part in all course activities during the week in order that the tutor can make a full assessment of the delegate’s performance. Feedback on individual delegate’s performance will be provided (confidentially) during the week. Please note it is essential for delegates to be in attendance for the full course.

The exam questions will be a mix of:

• Multiple choice (choose one correct answer)
• Multiple response (choose several correct answers)
• Fill in the blanks (drag and drop the correct words into the sentence)
• Matching (drag and drop responses to correctly match items)
• Sequencing (drag and drop responses to form the correct order)

The last two sections of the exam will include scenario questions related to conducting, reporting on, and closing out audits. You will be asked to evaluate the scenario presented to you and select the correct course(s) of action.

All questions will be computer-marked. Once you have answered a question and clicked Next, you will not be able to navigate backwards to review or change your answer. This is a security measure to reduce the risk of cheating.

The exams are open book, so you can refer to your notes from your training course. However, you are not permitted to use the internet to search for answers to questions. You will need access to a copy of the ISO management systems requirements standard associated with your course to answer some of the questions. The standards can be paper or electronic format.

To help you prepare for your exam, 24 practice questions have been created for the Lead Auditor exam. It is strongly advised that you take the practice questions before taking your online exam to familiarise yourself with the question types and how SARAS works. Access to the practice system and practice questions will be available towards the end of the training.

You will have 30 days from the last day of your course to take your exam.

Exam Results will be issued 7 weeks after course completion.

Pass Mark:
70% for continuous assessment
50% for online exam

IT Requirements for accessing the Proctoring System and other important information are set out in this document – it is important that you familiarise yourself with this document prior to the training and examination.

In-House Courses

For In-House courses, the tutor will contact you in advance to discuss the course programme in more detail in order to tailor it specifically for your organisation.

Course Manual

Delegates will receive a very comprehensive course manual.

The International Register of Certificated Auditors (CQI IRCA) is the world's original and largest international certification body for auditors of management systems.  Further information regarding CQI IRCA accreditation is available here.