In this article:
- Understand what an Exemplar Global competency unit actually is
- Decode the unit codes — QM, OH 45001, EM, AU and TL
- See how TPECS-certified training builds towards auditor certification
Almost every ISO auditor course in Australia advertises "Exemplar Global qualifications". Far fewer explain what you are actually getting. Here is the plain version.
What Exemplar Global is
Exemplar Global is an international personnel certification body for management systems auditors. It does two related things: it certifies auditors, and it certifies the training providers who deliver auditor training.
That second part matters. Under the Training Provider and Examiner Certification Scheme (TPECS), a provider's course material and assessment are reviewed against defined competency requirements. When you complete a TPECS-certified course and pass its assessment, you are awarded a competency unit — recognised evidence that you have demonstrated a specific, defined skill set, not just attended a course.
What the unit codes mean
Competency units are grouped into knowledge units (understanding a standard) and skill units (the act of auditing).
- QM — Quality management systems. The ISO 9001 knowledge unit.
- OH 45001 — Occupational health and safety management systems. The ISO 45001 knowledge unit.
- EM — Environmental management systems. The ISO 14001 knowledge unit.
- AU — Management systems auditing. The core auditing skill unit: planning, conducting, reporting.
- TL — Leading management systems audit teams. The team-leadership skill unit that sits on top of AU.
As standards are revised, units are versioned to match. Following the 2026 updates, several units now carry a year suffix — for example AU26, TL26 and EM26 — indicating competency against the updated requirements. Older unsuffixed units remain valid; the suffix simply identifies which revision the assessment covered.
Competency units are not the same as auditor certification
This is the most common misunderstanding. Completing a course gives you competency units. Becoming a certified auditor with Exemplar Global is a separate application you make directly to Exemplar Global, and it also requires audit experience, ongoing professional development and a code of conduct commitment.
Think of the units as the training component of that application. They are what a certification body, employer or client can point to as independent evidence of what you were assessed on.
Which units our courses award
- ISO 9001 online course → QM
- ISO 45001 online course → OH 45001
- ISO 14001 online course → EM
- ISO Management Systems online bundle → QM, OH 45001 and EM, for $1,495 AUD
- Internal Auditor Course → two auditing units
- Integrated Management Systems Lead Auditor → five units, covering the three knowledge areas plus auditing and team leadership
CPD hours
Exemplar Global certification is maintained through continuing professional development. Our courses carry defined CPD equivalents — the three-course online bundle, for example, is equivalent to 24 CPD hours — which count towards maintaining your certification once you hold it.
Where to start
If you are new to the standards, knowledge units are the natural entry point and can be completed online at your own pace. If you already know the standards and need the audit skill units, a facilitated course is the path. Our ISO auditor qualifications guide maps the competencies in more detail, and our team is happy to talk it through.
