In this article:
- Match the right auditor course to your role, experience and audit scope
- Understand the difference between internal auditor and lead auditor training
- See when self-paced ISO standards courses are the better starting point
"Which auditor course should I do?" is the question we are asked most often. The honest answer is that it depends on three things: what you will audit, who you will audit for, and how much you already know about the standards.
Here is how the options compare.
Start here: do you know the standards yet?
Auditor training assumes you can already navigate the standard you are auditing against. If ISO clause structure is new to you, a self-paced standards course is the cheapest, fastest way to close that gap before you commit to a facilitated auditor course.
- ISO 9001 Quality Management Systems — approx. 8 hours, Exemplar Global-QM
- ISO 45001 OH&S Management Systems — approx. 8 hours, Exemplar Global-OH 45001
- ISO 14001 Environmental Management Systems — approx. 8 hours, Exemplar Global-EM
If more than one of those applies to your role, the ISO Management Systems online bundle covers all three for $1,495 AUD and awards three Exemplar Global competency units.
Internal auditor training
Choose the Internal Auditor Course (3 days, facilitated) if you audit your own organisation's systems — planning and running internal audits, writing findings, and supporting corrective action and continual improvement. It is the right fit for quality, safety and compliance coordinators, and for managers who have inherited responsibility for the internal audit program.
You will finish with two internationally recognised Exemplar Global auditor competency units and the practical skills to run an internal audit program that produces useful findings rather than paperwork.
Lead auditor training
Choose Integrated Management Systems Lead Auditor (5 days, facilitated) if you need to lead audit teams, conduct supplier or second-party audits, or work towards third-party certification auditing. It covers ISO 9001, ISO 45001 and ISO 14001 together, and awards five Exemplar Global qualifications.
Lead auditor training is also the standard expectation if you plan to apply for Exemplar Global certification as an auditor, or if your employer wants an in-house capability to audit contractors and suppliers.
Two-day integrated systems training
If your need is to understand and maintain an integrated system rather than to audit it formally, the Integrated Management Systems Course (2 days) gives you the quality, safety and environmental content without the full audit-leadership component.
Already auditing? Sharpen the practice
Experienced auditors often get more value from the Advanced Audit Practice course (1 day), which introduces the Audit Maturity Model and focuses on lifting an existing audit program rather than teaching the fundamentals again.
A simple decision guide
- New to ISO standards → a self-paced standards course, or the online bundle if you need more than one
- Auditing your own organisation → Internal Auditor Course
- Leading audit teams, auditing suppliers, or heading towards certification work → Integrated Management Systems Lead Auditor
- Maintaining an integrated system, not auditing it → Integrated Management Systems Course
- Experienced auditor improving an existing program → Advanced Audit Practice
Not sure where you land? Talk to our team — we will point you at the shortest path to what you actually need, including in-house delivery if you are training a group.
