What you'll learn:
- What is a management system audit and the types of audits exist
- The process for auditing a management system from planning to reporting
- How to collect information during an audit
- What remote and hybrid audits involve
- Competence requirements for auditors
- Can you be a management system auditor?
ISO 19011 is the international standard for auditing management systems — the guidance that defines how audits of ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 45001, ISO/IEC 27001 and every other management system standard are planned, conducted and reported. This course explains its principles, methods and practices in full.
The course is fully updated to ISO 19011:2026, the latest edition of the standard, including its expanded guidance on remote auditing methods. It serves beginners starting a career in management system auditing, internal auditors building or refreshing their skills, and experienced auditors who want to understand the changes introduced by the 2026 edition.
Course structure
Foundations of auditing — concepts, definitions and standards; the principles of management system auditing; the types of audits (first-party/internal, second-party and third-party/certification audits); the audit programme; risk-based thinking applied to auditing; and audit objectives, scope and criteria
The audit process, step by step — audit planning; the opening and closing meetings; methods for collecting audit evidence; conducting interviews; auditing top management; auditing compliance; sampling; remote and hybrid auditing; generating audit findings and conclusions; the audit report; and follow-up activities
Auditor competence and behaviour — the knowledge, skills and personal attributes expected of auditors; how to become a management system auditor; and the additional competence required of the audit team leader (lead auditor)
Certification and accreditation — how the management system certification process works; the audits performed for certification (initial, surveillance and recertification audits); and the difference between certification and accreditation
Who this course is for
Beginners starting a career in management system auditing
Internal auditors — ISO 19011 is the standard internal audit programmes for ISO management systems are built on
Auditors preparing for lead auditor roles and certification audit work
Experienced auditors updating their knowledge to the 2026 edition of ISO 19011
Quality, environmental, health & safety and information security professionals who are audited and want to understand how auditors work
The course is easy to follow, to the point, and built around clear examples, with a quiz at the end to test what you have learned. Whether you are starting out or updating your competence, it gives you the complete picture of management system auditing — fully aligned with ISO 19011:2026.
