Am I a certified Lead Auditor after completing the course?

Let us understand this through an example.

Does Completing a Lead Auditor Course Make You a Certified Lead Auditor?

There is a common misunderstanding that completing a CQI IRCA Certified Lead Auditor Course automatically makes a learner a CQI IRCA Certified Lead Auditor.

That is not the case.

If you wish to become part of the group of IRCA Certified Lead Auditors, the first step is to successfully complete the relevant CQI IRCA Certified Course.

After completing the course, you can consider the appropriate Auditor Grade membership based on your auditing experience.

Example: Mr. Sam Wants to Become a Certified Lead Auditor

Let us consider the example from the original article.

Mr. Sam has been working in the field of quality assurance for the last 10 years. He wants to become a certified Lead Auditor and wants his name to appear on the IRCA register.

What should Mr. Sam do?

Step 1: Complete the ISO 9001 QMS Lead Auditor Course

Since Mr. Sam works in the field of Quality Assurance, his goal would be to become a QMS Lead Auditor.

His first step is to enrol in the ISO 9001:2015 QMS Lead Auditor course from a CQI IRCA Approved Training Partner.

3FOLD Training is an Approved Training Partner.

According to the original article, completing the relevant course is a mandatory step in Mr. Sam’s journey towards becoming a certified Lead Auditor.

Step 2: Decide Which CQI IRCA Auditor Grade to Apply For

After successfully completing the QMS Lead Auditor Course, Mr. Sam needs to decide whether he should:

1. Apply immediately for ISO 9001:2015 QMS Associate Auditor status, or
2. Wait until he accumulates the required audit man-days to apply for a higher-level Auditor Grade.

To understand the different Auditor Grade levels, refer to the CQI IRCA Auditor Grade Membership article.

Can Previous Audit Experience Be Used for Lead Auditor Grade Membership?

Mr. Sam now has an important question.

He has already worked in quality assurance for 10 years and has completed several audits during that period.

His question is:

According to the original article, the answer is no.

The reason given is that CQI IRCA cannot verify or validate whether audits conducted before completing the course followed the ISO 19011 auditing guidelines and the practices covered by the CQI IRCA course.

Why Are Audits After the Lead Auditor Course Important?

According to the original article, CQI IRCA counts audits performed after completing the relevant course.

The reasoning given is that once the learner has completed training based on the CQI IRCA course specification, there is a level of assurance that the learner understands the auditing practices covered during the training.

Therefore, in Mr. Sam’s example, the audits he completed before attending the CQI IRCA Certified QMS Lead Auditor Course would not be considered towards the Auditor Grade membership.

What Should Mr. Sam Do After Completing the Course?

Once Mr. Sam has successfully completed the QMS Lead Auditor Course, he can begin working towards the audit requirements for the QMS Lead Auditor Grade membership.

The process described in the original article can be understood as:

1. Complete the relevant Lead Auditor Course
2. Choose the appropriate Auditor Grade
3. Gain the required audit experience
4. Apply for the relevant Auditor Grade membership

For more information about the specific audit requirements and different membership levels, read the CQI IRCA Auditor Membership article or visit the CQI IRCA website.

Lead Auditor Course vs Lead Auditor Grade Membership

It is important to understand the difference between completing a Lead Auditor Course and obtaining Lead Auditor Grade membership.

Completing the relevant CQI IRCA Certified Course is an important step in the process, but the course certificate alone does not automatically make the learner a CQI IRCA Certified Lead Auditor.

Using Mr. Sam’s example, completing the QMS Lead Auditor Course is his first step. He then needs to consider the appropriate Auditor Grade and accumulate the required auditing experience.

Summary

Completing a CQI IRCA Certified Lead Auditor Course does not automatically make you a CQI IRCA Certified Lead Auditor.

In the example used in this article, Mr. Sam first completes the ISO 9001:2015 QMS Lead Auditor course. After completing the course, he decides whether to apply for Associate Auditor status or accumulate the required audit experience before applying for a higher-level Auditor Grade.

According to the original article, audits completed before attending the relevant CQI IRCA Certified Lead Auditor Course are not considered towards the Auditor Grade membership.