Quick Answer:
To become a CQI IRCA Certified Lead Auditor, you typically need to complete a CQI IRCA Approved Lead Auditor Course, gain relevant audit experience, and apply for the appropriate CQI IRCA auditor grade. The Lead Auditor course provides the knowledge and skills required to plan, conduct, report, and follow up management system audits, while practical audit experience demonstrates your competence in real-world auditing situations.
Step 1: Complete the mandatory CQI IRCA Certified Lead Auditor CourseStep 2: Complete the audit experience
Let us explore each step in detail:-
Step 1: Complete the mandatory CQI IRCA Certified Course such as QMS, OHSMS and EMS Lead Auditor Training Course.
If you wish to apply for Auditor, Lead Auditor or Principal Auditor status, you must mandatorily attend an IRCA Certified Lead Auditor course or a relevant IRCA Certified Auditor/Lead Auditor conversion course (if you are an Auditor/Lead Auditor in another scheme).
It is very important that you attend this course from a CQI IRCA Approved Training Partner and the course is CQI IRCA certified. If you attend this course with an unapproved training provider or a course not certified by the IRCA, your training is not valid for the auditor grade membership.
If you wish to apply for Internal Auditor status, you must complete the Internal Auditor training course, but keep in mind, if you attend the internal auditor training course, you are not eligible to apply for auditor and lead auditor grade membership. However, if you attend the lead auditor course, you can apply for any auditor grade membership level including internal auditor. As such, we always advise our learners to take the Lead Auditor course such as QMS, OHSMS or EMS Lead Auditor Training Courses.
Once you complete the training, you will have a maximum of 5 years to complete step 2.
Training Completion Vs CQI IRCA Registration
| Training Completion | CQI IRCA Registration |
|---|---|
| Demonstrates that you have completed the required auditor training. | Demonstrates auditor competence through training and audit experience. |
| Focuses on auditing knowledge and skills. | Requires both training and documented audit experience. |
| Receive a course certificate upon successful completion. | Receive CQI IRCA auditor registration after successful application. |
| Can be completed in a few training days. | May take additional time to accumulate the required audit experience. |
Step 2: Complete the Audit Experience
After completing Step 1, the next stage is to gain the practical audit experience required for your chosen CQI IRCA auditor grade.
For example, to apply for Lead Auditor status under the ISO 9001 Quality Management System certification scheme, you must complete the required management system audits and maintain appropriate audit records.
Audit experience required for Auditor grade:
- Complete a minimum of four management system audits.
- Ensure the audits cover all elements of the audit cycle.
- Complete a minimum of 20 audit days. These days may be accumulated across several audits.
- Include a minimum of 15 on-site audit days.
These requirements may be sufficient when applying for Auditor grade. To apply for Lead Auditor grade, you must also meet the following additional requirements.
Additional experience required for Lead Auditor grade:
- Lead three complete management system audits as the leader of an audit team.
- Complete a minimum of 15 audit days as an audit team leader.
- Include a minimum of 10 on-site audit days as an audit team leader.
Once you have completed the required training and audit experience, you can submit your application through the CQI IRCA online application system.
You will normally need to provide supporting information such as your training certificate, audit logs, audit dates, audit duration, and details of your role during each audit.
Visit www.quality.org to review the current application requirements and begin your application.
Frequently Asked Questions
▼ I’m new to auditing. Can I still join a Lead Auditor course?
Absolutely. Many participants attend their first Lead Auditor course with little or no auditing experience. The course is designed to help you understand how audits are planned, conducted, reported, and followed up in real-world situations.
▼ Will completing the course make me a CQI IRCA Registered Lead Auditor?
Completing the course is an important milestone, but it is not the same as becoming CQI IRCA registered. Registration typically requires both approved training and the relevant audit experience.
▼ Which Lead Auditor course is right for me?
If you work in Quality, ISO 9001 is usually the best starting point. If your role involves environmental responsibilities, ISO 14001 may be more relevant. If you focus on workplace health and safety, ISO 45001 is often the preferred choice.
▼ Can I attend the course if I’m not currently working in Quality, Environmental, or Safety roles?
Yes. Professionals from a wide range of backgrounds attend Lead Auditor training to build new skills, explore career opportunities, or prepare for future responsibilities within management systems.
▼ How quickly can I become a Lead Auditor?
The training itself can be completed within the scheduled course duration. However, becoming a registered auditor depends on how quickly you gain the required audit experience after completing the training.
▼ Is CQI IRCA recognised by employers?
Yes. CQI IRCA qualifications are widely recognised by employers, certification bodies, consultants, and organisations around the world as a benchmark for auditor competence.
▼ What can I do after completing a Lead Auditor course?
Many professionals use the qualification to strengthen their auditing skills, support internal audit programmes, move into management system roles, pursue consulting opportunities, or work towards auditor registration.
▼ Do I need to become an auditor to benefit from this course?
Not at all. Many participants take the course to better understand management systems, improve compliance activities, support business improvements, or develop professionally within their current role.
▼ Will this qualification help my career?
For many professionals, Lead Auditor training helps build credibility, expand management system knowledge, and create opportunities in quality, environmental, health and safety, compliance, and consulting roles.
▼ What is the biggest mistake people make when planning their auditor journey?
Many people assume that completing a course automatically makes them a registered auditor. In reality, successful auditors combine approved training with practical audit experience and continuous professional development.
Take advantage of the online class, enroll today in our upcoming batches. Have questions on this topic? Contact us today through contact us form, email or whatsapp.
