Auditor Training

IRCA certified auditor training

IRCA is the world's leading auditor training certification body. Over 50,000 students choose to complete IRCA

certified training courses every year in more than 100 countries. Currently there are over 90 IRCA approved

training organizations who between them present more than 5,000 certified courses each year.

Many auditors complete our certified courses to meet the training requirement for IRCA certification. Others

choose IRCA certified training because it represents an industry-accepted benchmark qualification for

professionals involved in the development, implementation and maintenance of management systems.

IRCA approved training organizations offer certified training courses based on a wide range of management

systems standards and industry sectors:

Foundation courses

• Designed for: students needing a basic understanding of the requirements of a specific management

systems standard. Suitable for people with little or no knowledge of the relevant standard

Internal auditor courses

• Designed for: students requiring the basic skills necessary to audit areas of their own organization's

management systems

Lead auditor courses

• Designed for: students requiring all knowledge and skills necessary to interpret a management systems

standard in the context of a second party supplier or third party certification audit

Conversion auditor courses

• Designed for: experienced auditors wishing to audit in new contexts, against other management

systems standards, by adding to their existing generic auditing skills and experience

Auditor grades
IRCA offers five grades of certification, although not all grades are available for each programme. You can only

hold one grade at a time.

Most auditors progress from provisional auditor to the auditor grade and then to either lead or principal grades

(these last two are considered the most advanced grades). The internal grade is a specialist grade but many

auditors use this as a starting point before moving to the other grades.
A specific description of each grade within the criteria for each programme is summarized below:

Internal auditor

• Designed for: those who conduct internal audits of their organization's management system

• Recognizes: personal attributes, education, professional and technical competencies

Provisional auditor

• Designed for: entry level/trainee auditors seeking a career in auditing and experienced auditors taking a
break from auditing or moving into management

• Recognizes: personal attributes, education, professional and technical competencies

Auditor

• Designed for: audit team members

• Recognizes: auditor competence and contribution as an effective member of an audit team

Lead auditor

• Designed for: audit team leaders who typically work for certification bodies or perform supplier audits
for large organizations

• Recognizes: competence at managing audits and leading teams

Principal auditor

• Designed for: experienced auditors who operate on their own (i.e. as a team of one, performing sole
audits). We designed this grade as an alternative to the lead auditor grade

• Recognizes: experience and competence of two categories of auditors:

o consultancy background: competence in implementing management systems and performing

all aspects of the audit process

o lead auditor background: competence in audit management and team leadership

Benefits of certification
Certification is a valued asset if you require professional recognition for your auditing competence.
Certification with IRCA will improve your:

• career prospects

• professional credibility

• earning potential

• CV / resume

• international recognition

Why choose IRCA?

• We have an international reputation for integrity and precision

• We are recognized worldwide as the leading auditor certification authority

• As the world's original auditor certification body, we developed the evaluation and certification methods
which are now used by almost all other bodies

• We offer more certification grades and certification programmes than any of our competitors

• Our fees are very competitive

How to apply
Please download and complete the application form, making sure that you include any additional materials

requested. Then return to us by post or courier.

Application checklist

When applying for certification, please make sure to include the following information/materials with your

application:

• provide full mailing and business details in section 1

• specify the type of scheme you wish to apply for in section 2

• obtain signatures from your proposer and seconder in section 9

• sign and date the declaration in section 8

• include documentary evidence to support your technical / academic qualifications

 • include a copy of your certificate of successful completion of auditor training

• record sufficient work experience in section 7

• payment of the application fee

If you are submitting audit logs with your application, we also need you to:

• complete your audit logs (PDF document, also available in Word format in full, providing all details
listed at the head of each column

• supply the contact details of the directing and guiding lead auditor who we may contact to confirm your
competence

Payment

At the application stage, please send only the application fee. This is separate from the certification fee which we

will ask you for, when your application has been accepted and we know your grade. Please refer to fees &

payment.

Application assessment

The application process has 4 stages:

1. administrative check (by the certification officer)

2. technical evaluation (by the reviewing officer)

3. certification decision (by the certification manager)

4. offer of certification (by the certification manager)

Processing time

We aim to process your application within 4-5 weeks. The duration may vary depending on the time required to

check the information that you have submitted with your application. Ensuring that you supply all of the

requested information with your application will minimise delays.

How to pay
For security reasons please do not send cash. We offer 3 different payment options:

by credit card:

• we accept VISA/Mastercard/American Express/Switch

 • pay online (only fees for which you have received an invoice can be paid online)

or

• please complete the credit card payment form and fax / post / e-mail it to us

by cheque / bankers draft / demand draft:

• we accept payment in £ sterling, drawn on a UK bank

• please make cheques payable to 'IRCA'

• please write your auditor certification number (your '0118****' number) on the back of the cheque to
help us match your cheque to your record

by automatic bank transfer:

• payment can be made by bank transfer direct to our bank in London. The bank makes charges for this
payment method, therefore we ask that your payment covers these charges

IRCA bank details:

Account name Institute of Quality Assurance

Account number 0231866

Sort code 30-98-97

Swift code LOYDGB2L

Bank address Lloyds Bank plc

Butler Place Branch

Butler Place

Caxton Street

London SW1H 0PR

United Kingdom