ISO 9001:2026 Lead Auditor Transition Training

ISO 9001:2026 was published on 16 September 2026, replacing the 2015 edition. The transition window closes in September 2029, after which ISO 9001:2015 certificates no longer carry accredited status. This course is for auditors who already hold ISO 9001:2015 lead auditor or internal auditor competence and need a defensible command of the revised requirements.

The revision is a targeted update, not a rewrite: the harmonised structure, the process approach, PDCA, risk-based thinking and the seven quality management principles remain, and there are no new mandatory documented procedures. Each change is taken in clause order and taught in a fixed sequence — what changed, what evidence an auditor should now expect, and how to word a finding when it is absent. Coverage includes terms defined in the standard itself, climate-change relevance and sustainability in context, quality culture and ethical behaviour, risks and opportunities as separate determinations, expanded planning of changes, organisational knowledge, 'available as documented information', customer communication about disruptions, the reorganised clause 10 and the enlarged informative Annex A.

Two closing modules cover transition audit practice: transition arrangements, the transition audit run as a surveillance or recertification with additional time, review of the client's gap analysis and transition plan, Stage 1 and Stage 2 for new certifications, sampling and audit time, grading findings, and the report and certification recommendation under ISO/IEC 17021-1:2015, with auditor competence under ISO 19011:2018 clause 7.

Assessment is a 30-question online exam with a 70% pass mark, leading to a verifiable SKEDMIA certificate. Approximately 15 hours of self-paced study.