CQI IRCA QMS LA study plan

Map every requirement of ISO 9001 clauses 4, 5 and 6 to a one-line plain-language explanation in your own words

Explain the seven quality management principles and give one concrete audit-observable example for each

Trace the process approach and risk-based thinking through clauses 4.4, 6.1 and 9.1, and describe how an auditor would test each

Distinguish documented information that is 'required' from that which is merely useful, using clause 7.5

Map ISO 9001 clauses 7, 8, 9 and 10 to audit evidence sources, including competence records, design and change control, monitoring, internal audit and management review

Define the seven audit principles of ISO 19011 and describe how each one changes auditor behaviour in practice

Distinguish first-, second- and third-party audits and identify who owns the audit programme in each case

Outline how an audit programme is established, monitored and improved (objectives, risks, scheduling, performance evaluation)

Convert an audit scope, criteria and objectives into a defensible audit plan covering duration, sampling sites, shifts and resource needs

Perform a staged documentation review and record what to verify versus what to accept at face value

Build a process-based audit trail that follows inputs, activities, outputs and interfaces rather than clause order

Draft working documents: audit checklist questions, sampling notes, evidence log and nonconformity record template

Draft and rehearse an opening meeting agenda that confirms scope, criteria, schedule, confidentiality and escalation routes

Practise questioning techniques (open, probing, closed) and demonstrate how to convert a vague answer into verifiable evidence

Design a risk-based sampling approach across sites, shifts, processes and records, and justify sample sizes

Classify evidence as conforming, nonconforming or inconclusive at the point of collection, citing the exact requirement

Apply a written nonconformity definition to ten short scenarios and reject findings that rest on opinion rather than objective evidence

Write nonconformity statements that separate the requirement, the evidence and the gap, with a correct clause reference

Grade findings as major or minor using stated criteria and defend each grading against a challenge

Identify the personal attributes and ethical behaviours required of auditors, including independence, confidentiality and handling pressure or gifts

Compile audit conclusions and report content that answers the audit objectives without introducing new findings

Plan and lead a closing meeting, including presenting findings, explaining grading rationale and managing disagreement

Design a corrective action follow-up process that tests root cause, correction, effectiveness and the agreed verification date

Evaluate where auditor judgement could be compromised and state the disclosure or withdrawal action required

Describe the third-party certification process from application through stage 1, stage 2, surveillance and recertification

Explain the roles of the certification body, accreditation body and the IAF, and how impartiality and competence are safeguarded

Distinguish the responsibilities of a lead auditor from those of team members, technical experts, observers and auditees

Outline certification decision-making, suspension, withdrawal and transfer processes and the auditor's role in each

Re-run a timed 90-question mixed-domain practice set and record a score for each domain

Re-study only the two lowest-scoring domains and rewrite the associated flashcard sets

Deliver a full simulated audit from plan to report within a strict time budget

Consolidate all nonconformity-writing and grading errors from weeks 1-7 into a single corrected reference sheet