ISO 20000 Lead Auditor

PECB lists seven competency domains: fundamental principles and concepts of an SMS; SMS requirements; fundamental audit concepts and principles; preparing an ISO/IEC 20000 audit; conducting the audit; closing the audit; and managing an ISO/IEC 2000 audit program. The course agenda maps to these areas across four training days before the exam day.

PECB publishes a five-day agenda. Days 1 to 4 cover the SMS and ISO/IEC 20000 family, audit principles and audit preparation and initiation, on-site audit activities, and audit closing. Day 5 is the certification exam. Exam type, languages and other exam details are published in PECB's List of PECB Exams and Examination Rules and Policies.

PECB states the main requirements are a fundamental understanding of ISO/IEC 20000-1 requirements and a comprehensive knowledge of audit principles. The course assumes that baseline; it spends its time on interpreting requirements from an auditor's perspective and on planning, conducting and closing audits rather than on first principles.

PECB states that in case of exam failure, the candidate can retake the exam once for free within 12 months following the initial exam date. That is one free retake, not unlimited attempts, so it is worth planning your study so the first attempt is a serious one.

Passing the exam lets you apply for a PECB ISO/IEC 20000 credential, but each level adds experience requirements. Provisional Auditor requires no experience, only signing the PECB Code of Ethics. Auditor requires two years of professional experience, including one year in IT service management audit activities totaling 200 hours.

For PECB Certified ISO/IEC 20000 Lead Auditor, PECB requires five years of professional experience, including two years of work experience in IT service management audit activities totaling 300 hours, plus signing the PECB Code of Ethics. The Senior Lead Auditor level raises this to ten years, with seven years and 1,000 audit hours.

PECB says audit activities must follow best audit practices and lists: planning an audit, managing an audit program, drafting audit reports, drafting nonconformity reports, drafting audit work documents, reviewing documented information, conducting on-site audits, following up on nonconformities, and leading an audit team. Keep records that map your hours to these activities.

PECB states it provides training materials of over 450 pages of information and practical examples, and that an attestation of course completion worth 31 CPD credits is issued to participants who attend. Certification and examination fees are included in the price of the training course.

Work through the four training days in order, since the agenda builds from SMS fundamentals to audit conduct and closing. Pay particular attention to interpreting ISO/IEC 20000-1 requirements as an auditor, evidence collection and verification, nonconformity reporting, and leading an audit team, because PECB names these as practical aspects of the course.

The course assumes comprehensive knowledge of audit principles before day one, so candidates without an auditing background spend the week catching up on ISO 19011 concepts instead of practicing requirement interpretation and evidence evaluation. Review audit principles, ISO/IEC 17021-1 requirements and ISO/IEC 20000-1 clauses before attending.