Certus Quality Management System (QMS) auditor certification is designed for auditors who conduct quality management system audits based on ISO 9001:2015.
Certus Quality Management System (QMS) auditor certification provides the rigor and validity to demonstrate your knowledge, skills, and competence to a global audience at a low price with no hassles and no extra fees. Just pay a low application fee and a low annual certification fee. No exam fees, no behavioral assessments. Plus, you can save up to 30% more with our multiple certification discount and senior discounts.
This certification is designed for:
QMS auditors, such as those employed by third-party certification bodies/registrars or by purchasing organizations (second-party auditors)
Quality management practitioners, such as quality management consultants, quality managers, and third-party certification managers
Employees conducting QMS audits within their own organizations (internal audits)
GRADES AVAILABLE FOR THIS CERTIFICATION
A grade is a specific level within a personnel certification program that best describes the job role for that certification program. Available grades for the Certus Quality Management System (QMS) auditor certification are shown below:
Internal Auditor: This grade is for people who conduct occasional internal QMS audits. Its not designed as a pathway to auditor or lead auditor certification. If that is your goal, check out the Provisional Auditor grade instead.
Provisional Auditor: This grade is for people who have completed a QMS auditor training course but have not yet met the auditor grade requirements. You may maintain provisional auditor certification for up to two years. After which, you must transition to a higher grade to maintain your certification. This is a good way to begin your auditing career as it gives you formal recognition of your training and knowledge.
Auditor: For those who audit solo or as a member of a QMS audit team.
Lead Auditor: For those who lead QMS audits and QMS audit teams.
Master Auditor: For experienced QMS auditors with at least ten years of lead QMS auditor experience. This grade is for senior QMS audit professionals with an extensive history of conducting audits, but who may no longer lead teams or audit regularly. Master QMS auditors may move into training, consulting, or management roles.
Requirements
TRAINING REQUIREMENT
All applicants for all grades are required to submit evidence of the successful completion of a management system-based QMS auditor or lead QMS auditor training course (e.g., ISO 9001 lead auditor course). The course must be a minimum of 16 hours for QMS internal auditors and 32 hours for auditors or lead QMS auditors.
Certus does not provide training.
EXAMINATION REQUIREMENT
Applicants for the internal auditor, provisional auditor, or auditor grade are required to successfully pass the Certus Quality Management System Auditor exam prior to certification. Applicants for lead auditor are required to pass the Lead Auditor exam. Exams are administered online as part of your certification process.
Applicants must submit all required documents and successfully complete the knowledge exam within 60 days of submitting their application. Applications that are not completed within 60 days will be withdrawn. No refund of the application fee will be made. Applicants will have to re-apply and pay the respective application fee.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENT
The following professional experience is required:
Internal Auditor: None
Provisional Auditor: None
Auditor: At least two years’ work experience, with at least one year of work experience in quality management.*
Lead Auditor: At least five years’ work experience, with at least two years of work experience in quality management.*
Master Auditor: At least ten years’ work experience, with at least ten years’ audit experience at a lead auditor grade.
*Work experience in quality management may have been gained through one or a combination of the following: quality management system implementation or maintenance or having worked in a quality assurance/control/management role either as part of the organization or as a consultant.
AUDIT EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS
All applicants for all grades except provisional auditor are required to demonstrate the following audit experience:
Internal Auditor: None
Provisional Auditor: None
Auditor: You must have successfully completed a minimum of three quality management system audits, amounting to a minimum of six days in total.
Lead Auditor: You must have successfully completed a minimum of three full quality management system audits as leader of an audit team, amounting to a minimum of nine days in total.
Master Auditor: A minimum of ten years as a lead auditor.
Audits must have been completed within ten years of the date of application.
Pricing
We’re so proud of our low-cost approach to certification that we put our prices front and center:
At Certus, we believe that you should be happy with the service we provide. We back this up with our certification guarantee: If at any time you wish to cancel your certification, we will provide you with a refund on the unused portion of your certification fee. Application fees are non-refundable.
To download a copy of your receipt please visit your Certus account through your customer portal, which is available through the Certus website at www.certuspro.com. In the upper right-hand corner, click on the LOGIN/APPLY NOW button. This will take you to your account page. From there, log into your account and click My Certifications to view your receipt(s).
Your annual certification fee will automatically be charged to the credit card we have on file. This was the card you used for your initial certification. If you need to update this credit card, please visit your Certus account through your customer portal, which is available through the Certus website at www.certuspro.com. In the upper right-hand corner, click on the LOGIN/APPLY NOW button. This will take you to your account page. From there, log into your account and click Payment Methods to update your payment details.
Please be sure that your credit card information is accurate. Also, if you are using a corporate card, please be sure that you enter the address that the credit billing statement is mailed to as your billing address. Because we automatically charge your card each year for your certification, please be sure to update your credit card details in advance of your certification renewal.
None. Although we do require our auditors to take an assessment when certain standards are updated, there is no fee for the assessment. It is included in your annual certification fee. Also, there is no fee for your initial knowledge exam. It is included in your application fee.
This is a fee charged if you move up in grades; for example, from auditor to lead auditor. The only fee we charge is the difference in annual fees between the two grades and it is prorated based on your certification expiration date.
You may transition your quality management system auditor certification to Certus at no cost for up to 12 months if your certification was issued by one of the bodies listed below:
Exemplar Global
International Register of Certified Auditors (CQI-IRCA)
Professional Evaluation and Certification Board (PECB)
We will grant you Certus certification at no charge at the same scheme and grade as your current certification. Your Certus certification will have the same expiration date as your current certification with your current personnel certification body for up to 12 months, whichever occurs first. For example, if your current certification is due to expire in 6 months, your Certus certification will have the same expiration date.
WHAT IS REQUIRED?
You must provide evidence of current certification in the form of a current certificate or official letter from the authorizing body. Invoices and receipts will not be accepted as proof of certification. The certification granted will reflect the scheme and grade shown on your current certificate.
You must still meet the requirements for the certification(s) you select, which for most grades includes evidence of work experience, audit experience, and training. You must also pass the Certus knowledge examination for your selected scheme and grade. There is no fee for the exam. Please review the requirements for the specific scheme and grade you select prior to applying.
Additional requirements and fees may be applicable if you apply for a higher grade of certification.
HOW TO TRANSITION TO CERTUS?
Choose the same scheme and grade as your current certification with your current certification body.
Click Login in the upper right-hand corner of the screen.
Register your details.
Apply for the certification(s) of your choice. You may apply for as many certifications as you like. Remember, that we will only grant free certification if you have evidence of your current certified status.
Enter the discount code CERTIFIED when you reach the payment screen. You will need to enter your payment information. No payment will be charged. However, we will automatically charge you for your next year’s certification upon the expiration of your current certification.
Provide the required evidence for the scheme and grade selected.
Take and pass the Certus exam relevant to your scheme and grade.
That’s it! Please call or email us with questions.
WHY ARE WE DOING THIS?
Our FREE certification offer gives you the opportunity to see how Certus works and allows you to hold dual auditor certification until you decide which certification is best for you.
You may transition your management system auditor certification to Certus if your current certification was issued by one of the bodies listed below:
Exemplar Global
International Register of Certified Auditors (CQI-IRCA)
Professional Evaluation and Certification Board (PECB)
We will grant you Certus certification at no charge at the same scheme and grade as your current certification. Your Certus certification will have the same expiration date as your current certification with your current personnel certification body for up to 12 months. For example, if your current certification is due to expire in 6 months, your Certus certification will have the same expiration date.
You must provide evidence of current certification in the form of a current certificate or official letter from the authorizing body. A training certificate is not evidence of certification. Invoices and receipts will not be accepted as proof of certification. The certification granted will reflect the scheme and grade shown on your certificate.
You must still meet the requirements for the certification(s) you select, which for most grades includes evidence of work experience, audit experience, and training. You must also pass the Certus examination for your selected scheme and grade.
You can access your Certus account by visiting the Certus website at www.certuspro.com. In the upper right-hand corner, click on the LOGIN/APPLY NOW button. This will take you to your online portal. From there, log into your online portal. Once there you can view your contact details and any documents you have uploaded. You will be contacted by Certus if additional information is needed.
Before you apply for certification, please be sure that you meet all the requirements specific to the certification you wish to apply for. It is best to review the requirements specific to the certification scheme and grade you wish to apply for. You can find those on the Certus website. Click on the Certifications tab in the top menu. Select the certification program you are interested in. Once there, you can read an overview of the certification, read and download certification requirements, check pricing, and download other documents, such as an audit log template. Please review the certification requirements carefully to be sure that you meet the scheme, grade, and scope requirements.
If you are new customer, you will need to create an account on the Certus website to access your customer portal. To do so, visit the Certus website at www.certuspro.com. In the upper right-hand corner, click on the LOGIN/APPLY NOW button. Once there, you can create your account.
Once you have an account, you can apply for certification by following the steps below:
Be sure you are logged into your online portal.
Click on the Available Certifications button on the left side of the screen.
Click on the specific certification you want to apply for, such as Quality Management System Auditor.
Choose the grade desired, such as auditor or lead auditor.
Enter a coupon code, if you have one to use. Use CERTIFIED if you are transferring your certification to Certus from another certification body.
Review your contact details and update as necessary.
Review the certification and grade you have selected. Update as necessary. To update, scroll to the very top of the screen and select the Shopping Cart icon. This will allow you add or remove certifications.
Once you are ready to check out, enter your credit card details.
Tick the box next to I CONFIRM ALL OF MY INFORMATION IS CORRECT line.
Click APPLY NOW.
Once we have received your application, A Certus certification specialist will contact you if any additional information or steps are required.
You can check on the status of your application in your customer portal. To do so, visit the Certus website at www.certuspro.com. In the upper right-hand corner, click on the LOGIN/APPLY NOW button. This will take you to your online portal. From there, log into your online portal. Once there you can view your contact details and any documents you have uploaded. You will be contacted by Certus if additional information is needed.
The length of time to process an application depends on the applicant. Once we have received all documentation and you have passed your knowledge exam, we issue your certification within 24 hours if your documents meet our requirements. The more complete your application, the faster your application can be processed.
Certus recognizes training completed with training providers for 10 years from the date the training was completed for our management system schemes, such as QMS, EMS, OHS, etc. If your training was completed outside of the training requirement time, you will need to complete a relevant knowledge examination.
All applicants for all grades are required to submit evidence of the successful completion of a management system-based auditor or lead auditor training course (e.g., ISO 9001 lead auditor course). The course must be a minimum of 16 hours for auditors and 32 hours for lead auditors. Certus does not provide training.
You may transition your management system auditor certification to Certus at NO CHARGE if your current certification was issued by one of the bodies listed below:
Exemplar Global
International Register of Certified Auditors (CQI-IRCA)
Professional Evaluation and Certification Board (PECB)
We will grant you Certus certification at no charge at the same scheme and grade as your current certification. Your Certus certification will have the same expiration date as your current certification with your current personnel certification body for up to 12 months.
Choose the same scheme and grade as your current certification with your current certification body.
Click Login in the upper right-hand corner of the screen.
Register your details.
Apply for the certification(s) of your choice. You may apply for as many certifications as you like. Remember, that we will only grant free certification if you have evidence of your current certified status.
Enter the discount code CERTIFIED when you reach the payment screen. You will need to enter your payment information. No payment will be charged. However, we will automatically charge you for your next year’s certification upon the expiration of your current certification.
Provide the required evidence for the scheme and grade selected.
Take and pass the Certus exam relevant to your scheme and grade.
Visit the How to Transition page for more details. Please call or email us with questions.
You can view your uploaded documents in your customer portal. To do so, visit the Certus website at www.certuspro.com. In the upper right-hand corner, click on the LOGIN/APPLY NOW button. This will take you to your online portal. From there, log into your online portal. Once there you can view your contact details and any documents you have uploaded. You will be contacted by Certus if additional information is needed.
At Certus, we believe that you should be happy with the service we provide. We back this up with our certification guarantee: If at any time you wish to cancel your certification, we will provide you with a refund on the unused portion of your certification fee. Application fees are non-refundable.
To download a copy of your receipt please visit your Certus account through your customer portal, which is available through the Certus website at www.certuspro.com. In the upper right-hand corner, click on the LOGIN/APPLY NOW button. This will take you to your account page. From there, log into your account and click My Certifications to view your receipt(s).
Your annual certification fee will automatically be charged to the credit card we have on file. This was the card you used for your initial certification. If you need to update this credit card, please visit your Certus account through your customer portal, which is available through the Certus website at www.certuspro.com. In the upper right-hand corner, click on the LOGIN/APPLY NOW button. This will take you to your account page. From there, log into your account and click Payment Methods to update your payment details.
Please be sure that your credit card information is accurate. Also, if you are using a corporate card, please be sure that you enter the address that the credit billing statement is mailed to as your billing address. Because we automatically charge your card each year for your certification, please be sure to update your credit card details in advance of your certification renewal.
None. Although we do require our auditors to take an assessment when certain standards are updated, there is no fee for the assessment. It is included in your annual certification fee. Also, there is no fee for your initial knowledge exam. It is included in your application fee.
This is a fee charged if you move up in grades; for example, from auditor to lead auditor. The only fee we charge is the difference in annual fees between the two grades and it is prorated based on your certification expiration date.