ISO 14001 Certification
                     Most lead auditor trainings are scheduled for five full days, although some training will vary. In 
general, the first two days of lead auditor training will be focused on going through each clause of 
the standard, and explaining in detail what is involved in implementing the clause and what to look 
for to ensure that the clause is adequately and effectively implemented. 
The next two and a half days will be focused on how to audit, including audit planning, audit 
preparation, opening meetings, conducting the audit, following the audit trail, closing meetings, 
recording a nonconformance, audit reporting, and follow-up. This second portion of the training will 
often include role-playing exercises to give the participants some experience in auditing to see what 
it feels like, and to identify some potential audit pitfalls. This part of the training is based on ISO 
19011, Guidelines for auditing management systems, which provides guidance on auditing 
management systems. 
ISO 19011 includes the principles of auditing, managing an audit program, and conducting 
management system audits, as well as guidance on the evaluation of the competence of individuals 
involved in the audit process, including the person managing the audit program, auditors, and audit 
teams. The final day will end with a test to demonstrate that the participant has understood the 
information presented, and will include practical questions like identifying a nonconformance from 
provided data and writing the corrective action request. 
It is important to note that even though training times may vary from provider to provider, the content 
will stay very much the same. The lead auditor training needs to ensure that all lead auditors working 
for all certification bodies have been trained in the same knowledge and skills. For this reason, the 
lead auditor training must be accredited by an accreditation body that verifies that the training and 
the exam are done according to ISO standards.