Internal Auditor ISO 9001
free online training with real audit questions from 30 years of practice — with certificate
- 75–105 min
- 18 modules
- Free certificate
- No account needed
- Updated November 2026
👥 Target group: Prospective and active internal auditors in companies with an ISO 9001 system, Quality managers who manage the audit programme and have to qualify auditors
Which legal duty or standard requirement does this training cover?
About this training
Whoever conducts internal audits under ISO 9001 needs evidence of competence for it: clause 9.2 of the standard requires an audit programme, defined criteria and auditors who ensure objectivity and impartiality; clause 7.2 requires documented information as evidence of competence. This free online training provides exactly this evidence. It follows the guideline ISO 19011:2018 — from the seven audit principles through audit programme and audit plan, preparation, conduct in five phases, audit methods such as turtle and auditing backwards, questioning techniques and active listening to findings, audit report and effectiveness check of the corrective actions.
The difference to theory seminars: the contents come from more than 1,000 audits conducted. You work with the practice audit questions that certification auditors actually ask — on context, quality objectives, competence, documented information, production, suppliers and customer satisfaction — and with a worked practice case from purchasing. An outlook on the revision ISO 9001:2026 shows what auditors will additionally have in view in future. 18 modules, 25 questions, pass mark 80 %, certificate of participation with a verifiable number and complete list of topics.
What this course covers — and what it does not: The course teaches the general, methodological part of auditor qualification under ISO 9001 clause 9.2 and ISO 19011:2018 and documents it with a certificate. It does not provide the company-specific part — who may audit whom in the company, which templates apply for audit plan and audit report, how findings are classified and actions tracked, only your company knows; that is what the module “Procedure in our company” is for. It replaces no practical audit coaching, no qualification as a certification auditor (ISO/IEC 17021) and no training on ISO 14001, 45001 or sector-specific standards. The information on the revision ISO 9001:2026 reflects the status at the time of writing; binding transition periods are given by the certification body. This is a translation of the German course for readers worldwide — in case of doubt the German edition applies.
Contents at a glance
- Basics: what an internal audit is — and what it is notBasics: internal audit as sample and stocktaking, three audit types (1st/2nd/3rd party), three objectives conformity – effectiveness – improvement
- The normative frame: ISO 9001 clause 9.2, ISO 19011 — and the outlook on ISO 9001:2026Normative frame: ISO 9001:2015 clause 9.2 (audit programme, criteria and scope, selection of auditors, reporting, corrective actions, records), ISO 19011:2018 as guideline, outlook on ISO 9001:2026
- The seven audit principles under ISO 19011:2018Seven audit principles under ISO 19011:2018 clause 4: integrity, fair presentation, due professional care, confidentiality, independence, evidence-based approach, risk-based approach
- Competence and independence of the internal auditorAuditor competence under ISO 19011:2018 clause 7: technical, methodological, social competence and personal behaviour; independence and impartiality under ISO 9001 clause 9.2.2; evidence of competence under clause 7.2
- The audit programme: annual planning with managementAudit programme under ISO 9001 clause 9.2.2 a) and ISO 19011 clause 5: multi-year matrix of all areas and clauses, risk-based focus, involvement of top management, consideration of previous audit results
- The audit plan for the single auditAudit plan under ISO 19011 clause 6.3.2: audit objectives, audit criteria, scope, schedule, audit team, contact persons, method on site or remote; communication at least two weeks in advance
- Audit preparation: announced or unannounced, who is sitting opposite me?Audit preparation: decision announced or unannounced audit, analysis of the interview partner, document review in advance, check of open actions from the last audit, question catalogue
- Conducting the audit: the five phases and the audit interviewConducting the audit under ISO 19011 clause 6.4: opening meeting, collecting and verifying evidence, evaluation to findings, closing meeting, report; conducting the interview at the beginning, during and at the end
- Audit methods: TOP/FLOP, auditing backwards, deputies, turtleAudit methods: TOP/FLOP case, auditing backwards from the result to the order, interviewing deputies and new employees, turtle method for process analysis (input, output, with whom, with what, how, KPIs)
- Questioning techniques and active listeningQuestioning techniques: 80/20 rule, five question types (open, closed, alternative, Socratic, leading question), W-questions and “Can you show me …?”, caution with “Why?”, active listening and paraphrasing
- Practice audit questions I: context, objectives, competence, documented informationPractice audit questions on ISO 9001 clauses 4.2 (statutory and regulatory requirements), 6.2 (quality objectives), 7.2 (competence, training, induction) and 7.5 (documented information, control, retention) with the expected evidence
- Practice audit questions II: operation, suppliers, customer satisfaction, QMS in generalPractice audit questions on ISO 9001 clause 8 (production and service provision, customer property, goods receipt, maintenance, cost of poor quality), 8.4 (supplier evaluation), 9.1.2 (customer satisfaction) and the general QMS questions (responsibilities, internal audit, management review, communication)
- Classifying and wording findings and nonconformities correctlyFindings under ISO 19011 clause 6.4.8: conformity, improvement potential, minor nonconformity, major nonconformity; nonconformity under ISO 9000 3.6.9; wording with evidence, reference to the standard and impact
- The audit reportAudit report under ISO 19011 clause 6.5: header data, audit scope and criteria, positive aspects, findings with reference to the standard and rating, status of open actions, new actions with date and responsible person; distribution and retention
- Follow-up: corrective actions and effectiveness checkFollow-up under ISO 9001 clause 10.2 and ISO 19011 clause 6.7: correction and corrective action, root cause analysis, PDCA cycle, responsibility for follow-up, effectiveness check after three months, closure only with demonstrated effectiveness
- Practice case: internal audit in purchasing — from preparation to effectiveness checkPractice case purchasing: audit plan, auditing backwards from goods receipt to purchase order, supplier evaluation (clause 8.4), finding with evidence, reference to the standard and impact, closing meeting, action with date and effectiveness check
- Procedure in our companyProcedure in our company: audit programme and responsibility, internal auditors and their independence rule, templates for audit plan and audit report, classification of findings, action tracking, filing and retention
- Records: auditor competence and audit evidenceRecords: training certificate and entry in the qualification matrix as evidence of competence under clause 7.2, documented information on audit programme and results under clause 9.2.2 f), refresher and evaluation of auditors under ISO 19011 clause 7.6
Frequently asked questions
Is the auditor training really free?
Yes. No registration, no payment details, no trial period. You give your e-mail address only so that the certificate can be delivered.
Is the certificate sufficient as evidence of competence for internal audits?
For internal audits under ISO 9001 clause 9.2, yes: the standard prescribes no particular form of training but requires demonstrated competence (clause 7.2). The certificate documents contents, scope and result of the training with a complete list of topics. Add the entry in your qualification matrix and ideally a first accompanied audit.
How long does the training take?
About 90 minutes for 18 modules and the final test with 25 questions. You can interrupt at any time; progress is saved in the browser.
What is the pass mark?
80 % — 20 of 25 questions must be correct. That is deliberately higher than in our briefings, because the certificate serves as evidence of competence for auditors. The test can be repeated.
Does the course already take ISO 9001:2026 into account?
Yes, as an outlook: clause 9.2 remains in content; new in view are climate change in the context, quality culture and ethics and the separation of risks and opportunities. Binding dates are given by your certification body. For the transition itself there is our course “Transition to ISO 9001:2026”.
May internal auditors audit their own area?
No. ISO 9001 clause 9.2.2 requires objectivity and impartiality; ISO 19011 names independence as an audit principle. In small companies you audit crosswise, or an external auditor takes over the internal audit of the QMS itself.
Which edition is this?
The English-language edition of our German course "Interner Auditor ISO 9001", written for readers worldwide; references to national regulations are kept general – check the law of your country. In case of doubt the German edition applies.