PECB ISO 22301 Lead Auditor Training: Audit a BCMS
This five-day course prepares you to audit a business continuity management system against ISO 22301, from audit preparation through reporting and follow-up. The methods follow ISO/IEC 17021-1 requirements, and the course ends with the Lead Auditor exam.
The essentials
Publisher : PECB
Certification : PECB Certified ISO 22301 Lead Auditor
Duration : 5 days, exam included on day 5 (31 CPD credits)
Level : Advanced
Formats : Live virtual class · In-person in Casablanca · On-site (intra-company)
Languages : French or English
Exam facts : 80 multiple-choice questions · 3 h · open book · 70% to pass
Exam voucher : Official PECB offer: exam and certification fees are included, plus one free exam retake within 12 months if you do not pass the first time.
Explain BCMS principles and ISO 22301 requirements from an auditor's standpoint.
Apply evidence-based and risk-based audit principles.
Prepare and initiate an audit, including the stage 1 certification audit.
Run on-site activities: interviews, evidence gathering, test plans.
Write clear findings and nonconformities, then close the audit.
Manage an ISO 22301 audit programme.
Program
Day 1 – The BCMS and ISO 22301
Certification process
Business continuity concepts
Overview of the requirements
Day 2 – Audit principles and initiation
Evidence-based and risk-based auditing
Initiating the audit
Stage 1 audit
Day 3 – On-site audit activities
Preparing stage 2
Communication during the audit
Collecting information and test plans
Auditing ISO 22301 requirements
Day 4 – Closing the audit
Findings and conclusions
Quality review and report
Evaluating action plans
Internal audit programme
Day 5 – Certification exam
Three-hour PECB exam
Prerequisites
A basic understanding of business continuity.
Solid knowledge of BCMS audit principles, as PECB specifies.
Target audience
Auditors who carry out or lead BCMS audits
Business continuity managers and consultants
People responsible for keeping a BCMS compliant
Technical experts and continuity advisers
The exam
The three-hour exam takes place on day five, online with remote proctoring via the PECB Exams app or on paper through a partner. It has 80 multiple-choice questions across seven domains, with conducting the audit alone worth 20. It is open book and you need 70% to pass. Depending on the experience you declare, you then hold Provisional Auditor, Auditor, Lead Auditor (five years including two in continuity, 300 audit hours) or Senior Lead Auditor. Certification is valid for three years, with CPD hours and an annual maintenance fee.
Preparation tips
Conducting the audit is worth 25%: practise tying each piece of evidence to a specific requirement.
Learn to tell major and minor nonconformities from opportunities for improvement.
Keep your case-study notes; they are allowed in the exam.
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
Do I need to be an auditor already?
No, but PECB expects solid knowledge of audit principles. Some internal audit experience, even in another management system such as ISO 9001 or ISO/IEC 27001, helps a lot.
What title do I get without audit experience?
Provisional Auditor. Lead Auditor requires five years' professional experience, two of them in business continuity, plus 300 hours of audit activity. You can upgrade once you meet those conditions.
Does the course cover internal audits?
Yes. Day four covers managing an internal audit programme, which is useful even if you never work for a certification body. Many participants apply it directly to their organization's own audit cycle.
Is the exam hard?
Scenario questions are demanding, but the open-book format helps if you know the standard's structure well. The case studies worked through during the week mirror the kind of reasoning the exam expects.
Can I take the course online or in Casablanca?
Both. We run it as a live online class, in person in Casablanca, or on-site at your organization, taught in French or English depending on the group. For on-site sessions we can adapt examples and case studies to your sector and schedule the exam with you.