When you plan a Lead Auditor course around a busy job, the first practical question is time. How many hours will it take, when are the sessions and how long is the exam? This guide answers those questions for the CQI (Chartered Quality Institute) and IRCA (International Register of Certificated Auditors) ISO 14001 Lead Auditor course from 3FOLD Training, so you can plan your calendar before you book. Batch dates are not listed here, so check the course page or ask the team for the next one.

How many hours is the ISO 14001 Lead Auditor course?

It is 40 hours of live online training.

That 40 hours is the length stated on the 3FOLD Training course page and it matches the usual length of a CQI and IRCA certified Lead Auditor course. The hours are live teaching, practice and assessment with an instructor, not self-paced reading. For the course itself, see our ISO 14001 Lead Auditor course page.

How are the 40 hours delivered?

Online and live, in a weekend or weekday-evening batch.

The course page lists the weekend batch as Sundays from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm GST, and session times in other places should be converted to your local time. Ask the team for the next dates and the number of sessions. Our pages for ISO 14001 Lead Auditor training in Dubai and ISO 14001 Lead Auditor training in Chennai show the times in those places.

The 40 hours are live, so you plan your calendar around the sessions, not around the clock.

How long is the CQI and IRCA exam?

It is open book, with 40 questions and 80 marks over 1 hour 45 minutes.

According to the 3FOLD Training course page, the CQI and IRCA exam is open book, with 40 questions and 80 marks over 1 hour 45 minutes, plus extra time if English is not your first language. The first CQI and IRCA exam attempt is included. The exam rules are set by CQI and IRCA, so confirm the current format with them and your training provider. Our guide to ISO 14001 MCQ questions and answers is useful for practice.

What happens during the 40 hours?

You learn the audit method, apply it to the standard and practice on a case study.

• The audit method. How to plan, conduct, report and follow up an audit.
• The standard. How ISO 14001 requirements are applied when auditing.
• Practice. Editable audit working documents and a case study.
• Exam preparation. Mock exams and class recordings in the learning management system (LMS).

The course is an auditing skills course, not an introduction to the standard, so arrive with a basic understanding of ISO 14001. Our guide to the eligibility for the ISO 14001 Lead Auditor course explains what you need to know beforehand.

Do you need to repeat the full course if you already trained on ISO 14001:2015?

Possibly not. The course page points holders of a 2015 course certificate to transition training.

ISO 14001:2026 is Edition 4 and replaces the 2015 edition. According to the course page, if you already hold a CQI and IRCA ISO 14001:2015 EMS course certificate, you may not need to repeat the full 40 hours, and the page points to transition training. Check the page for the current rules. Our ISO 14001:2026 transition training page and our guide to what is ISO 14001:2026 give more detail.

How much extra time should you plan beyond the live hours?

Allow time for pre-course lessons, revision and mock exams, on top of the 40 hours.

The 40 hours is only part of your time. You may want to complete the pre-course foundation lessons and the prior-knowledge quiz, review recordings in the LMS, and work through mock exams before you sit the exam. How much you need depends on your starting knowledge, so plan generously and spread the work over the weeks around the course.

How do you choose the right batch for your calendar?

Compare your commitments with the batch type and the time zone.

1. Check your week for work, family and travel.
2. Choose weekend or weekday evenings based on where you have the most free time.
3. Convert the session times to your local time zone.
4. Plan to attend every live session and ask what happens if you miss one.
5. Ask the team for the next batch dates.

Frequently asked questions

Where 3FOLD Training fits

3FOLD Training is a CQI IRCA Approved Training Partner (ATP 6039853), licensed by the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) in Dubai. The ISO 14001 Lead Auditor course is delivered as 40 hours of Virtual Instructor Led Training (VILT), with learning management system (LMS) access for exam preparation, and you can check the next available batch on the course page. We prepare you for the exam; CQI and IRCA examine and certify. For any question, contact the 3FOLD team.