Home Certification Schemes ISO/IEC 17024
Conformity Assessment ISO/IEC 17024 2012

Persons Certification Bodies

General requirements for bodies operating certification of persons. Specifies requirements for bodies that certify individuals against defined competence requirements, including scheme development, examination, and certification maintenance.

certification bodies personnel certification professional qualifications
About This Standard

ISO/IEC 17024 specifies general requirements for bodies operating certification of persons, covering scheme development, examination management, certification issuance, surveillance of certified persons, and appeals processes. It forms the accreditation basis for professional certification bodies globally.

As ACI itself operates under ISO/IEC 17024 principles, ACI-certified auditors of this scheme develop deep understanding of how ACI's own certification framework is designed and governed — including examination quality assurance, scheme committee independence, and certification surveillance mechanisms.

This scheme is particularly relevant for those working in or auditing professional certification organisations, HR qualification bodies, and competence assessment programmes.

Examination Topic Areas
Certification scheme development, review, and governance
Impartiality management and conflict of interest controls
Examination design, content validity, and quality assurance
Candidate eligibility assessment and identity verification
Certification issuance, maintenance, and recertification
Surveillance mechanisms for certified persons
Appeals and complaints handling for persons certification
Examiner and assessor competence requirements
Examination & Certification Process
01
Attend Training

Attend an ACI-Approved Training Provider (ATP) course for your chosen grade level. ACI-approved courses are aligned to the examination syllabus for ISO/IEC 17024.

02
Sit the Examination

Examinations are administered exclusively through ACI Approved Training Providers. Foundation and Internal Auditor examinations require 70% to pass; Lead Auditor requires 65%.

03
Apply for Certification

Submit your application through the ACI portal with your examination result, training certificate, and relevant audit experience log. Upon approval you receive your ACI Card ID and digital certificate.

Scheme Details
Standard ISO/IEC 17024
Edition 2012
Category Conformity Assessment
Cert. Period 3 years
Framework ISO/IEC 17024 Aligned
Available Grades PA · AA · AU · LA · PR · FACI
All Certification Schemes
Auditor Grades

Available Grades for ISO/IEC 17024

All six ACI auditor grades are available for this scheme. Each grade has defined competence, experience, and examination requirements.

PA
Provisional Auditor

Entry-level certification for those beginning their auditing career. Suitable for individuals who have completed foundation training but have limited audit experience.

Foundation examination pass (70%)
No prior audit experience required
Annual CPD requirement applies
AA
Associate Auditor

For auditors who have completed Internal Auditor training and have begun accumulating audit experience under supervision or in an internal audit role.

Internal Auditor examination pass
Minimum 2 internal audits conducted
Annual CPD requirement applies
AU
Auditor

Full auditor grade for practitioners with demonstrated audit experience. Recognised as a competent independent auditor of management systems.

Internal Auditor examination pass
Minimum 5 complete audits
Annual CPD requirement applies
LA
Lead Auditor

Senior grade for experienced auditors capable of leading audit teams and managing full audit programmes. The most widely recognised auditor grade internationally.

Lead Auditor examination pass (65%)
Lead Auditor training course
Minimum 10 complete audits as team lead
PR
Principal Auditor

Advanced grade for highly experienced auditors demonstrating sustained performance in complex audit environments and contributions to the auditing profession.

Lead Auditor grade prerequisite
Minimum 5 years audit experience
Professional development portfolio
FACI
Fellow of ACI

The highest ACI designation, awarded to individuals who have made an exceptional contribution to the management system auditing profession and to the ACI community.

By nomination and committee review
Exceptional professional contribution
Sustained ACI membership
Ready to certify in ISO/IEC 17024?

Find an Approved Training Provider, sit the examination, and submit your application to ACI.