International Register of Certificated Auditors
Based in London, the International Register of Certificated Auditors (IRCA) was formed in 1984 as part of the UK government's enterprise initiative, designed to make industry and business more competitive through the implementation of quality principles and practices. Over 30,000 auditors have been awarded professional certification since 1984 and more than 120 countries are represented on the IRCA register.
Mission
- instill confidence in accredited certification world-wide by improving the performance of auditors
- associate the IRCA name with integrity, best practice and adding value
- promote auditing as a valued profession
- provide an excellent administration service to all our stakeholders, which sets a benchmark for others to follow
- improve the standard of auditors and auditor training
- make IRCA certification available to all relevant organizations and individuals worldwide
- promote best practice in auditing
Services
Auditor Certification
IRCA offers five grades of certification:
- Internal auditor
This certification is designed for those who conduct internal audits of their organization's management system
- Provisional auditor
This certification is designed for entry level/trainee auditors seeking a career in auditing and experienced auditors taking a break from auditing or moving into management
- Auditor
This certification is designed for audit team members
- Lead auditor
This certification is designed for audit team leaders who typically work for certification bodies or perform supplier audits for large organizations
- Principal auditor
This certification is designed for experienced auditors who operate on their own (i.e. as a team of one, performing sole audits). We designed this grade as an alternative to the lead auditor grade
Auditor Training
IRCA approved training organizations offer certified training courses based on a wide range of management systems standards and industry sectors:
- Foundation courses
These certified courses are designed for students needing a basic understanding of the requirements of a specific management systems standard. Suitable for people with little or no knowledge of the relevant standard
- Internal auditor courses
These certified courses are designed for students requiring the Basic skills necessary to audit areas of their own organization's management systems
- Lead auditor courses
These certified courses are designed for students requiring all knowledge and skills necessary to interpret a management systems standard in the context of a second party supplier or third party certification audit
- Conversion auditor courses
These certified courses are designed for experienced auditors wishing to audit in new contexts, against other management systems standards, by adding to their existing generic auditing skills and experience
Certification Programs
IRCA has the following certification programs:
- Corporate Auditor (complies with ISO 17024)
- Quality (ISO 9000)
- TickIT
- Aerospace (AS 9100)
- Maritime Safety Management Systems
- Environmental (ISO 14001)
- Information Security (ISO 27001)
- Information Technology Service Management (ISO 20000)
- Business Continuity (BS 25999)
- Occupational Health & Safety (OHSAS 18001)
- Social Systems (SA 8000)
- Sustainability Assurance Practitioner (AA 1000)