Free Access PECB.ISO-14001-Lead-Auditor.v2026-11-16.q40 Practice Test (Page 3)

Question 6

Whistlekleen is a national dry cleaning and laundry organisation with 50 shops. You are conducting an EMS surveillance audit of Head Office and are sampling environmental performance measurement. You find that
80 per cent of failures to meet performance criteria originate from five shops in the same region. Most of these failures relate to the release of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that exceeds regulations. The Environmental Manager tells you that these are the oldest shops in the organisation. The cleaning equipment needs replacing but the organisation cannot afford it at the moment.
On raising the matter with senior management, you are told that there are plans to replace the equipment in these shops over the next five years.
Select two options that apply to how you should respond to the information given.

A.Extend the audit plan to include the five shops

B.Raise an opportunity for improvement (OI) to reduce damaging emissions

C.Recommend that staff in the five shops should have medical check-ups due to air pollution

D.Evaluate whether the process for measuring environmental performance is effective

E.Criticise the equipment replacement period as being too environmentally damaging for too long

F.Determine if the local authority has been informed that the organisation is exceeding VOC emissions

Question 7

You are a third-party auditor of XM, a logistics organisation located in a European country, that distributes a wide range of products to local customers but also to customers in several neighbouring countries. Close to the distribution warehouse, you see many trucks loading and unloading goods. Almost 50 per cent of the trucks are owned by XM, the remainder are subcontracted from other organisations.
You have the following dialogue with the Warehouse Manager:
You: I see that not all trucks belong to XM.
WM: Sometimes we need additional trucks from other organisations nearby. Obviously, we cannot control their energy consumption since they come with the trucks half full of their own goods.
You: How did you inform them of the EMS?
WM: You know, they are not used to the complicated words in our policy. I have just told them: "Save energy".
You: What about your trucks?
WM: We measure the fuel they used on each trip, the distance they drove and the weight of goods they distributed. They know the roads and we ask them to choose the shortest route - we rely on them.
You: Did you fix any indicators and objectives related to energy consumption?
WM: No, we know they are careful people, they do their best. We would not be able to improve consumption.
This dialogue is related to several clauses of ISO 14001. Identify which three clauses below are related to this dialogue.

A.6.1.1

B.5.2

C.9.3

D.6.1.3

E.7.4.2

F.8.1

G.9.2

H.10.3

Correct Answer: B,F,H

The three clauses most directly related to this dialogue are 5.2, 8.1 and 10.3 .
B). Clause 5.2 - Environmental policy
The Warehouse Manager refers to the environmental policy as "complicated words" and says subcontracted truck operators were only told to "Save energy." Clause 5.2 requires the environmental policy to be communicated within the organisation and to be available to interested parties. The policy also provides the framework for environmental objectives and includes the organisation's commitment to environmental protection and continual improvement.
F). Clause 8.1 - Operational planning and control
The use of subcontracted trucks is directly relevant to operational control. ISO 14001 requires the organisation to control or influence outsourced processes and to communicate relevant environmental requirements to external providers. XM cannot simply state that it has no control over subcontracted transport; it must determine the type and extent of control or influence it can apply, considering a life-cycle perspective.
H). Clause 10.3 - Continual improvement
The Warehouse Manager says, "We would not be able to improve consumption." This conflicts with the ISO
14001 requirement for continual improvement of the EMS to enhance environmental performance. Since XM already measures fuel used, distance travelled and weight distributed, there is a basis for analysing performance and identifying improvement opportunities.
The other clauses are less directly applicable:
6.1.1 concerns planning actions to address risks and opportunities, but the dialogue is more specifically about policy, outsourced operational control and improvement.
6.1.3 concerns compliance obligations, which are not the focus of the dialogue.
7.4.2 concerns internal communication, while the key issue here involves subcontracted/external transport providers, which is better addressed under 8.1 .
9.2 concerns internal audits, and 9.3 concerns management review; neither is directly raised in the dialogue.

Question 8

You are conducting a Stage 2 certification audit of Fitalot, a pharmaceutical organisation manufacturing vitamins and other healthcare medicines. In a separate area at the centre of their large site, a supplier produces oxygen that is piped directly into the manufacturing processes of Fitalot. They also deliver oxygen in bulk tankers to other customers. When you review the environmental aspects register, you find that the only environmental aspect recorded for this arrangement relates to the heavy goods vehicles of the supplier transiting the site.
You ask the EMS Manager about the environmental consequences of this arrangement for Fitalot and are told that they are not significant, since the supplier provides its own services for water, sewage, waste, and energy.
The EMS Manager tried unsuccessfully to communicate with the supplier, who is located inside the Fitalot site. He said they were outside the scope of the EMS and therefore never audited.
After gathering more evidence, you note down findings against several clauses of ISO 14001. Determine which three of the findings stated are major nonconformities.

A.The environmental aspects related to the use of heavy goods trucks were not identified. (Clause 6.1.2)

B.The organisation has failed to include in the EMS scope the activities, products and services associated with suppliers and contractors performing their activities on its own site. (Clause 4.3)

C.The contractors environmetal policy is not consistent with the organisation ' s policy (Clause 5.2)

D.The internal audit programme does not cover the on-site supplier. (Clause 9.2.2)

E.Evidence was found to indicate that the needs of some interested parties had not been considered by the organisation. A neighbour ' s interests had not been identified. (Clause 4.2.b)

F.The environmental manager did not visit the oxygen supplier (Clause 7.4.3)

G.The EMS Manager had some problems communicating with the supplier by mobile phone as an interested party. No other methods of communication were employed. (Clause 7.4.3)

H.Documentation of environmental impacts was missing for the supplier of oxygen. (Clause 6.1.2)

Question 9

You must prepare an audit plan for a second-party audit of ABC's ISO 14001 environmental management system, an organisation that offers firefighting equipment to the Indian market. ABC's head office is in New Delhi; the manufacture of firefighting equipment is outsourced to organisation FIREF, located in Bangladesh.
The outsourced activities include design, production, logistics, and procurement. There are six ABC employees in the New Delhi head office and none in FIREF's Bangladesh plant.
What documented information required by ISO 14001:2015 would you need to review during the audit of ABC's EMS with reference to outsourced processes? Select two.

A.FIREF's environmental policy

B.ABC's environmental manual

C.Contractual agreement between ABC and FIREF

D.Reports of internal audits carried out by FIREF

E.Reports of ABC audits on FIREF

F.Reports of FIREF's top management reviews

Correct Answer: C,E

The correct answers are C and E .
ISO 14001:2015 requires the organisation to ensure that outsourced processes are controlled or influenced
. In this case, ABC has outsourced major activities to FIREF, including design, production, logistics, and procurement. Even though FIREF performs the work, ABC remains responsible for ensuring that relevant EMS requirements are addressed.
C). Contractual agreement between ABC and FIREF - Correct
The contract is key documented evidence showing how ABC communicates environmental requirements to FIREF and defines the controls or influence over the outsourced processes. This may include environmental controls, legal compliance expectations, reporting requirements, emergency arrangements, waste handling, procurement requirements, and monitoring obligations.
E). Reports of ABC audits on FIREF - Correct
Reports of ABC's audits on FIREF provide evidence that ABC is checking whether the outsourced processes are being controlled as planned. These reports help confirm whether ABC has evaluated FIREF's environmental performance, operational controls, compliance with agreed environmental requirements, and corrective actions where needed.
The other options are not the best answers:
A). FIREF's environmental policy - Incorrect
FIREF's environmental policy may be useful background information, but it is not required documented information for ABC's ISO 14001 EMS.
B). ABC's environmental manual - Incorrect
ISO 14001:2015 does not require an environmental manual.
D). Reports of internal audits carried out by FIREF - Incorrect
FIREF's own internal audit reports may be useful if available, but they are FIREF's EMS records, not required documented information of ABC's EMS.
F). Reports of FIREF's top management reviews - Incorrect
FIREF's management review records belong to FIREF's management system and are not required records for ABC's EMS audit.
Therefore, the two documents most directly required to verify ABC's control or influence over outsourced processes are C. Contractual agreement between ABC and FIREF and E. Reports of ABC audits on FIREF .

Question 10

An organisation (ABC) plans to carry out a second-party audit of the environmental management system of a supplier (XYZ). Both, ABC and XYZ, have a certified Environmental Management System (EMS) to ISO
14001 by the same certification body.
Which one of these statements is correct?

A.ABC should not ask permission from the certification body to carry out the audit to XYZ.

B.ABC should request to see a copy of the last certification body audit report from XYZ.

C.ABC should invite, as an observer, an auditor of the certification body when it carries out the audit to XYZ.

D.ABC should inform the certification body that it is planning to audit XYZ.

Question 6

Question 7

Question 8

Question 9

Question 10

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