Free Access PECB.ISO-9001-Lead-Auditor.v2024-12-23.q21 Practice Test (Page 2)

Question 1

You are carrying out an audit at a single-site organisation seeking certification to ISO 9001 for the first time.
The organization manufactures cosmetics for major retailers.
You are interviewing the Manufacturing Manager (MM).
You: "I would like to begin by looking at the cleaning controls."
MM: "We record the cleaning of the equipment at the end of every batch. This document details the minimum cleaning frequency and the procedures to follow for all areas and each item of equipment. The person who carries out the cleaning puts their initial on the document and records the time and date alongside." Narrative: You sample production records over 3-days and note down evidence of nonconformity as per the table below.

Question 2

Match each of the following statements into the table below to show whether they apply to first-party audits, second-party audits or third-party audits:

Correct Answer:

Explanation:

Table
Statement
First-party audits
Second-party audits
Third-party audits
The audit scope is typically determined by the organisation being audited.
Yes
No
No
The outcome of the audit is typically certification to a recognised standard.
No
No
Yes
The audit scope is typically confined to service/product provision capability.
No
Yes
No
Here is a brief explanation of each statement:
The audit scope is typically determined by the organisation being audited: This statement applies to first-party audits, also known as internal audits, where the organisation audits its own processes and activities to ensure conformity and improvement1. The organisation can decide the scope of the audit based on its own needs and objectives2. This statement does not apply to second-party audits, where the customer audits the supplier, or third-party audits, where an independent body audits the organisation. In these cases, the audit scope is determined by the customer or the certification body, respectively34.
The outcome of the audit is typically certification to a recognised standard: This statement applies to third-party audits, where an independent body audits the organisation to verify that it meets the requirements of a specific standard, such as ISO 9001, and issues a certificate of conformity if the audit is successful34. This statement does not apply to first-party audits or second-party audits, where the outcome of the audit is not certification, but rather self-improvement or supplier qualification13.
The audit scope is typically confined to service/product provision capability: This statement applies to second-party audits, where the customer audits the supplier to ensure that they are meeting the requirements specified in the contract, such as service or product quality, delivery, or performance34. The audit scope is usually focused on the specific aspects of the service or product that are of interest to the customer3. This statement does not apply to first-party audits or third-party audits, where the audit scope is broader and covers the entire quality management system or the relevant clauses of the standard14.

Question 3

An internal auditor of a manufacturer of polystyrene packaging products for the electronics industry raised a nonconformity against section 10.3 of ISO 9001 in Report IA202. The nonconformity (NC 3) stated:
"The reject rate of the finished product of 9.7% needs improvement as it doesn't meet the stated objective of top management of 5%." As the third-party auditor reviewing the internal audit process, you come across the nonconformity. For corrective action, the Quality Manager conducted an investigation into the reject rates. He reported that the collection baskets for products ejecting from the moulding machines were not large enough. About 6% of products fell onto the wet and dirty factory floor. Management stated that replacing the baskets was too costly and ordered the Maintenance Manager to ensure that the floor was kept clean and dry to prevent rejects. The auditor later checked the factory floor, which was wet and dirty in places.
From the following nonconformities, select three that the auditor could raise to ISO 9001.

A.10.3 - The organisation did not continuously improve. Reject rates were unchanged.

B.7.1.4 - The factory environment is not suitably maintained to prevent dirty products.

C.7.1.1 - The organisation failed to provide the required resources to prevent nonconforming products.

D.9.2.2 - Report IA202 contained a poorly worded nonconformity (NC 3).

E.8.6 - Dirty products were released to the customer.

F.7.3 - Staff were not aware that products were falling onto the factory floor.

G.10.2.1 - Conduct of an investigation was not sufficient to understand the cause of the nonconformity.

H.8.5.1 - Production operations were not properly controlled to avoid reject products.

Correct Answer: A,B,C

The auditor could raise the following nonconformities to ISO 9001 based on the scenario:
*Option A: 10.3 - The organisation did not continuously improve. Reject rates were unchanged. This option is correct because ISO 9001:2015 clause 10.3 requires the organization to improve the suitability, adequacy and effectiveness of the quality management system. The organization did not demonstrate any improvement in reducing the reject rate of the finished product, which was a stated objective of top management. The corrective action taken by the organization was not effective in addressing the root cause of the problem and preventing its recurrence.
*Option B: 7.1.4 - The factory environment is not suitably maintained to prevent dirty products. This option is correct because ISO 9001:2015 clause 7.1.4 requires the organization to determine, provide and maintain the environment necessary for the operation of its processes and to achieve conformity of products and services.
The organization did not ensure that the factory floor was clean and dry, which affected the quality of the products and increased the risk of nonconformity.
*Option C: 7.1.1 - The organization failed to provide the required resources to prevent nonconforming products. This option is correct because ISO 9001:2015 clause 7.1.1 requires the organization to determine and provide the resources needed for the establishment, implementation, maintenance and continual improvement of the quality management system. The organization did not provide adequate collection baskets for the products ejecting from the moulding machines, which resulted in products falling onto the factory floor and becoming nonconforming.
The following options are not correct:
*Option D: 9.2.2 - Report IA202 contained a poorly worded nonconformity (NC 3). This option is not correct because ISO 9001:2015 clause 9.2.2 does not specify the requirements for the wording of nonconformities in internal audit reports. The nonconformity (NC 3) stated by the internal auditor was clear and relevant to the audit criteria and audit evidence. The issue is not with the report, but with the corrective action taken by the organization.
*Option E: 8.6 - Dirty products were released to the customer. This option is not correct because ISO
9001:2015 clause 8.6 requires the organization to implement planned arrangements, at appropriate stages, to verify that the product and service requirements have been met. The scenario does not indicate that the dirty products were released to the customer, but that they were recalled and repaired then returned to the customers. The issue is not with the release, but with the production process and the environment.
*Option F: 7.3 - Staff were not aware that products were falling onto the factory floor. This option is not correct because ISO 9001:2015 clause 7.3 requires the organization to ensure that the persons doing work under its control are aware of the quality policy, relevant quality objectives, their contribution to the effectiveness of the quality management system, and the implications of not conforming with the quality management system requirements. The scenario does not indicate that the staff were not aware of these aspects, but that the management did not provide adequate resources and environment for the staff to perform their work. The issue is not with the awareness, but with the management responsibility and resource provision.
*Option G: 10.2.1 - Conduct of an investigation was not sufficient to understand the cause of the nonconformity. This option is not correct because ISO 9001:2015 clause 10.2.1 requires the organization to react to the nonconformity and, as applicable, take action to control and correct it and deal with the consequences. The scenario indicates that the Quality Manager conducted an investigation into the reject rates and identified the cause of the nonconformity. The issue is not with the investigation, but with the corrective action taken by the management.
*Option H: 8.5.1 - Production operations were not properly controlled to avoid reject products. This option is not correct because ISO 9001:2015 clause 8.5.1 requires the organization to implement production and service provision under controlled conditions. The scenario indicates that the production operations were controlled by the moulding machines, which ejected the products into the collection baskets. The issue is not with the production operations, but with the size of the collection baskets and the condition of the factory floor.
References:
*ISO 9001:2015 Quality management systems - Requirements
*ISO 9001 Lead Auditor Course Material, Module 6: Reporting Audit Findings, Slide 14: Writing Nonconformity Statements
*ISO 9001 Lead Auditor Training Course - IRCA Certified, Section 6.2: Reporting Audit Findings
*Lead Auditor Exam Preparation Guide (EPG) Template - PECB, Section 3.2: Exam Content Outline, Subsection 3.2.1: Section 1 - Audit Fundamentals, Subsection 3.2.2: Section 2 - Audit Principles, Subsection
3.2.3: Section 3 - Audit Process, Subsection 3.2.4: Section 4 - Audit Competencies

Question 4

The following are stages of an audit, put them in the order they would be conducted.

Correct Answer:

Explanation:
Establishing the audit programme objectives
Determining and evaluating the audit programme risks and opportunities
Establishing the audit programme
Initiating the audit
Preparing all audit activity
Conducting the audit activities
According to ISO 19011:2018, clause 5, the audit programme is a set of one or more audits planned for a specific time frame and directed towards a specific purpose. The audit programme includes all activities necessary to plan, organize, and conduct the audits. The audit programme management involves the following steps1:
Establishing the audit programme objectives: The audit programme objectives define the intended outcomes of the audit programme, such as verifying conformity, evaluating performance, identifying improvement opportunities, etc. The audit programme objectives should be aligned with the strategic direction and policies of the organization and the needs and expectations of the interested parties.
Determining and evaluating the audit programme risks and opportunities: The audit programme risks and opportunities are the factors that can affect the achievement of the audit programme objectives, such as changes in the internal or external context, availability of resources, competence of auditors, etc. The audit programme risks and opportunities should be identified, analyzed, and evaluated to determine the appropriate actions to address them.
Establishing the audit programme: The audit programme is established by defining the audit programme scope, criteria, methods, and resources. The audit programme scope defines the extent and boundaries of the audit programme, such as the processes, functions, sites, activities, etc. that will be audited. The audit programme criteria are the set of policies, procedures, or requirements used as a reference for the audits. The audit programme methods are the techniques used to conduct the audits, such as interviews, observations, document review, sampling, etc. The audit programme resources are the human, technical, and financial resources needed to implement the audit programme.
Initiating the audit: The audit initiation is the process of formally establishing the arrangements for an individual audit within the audit programme. The audit initiation involves contacting the auditee and the audit client, confirming the audit objectives, scope, and criteria, and obtaining the necessary information and access for the audit.
Preparing all audit activity: The audit preparation is the process of developing the audit plan and the audit work documents for an individual audit. The audit plan is a document that provides the basis for agreement regarding the conduct of the audit, such as the audit schedule, the audit team, the audit methods, the audit language, the audit report, etc. The audit work documents are the records that provide evidence of the audit activities, such as the audit checklist, the audit notes, the audit findings, etc.
Conducting the audit activities: The audit activities are the processes of collecting and verifying audit evidence and evaluating it against the audit criteria to make the audit conclusions. The audit activities include the opening meeting, the communication during the audit, the roles and responsibilities of the audit team and the auditee, the audit evidence collection and verification, the audit findings generation and recording, the closing meeting, and the audit report preparation and distribution.
References: ISO 19011:2018(en), Guidelines for auditing management systems

Question 5

Match the process descriptions below to the process names:

Question 1

Question 2

Question 3

Question 4

Question 5

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