Reference guide
Certification pathways
A reference for which PECB course level fits your role, and the professional experience each certification designation requires once you've passed the exam. This applies across PECB's course catalogue, not just a single category.
Training course levels and durations
Who should attend each course level, by course family.
Management System Training Courses
| Level | Who should attend | Duration |
|---|
| Foundation | Individuals who wish to learn the basics of implementing a management system and its processes | 2 days |
| Lead Implementer | Individuals responsible for the implementation and management of a management system within their organization | 5 days |
| Lead Auditor | Individuals responsible for auditing and monitoring management systems | 5 days |
Manager Training Courses
| Level | Who should attend | Duration |
|---|
| Foundation | Individuals who wish to study the fundamentals of the processes and procedures in the related field or standard | 2 days |
| Manager / Officer | Managers in the relevant field who wish to develop the skills and knowledge to carry out and implement processes, approaches, and techniques for different programs, plans, strategies, etc. | 3 days |
| Lead Manager / Officer | Managers in the relevant field who wish to assess, manage, or maintain plans, assessments, frameworks, programs, or the like, and develop their management expertise | 5 days |
Non-ISO Training Courses
| Level | Who should attend | Duration |
|---|
| Foundation | Individuals who wish to study the foundations of the associated field and its related processes | 2 days |
| Manager / Officer | Managers in the relevant field who wish to gain knowledge on the fundamental principles and concepts of a management program | 3 days |
| Lead Manager / Officer / Professional and Analyst | Managers in the relevant field who wish to develop their skills and knowledge in the associated field and improve their management expertise | 5 days |
Technical Cybersecurity Courses
| Level | Who should attend | Duration |
|---|
| Offensive Security | Professionals wishing to learn more about the tactics and techniques malicious hackers use and improve their capacity to protect their systems | 5 days |
| Defensive Security | Individuals wishing to significantly improve their defensive capabilities and learn best practices for hardening systems and configuring security effectively | 5 days |
| Forensics | Professionals who wish to learn a wide range of skills and knowledge crucial for digital forensics | 5 days |
Certification criteria
Designation, professional experience, and audit/project experience required per exam, once you've passed.
Foundation exam
| Designation | Professional experience | Audit experience | Project experience |
|---|
| Foundation | – | – | – |
Lead Manager exam
| Designation | Professional experience | Audit experience | Project experience |
|---|
| Provisional Manager | – | – | – |
| Manager | 2 years (1 in the specialized field) | – | 200 hours |
| Lead Manager | 5 years (2 in the specialized field) | – | 300 hours |
| Senior Lead Manager | 10 years (7 in the specialized field) | – | 1000 hours |
Lead Auditor exam
| Designation | Professional experience | Audit experience | Project experience |
|---|
| Provisional Auditor | – | – | – |
| Auditor | 2 years (1 in the specialized field) | 200 hours | – |
| Lead Auditor | 5 years (2 in the specialized field) | 300 hours | – |
| Senior Lead Auditor | 10 years (7 in the specialized field) | 1000 hours | – |
Lead Implementer exam
| Designation | Professional experience | Audit experience | Project experience |
|---|
| Provisional Implementer | – | – | – |
| Implementer | 2 years (1 in the specialized field) | – | 200 hours |
| Lead Implementer | 5 years (2 in the specialized field) | – | 300 hours |
| Senior Lead Implementer | 10 years (7 in the specialized field) | – | 1000 hours |
Lead Auditor and Lead Implementer exam
| Designation | Professional experience | Audit experience | Project experience |
|---|
| Master | 20 years (10 in a leadership role in the specialized field) | 10,000 hours combination of auditing and project activities | 10,000 hours combination of auditing and project activities |