ISO/IEC 42001 Lead Implementer

Learning plan

About 42 hours of focused study, split into 5 phases. Pick your weekly pace and the timeline adjusts.

Estimated finish: 5 weeks

What the exam covers

Source: official exam guide. Weights can change, so check before you start.

Before you start

• Buy or borrow ISO/IEC 42001:2023. Clauses 4–10 and Annex A are the backbone of the exam
• Know the PECB credential tiers. Passing the exam alone gives Provisional Implementer, and the full Lead Implementer title needs five years of experience (two in AI) and 300 hours of AIMS project work

1. Week 1 · 8 h

   AIMS concepts and the standard's structure

   • Explain the Harmonized Structure (clauses 4–10) shared with ISO 27001 and 9001, and where 42001 adds AI-specific requirements
   • Know the purpose of the 42001 annexes (Annex A controls, Annex B implementation guidance, Annex C objectives and risk sources, Annex D sector use) and how 22989 (terminology), 23894 (AI risk) and 42005 (impact assessment) relate
   • Define AI system, AI producer, provider and user roles, and why your organisation's role changes the scope

   Use: ISO/IEC 42001 standard page · PECB ISO/IEC 42001 Lead Implementer course

2. Weeks 1–2 · 10 h

   Planning the AIMS (clauses 4–6)

   • Define context, interested parties and AIMS scope (clause 4) for a real or sample organisation
   • Write an AI policy and assign roles (clause 5) with top-management commitment evidence
   • Run AI risk assessment, AI risk treatment and AI system impact assessment (clause 6.1), and produce a Statement of Applicability against Annex A
   • Set measurable AI objectives and plan for changes (clause 6.2–6.3)

   Hands-on: For a fictional company running an LLM support bot and a fraud-detection model, write the AIMS scope statement, an AI policy of about one page and a Statement of Applicability. Justify each Annex A control you include or exclude.

   Use: NIST AI RMF (useful for building the risk method)

3. Weeks 2–3 · 10 h

   Implementing and operating the AIMS (clauses 7–8, Annex A)

   • Plan resources, competence, awareness and documented information (clause 7) for an AI programme
   • Put Annex A controls into operation, covering AI system life cycle, data for AI systems, information for interested parties, use of AI systems and third-party relationships
   • Run operational planning and control, repeating risk and impact assessments when systems change (clause 8)
   • Use project-management techniques to roll out the AIMS (gap analysis, phased plan, change management)

   Hands-on: Run a gap analysis of a sample organisation against all clauses 4–10. Score each as Not started, Partial or Implemented, and turn the gaps into a 90-day implementation plan with owners.

   Use: EU AI Act Explorer (to align AIMS evidence with legal duties)

4. Weeks 3–4 · 8 h

   Monitoring, internal audit and certification readiness (clauses 9–10)

   • Define AIMS metrics and monitoring (clause 9.1), plan an internal audit programme (9.2) and run a management review (9.3)
   • Handle nonconformities with root-cause analysis and corrective action (clause 10)
   • Explain stage 1 and stage 2 certification audits and what evidence auditors expect

   Hands-on: Write a management-review agenda and minutes template, plus one worked nonconformity report. For example, a model was retrained without an impact assessment. Include the root cause and corrective action.

   Use: PECB ISO/IEC 42001 Lead Implementer course

5. Weeks 4–5 · 6 h

   Exam practice and scenario review

   • Do the end-of-day quizzes from the course, which PECB says mirror the exam format
   • Practise essay-style scenario answers that cite the correct clause number for each recommendation
   • Rebuild the clause 4–10 map and Annex A control themes from memory

   Use: PECB ISO/IEC 42001 Lead Implementer

You're ready to book when…

• You can say which clause covers a given requirement (for example, AI system impact assessment is 6.1.4) without looking it up
• You have produced a scope statement, Statement of Applicability and gap analysis yourself
• You can explain the difference between AI risk assessment and AI system impact assessment and when each is triggered

Exam tips

• The 5-day PECB course puts the exam on day 5, so do the reading for clauses 4–10 before day 1.
• PECB gives one free retake within 12 months of the first attempt.
• Training partners (BSI, TÜV SÜD, PECB resellers) price and schedule differently. Check that the exam voucher and retake are included before you buy.