Internal Audit Checklist

What is an Internal Audit Checklist?

An internal audit checklist is a structured tool that auditors use during management system audits to systematically verify whether an organisation complies with the requirements of an ISO standard. Rather than relying on memory or ad-hoc questioning, a well-designed checklist guides the auditor through every relevant clause, ensuring a thorough and repeatable assessment each time.

Using a checklist during internal audits delivers three key benefits: it ensures nothing is missed by providing a complete list of requirements to verify, it creates a consistent audit approach so that different auditors achieve comparable results, and it produces a documented evidence trail that satisfies both management review and external certification body expectations.

What's Included in Our Checklist

• Clause-by-clause audit questions aligned to ISO 9001:2015
• Compliance, non-compliance, and observation rating columns for each question
• Dedicated space for recording objective evidence notes alongside each finding
• Nonconformity classification fields covering major, minor, and observation categories
• Corrective action tracking section with responsibility assignment and target dates
• Auditor and auditee signature fields for formal sign-off of audit results

How to Use an Internal Audit Checklist

1. Plan the audit scope — define which processes, departments, and clauses will be assessed during this particular audit
2. Review previous findings — check earlier audit reports and open corrective actions so you can verify whether issues have been resolved
3. Work through each clause systematically — follow the checklist from start to finish, asking questions and gathering evidence at each step
4. Record objective evidence — note the documents reviewed, records inspected, and observations made as proof of conformity or nonconformity
5. Classify findings — determine whether each result is a major nonconformity, minor nonconformity, observation, or opportunity for improvement
6. Agree corrective actions — discuss findings with the auditee, agree on root cause analysis, and set deadlines for resolution
7. Follow up — verify that corrective actions have been implemented effectively and close out findings once evidence is satisfactory

Standards Covered