ACADEMY WORKSHOP · AUDIT & COMPLIANCE ENGLISH
English for ISO & PECB Certifications – Audit & Compliance English · 4 Hours
You know your subject. Now make your English work for you.
Keep language from getting in the way
You know the subject, but English wording slows you down? This focused workshop practises the language of standards, audits and assessment tasks. Distinguish requirements from recommendations, request relevant evidence and read questions more precisely.
What you will practise
- Distinguish requirements, recommendations, permission and possibility in English standards-related wording.
- Use common audit and compliance terminology in the appropriate context.
- Identify negatives, conditions and relevant qualifiers in task instructions.
- Write a specific and courteous request for evidence in English.
- Ask for clarification and summarise a short professional statement during an audit conversation.
- Recognise personal language difficulties and plan focused further practice.
Who is this workshop for?
Participants in English-language ISO and PECB training, and professionals working in auditing, quality management, information security, privacy or compliance. Especially useful when you already have subject knowledge and want language preparation for a course or examination.
Entry recommendations
English at approximately B1 and some familiarity with your subject area are recommended. No language certificate is required. This workshop develops specialist language; the subject knowledge and eligibility requirements for any subsequent PECB examination remain separate.
Your four-hour workshop
4 clock hours (240 minutes) of live learning, including a 25-minute Academy final check; breaks are additional. Available live online or in person. Teaching is in English, with German explanations if agreed. This workshop is not offered in Hungarian.
- 1 · Getting started and identifying language barriers · 15 minutes
Identify where understanding breaks down in your professional context. Set a personal learning goal and explore common difficulties when reading English course materials.
- 2 · Understanding the language of standards · 45 minutes
Distinguish shall, should, may and can in standards-related language. Read negatives, conditions and limitations. Use original example sentences to recognise requirements, recommendations, permission and possibility.
- 3 · Audit & Compliance Vocabulary · 50 minutes
Use requirement, audit criteria, evidence, finding, conformity and nonconformity in context. Request evidence, describe facts and distinguish an observation from an evaluation. The focus is language, not a complete auditor qualification.
- 4 · Reading task instructions precisely · 45 minutes
Recognise instructions and qualifiers such as best, most appropriate, first, except and not in original multiple-choice exercises. Restate the question, identify the relevant condition and explain your interpretation of the answer choices.
- 5 · Practical writing and speaking · 60 minutes
Write a concise request for audit evidence, ask for clarification, paraphrase a statement and summarise a finding orally. Paired activities and feedback help you improve unclear or unnecessarily complicated wording.
- 6 · Academy final check · 25 minutes
Apply language comprehension and evidence-request writing to new Academy scenarios in one integrated check.
A short check with clear criteria
Ten original single-choice tasks on standards language, terminology and understanding instructions (10 points), plus a four-to-five-sentence evidence request based on a short scenario (10 points).
Pass the integrated check with at least 14 out of 20 points. The first writing criterion—preserving the meaning of the supplied requirement or recommendation—must also be fully met (2 out of 2 points). There are no additional minimum scores by task type. These are course-specific Academy assessment rules, not ISO or PECB requirements. Full attendance, a passed check and a documented Academy approval are required before the course certificate is issued.
Marking and permitted aids
- Preserve the meaning of the supplied requirement or recommendation
- Identify a specific evidence need relevant to the scenario
- Use audit terminology accurately and factually
- Make a courteous, clear and actionable request
- Organise the message intelligibly and logically
Each selection task earns 1 point for the correct answer and 0 for an incorrect or missing answer. The writing task is marked against the five published criteria, each worth 0, 1 or 2 points: 0 = absent or incorrect; 1 = partly met but with a material ambiguity; 2 = clearly and accurately met. In particular, the first criterion requires that a recommendation is not misrepresented as a mandatory requirement. Minor grammatical errors that do not change the meaning do not automatically cause failure. The role-play is a learning activity, not a standardised oral language examination.
The supplied glossary and personal course notes are allowed in the Academy check. Work must be completed independently; AI text generators, translation software and assistance from other people are not allowed during the check. Any later PECB examination is governed solely by its applicable examination rules.
Plan teaching and examination languages separately
Teaching is in English; German explanations can be agreed in advance. For a later PECB examination, check the language options for that specific examination and its current availability. The teaching language of this workshop does not determine your examination language.
Your Academy course certificate
Records full attendance at the four-hour workshop and a passed Academy final check on the specified language tasks. Results are documented and reviewed before issue.
An Academy-developed supplementary course, not an official PECB training course or a PECB certificate. Not an external language qualification or evidence of a CEFR level. It replaces neither subject training nor a PECB examination and does not guarantee an examination result.
The Academy course certificate is valid for no more than three years from issue; the actual expiry date is stated. Renewal requires reassessment of the programme requirements. There is no automatic extension and no blanket requirement to purchase the full course again.
Arrange your date and format
Take the workshop live online or in person. We agree dates, learning goals and any German-language explanations with you beforehand. Workshop materials, a glossary and the Academy final check are included. Subject-specific training and external examinations are booked separately.
Self-employed? Discuss support before booking.
Talk to us about your learning goals and KOMPASS before you book. This short workshop is not automatically eligible for funding. Before making a binding booking, check with an official KOMPASS advice centre whether a suitable overall training plan meets the conditions.
Questions about specialist English training
I speak English but read examination questions slowly. Will this workshop help?
The workshop targets that difficulty: practise recognising instructions, conditions and negatives, and reduce a sentence to its essential meaning. The aim is more accurate understanding; no particular reading speed or examination result is promised.
How is this different from General Business English?
This is a four-hour specialist language workshop for standards, audits and certification contexts. General Business English remains a separate eight-week learning pathway for broader workplace communication. Neither course automatically replaces the other.
Will we practise with real PECB examination questions?
No. We use original language exercises and work-related scenarios. We do not use confidential, recalled or leaked examination questions. Activities develop comprehension and expression rather than memorisation of potential examination answers.
Does English-language teaching mean I must take my PECB examination in English?
Teaching language and examination language are considered separately. Available languages for your specific PECB examination are checked against the current PECB offering before examination booking. This workshop does not determine your examination language.
Is B1 enough, and can the trainer explain something in German?
Approximately B1 English is recommended. Teaching is in English; German explanations can be agreed in advance. If longer English sentences are still very difficult, we can discuss whether a general language course would be a better first step. A Hungarian version is not planned.
Must I already be an auditor or know a particular ISO standard?
No. Some familiarity with your field helps. We practise recurring language patterns using accessible examples. Interpreting a particular standard and completing subject-specific examination preparation belong in the relevant technical course.
How do I earn the Academy certificate?
Through full attendance, passing the 25-minute Academy check and Academy approval. The check has ten selection tasks and a short evidence request. You need at least 14 out of 20 points and must fully preserve the meaning of the supplied requirement or recommendation. The certificate is valid for no more than three years; it is not a PECB credential or CEFR language qualification.
Can I take the workshop online before my PECB course?
It is designed as a standalone live online or in-person workshop, particularly useful before English-language training. Dates and teaching language are agreed with you. A PECB examination, its fees and the subject-specific training are not included in this language workshop.
Official information for your next steps
Read the full course programme
An Academy-developed specialist English workshop with a documented final check. Not an official PECB training course, an accredited personnel certificate or a CEFR assessment.