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ISO

ISO is an international standards-development organisation. Its standards can provide requirements or guidance for products, services and management systems, depending on the particular publication. ISO does not itself certify organisations; external bodies perform certification against relevant requirements. A reference to an ISO standard is not automatically a legal obligation or proof of compliance. Check the applicable publication, scope and edition for any real operational use rather than rely on an old textbook version.

Worked example

An organisation can build a quality management system using the relevant ISO requirements and engage an external certification body for an appropriate assessment.

Common mistake

Do not confuse standard development, certification and accreditation, or assume every ISO standard is a quality-management-system standard.

Where it appears in your exams

QualificationExamRelationshipPeriod
ACCA APM Supporting September 2026–June 2027