Preparing your laboratory for ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation? Start with this free ISO 17025 checklist for internal audits, covering clauses 4–8 of ISO/IEC 17025:2017, then get the complete documentation package.
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What’s inside the ISO 17025 checklist
- Clause-by-clause audit items for clauses 4–8
- Tick-box evidence format
- Print-ready PDF
What the checklist covers
- Clause 4 — General: impartiality and confidentiality.
- Clause 5 — Structural: legal entity, defined scope, responsibilities and authorities.
- Clause 6 — Resources: personnel competence, facilities, equipment, metrological traceability, externally provided products and services.
- Clause 7 — Process: review of requests, method selection and validation, sampling, handling of items, technical records, measurement uncertainty, ensuring validity of results, reporting, complaints, nonconforming work and data control.
- Clause 8 — Management system: document and record control, risks and opportunities, improvement, corrective action, internal audits and management review.
How to use the checklist in an internal audit
- Plan the audit. Decide which clauses, methods and areas you will cover, and pick an auditor who is independent of the work being audited.
- Collect objective evidence. For each item, look at records, observe the work and talk to the people doing it. Note the document, record or observation that proves the requirement is met.
- Record findings clearly. Mark each item as conforming, nonconforming or an opportunity for improvement, and reference the clause.
- Agree corrective actions. For each nonconformity, find the root cause, plan the correction and corrective action, and set a deadline.
- Close the loop. Verify that actions worked and feed the results into your management review.
Common gaps an ISO 17025 checklist helps you find
- Measurement uncertainty that has not been evaluated, or not updated after a method change.
- Missing calibration certificates, intermediate checks or traceability for key equipment.
- Incomplete method validation or verification records.
- Competence and authorisation records that do not match the work staff actually do.
- No documented risk assessment for impartiality.
- Quality control and proficiency testing results that are recorded but not reviewed for trends.
Always audit against the official text of ISO/IEC 17025:2017 and your accreditation body’s specific requirements, which are often based on ILAC policies.
Next steps: read the ISO 17025 accreditation guide, explore all Laboratory & Quality resources, or get the 125-document ISO/IEC 17025 templates bundle.
Frequently asked questions
Which version of ISO/IEC 17025 does the checklist cover?
It follows the ISO/IEC 17025:2017 structure, clauses 4 to 8.
How often should a lab run internal audits?
ISO/IEC 17025 requires internal audits at planned intervals. Most laboratories audit every clause at least once a year.
Who should perform an ISO 17025 internal audit?
Trained, competent auditors who, where possible, do not audit their own work.