ISO 22301
What should candidates read before an ISO 22301 Lead Implementer course?
PECB's ISO 22301 Lead Implementer course teaches for four days and puts the exam on the fifth. Its stated prerequisite is "a fundamental understanding of business continuity concepts and principles". This is a short, sourced reading list for the week before Day 1, for trainers to send to a cohort or for candidates to work through alone.
Course facts come from PECB's ISO 22301 Lead Implementer course page and the Candidate Handbook, version 1.5, read on 2 October 2026.
What does the course cover, day by day?
Day 1 introduces ISO 22301 and the initiation of a business continuity management system (BCMS) implementation. Day 2 covers the implementation plan, Day 3 the implementation itself, and Day 4 performance evaluation, continual improvement and preparation for the certification audit. Day 5 is the exam: 80 multiple-choice questions in three hours, with 56 correct answers needed to pass.
The exam has seven domains. Planning (domain 3) and implementation (domain 4) carry 18 questions each, 36 of the 80. Domain 4 is where the practical work sits: planning and conducting a business impact analysis, risk assessment, choosing continuity strategies, plans and procedures, incident and crisis management, and exercises. The handbook lists every domain count, and so does our exam guide.
What is on the reading list?
| Read | Why | Cost and time |
|---|---|---|
| ISO 22301:2019 | The exam is about it, and a hard copy is allowed into the open-book exam | Buy from ISO or your national body; 2 to 3 hours |
| PECB Candidate Handbook, version 1.5 | The seven domains, the question counts and the exam rules | Free PDF; 30 minutes |
| NIST SP 800-34 Rev. 1 | A free, plain treatment of business impact analysis and recovery objectives | Free; about 1 hour on the BIA sections |
| Optional, UK cohorts: Civil Contingencies Act 2004 and Emergency Preparedness, chapter 6 | Domain 1 starts with the laws and regulations an organization must comply with | Free; 30 minutes |
The times are our estimate for a first read. NIST SP 800-34 is written for US federal systems, so read it for its method.
ISO 22301 pre-course reading list for joining instructions
ISO 22301 Lead Implementer: pre-course reading list
A list to paste into joining instructions, or to work through yourself. Sources were read on 2 October 2026. Times are our suggestion; PECB publishes none.
PECB's course prerequisite: "a fundamental understanding of business continuity concepts and principles".
Before Day 1
| Done | Read | Why | Cost | Our time estimate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| [ ] | ISO 22301:2019, the standard | The exam is about it, and a hard copy is one of the three things PECB allows into the open-book exam | Buy from ISO or your national standards body | 2 to 3 hours, once through |
| [ ] | PECB Candidate Handbook, ISO 22301 Lead Implementer, version 1.5 | The seven exam domains, the 80 questions, the 70% pass mark and the exam rules | Free PDF | 30 minutes |
| [ ] | NIST SP 800-34 Rev. 1, Contingency Planning Guide for Federal Information Systems | Free, plain-English treatment of business impact analysis and recovery objectives | Free (nist.gov) | 1 hour, chapters on the BIA |
| [ ] | Optional, UK cohorts: Civil Contingencies Act 2004, section 2, and GOV.UK Emergency Preparedness, chapter 6 | Domain 1 starts with the laws and regulations an organization must comply with | Free | 30 minutes |
Links:
- ISO 22301:2019: https://www.iso.org/standard/75106.html
- PECB Candidate Handbook: https://pecb.com/pdf/candidate-handbooks/pecb-candidate-handbook-iso-22301-lead-implementer.pdf
- NIST SP 800-34 Rev. 1: https://csrc.nist.gov/pubs/sp/800/34/r1/upd1/final
- Civil Contingencies Act 2004: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2004/36/contents
- GOV.UK Emergency Preparedness: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/emergency-preparedness
Things to know before you arrive
- The exam is on Day 5: 80 multiple-choice questions in 3 hours, 70% (56 correct) to pass.
- Open book allows three things: a hard copy of ISO 22301, your training course materials, and personal
notes taken during the training course. Notes made before the course are not on that list; ask your training provider before relying on them.
- Bring a valid identity card (national ID card, driver's license or passport).
- If you fail, the course page says course takers can retake once free within 12 months of the first exam date.
Free planning sheets (credentialpress.com)
- Exam format and domain counts: https://credentialpress.com/guides/iso-22301-lead-implementer-exam
- Study plan by domain: https://credentialpress.com/guides/iso-22301-lead-implementer-study-plan
- How to tab the standard for an open-book exam: https://credentialpress.com/guides/pecb-open-book-exam-rules
Credential Press is independent of PECB and ISO. Free to copy into course joining instructions.
Why read about business impact analysis before the course?
Because the course and the exam lean on it. The handbook's domain 4 competencies start with planning and conducting a business impact analysis and creating and presenting the BIA report, and the analysis feeds the strategy, the plans and the exercises that follow. Arriving with the vocabulary of recovery objectives leaves more course time for applying it. Our ISO 22301 exam guide comes with a free business impact analysis worksheet, and the ISO 22301 study plan splits the hours by domain.
What should candidates know about exam day before they arrive?
Three things are allowed into the open-book exam: a hard copy of ISO 22301, the training course materials, and "any personal notes taken during the training course". Notes made before the course are not on that list, so tell candidates to keep pre-course notes separate. Candidates need a valid identity card and must be present at least 30 minutes before the start. If a candidate fails, the course page says those who completed the course can retake once for free within 12 months of the first exam date. Our guide to PECB open-book rules shows how to tab the standard.
What should a trainer put in the joining instructions?
The reading list, the exam format and the rule on notes, in that order. The template above is free to paste as it stands. For a recommended-reading line, the ISO 22301 Lead Implementer exam guide follows PECB's seven domains, and the ISO 22301 practice question book gives timed practice. Neither replaces the standard or the course materials, and neither may be taken into the exam. Our ISO 42001 pre-course list does the same for the AI course.
What should you do this week?
Order the standard so a hard copy arrives before Day 1, download the handbook, and read the business impact analysis sections of NIST SP 800-34. Credential Press is independent of PECB and ISO.
Frequently asked questions
What should I read before an ISO 22301 Lead Implementer course?
ISO 22301:2019 itself, PECB's candidate handbook for the exam, and a free guide to business impact analysis such as NIST SP 800-34 Rev. 1. PECB's stated prerequisite is a fundamental understanding of business continuity concepts and principles.
Do I need my own copy of ISO 22301?
PECB allows a hard copy of the standard into the open-book exam, so get one before Day 1 and learn your way around it. Buy it from ISO or your national standards body.
Which part of the course carries the most exam questions?
Planning and implementation. Domains 3 and 4 carry 18 questions each, 36 of the 80, and domain 4 includes planning and conducting a business impact analysis.
Can I bring notes I made before the course into the exam?
PECB's handbook allows personal notes taken during the training course. Notes made before the course are not on that list, so check with your training provider.
Can trainers copy this reading list?
Yes. The reading list is free to paste into joining instructions, and a link back is welcome.
ISO 22301 Lead Implementer: test yourself in five minutes
Which books follow the ISO 22301 Lead Implementer exam?
ISO 22301 Lead Implementer Exam Guide
A study companion for the PECB Certified ISO 22301 Lead Implementer examination. 13 chapters, 345 pages.
ISO 22301 Lead Implementer Practice Questions
Practice questions with full rationales, weighted to the published domains. 228 pages.
Sources
Every fact above was read on 2 October 2026. Reading times are our estimate.
- PECB, ISO 22301 Lead Implementer course: agenda, prerequisite and retake
- PECB, ISO 22301 Lead Implementer Candidate Handbook, version 1.5, 2026
- ISO, ISO 22301:2019, business continuity management systems
- NIST, SP 800-34 Rev. 1, Contingency Planning Guide for Federal Information Systems
- Civil Contingencies Act 2004, legislation.gov.uk
- GOV.UK, Emergency Preparedness
Credential Press is not affiliated with, endorsed by or authorized by PECB or ISO. Exam names and trademarks belong to their owners.