What should candidates read before an ISO 42001 Lead Implementer course?

PECB's ISO/IEC 42001 Lead Implementer course runs four teaching days and puts the exam on the fifth. Its stated prerequisite is "a general knowledge of the AIMS and ISO/IEC 42001", which leaves the reading to the candidate. This is a short, sourced list for the week before Day 1, for trainers to send to a cohort or for candidates to work through alone.

The course facts come from PECB's ISO/IEC 42001 Lead Implementer course page and the Candidate Handbook, version 1.5, read on 2 October 2026.

What does PECB expect candidates to know on Day 1?

A general knowledge of the AI management system (AIMS) and of ISO/IEC 42001. The agenda then moves quickly: Day 1 introduces the standard and the start of an AIMS implementation, Day 2 plans it, Day 3 implements it, and Day 4 covers monitoring, continual improvement and preparing for the certification audit. Day 5 is the exam: 80 multiple-choice questions in three hours, with 56 correct answers needed to pass.

Domain 1 of the exam, fundamental principles and concepts, carries 17 of the 80 questions. Its knowledge statements include how ISO/IEC 42001 relates to other ISO standards and regulatory frameworks, the EU's classification of AI systems by risk level, and the terms of ISO/IEC 22989. That is why the list below reaches past the standard itself.

What is on the reading list?

The times are our estimate for a first read, and PECB publishes none. The IEC Webstore sells the standard as an electronic file or a hardcopy and offers multi-user copies for groups, which suits a training provider buying for a cohort.

How should candidates read the standard before the course?

Once through, quickly, to learn where things are. The exam is open book, but 80 questions in three hours leaves 2 minutes 15 seconds for each, which leaves little time to read a clause for the first time. Our suggestion is a first read for structure before Day 1, then tabs and margin notes during the course, when the trainer explains each part. The PECB guide to tabbing the standard for an open-book exam has a template for the tabs.

Which parts of the EU AI Act matter for the exam?

The handbook names the EU's classification of AI systems by risk level, so read the articles that set the levels: Article 5 for prohibited practices, Article 6 with Annex III for high-risk systems, and Article 50 for the transparency duties on certain systems. Our plain-English guides to the prohibited AI practices and the Annex III high-risk areas cover those articles. Outside domain 1, the handbook does not mention the Act.

What should candidates know about exam day before they arrive?

Three things are allowed into the open-book exam: a hard copy of ISO/IEC 42001, 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 their pre-course reading notes separate, and check with the provider if they want to rely on them. Candidates also 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 the exam once for free within 12 months of the first exam date. Our guide to PECB results and retakes covers the timings.

What should a trainer put in the joining instructions?

The reading list above, the exam format, and the open-book rule on notes, in that order. The template is free to paste as it stands. For candidates who want more structure, link the ISO 42001 study plan by domain, which splits 10, 20 or 30 hours across the six domains, and the experience requirements for each credential level, for candidates planning which credential level to apply for.

For a recommended-reading line, the ISO 42001 Lead Implementer exam guide follows PECB's six domains, and the ISO 42001 practice question book is weighted to the handbook's question counts. Neither replaces the standard or the course materials, and neither may be taken into the exam.

What should you do this week?

Order the standard, so a hard copy arrives before Day 1. Download the handbook and read the six domains. Then send the reading list to the cohort, or work through it yourself. Credential Press is independent of PECB, ISO and IEC.

Frequently asked questions

What should I read before an ISO 42001 Lead Implementer course?

ISO/IEC 42001 itself, PECB's candidate handbook for the exam, and the EU AI Act's articles on risk levels. PECB's stated prerequisite is a general knowledge of the AI management system and ISO/IEC 42001, so the standard comes first.

Do candidates need their own copy of ISO/IEC 42001?

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. On 2 October 2026 the IEC Webstore listed ISO/IEC 42001:2023 at CHF 225 for one user, as electronic or hardcopy, with multi-user copies for groups.

Can candidates bring notes they 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 before relying on them.

Is the NIST AI Risk Management Framework on the exam?

The PECB handbook does not mention NIST. Domain 1 covers how ISO/IEC 42001 relates to other standards and regulatory frameworks, so NIST AI RMF 1.0 is useful context, and it is free to download.

How long does the pre-course reading take?

About five hours on our estimate: three for the standard, half an hour for the handbook, an hour for the AI Act articles, and optional extras. PECB does not publish a reading time.

Can trainers copy this reading list?

Yes. The reading list below is free to paste into joining instructions. A link back to this page is welcome, and no permission is needed.

Which books follow the ISO 42001 Lead Implementer exam?

ISO 42001 Lead Implementer Exam Guide

PECB Certified ISO/IEC 42001 Lead Implementer. 12 chapters, 387 pages.

What is insideBuy on Amazon

ISO 42001 Lead Implementer Practice Questions

Practice questions with full rationales, weighted to the published domains. 246 pages.

What is insideBuy on Amazon