ISO/IEC 42001 LI & LA Exam Prep Book 2026 with Apoorva Sharma

An unofficial 578-page guide to building and auditing an AI management system under ISO/IEC 42001, with full study coverage for the PECB ISO/IEC 42001 Lead Implementer and Lead Auditor exams, by Mumbai lawyer Apoorva Sharma.

This ISO/IEC 42001 exam prep book is a 578-page unofficial guide to ISO/IEC 42001:2023, the international management-system standard for artificial intelligence, written by Apoorva Sharma, a lawyer based in Mumbai, India. Its 41 chapters explain every clause and Annex A control in plain language, show how to implement an AI management system (AIMS) step by step, and walk through a certification audit from planning to follow-up. One book serves both the PECB Certified ISO/IEC 42001 Lead Implementer and Lead Auditor examinations. It is delivered as PDF and editable DOCX.

Key facts

• Author: Apoorva Sharma, lawyer, Mumbai, India
• Subject: ISO/IEC 42001:2023 AI management systems; PECB ISO/IEC 42001 Lead Implementer and Lead Auditor examinations
• Edition: 2026 edition (October 2026); law and standards status stated as at 1 October 2026
• Length: 578 pages, 41 chapters in five parts, ten appendices (A–J)
• Format: PDF + editable DOCX (Word), instant download
• Price: ₹4,000 / US$49

What is ISO/IEC 42001, and what are the PECB exams?

ISO/IEC 42001:2023 sets requirements for an AI management system: the policies, roles, risk and impact assessments, controls and audits an organisation uses to develop, provide or use AI responsibly. Organisations can be certified against it by accredited certification bodies, and it is increasingly referenced alongside the EU AI Act, the NIST AI RMF and ISO/IEC 27001.

At the time of writing, PECB describes both its ISO/IEC 42001 Lead Implementer and Lead Auditor exams as three-hour, open-book papers of 80 multiple-choice questions with three options each, many scenario-based, and a 70% pass mark. Chapter 41 maps the book to each exam's competency domains. Check PECB's current candidate handbook for fees, rules and permitted materials.

Who is this ISO/IEC 42001 book for?

• Candidates preparing for the PECB ISO/IEC 42001 Lead Implementer or Lead Auditor exam by self-study or alongside a course.
• AI governance, risk, compliance and privacy professionals building an AIMS or preparing for certification.
• Internal and external auditors, ISO/IEC 27001 practitioners and consultants extending their work to AI.
• Product, data science and engineering leads who need to understand what the standard asks of them.

What's inside?

• ISO/IEC 42001 Lead Implementer and Lead Auditor Exam Prep: Building and Auditing an AI Management System, 2026 edition, 578 pages, PDF.
• The same book as an editable DOCX (Word) file.
• A Start Here guide with the part map, chapter routes for each exam, 4-, 6- and 8-week reading plans and the disclaimer.

What does the book cover?

• Part I, Foundations (Ch 1–6): AI, international standards and the management-system idea; core AI concepts; the AI life cycle and organisational roles; trustworthiness, ethics and harms; the regulatory landscape (EU AI Act and Digital Omnibus, US, UK, India, Asia); the ISO/IEC 42001 family and related standards.
• Part II, The requirements (Ch 7–19): structure and terms; clauses 4 to 10 (context, leadership, risk and impact assessment, objectives, support, operation, performance evaluation, improvement); Annex A controls A.2 to A.10; Annexes B, C and D and the Statement of Applicability.
• Part III, Implementing an AIMS (Ch 20–33): project initiation and gap analysis; inventory and scope; AI policy and governance; designing the risk method; impact assessment with ISO/IEC 42005; treatment and the SoA; controls, tooling and human oversight; generative AI, foundation models and agents; documentation and training; operations, change, incidents and retirement; measurement and internal audit; improvement and maturity; integration with ISO/IEC 27001, privacy, quality, the EU AI Act and NIST; preparing for certification.
• Part IV, Auditing an AIMS (Ch 34–40): ISO 19011 principles; certification bodies, ISO/IEC 17021-1 and ISO/IEC 42006; preparing and conducting stage 1; stage 2; closing the audit; managing an audit programme; an integrated case study certifying a fictional Indian AI company.
• Part V, Exam readiness (Ch 41): PECB exam formats and domains, techniques for scenario-based three-option questions, common traps and a 30-question diagnostic with answers.
• Appendices: 20 templates (charter, inventory record, risk criteria, SoA, supplier questionnaire, incident record, audit plan, nonconformity report, management review minutes and more); a clause-by-clause audit checklist; an Annex A quick reference; crosswalks to the EU AI Act, NIST AI RMF, ISO/IEC 27001 and Indian frameworks; FAQs; twelve domain cheat sheets; an implementation roadmap; sector notes; a scenario workbook; and an interview guide by role. Then a 189-term glossary, a bibliography and an index.

Every chapter opens with learning objectives and closes with key terms, a summary and check questions. ISO text is not reproduced: requirements are paraphrased and explained, so you will still need a licensed copy of ISO/IEC 42001:2023.

Does the book include practice questions?

Yes. Every chapter closes with check questions, and Chapter 41 includes a 30-question diagnostic. All questions are original. For full-length practice, the ISO/IEC 42001 LI & LA Exam Prep Kit (Book + Mock Exams) adds a 71-page volume with a 120-question chapter bank and two 80-question mock exams (one per exam format), for ₹5,000 / US$59.

Who wrote this book?

Apoorva Sharma is a lawyer based in Mumbai, India, with more than eight years of experience in data privacy, Trust and Safety, and commercial and regulatory work at Uber, Junglee Games (Flutter Entertainment) and Adfactors PR.

Format and delivery

• Instant download after purchase: one ZIP file (about 2.4 MB).
• Searchable, printable PDF and an editable DOCX (Word) version.
• Text-only; no video is included.

Frequently asked questions

Is this an official PECB or ISO study guide?

No. It is an independent, unofficial guide and study aid written by Apoorva Sharma. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by ISO, IEC, any national standards body or PECB. Nothing in it is drawn from PECB courseware or examination items.

Does one book cover both the Lead Implementer and Lead Auditor exams?

Yes. Parts I and II are common to both. Part III is the core for Lead Implementer and Part IV for Lead Auditor, and the Start Here guide gives a chapter route for each exam.

Do I still need the standard?

Yes. The book paraphrases and explains the requirements but does not reproduce ISO/IEC 42001. Both PECB exams are open book, so a licensed copy of the standard is the most useful thing to bring.

Should I buy the Book or the Book + Mock Exams kit?

Choose the Book for the full text, templates and reference material. Choose the kit if you also want 280 original practice questions, including two timed 80-question mock exams with explanations and domain score sheets.

Disclaimer

Unofficial study guide. Not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by ISO, IEC, any national standards body, PECB, or any accreditation or certification body. PECB, PECB Certified ISO/IEC 42001 Lead Implementer and PECB Certified ISO/IEC 42001 Lead Auditor are marks of their owner. ISO/IEC standards are not reproduced. All practice questions are original; no result is guaranteed. The material is educational and is not legal advice.