NDIS certification audit vs verification audit: which one do you need?

The short answer

• Only lower risk registration groups on your application: verification audit.
• Any higher risk group: certification audit. A mix of verification and certification groups means a certification audit.
• Already certified and adding a verification group: no new audit needed.
• Government providers: certification against at least the core module, whatever their groups.

Your initial scope of audit from the Commission confirms the audit type. The Commission cannot advise which groups to apply for; that is a business decision.

Which registration groups need which audit

From the Commission's registration groups table:

Providers who implement behaviour support plans or use regulated restrictive practices also need a certification audit against the implementing behaviour support plans module. Since 1 July 2026, SIL (0138) and digital platform (0137) providers must be registered to work with any participant, whatever way their plan is managed; see our guide to SIL registration in 2026.

What each audit covers

Verification checks the four areas of the verification module: human resource management, incident management, complaints management and risk management. The auditor does a desktop review of the documents listed in the Commission's Qualification and Professional Associations Required Documentation Guide. Many verification providers are already professionally regulated, for example through AHPRA.

Certification assesses the four parts of the core module (rights and responsibilities, governance and operational management, provision of supports, and the support environment) plus any supplementary module for your groups.

Both use the same ratings, from 3 (best practice) to 0 (major non-conformity). A major non-conformity must be fixed within 3 months before registration can progress.

Mid-term audits

Certification providers have a mid-term audit, completed 18 months into the registration period. It covers the governance and operational management standards, any standard that previously needed a corrective action plan, and any extra standards the Commission requires. The Commission suggests starting at 12 months: engage your auditor, confirm scope and timing, gather evidence and tell staff and participants. Individuals or partnerships certified only for early childhood supports, SDA only providers and transitioned providers do not have one.

The Commission can also require a condition audit, for example if minor non-conformities are outstanding or ownership changes significantly, and you can arrange an out of cycle audit to add registration groups.

Typical evidence differences

For verification, have ready:

• Worker identity, right to work, pre-employment checks and qualifications
• Worker orientation module certificates and professional development records
• Infection control and PPE training records
• Incident and complaints procedures and registers
• Risk management system, emergency planning and insurance certificates

For certification, add:

• Policies mapped to every applicable core and supplementary indicator
• Governing body minutes, delegations and a conflict of interest register
• An internal audit program and continuous improvement register
• Participant files with support plans, risk assessments, service agreements and reviews
• Supervision and performance records, and workers who can explain the procedures they use

Working it out for your organisation: five steps

1. List your support items. You apply for the registration groups linked to the NDIS support items you want to claim, so start with every support you deliver now or plan to deliver during the registration period. The NDIA's support catalogue shows the registration group for each item, and the group is also the third part of the support item number (for example, 0107 in 01_013_0107_1_1).
2. Check whether you need to register. For most groups, registration is only required to deliver to NDIA managed participants. It is required for any participant for 0110, 0127, 0131, 0137 and 0138, and for providers implementing behaviour support plans.
3. Match each group to its audit using the registration groups table. One certification group puts your whole application into a certification audit.
4. Think ahead. Adding a higher risk group later may need an out of cycle audit, which you can arrange to support your application to change your registration. If you are already certified, adding a verification group does not need a new audit.
5. Confirm with your initial scope of audit before you request quotes, so every auditor prices the same scope.

Further reading

For more on how the two audits feel in practice and how to plan for moving from verification to certification, read our article What is the difference between an NDIS verification and certification audit? For a full audit preparation plan, see our NDIS audit preparation checklist.

Get help or train your team

Whichever audit you face, your team needs to know the standards and how your systems work. Start with these courses:

90 min

Leadership and Management

Preparing for Your NDIS Audit

Preparing for Your NDIS Audit takes managers, quality and compliance leads and key personnel through an external NDIS quality audit from start to finish. You will learn how certification and verification audits work, the two audit stages, the role of approved quality auditors and how sampling decides which files, workers, participants and sites are checked. We show you how to build evidence that proves practice, not just policy, across participant files, worker files, registers and governance records, and how to run a mock audit and prepare staff and participants for interviews. We then cover audit day from the opening to the closing meeting, minor and major non-conformities, corrective action plans, the deadlines for closing them and the mid-term audit. Two case studies bring it all together. Duration: 90 minutes.

16 lessons · 10 scenarios$55

45 min

Core Compliance

Introduction to the NDIS Practice Standards

The NDIS Practice Standards set out the quality and safety outcomes that registered NDIS providers must deliver for participants. This course explains what the Practice Standards are, how they are organised into a core module, supplementary modules and a verification module, and what the four parts of the core module cover. You will learn how providers are audited against the standards, what an auditor may look at, how the standards connect to the NDIS Code of Conduct and how your everyday work shows that we are meeting them. Case studies about choice in a shared home, changing needs and a complaint show the standards in action. The standards are being reformed, so we also show you where to find the current version. Duration: 45 minutes.

7 lessons · 6 scenarios$45

50 min

NDIS Fundamentals

NDIS Registration and the Quality and Safeguarding Framework

As a team leader or manager you help keep our registration in good standing every day. This course explains the NDIS Quality and Safeguarding Framework and its developmental, preventative and corrective safeguards, the different jobs of the National Disability Insurance Agency and the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission, how registration groups decide whether we face a verification or certification audit, and the conditions that come with registration. It covers recent changes, including mandatory registration for supported independent living and NDIS digital platform providers from 1 July 2026 and stronger regulatory powers. Two case studies show how to respond to an unauthorised restrictive practice and how to prepare honestly for an audit. Duration: 50 minutes.

10 lessons · 2 scenarios$55

50 min

Leadership and Management

Running an Internal Compliance Audit

Internal audits help us find and fix problems before they affect participants or show up at an external audit. This course shows team leaders and managers how to run a practical internal compliance audit: why we audit internally and why independence matters, how to plan the scope against the NDIS Practice Standards and our policies, how to sample files fairly and interview staff well, how to gather evidence and write strong findings, and how to build corrective action plans that close the loop. Two case studies follow a medication audit that uncovers a serious issue and a follow up audit under pressure before an external audit. Duration: 50 minutes.

8 lessons · 3 scenarios$55

45 min

Human Resources

Worker Screening for Managers and HR

Worker screening is one of the most important preventative safeguards in disability and aged care, and a condition of our NDIS registration. This course helps managers and human resources staff get it right. It explains what a risk assessed role is and when an NDIS Worker Screening Check clearance is needed, the role of state and territory worker screening units and the national NDIS Worker Screening Database, and the records a registered provider must keep. It covers what to do when a worker is excluded, suspended or under an interim bar, the rules for working on application and other exceptions, and the current screening requirements for aged care workers. Two case studies show these steps in practice. Duration: 45 minutes.

8 lessons · 3 scenarios$45

Not sure which audit your supports need, or want to test your readiness? Provider Compliance's consultants run mock audits and help you remediate gaps before the real thing. See our NDIS consultant services.

Frequently asked questions

Source: NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission. Checked 11/11/2026. Provider Compliance is not affiliated with the Victorian Government.