United Kingdom · Compliance, quality and safety · Mid-Level (2-5 years)

CQHS Auditor

Here is the whole job, in plain words. What it is, what you decide, how you're judged, how people get here and where they go next. Then the part no course gives you: twelve AI tutors who learn your work.

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As a CQHS Auditor, a good place to start on Data Storytelling for Audit Insights is Turning Workplace Data into a Recommendation, a free Future Fluency module at Level 3. You'd practise turning the figures you already see at work into a recommendation someone will act on.

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One email: what AI is changing in this job, the new skills it asks for, where it leads, and where to start free. With a link back here. Nothing else follows unless you confirm your address.

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  • Experience bandMid-Level (2-5 years)
  • Direct reportsNo direct reports
  • Reports toSenior CQHS Auditor or Lead Auditor
  • UK framework levelUsually a coordinator, or early in a professional job

Also advertised as Mid-Level Compliance Auditor · Quality Assurance Specialist · Health & Safety Auditor

Built on 43,079 real UK job descriptions we analysed · grounded in what real qualifications cover

1From this job to a course

The qualifications matched to this job

GQA PAA\VQ-SET Level 3 Diploma for a Bulk Storage Operator (Technician) GQA Qualifications Limited · Level 3 · covers 1 of 10 standards
TQUK Level 3 Diploma in Management (RQF) Training Qualifications UK Ltd · Level 3 · covers 1 of 10 standards
GQA PAA\VQ-SET Level 3 Certificate in Laboratory Technical Skills GQA Qualifications Limited · Level 3 · covers 1 of 10 standards
Qualifi Level 5 Extended Diploma in Occupational Health and Safety Qualifi Ltd · Level 5 · covers 1 of 10 standards
GQA Level 5 Diploma in the Practice of Process Safety Management GQA Qualifications Limited · Level 5 · covers 1 of 10 standards

Matched from the standards this job is measured against: a suggestion, not an official ruling.

The units you would start with

Comply with External and Internal Obligations within a Bulk Storage Operations Environment GQA PAA\VQ-SET Level 3 Diploma for a Bulk Storage Operator (Technician)
Prepare for and support quality audits TQUK Level 3 Diploma in Management (RQF)
Good Manufacturing Practice GQA PAA\VQ-SET Level 3 Certificate in Laboratory Technical Skills
Principles of Safe Manufacture of Quality Medicines in the Pharmaceutical Environment Open Awards Level 3 Technical Occupational Entry in the Principles and Practice for Pharmacy Technicians (Diploma)
Health and Safety Audit Qualifi Level 5 Extended Diploma in Occupational Health and Safety
Understand how to comply with the relevant Regulations, Industry Standards and Management Requirements for Process Safety GQA Level 5 Diploma in the Practice of Process Safety Management

The future skills this job leans on

Data Fluency turning numbers into a decision
AI Governance Fluency using AI responsibly
Systems Fluency seeing the whole picture
Your Plan Illustration

Built for CQHS Auditor

6 units that map to this job, from the qualifications that cover it.

  1. Comply with External and Internal Obligations within a Bulk Storage Operations Environment GQA Qualifications Limited · covers 1 of 10 standards Level 3
  2. Prepare for and support quality audits Training Qualifications UK Ltd · covers 1 of 10 standards Level 3
  3. Good Manufacturing Practice GQA Qualifications Limited · covers 1 of 10 standards Level 3
  4. Principles of Safe Manufacture of Quality Medicines in the Pharmaceutical Environment Open Awards · covers 1 of 10 standards Level 3
  5. Health and Safety Audit Qualifi Ltd · covers 1 of 10 standards Level 5
  6. Understand how to comply with the relevant Regulations, Industry Standards and Management Requirements for Process Safety GQA Qualifications Limited · covers 1 of 10 standards Level 5
These are the real units behind this job, in the order they rank for it. Nothing here is marked done, because this plan has not been started by anyone yet. Yours would fill in as you go.

2AI and this work

Will AI change your work as a CQHS Auditor?

Nobody can say exactly how. Here is what this job is being asked for next, and where to start.

The new skills this role is being asked for

  • Data Storytelling for Audit Insights
  • Digital Audit Trail Verification
Why each one is rising

The future skills this job leans on

We'll only ever tell you what we can actually back up. No hype, no scare tactics.

What happens when you start

Next, a free account. We build your CQHS Auditor plan as you set up, starting with the free Data Fluency module. No card.

Your first Future Fluency module is free. After that, your AI tutor is £70 a month.

Keep this read. One email with what AI is changing in this job, the new skills it asks for and where to start free. Nothing else follows unless you confirm your address.

3What this role really is

A CQHS Auditor checks that operational processes match what an organisation says it does. You check records, observe work, and talk to people on the ground to spot gaps. The job covers safety, product quality, and compliance with rules. You act as an independent check for the business, helping keep things running safely and correctly.

4What you'd actually use

The tools this job runs on, and how well you'd need to know each one.

EHS/QMS Platform (e.g., Intelex, Cority) Intermediate

You'll be entering audit findings, attaching evidence, running pre-configured reports, and managing your assigned CAPA tasks directly within the platform. You'll know your way around it.

Audit Management Software (e.g., AuditBoard, TeamMate+) Intermediate

You'll execute assigned test plans, upload your workpapers, respond to review notes from your manager, and track audit progress within the system. It's your central hub for audit work.

You'll use pre-built templates for data collection, perform basic data sorting and filtering, and populate Power BI dashboards with audit-related data. You're comfortable with formulas and data manipulation.

Microsoft Power BI Intermediate

You'll be able to navigate and use existing Power BI dashboards to review audit trends and performance. You might even make minor tweaks to existing reports under guidance.

Document Management Systems (e.g., SharePoint, Veeva QualityDocs) Intermediate

You'll upload and correctly tag objective evidence, and efficiently navigate document libraries to retrieve SOPs, policies, and records relevant to your audits. Finding the right document quickly is key.

Regulatory Intelligence Platforms (e.g., Enhesa, Verisk 3E) Basic

You'll access the platform to look up specific regulatory requirements or legal registers relevant to an assigned audit area. You know how to find the information you need.

5What you get to decide, and how that grows

Power in a job isn't your title. It's what you're allowed to decide. Here's how it grows as you move up.

The choiceComing in Where you are nowThe step above
Audit Scope & Planning Follows pre-defined audit plan; escalates any proposed changes. Independently refines audit plan within defined scope; consults manager for significant deviations or scope changes. Defines audit scope for complex audits; makes recommendations for annual audit plan adjustments.
Identification of Non-Conformances Identifies potential non-conformances and presents evidence to supervisor for validation. Independently identifies, categorises (Major/Minor), and drafts non-conformances with supporting evidence. Escalates borderline cases. Validates complex non-conformances; makes final determination on categorisation and wording; coaches junior auditors.
CAPA Effectiveness Verification Assists supervisor in reviewing CAPA evidence. Independently reviews CAPA evidence and verifies effectiveness; escalates ineffective CAPAs to auditee and manager. Approves CAPA closure for complex findings; provides guidance on effective CAPA implementation and verification.
Stakeholder Communication (Difficult Findings) Observes supervisor presenting difficult findings; provides supporting evidence as requested. Presents difficult findings to auditees in closing meetings, using evidence and diplomatic persistence; seeks manager support for significant pushback. Leads discussions on sensitive findings with senior auditees; mediates disagreements; coaches junior auditors on communication techniques.

6How you'll be judged

The scoreboard, and what is not on it. The hard targets, how often each is actually looked at, and the quiet signals that never reach a dashboard.

Audit Plan Adherence
Percentage of assigned audits completed within the agreed schedule.
Target · >95% of assigned audits completed on schedule

If you're assigned 10 audits in a quarter, and you finish 9 on time, that's 90%. We're aiming for near-perfect here because delays can mean missed risks.

Report Turnaround Time
Average number of business days from the closing meeting to the submission of the draft audit report.
Target · Draft reports submitted within 5 business days of closing meeting

You finish an audit on a Friday. The draft report should be in your manager's inbox by the following Friday at the latest. Quick feedback is crucial for action.

Evidence Accuracy & Completeness
Number of findings where the supporting objective evidence is robust and stands up to review, and where all required audit documentation is present.
Target · <10% of findings overturned or significantly challenged on quality review

You raise a 'Major NC' for a missing permit-to-work. If your manager or the auditee can't find the permit, and you've got a photo of the work in progress without it, that's solid. If it turns out the permit was just in the wrong folder and you didn't look hard enough, that's a miss.

CAPA Effectiveness Review Rate
Percentage of assigned Corrective and Preventive Actions (CAPAs) that you've followed up on and verified as effectively implemented.
Target · >90% of assigned CAPAs reviewed for effectiveness within agreed timeframe

If a CAPA was meant to fix a training gap, you'd check updated training records and maybe interview staff to see if the knowledge has stuck. Just closing it out isn't enough; it needs to actually work.

Quality of Audit Findings
How clear, concise, and well-supported your audit findings are, including a good understanding of the root cause.
  • Your findings are rarely ambiguous, they clearly reference the requirement, and the objective evidence is always attached. You're getting to the 'why' behind the 'what', not just stating the obvious. Managers typically don't need to rewrite your findings.
Stakeholder Engagement & Professionalism
Your ability to conduct audits professionally, maintain good relationships with auditees, and handle pushback constructively.
  • Auditees generally accept your findings (even if they don't like them) because you've presented them fairly and with evidence. You can have tough conversations without making enemies. You're seen as firm but fair, not just 'the compliance police'.
Independent Problem Solving
Your capacity to tackle audit challenges and unexpected situations on your own, knowing when to escalate but not needing constant hand-holding.
  • You can usually figure out how to audit a new process or find a missing record without your manager stepping in. You'll bring solutions or well-thought-out options to your manager, not just problems. You're trusted to get on with it.
Contribution to Audit Methodology
Your input into improving our audit checklists, processes, or tools based on your practical experience in the field.
  • You'll suggest tweaks to a checklist that made it clearer, or flag a system issue that made evidence gathering harder. You're not just following the script
  • you're thinking about how to make the script better for everyone.

7Would you like it

Both sides. What people enjoy, and what grinds them down.

What people enjoy
Solving Puzzles and Finding the Truth

You love the investigative aspect of auditing – piecing together clues, connecting disparate pieces of information, and uncovering the real story behind a process. It's like being a detective for compliance.

You're auditing a waste disposal process. The records look fine, but during a site walk, you notice a specific type of waste container is always empty, despite production volumes. You dig deeper, asking 'why?', and discover a shortcut that bypasses the formal process.

Making a Tangible Difference to Safety and Quality

You're driven by the knowledge that your work directly contributes to preventing harm, improving product quality, and ensuring environmental protection. You want your efforts to have real-world impact.

You identify a critical flaw in a machine guarding procedure. Your finding leads to an immediate fix, and you know you've potentially prevented a serious injury for someone on the shop floor.

Continuous Learning and Improvement

You enjoy learning about different parts of the business, new regulations, and evolving best practices. You see every audit as an opportunity to deepen your knowledge and help others improve.

You're auditing a new chemical process. You spend time researching the specific hazards and controls, then you share those insights with the team you're auditing, helping them improve their own understanding.

What frustrates people
  • The 'Audit is Coming' Scramble: Arriving at a site that's clearly had a last-minute clean-up and record-filing spree, knowing you're not seeing the everyday reality.
  • Being the 'Compliance Police': The constant battle to be seen as a value-adding partner rather than just an internal affairs cop who only shows up to find fault.
  • Pencil-Whipped Records: Finding stacks of perfectly completed, identical-looking inspection logs that were clearly filled out all at once, long after the fact.
  • The Repeat Finding: Discovering the exact same non-conformance at a facility that you wrote up 12-18 months ago, because the root cause was never truly addressed.
  • Scope Creep: The classic 'While you're here, can you just take a quick look at...' request that threatens to derail your carefully planned audit schedule.
What this role does not give you
  • A purely desk-based role with no travel – you'll be out and about, often on site.
  • A job where everyone is always happy to see you and immediately accepts all your findings.
  • A role with zero administrative burden – documentation is a necessary part of auditing.
  • The ability to make major strategic decisions or allocate large budgets yourself (that comes at higher levels).

8Who you work with

Your work directly influences our operational integrity and reputation. You'll help reduce risks related to safety, environmental impact, and product quality. Get it right, and we avoid costly incidents, maintain our certifications, and keep our customers happy. Get it wrong, and we could face significant operational disruptions, legal penalties, or even harm to our workforce or the public. It's a pretty big deal, honestly.

Inside the business
  • Site Operations Managers
  • Departmental Heads (e.g., Production, Logistics, R&D)
  • Health & Safety Representatives
  • Quality Control Teams
  • Compliance Officers
Outside the business
  • External Certification Bodies (e.g., ISO auditors)
  • Regulatory Inspectors (e.g., HSE, Environment Agency)
  • Suppliers (for supplier audits, occasionally)

9What you need before you start

Not a wish list. The things you would be expected to already have.

  • At least 2-3 years of practical experience in a CQHS role, either in auditing, quality control, health & safety, or environmental management, where you've actively applied standards and regulations.
  • Demonstrable experience in conducting internal audits or participating in external audits, showing you understand the audit process from start to finish.
  • A proven ability to write clear, factual reports and communicate findings effectively, both verbally and in writing.
  • A strong understanding of at least one ISO management system standard (e.g., ISO 9001, 14001, or 45001) and how it applies in a real-world setting.
  • Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, especially Excel, for data analysis and reporting.

10What to practise next

Where the job is going, and what to do about it starting this week.

Advanced Data Analysis in Excel/Power BI

As we collect more data, the ability to go beyond basic filtering to perform more complex analysis (e.g., correlation, regression, trend forecasting) will become invaluable for identifying systemic risks and predicting future non-conformances. This helps us be proactive, not just reactive.

Advanced Power Query Transformations · DAX Formulas in Power BI · Statistical Functions in Excel · Data Modelling Best Practices

  • This month: Explore advanced Power Query features in Excel to automate one of your current data cleaning tasks.
  • Next quarter: Take an intermediate Power BI course, focusing on DAX and data modelling.
  • Month 4-6: Try to build a small, predictive model in Excel to forecast potential audit risks based on past data.
  • Ongoing: Look for opportunities to analyse larger datasets related to incidents, training, or equipment maintenance.

Quick win: Pick one recurring report you generate and try to automate at least 50% of the data preparation steps using Power Query.

AI-Assisted Audit Tool Proficiency

Our AI Productivity Hub isn't a 'nice to have'; it's becoming integral. You'll need to move beyond basic usage to truly master these tools, understanding their limitations, how to prompt them effectively, and how to validate their outputs. This is about working with AI, not just using it.

Effective Prompt Engineering · AI Output Validation · Integration Workflows · Ethical AI Use in Auditing

  • This month: Dedicate 30 minutes daily to experimenting with the AI tools in our Productivity Hub, trying different prompts for report drafting or evidence review.
  • Next quarter: Share your best AI prompts and techniques with your team, and learn from theirs.
  • Month 4-6: Take an online course on 'Foundations of AI' or 'Prompt Engineering' to deepen your understanding.
  • Ongoing: Actively participate in internal discussions about how we can further improve and safely expand our AI tools for auditing.

Quick win: For your next audit, use the AI report writer to draft a section of your report and then critically review its accuracy and completeness. How much time did it save you, and what did you have to change?

11Staying current once you are in

What people here do to keep up
  • Attending industry webinars and conferences on emerging CQHS risks and best practices.
  • Joining professional bodies like IOSH, IEMA, or the CQI to network and stay current.
  • Taking online courses in advanced Excel, Power BI, or data analytics to enhance your data analysis skills.
  • Participating in internal training programmes on new regulations or specific operational processes.

12The rising capability

The rising capability

Zavmo analysis

What's rising in its place

This is where the work is heading, and the higher pay with it. Get fluent here and the shift stops being a threat and starts being your edge.

Data Storytelling for Audit Insights

Auditors are collecting more and more data, but simply presenting raw numbers won't cut it. Senior leaders need clear, compelling narratives that explain what the data means, why it matters, and what action they should take. The ability to turn complex audit data into an understandable story is becoming critical for driving real change.

  • Narrative Structure
  • Visualisation Best Practices
  • Audience-Centric Communication
  • Impact-Oriented Reporting

Digital Audit Trail Verification

More and more of our processes and records are digital. Auditors need to move beyond paper checks and understand how to verify the integrity and authenticity of digital audit trails, system logs, and electronic signatures. This is about trusting the digital record, or knowing when not to.

  • Data Integrity Principles
  • System Access Controls
  • Electronic Signature Validation
  • Audit Log Analysis

13What you’ll use

What you’ll use

Skills this role draws on

Technical

  • ISO Standards Auditing
  • Root Cause Analysis (RCA)
  • Risk-Based Auditing (RBA) Principles
  • Corrective and Preventive Action (CAPA) Management
  • Process Auditing
  • Regulatory Interpretation (Basic)

14The pathway

The pathway

How you actually get there, here

How you become one varies far more by country than what one does. This is the UK route. Most people take one of these ways in; the right one depends on where you're starting from.

  1. 1

    Promotion from Associate CQHS Auditor (L1)

    1-2 years

    Skills to master

    • Independent audit execution, basic root cause analysis, effective finding documentation, managing audit timelines.

    You're ready to move on when

    • Consistently completes assigned tasks accurately and on time with minimal supervision.
    • Demonstrates a good understanding of audit methodology and relevant standards.
    • Proactively identifies potential issues and proposes solutions.
    • Receives positive feedback from auditees and supervisors on professionalism and quality of work.
  2. 2

    Direct Entry from Industry (Operational CQHS Role)

    N/A (already at this level)

    Skills to master

    • Adapting operational CQHS knowledge to an auditing mindset, understanding our specific audit methodologies and systems, diplomatic communication skills.

    You're ready to move on when

    • Proven experience in managing CQHS systems or processes in an operational environment.
    • Strong understanding of relevant regulations and standards from a practical perspective.
    • Demonstrable experience in problem-solving and implementing corrective actions.
    • Excellent communication skills and ability to influence others.
  3. 3

    Transition from Quality Control/Assurance Specialist

    N/A (already at this level)

    Skills to master

    • Broadening from product/process quality to include health, safety, and environmental compliance
    • developing interviewing and evidence-gathering techniques.

    You're ready to move on when

    • Deep understanding of quality management systems and tools (e.g., 8D, FMEA).
    • Experience in root cause analysis and corrective action implementation.
    • Ability to apply quality principles to a wider range of compliance areas.
    • Strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities.

15Where this role leads

The long view: This role can lead to managing an audit programme as a Lead Auditor. It can also lead to running a compliance or quality function as a CQHS Audit Manager. Some auditors move into compliance or quality management within a business unit.

The ten Future Fluencies

Zavmo analysis

The credential is what you can do today. These are what keep you valuable.

A qualification proves you can do the job as it's defined today. These ten are what decide whether you're still the obvious person for it in five years. They're the capabilities employers are now writing into senior roles faster than people are learning them. Zavmo weaves them through whatever you study, so you come out with both: the credential and the fluency.

The highlighted ones are the Fluencies your role leans on hardest, from how CQHS Auditor is actually changing.

How you would learn this

One to one, on the work you already do

A tutor sets the task against your own job and marks the reasoning, at your pace. There is no cohort to fall behind.

A lesson from Comply with External and Internal Obligations within a Bulk Storage Operations Environment, worked against CQHS Auditor.

Comply with External and Internal Obligations within a Bulk Storage Operations Environment Level 3

Applied to your work in CQHS Auditor

The objective of this unit is to enable learners to comply with both external and internal obligations within a bulk storage operations environment. Learners will be able to perform audits, inspections, and safety sampling, adhere to safe systems of work, control systems for fiscal and excise compliance, and review and improve standard operating procedures.

How the thinking builds
  1. 1 Remember
  2. 2 Understand
  3. 3 Apply
  4. 4 Analyse
  5. 5 Evaluate
  6. 6 Create
An illustration of a Zavmo lesson, built from this role’s own route. The unit, its objective and every criterion above are the awarding body’s own words, not an example.

It is £70 a month, billed monthly. Your free first module is Future Fluency, and you can cancel any time.

See Your Progress Grow Illustration
CQHS Auditor
  • ISO Standards Auditing
  • Root Cause Analysis (RCA)
  • Risk-Based Auditing (RBA) Principles
  • Corrective and Preventive Action (CAPA) Management
  • Process Auditing
  • Regulatory Interpretation (Basic)
This is your Mind Palace on learn.zavmo.ai. Every skill above comes from this role's own record, not an example borrowed from another job. A node lights up when you evidence it, and what you build stays yours between jobs. That is the part a course cannot do.

16The detail, folded away

Everything else the record holds

The career branches in full, how AI is already showing up in the day-to-day, and the questions people ask about this job. Here when you want them, out of the way while you decide.

Where it leads next, rung by rung

Where it leads

The career path, and where it branches

CQHS Auditor is a start, not a ceiling. Each step below asks for new skills and hands back more autonomy.

  1. You'll move from independently conducting routine audits to leading more complex audits, mentoring junior team members, and taking ownership of entire workstreams. You'll also start influencing audit strategy.

    • Complex Audit Programme Design Developing detailed audit plans for multi-site or cross-functional audits.
    • Advanced Root Cause Analysis Leading investigations into complex non-conformances using advanced tools.
    • Regulatory Foresight Anticipating future regulatory changes and their impact on the business.
Working with AI on the job

Working with AI

Where AI is starting to help

Let's be real, auditing involves a lot of repetitive tasks and sifting through mountains of information. What if you could cut down on that busywork and spend more time on the actual investigative, value-adding parts of your job? That's where AI comes in. It's not here to replace you, but to give you a serious superpower.

We're building an internal AI Productivity Hub, specifically designed to help our Compliance, Quality, Health, and Safety teams work more efficiently. Think of it as having a highly intelligent assistant who can handle the grunt work, leaving you free to focus on the critical thinking and human interaction that only you can do. Here's a glimpse of how AI can transform your daily audit life:

Automated Evidence Triage

Imagine AI scanning all those submitted training records, calibration certificates, or inspection logs for completeness, valid dates, and required signatures. It'll flag exceptions and missing items for you before you even start the audit, meaning less time sifting through perfect paperwork and more time on the real issues.

Predictive Risk Hot-Spotting

Our AI can analyse historical audit data, incident reports, and operational metrics to predict which sites or processes are at the highest risk for future non-conformances. This helps us prioritise our audit schedule, making sure you're focusing your efforts where they'll have the biggest impact, rather than just following a rotation.

Regulatory Change Summariser

Keeping up with ever-changing regulations is a full-time job in itself. AI can monitor regulatory bodies (like HSE or the Environment Agency) and provide plain-language summaries of changes, highlighting the specific impact on our company's existing procedures and control frameworks. No more slogging through dense legal documents.

First-Draft Finding & Report Writer

Based on your audit notes, tagged evidence, and even voice recordings, AI can generate a structured first draft of your findings and assemble them into a formatted report. This ensures consistency, accuracy, and frees you up to focus on the analysis and interpretation, rather than the mechanics of writing.

Common questions

Common questions

How do you become a CQHS Auditor?

Common routes in include Promotion from Associate CQHS Auditor (1-2 years), Direct Entry from Industry (Operational CQHS Role) (N/A (already at this level)) and Transition from Quality Control/Assurance Specialist (N/A (already at this level)). Times vary with prior experience.

Where can a CQHS Auditor progress to?

This role can lead on to Senior CQHS Auditor (3-5 years), depending on the skills you build.

What new skills matter most for a CQHS Auditor?

Increasingly, Data Storytelling for Audit Insights and Digital Audit Trail Verification. These are the skills our record of this role lists as growing.

Free tools

Want a read on where you stand?

Three free tools, no account needed. Each one ends with a role, a level and a way in.

17Where to go from here

Other roles at Level 3

Same depth of qualification, different job. Useful if the work appeals but this particular role does not.

More jobs in compliance, quality and safety

Stay in the field you know and move sideways rather than up.

If you leave this industry

The skills from this role transfer across industries with strong regulatory demands, such as manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, energy, and logistics. Auditing skills are in demand wherever compliance matters.

This role profile is © 2026 Growth Engineering Technologies Ltd. Built from UK occupational standards and regulated qualification data, and written for Zavmo.

You're not behind. You're right on time. The shift is only just beginning. Your role won't look the same in two years. Be the one who leads the change, not the one it happens to. Start my free Data Fluency module What happens next: a free account, then we build your plan as you set up. No card. Build your plan, see your roadmap and meet the twelve tutors matched to you. All free. When you're ready to start learning, it's £70 a month, billed monthly. Cancel any time and billing stops.