NATA is the accreditation body, ISO/IEC 17025 is the standard it assesses against. Learn how they fit together and how to check a calibration lab's scope.
NATA and ISO/IEC 17025 are not rivals, and you do not choose between them. ISO/IEC 17025 is the international standard that defines what a competent testing or calibration laboratory must do. NATA is the Australian body that assesses laboratories against that standard and formally recognises those that meet it. When a calibration certificate carries the NATA endorsement, it tells you an independent assessor has checked the lab against ISO/IEC 17025 for the specific work listed on its scope.
This guide explains how the two fit together, what a scope of accreditation does and does not cover, how to check a laboratory before you book, and where ISO 9001 sits in all of this.
ISO/IEC 17025 sets out the general requirements for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories. Laboratories in many countries are accredited against it to be deemed technically competent for the methods and procedures on their scope, and suppliers and regulators often will not accept results from a laboratory that is not accredited.
The current edition is ISO/IEC 17025:2017, which replaced the 2005 version with technical changes, updated vocabulary and developments in IT techniques.
The standard covers the things that decide whether a measurement result can be trusted:
NATA lists these as the key technical elements of ISO/IEC 17025. If you work in quality, you will recognise them as the points an auditor asks about when a gauge or balance is called into question.
NATA, the National Association of Testing Authorities, Australia, was established in 1947 by the Australian Government with support from the states. It was the first comprehensive laboratory accreditation system in the world. It is an independent, not-for-profit company owned by its members.
The Department of Industry, Science and Resources notes that NATA draws on nearly 3,000 volunteer technical assessors, who accompany NATA’s own assessor staff to evaluate the technical competence of applicant and accredited facilities. That peer element is the core of the process. NATA describes it as third-party, objective, peer assessment at a scientific and technical level, giving assurance that a facility can produce reliable data.
The simplest way to hold it: the standard is the yardstick, and NATA is the one holding it against the laboratory.
| ISO/IEC 17025 | NATA | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | International standard | Australian accreditation body |
| What it does | Sets requirements for lab competence, impartiality and consistent operation | Assesses labs against those requirements and grants accreditation |
| Who it applies to | Testing and calibration laboratories | Laboratories, inspection bodies and other facilities in Australia |
| What you receive | Nothing directly | A scope of accreditation and the right to issue NATA-endorsed reports |
NATA’s Accreditation Criteria include ISO/IEC 17025 alongside ISO/IEC 17020, which covers inspection bodies. For laboratories, NATA also publishes a Standard Application Document, which provides interpretative criteria for applying ISO/IEC 17025:2017 to testing, calibration and sampling. Facilities must also meet the relevant specific accreditation criteria for their field.
So a lab cannot be “NATA accredited” without meeting ISO/IEC 17025, but a lab can claim to work “to ISO 17025” without any independent body having assessed it. The difference is who checked.
NATA is a signatory to the ILAC Mutual Recognition Arrangement, which facilitates cross-border acceptance of test, measurement and inspection data. NATA says this supports acceptance of calibration data between countries without the need for additional testing. For exporters and suppliers into regulated supply chains, that is often the practical reason to specify NATA-accredited calibration. We cover the overseas angle in more detail in our article on avoiding overseas retesting with NATA accreditation.
Accreditation is never a blanket tick. NATA states that its accreditation is for specific activities and tests, so the assessment team has looked at those activities in detail and not only at generic laboratory practice.
A scope sets out the activities, items, techniques, methods and any limitations for which the facility demonstrated competence. It does not necessarily cover every service the laboratory provides.
For calibration, the scope is expressed as a Calibration and Measurement Capability. The CMC includes the facility’s estimate of the best uncertainty it can achieve across each measurement range, expressed as an expanded uncertainty with a coverage probability of approximately 95%.
Scopes for calibration list the item calibrated, the determination, the technique, the range and the uncertainty. They also differentiate between work done at the facility and work done in situ, because the CMC will differ between the two.
This matters if you run a production line. A balance calibrated in a workshop and the same balance calibrated on your floor may sit under different capabilities. If your process tolerance is tight, check that the uncertainty on the scope is comfortably smaller than the tolerance you need to verify.
The NATA endorsement is applied to reports covering activities within the scope. Accredited facilities are encouraged to use it, and it may be required by customer request, legislation, regulation or contract. Where a report includes results outside the scope, those results must be clearly identified as not covered by the endorsement. So if you need every result covered, say so when you order.
NATA says the scopes of all accredited facilities are publicly available on its website, and the scope is the primary source for anyone buying testing or calibration. A quick check takes a few minutes:
NATA also suggests asking directly whether the lab holds accreditation for the specified work on the specific type of product. Accredited facilities are normally reassessed on a cycle: for most programs, the assessment cycle is generally three years, with a surveillance visit at 18 months and reassessment at 36 months. That is why a current scope check beats relying on an old certificate.
For a document-by-document view of what to look for on a certificate, see our checklist on traceable versus accredited calibration.
Quality managers often meet all three in one audit, so it helps to separate them.
If you are comparing management system standards generally, this explainer on ISO 14001 and ISO 9001 differences shows how each standard has its own focus. The same logic applies here: each credential answers a different question, so ask which question your auditor or customer is asking.
PCS Precision is NATA accredited and ISO 9001 certified. Both matter to us for different reasons: the first for the competence of the calibration itself, the second for how we run the business around it.
Not every instrument in a facility needs the same level of assurance. Traceable calibration links a measurement to national or international standards through an unbroken chain, and it suits many internal checks. NATA-endorsed calibration is the right call when a customer, regulator or contract specifies accredited calibration, or when your own risk assessment says a result must stand up to external scrutiny.
NATA notes that accreditation also provides access to contracts that require or specify accredited organisations. Typical places this arises:
Other comparisons are worth reading if your certificates come from outside Australia: our guides on NATA vs UKAS and NIST vs NATA explain how overseas credentials map to Australian expectations. If you work to medical device requirements, our ISO 13485 calibration guide covers what quality managers should have in place.
Most problems we see come from assumptions, not bad intent.
NATA also makes the point that the same processes and level of confidence should apply to scope activities whether or not the report is endorsed. Some laboratories do charge a surcharge for the endorsed report. The practical lesson is to state your requirement at quoting stage so the price and the paperwork match your audit needs.
Our perspective
After more than 40 years in measurement and calibration, we see the same question from quality managers: “Do we need NATA, or is ISO 17025 enough?” Our answer is that you are really asking who verified the competence. NATA is the Australian body that does that verification against ISO/IEC 17025, and for work that will be audited, that independent check is what gives your records weight.
We built PCS Precision around that idea. We are NATA accredited and ISO 9001 certified, we support multiple equipment brands regardless of where you bought them, and we calibrate on-site or in our workshop depending on what your process needs. Our view is that calibration should reduce unplanned downtime and audit stress, not add to them.
Our advice is simple. Decide which instruments carry compliance risk, specify NATA-endorsed calibration for them in writing, and keep traceable calibration for lower-risk checks. Then review the scope each time you renew.
Kaz
We provide NATA calibration, traceable calibration, preventative maintenance, repairs, trade verification and equipment hire, on-site or in-house, with 24/7 emergency support. If you want to book or request a tailored quote, start with our NATA calibration service or see the full range of calibration services. If you need new instruments, you can browse our scales, balances and measuring equipment. To compare costs of on-site and workshop work, read our guide to NATA calibration costs.
No. ISO/IEC 17025 is an international standard for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories. NATA is the Australian accreditation body that assesses laboratories against it and issues accreditation for a defined scope.
A lab can say it works to the standard, but only accreditation shows an independent body assessed it. Suppliers and regulators often require results from an accredited laboratory, so confirm what your customer or auditor needs before you order.
Search for the facility on the NATA website and read its scope of accreditation. Confirm your instrument type, range, and whether the work is done at the facility or in situ, then compare the stated uncertainty with your tolerance.
No. ISO 9001 certifies a quality management system, while NATA accreditation to ISO/IEC 17025 addresses technical competence for specific calibration work. Many businesses hold both, as we do.
Only when a customer, regulation or contract requires it, or your risk assessment says the result needs external credibility. State this when you order, as NATA recommends, so every result you need is covered by the endorsement.
