Auditing & Assurance Services: A Systematic Approach 12th Edition by William Messier Jr Test bank
1.
Award: 10.00 points
2.
Award: 10.00 points
Auditing focuses on rules, techniques, and computations required to prepare and analyze financial
information.
True
False
References
True / False Difficulty: 1 Easy Learning Objective: 01-01 Understand
why studying auditing can be valuable to
you whether or not you plan to become
an auditor and why it is different from
studying accounting.
Decision makers demand reliable information that is provided by accountants and accounting
information systems.
True
False
References
True / False Difficulty: 1 Easy Learning Objective: 01-02 Understand the
demand for auditing and be able to
explain the desired characteristics of
auditors and audit services.
3.
Award: 10.00 points
4.
Award: 10.00 points
Information asymmetry seldom occurs.
True
False
References
True / False Difficulty: 2 Medium Learning Objective: 01-02 Understand the
demand for auditing and be able to
explain the desired characteristics of
auditors and audit services.
Conflicts of interest often occur between absentee owners (principals) and managers (agents).
True
False
References
True / False Difficulty: 2 Medium Learning Objective: 01-02 Understand the
demand for auditing and be able to
explain the desired characteristics of
auditors and audit services.
5.
Award: 10.00 points
6.
Award: 10.00 points
Auditing services and attestation services are exactly the same thing.
True
False
References
True / False Difficulty: 1 Easy Learning Objective: 01-03 Know the basic
definition of a financial statement audit.
Auditing is a type of attest service.
True
False
References
True / False Difficulty: 1 Easy Learning Objective: 01-03 Know the basic
definition of a financial statement audit.
7.
Award: 10.00 points
8.
Award: 10.00 points
Testing all transactions that occurred during the period is cost prohibitive in the absence of
computer data analytic approaches.
True
False
References
True / False Difficulty: 2 Medium Learning Objective: 01-05 Understand
why sampling is important in an audit.
Why do auditors often use a sampling approach to evidence gathering?
Auditors are experts and do not need to look at much to know whether the financial
statements are correct or not.
Auditors must balance the cost of the audit with the need for precision and for some types
of evidence, computer data analytic approaches can’t be used.
Auditors must limit their exposure to their auditee to maintain independence.
The auditor's relationship with the auditee is generally adversarial, so the auditor will not
have access to all of the financial information of the company.
References
Multiple Choice Difficulty: 1 Easy Learning Objective: 01-05 Understand
why sampling is important in an audit.
9.
Award: 10.00 points
10.
Award: 10.00 points
Which of the following statements best describes a relationship between sample size and other
elements of auditing?
If materiality increases, so will the sample size.
If the desired level of assurance increases, sample sizes can be smaller.
If materiality decreases, sample size will need to increase.
There is no relationship between sample size and materiality or the desired level of
assurance.
References
Multiple Choice Difficulty: 2 Medium Learning Objective: 01-05 Understand
why sampling is important in an audit.
Which of the following statements about the study of auditing is NOT true?
The study of auditing can be valuable to future accountants and business decision makers
whether or not they plan to become auditors.
The study of auditing focuses on learning the analytical and logical skills necessary to
evaluate the relevance and reliability of information.
The study of auditing focuses on learning the rules, techniques, and computations
required to analyze financial statements for making investment recommendations.
The study of auditing begins with the understanding of a coherent logical framework and
techniques useful for gathering and analyzing evidence about others’ assertions.
References
Multiple Choice Difficulty: 2 Medium Learning Objective: 01-01 Understand
why studying auditing can be valuable to
you whether or not you plan to become
an auditor and why it is different from
studying accounting.
11.
Award: 10.00 points
12.
Award: 10.00 points
The basic definition of auditing essentially indicates that, overall, auditing is a process to:
detect fraud.
examine individual transactions so that the auditor may certify as to their validity.
objectively obtain and evaluate evidence regarding assertions made by another party.
assure the consistent application of correct accounting procedures.
References
Multiple Choice Difficulty: 1 Easy Learning Objective: 01-03 Know the basic
definition of a financial statement audit.
Assurance services may improve all of the following except:
relevance.
credibility.
periodicity.
reliability.
References
Multiple Choice Difficulty: 1 Easy Learning Objective: 01-03 Know the basic
definition of a financial statement audit.
13.
Award: 10.00 points
14.
Award: 10.00 points
Evidence is reliable if it:
signals the true state of a management assertion.
applies to the period being audited.
relates to the audit assertion being tested.
is sufficient to justify a conclusion.
References
Multiple Choice Difficulty: 1 Easy Learning Objective: 01-04 Understand the
fundamental concepts that underlie
financial statement auditing.
Which of the following best describes the concept of audit risk?
The risk of the auditor being sued because of association with an auditee.
The risk that the auditor will provide an inappropriate opinion on financial statements that
are, in fact, materially misstated.
The overall risk that a material misstatement exists in the financial statements.
The risk that auditors use audit procedures that are inappropriate.
References
Multiple Choice Difficulty: 2 Medium Learning Objective: 01-04 Understand the
fundamental concepts that underlie
financial statement auditing.
15.
Award: 10.00 points
An auditor who accepts an audit engagement and does not possess expertise with respect to the
business entity’s industry at that point, should:
engage financial experts familiar with the nature of the business entity.
obtain a knowledge of matters that relate to the nature of the entity’s business and the
industry in which it operates.
refer a substantial portion of the audit to another CPA, who will act as the principal auditor.
first inform management that an unqualified opinion cannot be issued.
References
Multiple Choice Learning Objective:
01-06 Be able to
describe the basic
financial statement
auditing process and
the phases in which
an audit is carried
out.
Difficulty: 2
Medium
Learning Objective:
01-09 Understand
why auditing
demands logic,
reasoning, and
resourcefulness.
16.
Award: 10.00 points
17.
Award: 10.00 points
For publicly-held companies, which of the following is integrated with the audit of financial
statements?
budgetary information audit
the audit of internal controls
audit of management forecasts
audit of interim financial statements
References
Multiple Choice Difficulty: 1 Easy Learning Objective: 01-06 Be able to
describe the basic financial statement
auditing process and the phases in which
an audit is carried out.
During the first phase of an audit, a CPA most likely would:
identify specific internal control activities that are likely to prevent fraud.
evaluate the reasonableness of the company’s accounting estimates.
evaluate the integrity of management.
inquire of the company's attorney as to whether any unrecorded claims are probable or
asserted.
References
Multiple Choice Difficulty: 2 Medium Learning Objective: 01-06 Be able to
describe the basic financial statement
auditing process and the phases in which
an audit is carried out.
18.
Award: 10.00 points
19.
Award: 10.00 points
In the context of agency theory, information asymmetry refers to the idea that:
information can vary in its reliability.
information can vary in its relevance.
management has more information about the entity’s true financial results and position
than do the absentee owners (i.e. stockholders).
management likely will not act in the best interests of the absentee owners.
References
Multiple Choice Difficulty: 1 Easy Learning Objective: 01-02 Understand the
demand for auditing and be able to
explain the desired characteristics of
auditors and audit services.
Which of the following best describes why an independent auditor is engaged to express an
opinion on the fair presentation of financial statements?
It is difficult to prepare financial statements that fairly present a company’s financial
position and changes in cash flows without the expertise of an independent auditor.
It is management’s responsibility to seek available independent aid in the appraisal of the
financial information shown in its financial statements.
The opinion of an independent party is needed because a company is not likely to be
considered objective with respect to its own financial statements.
It is a customary courtesy that all stockholders of a company receive an independent
report on management’s stewardship in managing the affairs of the business.
References
Multiple Choice Difficulty: 2 Medium Learning Objective: 01-02 Understand the
demand for auditing and be able to
explain the desired characteristics of
auditors and audit services.
20.
Award: 10.00 points
21.
Award: 10.00 points
Which of the following best describes the fundamental, underlying reason for why there is demand
for an independent auditor to report on financial statements?
A management fraud may exist and it is more likely to be detected by auditors if they are
independent.
Different interests may exist between the company preparing the statements and the
parties using the statements.
A misstatement of account balances may exist and it is the independent auditor’s
responsibility to ensure that financial statements are not misstated.
A poorly designed internal control system may be in place.
References
Multiple Choice Difficulty: 2 Medium Learning Objective: 01-02 Understand the
demand for auditing and be able to
explain the desired characteristics of
auditors and audit services.
Which of the following best describes why publicly-traded companies follow the practice of having
the external auditor appointed by the audit committee and ratified by the stockholders?
to promote an adversarial relationship between the auditor and the corporation’s
management
to comply with requirements set forth by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and to enhance
auditor independence from the management of the corporation
to encourage a policy of rotation of the independent auditors
to give management more leverage over the auditor’s decisions
References
Multiple Choice Difficulty: 2 Medium Learning Objective: 01-02 Understand the
demand for auditing and be able to
explain the desired characteristics of
auditors and audit services.
22.
Award: 10.00 points
23.
Award: 10.00 points
Auditing can be defined as a “systematic process of objectively obtaining and evaluating evidence
regarding assertions...” What is meant by “systematic process” in this definition?
All audits involve obtaining the same evidence.
All audits involve evaluating evidence in the same manner.
There should be a well-planned approach for obtaining and evaluating evidence that is
relevant and reliable for each particular audit engagement.
All assertions are equally important for all audits.
References
Multiple Choice Difficulty: 2 Medium Learning Objective: 01-03 Know the basic
definition of a financial statement audit.
Which of the following would best be described as an assurance service?
preparing a report representing a client’s position during an IRS audit
working with a company to develop a more efficient method of processing financial
transactions
offering an opinion concerning the validity of statements made on an entity’s website
relating to its online privacy policies
assisting a company in identifying potential sources of capital for potential acquisitions
References
Multiple Choice Difficulty: 2 Medium Learning Objective: 01-03 Know the basic
definition of a financial statement audit.
24.
Award: 10.00 points
25.
Award: 10.00 points
Which of the following statements is not true with respect to assurance, attest, and audit services?
These services are applied only to financial statements and financial statement accounts.
These services all involve obtaining and evaluating evidence.
These services all involve determining the correspondence of some information to a set of
criteria.
These services all involve issuing a report.
References
Multiple Choice Difficulty: 2 Medium Learning Objective: 01-03 Know the basic
definition of a financial statement audit.
Auditors are most likely to use the most rigorous audit procedures to examine:
routine transactions.
management assertions that are deemed to be of low risk in a particular engagement.
only the rights and obligations assertion.
management assertions that are deemed to be of high risk in a particular engagement.
References
Multiple Choice Difficulty: 2 Medium Learning Objective: 01-04 Understand the
fundamental concepts that underlie
financial statement auditing.
26.
Award: 10.00 points
When obtaining an understanding of the entity and its environment, the auditor should obtain an
understanding of internal controls primarily to:
identify areas of relatively high risk of misstatement and plan the audit accordingly.
provide suggestions for improvement to the company.
serve as a basis for setting audit risk and materiality.
decide whether to perform an audit for the company.
References
Multiple Choice Learning Objective:
01-04 Understand
the fundamental
concepts that
underlie financial
statement auditing.
Difficulty: 2
Medium
Learning Objective:
01-06 Be able to
describe the basic
financial statement
auditing process and
the phases in which
an audit is carried
out.
27.
Award: 10.00 points
28.
Award: 10.00 points
Which one of the following statements best describes the concept of materiality?
Materiality is determined by reference to specific quantitative guidelines established by
the AICPA.
Materiality depends only on the dollar amount of an item relative to other items in the
financial statements.
Materiality depends on the nature of an item but not on the dollar amount of the item.
Materiality is largely a matter of professional judgment and reflects both quantitative and
qualitative considerations.
References
Multiple Choice Difficulty: 2 Medium Learning Objective: 01-04 Understand the
fundamental concepts that underlie
financial statement auditing.
Before accepting an engagement to audit a new entity, an auditor is required to:
make inquiries of the predecessor auditor.
tell the company whether or not the auditor is willing to issue a “clean” opinion.
prepare a memorandum setting forth the staffing requirements and documenting the
preliminary audit plan.
become a member of the entity’s board of directors.
References
Multiple Choice Difficulty: 2 Medium Learning Objective: 01-06 Be able to
describe the basic financial statement
auditing process and the phases in which
an audit is carried out.
29.
Award: 10.00 points
An investor is reading the financial statements of the Peres Corporation and observes that the
statements are accompanied by an auditor’s unqualified report. From this, the investor may
conclude that:
any disputes over whether Peres’ financial statements are fairly stated in accordance with
GAAP have been settled to the auditor's satisfaction.
the auditor is satisfied that Peres will be highly profitable in the future.
the auditor is certain that Peres’ financial statements have been prepared accurately and
that all account balances are precisely correct.
the auditor has determined that Peres’ management is not qualified to lead the company.
References
Multiple Choice Learning Objective:
01-06 Be able to
describe the basic
financial statement
auditing process and
the phases in which
an audit is carried
out.
Difficulty: 2
Medium
Learning Objective:
01-07 Know what an
audit report is and
understand the
nature of an
unqualified report.
30.
Award: 10.00 points
31.
Award: 10.00 points
Preliminary engagement activities include:
evaluating internal controls.
assessing audit risk at the account balance level.
setting materiality.
performing background checks on top management.
References
Multiple Choice Difficulty: 2 Medium Learning Objective: 01-06 Be able to
describe the basic financial statement
auditing process and the phases in which
an audit is carried out.
The auditor's report is generally addressed to the:
chief operating officer.
securities and exchange commission.
stockholders of the company.
chief financial officer.
References
Multiple Choice Difficulty: 1 Easy Learning Objective: 01-07 Know what an
audit report is and understand the nature
of an unqualified report.
32.
Award: 10.00 points
33.
Award: 10.00 points
An auditor would issue an adverse opinion if:
the auditor encounters adverse attitudes toward the auditor on the part of company
management.
a qualified opinion cannot be given because the auditor is not qualified to do so.
an immaterial misstatement is present.
the financial statements taken as a whole do not fairly present the financial condition and
results of operations of the company.
References
Multiple Choice Difficulty: 2 Medium Learning Objective: 01-07 Know what an
audit report is and understand the nature
of an unqualified report.
Which of the following is true with respect to the auditor’s report?
The report indicates that the company’s financial statements were audited in accordance
with generally accepted accounting standards.
The report indicates that the company’s financial statements were audited in accordance
with applicable auditing standards.
The report indicates that the company’s financial statements were audited in accordance
with the auditor's best judgment.
The report indicates that the company’s financial statements were audited in accordance
with statements issued by the FASB.
References
Multiple Choice Difficulty: 1 Easy Learning Objective: 01-07 Know what an
audit report is and understand the nature
of an unqualified report.
34.
Award: 10.00 points
35.
Award: 10.00 points
Which of the following is not a concept that is included in the audit report in the paragraph on the
auditor’s responsibilities?
The conformance of the financial statements with generally accepted accounting
principles.
The audit was conducted in accordance with applicable auditing standards.
The audit was planned and performed to obtain reasonable, rather than absolute,
assurance.
A description of when misstatements are considered material.
References
Multiple Choice Difficulty: 2 Medium Learning Objective: 01-07 Know what an
audit report is and understand the nature
of an unqualified report.
Which of the following is not a benefit of emerging audit technologies?
automate much of the more tedious work that auditors perform
the potential to dramatically enhance the effectiveness and the value of the external audit
leave more time for auditors to better understand the businesses they are auditing and the
underlying risks related to financial reporting
remove the challenge of junior auditor work and make that work less interesting
References
Multiple Choice Difficulty: 1 Easy Learning Objective: 01-08 Understand
how technology and audit data analytics
are changing audits in exciting ways.
36.
Award: 10.00 points
Information Risk is defined as:
the risk that information conveyed by a company’s management will be false, inaccurate,
or misleading.
the risk that an assertion contains a misstatement, before considering internal controls.
the risk that the auditor has followed appropriate auditing standards and issued a standard
unqualified opinion, and the financial statements contain a material misstatement.
the risk that the internal controls will not prevent or detect a misstatement in the financial
statements.
References
Multiple Choice Difficulty: 2 Medium Learning Objective: 01-02 Understand the
demand for auditing and be able to
explain the desired characteristics of
auditors and audit services.
37.
Award: 10.00 points
The accounting processes of a business involve, among other things, individual transactions,
internal controls, and account balances.
Required:
A. Describe the relationship between internal controls, individual transactions, and account
balances presented in the financial statements.
B. Discuss how evidence regarding each of these three areas can help an auditor determine if the
financial statements are fairly stated.
A. A company implements internal controls as a safeguard to support appropriate capturing and
recording of individual transactions, which are then collected into ending account balances.
Ending account balances are then used to prepare the financial statements. The auditor
expresses an opinion on the financial statements, which are made up of ending account
balances and disclosures.
B. The auditor can obtain evidence from all three areas of the accounting process. For instance, an
auditor can directly test the account balance (e.g., by examining a bank statement reconciliation).
Evidence that represents the auditor’s direct knowledge and is supported by an independent,
knowledge source outside the client is usually the highest-quality but costliest evidence.
Alternatively, the auditor can obtain indirect information by testing the individual transactions that
make up an account balance. If transactions are handled properly, this provides indirect
evidence that the ending balances are more likely to be fairly stated. The least direct method of
obtaining evidence is to evaluate and test the company's internal controls, which are
implemented to ensure that transactions are handled properly. If a company's system of internal
control is effective, transactions are more likely to be handled properly, and thus the ending
balances making up a set of financial statements are more likely to be fairly stated. Auditors
usually collect evidence relating to all three areas: internal control, transactions, and ending
balances.
References
Short Answer Learning Objective:
01-04 Understand
the fundamental
concepts that
underlie financial
statement auditing.
Difficulty: 2
Medium
Learning Objective:
01-06 Be able to
describe the basic
financial statement
auditing process and
the phases in which
an audit is carried
out.
38.
Award: 10.00 points
Sally Thompson’s company, Sally’s Shoes, is a successful shoe retail business with one store. Sally
would like to expand to two locations, but the bank has asked for an independent audit before it will
provide financing. Sally hires her brother-in-law, George Thompson, to perform the audit. George
has experience in auditing non-profit organizations, and he decides to perform the audit the same
way as his other audits. After completing all the steps of the audit process, George issues an
unqualified opinion indicating that he is certain that the company’s financial statements contain no
misstatements. Comment on any potential problems with George’s audit of Sally’s Shoes.
Independence: Because George is Sally’s brother-in-law, he is not considered independent. This
presents a problem, both in the perceived value of the audit and in the actual objectivity of the
audit. That is, George may be intentionally or unintentionally biased towards Sally’s Shoes rather
than its creditors. This would also violate professional standards.
Competence: George’s competence in this audit is also questionable. While George has experience
in auditing, he has no experience or knowledge of retail stores or even for-profit organizations. To
successfully perform an audit, George would need to obtain an understanding of the industry. One
audit should not be performed exactly the same as another—rather, audits should be tailored to the
specific circumstances and risks.
Other: An unqualified audit opinion provides only reasonable assurance, not certainty or “absolute”
assurance. It also provides assurance only with respect to the fairness of the financial statements “in
all material respects;” it does not provide assurance with respect to all misstatements, only material
ones.
References
Short Answer Learning Objective:
01-02 Understand
the demand for
auditing and be able
to explain the
desired
characteristics of
auditors and audit
services.
Difficulty: 3 Hard Learning Objective:
01-06 Be able to
describe the basic
financial statement
auditing process and
the phases in which
an audit is carried
out.
39.
Award: 10.00 points
Explain the relationship between audit, attest and assurance services.
All three services entail the evaluation of evidence to determine the correspondence of some
information to a set of criteria and the issuance of a report to indicate the degree of
correspondence.
Assurance services are independent professional services that improve the quality of information or
its context, for decision makers. Note that assurance services cover both nonfinancial and financial
information. Assurance services can capture information, improve its quality, and enhance its
usefulness for decision makers. The extended reach of this definition allows professionals to report
not only on the reliability and credibility of information but also on the relevance and timeliness of
that information.
Attestation is a type of assurance. Attest services occur when a practitioner is engaged to issue or
does issue a report on subject matter or an assertion about subject matter that is the responsibility
of another party. The practitioner is able to add reliability and credibility to information beyond
traditional financial information. Examples of attest services include financial forecasts and reports
on internal control.
Auditing is a specialized form of an attest service. Auditing is a systematic process of (1) objectively
maintaining and evaluating evidence regarding assertions about economic actions and events to
ascertain the degree of correspondence between those assertions and established criteria and (2)
communicating results to interested users. Examples of audit services include compliance auditing
and audits of financial statements. Auditing is a form of attest services which are a type of assurance
services. However, not all assurance services are audits nor are they all attest services.
References
Short Answer Difficulty: 2 Medium Learning Objective: 01-03 Know the basic
definition of a financial statement audit.
40.
Award: 10.00 points
Define “information asymmetry” and discuss how it plays a role in companies in the context of the
principal-agent model. Include in your discussion how information asymmetry can be reduced.
In the context of financial markets, information asymmetry is the concept that the company’s
management generally has more information about the true financial position and results of
operations of the entity than the absentee owner does. While management of a public company
works as an agent for the stockholders, a conflict of interest is apparent because both sides seek to
maximize their self-interest. This leads to a risk that the manager will not always act in the best
interest of the owner and that the manager may present information in a bias manner to the
absentee owner to present their management efforts in a positive way. Therefore, the owners
attempt to protect themselves through monitoring. Audits provide reasonable assurance that the
information presented by management is fairly stated. The owners are attempting to reduce
information asymmetry by seeking out reliable company information.
References
Short Answer Difficulty: 2 Medium Learning Objective: 01-02 Understand the
demand for auditing and be able to
explain the desired characteristics of
auditors and audit services.
41.
Award: 10.00 points
The textbook presents the concept of auditing using an analogy that involves buying a house and
hiring a house inspector. Name three desirable qualities of a house inspector and discuss how
those qualities apply to an auditor and why those qualities are important for an auditor to possess.
A house inspector should be competent, which means he should possess the required training,
expertise, and experience to evaluate the property for sale. An auditor should also be competent.
An auditor must know the acceptable methods to perform an audit and report an opinion.
Furthermore, the auditor should have or obtain knowledge of the specific industry involved in the
audit so she can appropriately adjust the timing, nature, and extent of auditing procedures.
A house inspector should be objective. He should have no reason to side with the seller; he is
independent of the seller’s influence. In the same way, an auditor should be independent of
management’s influence. Financial statement audits differ from house inspections in that auditing
fees are paid for by the seller instead of the buyer. Because of this, an auditor needs to maintain
independence in fact and appearance to decrease bias towards the company's management and
garner public confidence for the findings.
A house inspector should be honest; he should conduct himself with integrity and share all findings
with the buyer. If an auditor discovers a material misstatement, she is required to report the findings
to management. If nothing is done to rectify the situation and the auditor feels the financial
statements are not fairly presented, she cannot issue an unqualified report.
A house inspector should be skeptical. He will not simply take the seller’s assertions at face value.
He will conduct his own analysis and testing. An auditor, in comparison, should always exercise
professional skepticism. An auditor gathers her own evidence to determine the validity of
management’s assertions.
A house inspector should be responsible and/or liable. He should stand behind his assessment with
a guarantee and/or be subject to litigation if he fails to act with due care. An auditor should always
act with due care. When a firm issues a report, the report is signed with the firm's name to signify
the firm’s responsibility for performing the audit.
References
Short Answer Difficulty: 2 Medium Learning Objective: 01-02 Understand the
demand for auditing and be able to
explain the desired characteristics of
auditors and audit services.
42.
Award: 10.00 points
Provide a brief overview of the financial statement audit process using the terms “assertion,”
“evidence,” and “report.”
The auditor gathers evidence about the business transactions that have occurred (economic activity
and events), account balances that are reported in the financial statements (e.g., by reporting a cash
balance on the balance sheet, management is asserting that the cash exists, and the company has
a right to that cash), and about management (the preparer of the statements). The auditor uses this
evidence to compare the assertions contained in the financial statements to the criteria chosen by
the user. The auditor’s report communicates to the user the degree of correspondence between the
assertions and the criteria.
References
Short Answer Difficulty: 2 Medium Learning Objective: 01-06 Be able to
describe the basic financial statement
auditing process and the phases in which
an audit is carried out.
43.
Award: 10.00 points
You are a new employee at the accounting firm Murray & Murray, CPAs. Before you are assigned to
your first audit, your supervisor tests your knowledge and asks you to explain the term “scope” in
the context of a financial statement audit.
Required:
A. Provide a definition of scope.
B. Describe what influences an auditor's determination of scope.
A. The scope of an audit is the type and amount of audit work to be performed and the financial
statements, including the time periods, being audited.
B. The auditor’s assessments of risk and materiality influence the scope of the audit. For instance, if
an auditor sets a lower materiality amount or would like to substantially reduce audit risk, the
scope of the audit would be increased. In establishing the scope of an audit, the auditor must
make decisions about the nature, extent, and timing of evidence to be gathered in order to
evaluate management’s assertions.
References
Short Answer Difficulty: 1 Easy Learning Objective: 01-06 Be able to
describe the basic financial statement
auditing process and the phases in which
an audit is carried out.
44.
Award: 10.00 points
Why must an auditor assess materiality as part of planning an audit engagement?
An auditor must assess materiality because to find all misstatements would not be cost-efficient, or
even feasible. To search for all misstatements, the auditor would need to examine every transaction.
In addition, relatively minor misstatements may not matter to users. For this reason, when planning
and performing an audit the auditor focuses on misstatements that would affect the users’ decisions
(i.e. material misstatements).
References
Short Answer Learning Objective:
01-04 Understand
the fundamental
concepts that
underlie financial
statement auditing.
Difficulty: 2
Medium
Learning Objective:
01-05 Understand
why sampling is
important in an
audit.
45.
Award: 10.00 points
You are a new staff auditor, and you are auditing a company’s inventory account. Briefly describe
one way you might obtain direct evidence and one way you might obtain indirect evidence that the
inventory account balance is fairly stated.
To obtain direct evidence, an auditor might physically examine and count the items included in the
ending balance of the inventory account. To obtain indirect evidence, an auditor might examine
invoices from suppliers relating to purchases of inventory or test whether the internal controls over
the inventory process were working properly.
References
Short Answer Difficulty: 3 Hard Learning Objective: 01-04 Understand the
fundamental concepts that underlie
financial statement auditing.
46.
Award: 10.00 points
Name and discuss the seven phases of the audit process.
1. Client acceptance/continuance: To minimize the likelihood that an auditor will be associated with
companies who lack integrity, prospective auditors are required to confer with the predecessor
auditor and frequently conduct background checks on top management.
2. Preliminary engagement activities: Preliminary engagement activities include (1) determining the
audit engagement team requirements; (2) ensuring the independence of the audit team and
audit firm; and (3) establishing an understanding with management regarding the services to be
performed and the other terms of the engagement.
3. Plan the audit: The audit team must make a preliminary assessment of materiality and relevant
risks. With those determinations, the audit team can assess risk relating to the likelihood of
material misstatements in the financial statements. Based on these assessments, the auditor
then prepares a written audit plan that sets forth, in reasonable detail, the nature, extent, and
timing of the audit work.
4. Consider and audit internal control: The auditor gains an understanding of internal control to
determine its effectiveness at achieving reliability of financial reporting.
5. Audit business processes and related accounts: The auditor determines and performs individual
audit procedures directed toward specific assertions in the accounts that are likely to be
misstated.
6. Complete the audit: The auditor evaluates the sufficiency of the evidence gathered, assesses
the possibility of contingent liabilities, and searches for any events subsequent to the balance
sheet date that may impact the financial statements.
7. Evaluate results and issue audit report: The auditor reaches a conclusion as to whether or not
the financial statements are fairly stated. If the uncorrected misstatements incorporated into the
financial statements do not cause the statements to be materially misstated, the auditor issues
an unqualified report.
References
Short Answer Difficulty: 2 Medium Learning Objective: 01-06 Be able to
describe the basic financial statement
auditing process and the phases in which
an audit is carried out.
47.
Award: 10.00 points
48.
Award: 10.00 points
A standard, unqualified auditor’s report for a public company contains three sections. Provide a brief
(one or two sentences) description for each section.
The first section, Opinion on the Financial Statements, indicates the name of the company being
audited, the financial statements and time period covered by the report, and the auditor’s opinion
concerning the fairness of financial statements. The second section, Basis for Opinion ,
communicates to the users, in very general terms, what an audit entails and how the audit was
conducted (in accordance with the PCAOB auditing standards). The third section, Critical Audit
Matters, identifies matters arising from the audit that involve especially challenging, subjective, or
complex auditor judgment, and how the auditor responded to those matters.
References
Short Answer Difficulty: 1 Easy Learning Objective: 01-07 Know what an
audit report is and understand the nature
of an unqualified report.
Explain the relationship between sample size and materiality, and between sample size and desired
level of assurance.
The size of a sample is influenced by the materiality and the desired level of assurance for the
account or assertion being examined. There is an inverse relationship between sample size and
materiality (i.e., if materiality increases then sample size decreases) and a direct relationship
between sample size and the desired level of assurance (i.e., if the desired level of assurance
increases then sample size increases).
References
Short Answer Difficulty: 2 Medium Learning Objective: 01-05 Understand
why sampling is important in an audit.
49.
Award: 10.00 points
Other than a financial statement audit, give examples of two other assurance services? How do
these assurance services differ from a financial statement audit?
Services like Consumer Reports, Carfax, and Angie’s List are all examples of Assurance Services.
Assurance services are defined as independent profession services that improve the quality of
information, or its context for decision makers. Consumer Reports sells to consumers information
about products and services based on Consumer Reports’ scientific testing. Carfax generates
reports on used vehicles’ maintenance history and vehicle damage history for used car purchasers.
Angie’s List provides user reviews of home project service providers. The user reviews are verified
by Angie’s List. All of these assurance services differ from an Audit in that Auditing Standards
require auditors to issue an audit report. The Assurance Services listed provide reports, but there is
no government or regulatory body that requires them to do so. When a CPA conducts an assurance
service, she is focused on increasing the quality of the information. A CPA may perform an attest
service such as examining prospective financial information. Also, auditing is defined as a
systematic process of objectively obtaining and evaluating evidence regarding assertions about
economic actions and events (i.e. financial statements) to ascertain the degree of correspondence
between those assertions and established criteria (e.g. US GAAP) and communicating the results
(i.e. audit report). These items are different than the more general definition of an assurance service.
References
Short Answer Difficulty: 2 Medium Learning Objective: 01-03 Know the basic
definition of a financial statement audit.
50.
Award: 10.00 points
The cost of capital can be generally defined as the rate of return expected by a party that provides
capital to a company (e.g. an investor or a creditor). How can a financial statement audit reduce the
cost of capital for a company?
An audit adds credibility to a company’s financial statements. The audit reduces information risk, or
the risk that information circulated by a company’s management will be false or misleading. With
reduced risk of poor information, anyone providing capital will have better information on which to
base their capital decisions. This will lead to a lower cost to the company for obtaining capital.
References
Short Answer Difficulty: 2 Medium Learning Objective: 01-02 Understand the
demand for auditing and be able to
explain the desired characteristics of
auditors and audit services.
Award: 10.00 points
2.
Award: 10.00 points
Auditing focuses on rules, techniques, and computations required to prepare and analyze financial
information.
True
False
References
True / False Difficulty: 1 Easy Learning Objective: 01-01 Understand
why studying auditing can be valuable to
you whether or not you plan to become
an auditor and why it is different from
studying accounting.
Decision makers demand reliable information that is provided by accountants and accounting
information systems.
True
False
References
True / False Difficulty: 1 Easy Learning Objective: 01-02 Understand the
demand for auditing and be able to
explain the desired characteristics of
auditors and audit services.
3.
Award: 10.00 points
4.
Award: 10.00 points
Information asymmetry seldom occurs.
True
False
References
True / False Difficulty: 2 Medium Learning Objective: 01-02 Understand the
demand for auditing and be able to
explain the desired characteristics of
auditors and audit services.
Conflicts of interest often occur between absentee owners (principals) and managers (agents).
True
False
References
True / False Difficulty: 2 Medium Learning Objective: 01-02 Understand the
demand for auditing and be able to
explain the desired characteristics of
auditors and audit services.
5.
Award: 10.00 points
6.
Award: 10.00 points
Auditing services and attestation services are exactly the same thing.
True
False
References
True / False Difficulty: 1 Easy Learning Objective: 01-03 Know the basic
definition of a financial statement audit.
Auditing is a type of attest service.
True
False
References
True / False Difficulty: 1 Easy Learning Objective: 01-03 Know the basic
definition of a financial statement audit.
7.
Award: 10.00 points
8.
Award: 10.00 points
Testing all transactions that occurred during the period is cost prohibitive in the absence of
computer data analytic approaches.
True
False
References
True / False Difficulty: 2 Medium Learning Objective: 01-05 Understand
why sampling is important in an audit.
Why do auditors often use a sampling approach to evidence gathering?
Auditors are experts and do not need to look at much to know whether the financial
statements are correct or not.
Auditors must balance the cost of the audit with the need for precision and for some types
of evidence, computer data analytic approaches can’t be used.
Auditors must limit their exposure to their auditee to maintain independence.
The auditor's relationship with the auditee is generally adversarial, so the auditor will not
have access to all of the financial information of the company.
References
Multiple Choice Difficulty: 1 Easy Learning Objective: 01-05 Understand
why sampling is important in an audit.
9.
Award: 10.00 points
10.
Award: 10.00 points
Which of the following statements best describes a relationship between sample size and other
elements of auditing?
If materiality increases, so will the sample size.
If the desired level of assurance increases, sample sizes can be smaller.
If materiality decreases, sample size will need to increase.
There is no relationship between sample size and materiality or the desired level of
assurance.
References
Multiple Choice Difficulty: 2 Medium Learning Objective: 01-05 Understand
why sampling is important in an audit.
Which of the following statements about the study of auditing is NOT true?
The study of auditing can be valuable to future accountants and business decision makers
whether or not they plan to become auditors.
The study of auditing focuses on learning the analytical and logical skills necessary to
evaluate the relevance and reliability of information.
The study of auditing focuses on learning the rules, techniques, and computations
required to analyze financial statements for making investment recommendations.
The study of auditing begins with the understanding of a coherent logical framework and
techniques useful for gathering and analyzing evidence about others’ assertions.
References
Multiple Choice Difficulty: 2 Medium Learning Objective: 01-01 Understand
why studying auditing can be valuable to
you whether or not you plan to become
an auditor and why it is different from
studying accounting.
11.
Award: 10.00 points
12.
Award: 10.00 points
The basic definition of auditing essentially indicates that, overall, auditing is a process to:
detect fraud.
examine individual transactions so that the auditor may certify as to their validity.
objectively obtain and evaluate evidence regarding assertions made by another party.
assure the consistent application of correct accounting procedures.
References
Multiple Choice Difficulty: 1 Easy Learning Objective: 01-03 Know the basic
definition of a financial statement audit.
Assurance services may improve all of the following except:
relevance.
credibility.
periodicity.
reliability.
References
Multiple Choice Difficulty: 1 Easy Learning Objective: 01-03 Know the basic
definition of a financial statement audit.
13.
Award: 10.00 points
14.
Award: 10.00 points
Evidence is reliable if it:
signals the true state of a management assertion.
applies to the period being audited.
relates to the audit assertion being tested.
is sufficient to justify a conclusion.
References
Multiple Choice Difficulty: 1 Easy Learning Objective: 01-04 Understand the
fundamental concepts that underlie
financial statement auditing.
Which of the following best describes the concept of audit risk?
The risk of the auditor being sued because of association with an auditee.
The risk that the auditor will provide an inappropriate opinion on financial statements that
are, in fact, materially misstated.
The overall risk that a material misstatement exists in the financial statements.
The risk that auditors use audit procedures that are inappropriate.
References
Multiple Choice Difficulty: 2 Medium Learning Objective: 01-04 Understand the
fundamental concepts that underlie
financial statement auditing.
15.
Award: 10.00 points
An auditor who accepts an audit engagement and does not possess expertise with respect to the
business entity’s industry at that point, should:
engage financial experts familiar with the nature of the business entity.
obtain a knowledge of matters that relate to the nature of the entity’s business and the
industry in which it operates.
refer a substantial portion of the audit to another CPA, who will act as the principal auditor.
first inform management that an unqualified opinion cannot be issued.
References
Multiple Choice Learning Objective:
01-06 Be able to
describe the basic
financial statement
auditing process and
the phases in which
an audit is carried
out.
Difficulty: 2
Medium
Learning Objective:
01-09 Understand
why auditing
demands logic,
reasoning, and
resourcefulness.
16.
Award: 10.00 points
17.
Award: 10.00 points
For publicly-held companies, which of the following is integrated with the audit of financial
statements?
budgetary information audit
the audit of internal controls
audit of management forecasts
audit of interim financial statements
References
Multiple Choice Difficulty: 1 Easy Learning Objective: 01-06 Be able to
describe the basic financial statement
auditing process and the phases in which
an audit is carried out.
During the first phase of an audit, a CPA most likely would:
identify specific internal control activities that are likely to prevent fraud.
evaluate the reasonableness of the company’s accounting estimates.
evaluate the integrity of management.
inquire of the company's attorney as to whether any unrecorded claims are probable or
asserted.
References
Multiple Choice Difficulty: 2 Medium Learning Objective: 01-06 Be able to
describe the basic financial statement
auditing process and the phases in which
an audit is carried out.
18.
Award: 10.00 points
19.
Award: 10.00 points
In the context of agency theory, information asymmetry refers to the idea that:
information can vary in its reliability.
information can vary in its relevance.
management has more information about the entity’s true financial results and position
than do the absentee owners (i.e. stockholders).
management likely will not act in the best interests of the absentee owners.
References
Multiple Choice Difficulty: 1 Easy Learning Objective: 01-02 Understand the
demand for auditing and be able to
explain the desired characteristics of
auditors and audit services.
Which of the following best describes why an independent auditor is engaged to express an
opinion on the fair presentation of financial statements?
It is difficult to prepare financial statements that fairly present a company’s financial
position and changes in cash flows without the expertise of an independent auditor.
It is management’s responsibility to seek available independent aid in the appraisal of the
financial information shown in its financial statements.
The opinion of an independent party is needed because a company is not likely to be
considered objective with respect to its own financial statements.
It is a customary courtesy that all stockholders of a company receive an independent
report on management’s stewardship in managing the affairs of the business.
References
Multiple Choice Difficulty: 2 Medium Learning Objective: 01-02 Understand the
demand for auditing and be able to
explain the desired characteristics of
auditors and audit services.
20.
Award: 10.00 points
21.
Award: 10.00 points
Which of the following best describes the fundamental, underlying reason for why there is demand
for an independent auditor to report on financial statements?
A management fraud may exist and it is more likely to be detected by auditors if they are
independent.
Different interests may exist between the company preparing the statements and the
parties using the statements.
A misstatement of account balances may exist and it is the independent auditor’s
responsibility to ensure that financial statements are not misstated.
A poorly designed internal control system may be in place.
References
Multiple Choice Difficulty: 2 Medium Learning Objective: 01-02 Understand the
demand for auditing and be able to
explain the desired characteristics of
auditors and audit services.
Which of the following best describes why publicly-traded companies follow the practice of having
the external auditor appointed by the audit committee and ratified by the stockholders?
to promote an adversarial relationship between the auditor and the corporation’s
management
to comply with requirements set forth by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and to enhance
auditor independence from the management of the corporation
to encourage a policy of rotation of the independent auditors
to give management more leverage over the auditor’s decisions
References
Multiple Choice Difficulty: 2 Medium Learning Objective: 01-02 Understand the
demand for auditing and be able to
explain the desired characteristics of
auditors and audit services.
22.
Award: 10.00 points
23.
Award: 10.00 points
Auditing can be defined as a “systematic process of objectively obtaining and evaluating evidence
regarding assertions...” What is meant by “systematic process” in this definition?
All audits involve obtaining the same evidence.
All audits involve evaluating evidence in the same manner.
There should be a well-planned approach for obtaining and evaluating evidence that is
relevant and reliable for each particular audit engagement.
All assertions are equally important for all audits.
References
Multiple Choice Difficulty: 2 Medium Learning Objective: 01-03 Know the basic
definition of a financial statement audit.
Which of the following would best be described as an assurance service?
preparing a report representing a client’s position during an IRS audit
working with a company to develop a more efficient method of processing financial
transactions
offering an opinion concerning the validity of statements made on an entity’s website
relating to its online privacy policies
assisting a company in identifying potential sources of capital for potential acquisitions
References
Multiple Choice Difficulty: 2 Medium Learning Objective: 01-03 Know the basic
definition of a financial statement audit.
24.
Award: 10.00 points
25.
Award: 10.00 points
Which of the following statements is not true with respect to assurance, attest, and audit services?
These services are applied only to financial statements and financial statement accounts.
These services all involve obtaining and evaluating evidence.
These services all involve determining the correspondence of some information to a set of
criteria.
These services all involve issuing a report.
References
Multiple Choice Difficulty: 2 Medium Learning Objective: 01-03 Know the basic
definition of a financial statement audit.
Auditors are most likely to use the most rigorous audit procedures to examine:
routine transactions.
management assertions that are deemed to be of low risk in a particular engagement.
only the rights and obligations assertion.
management assertions that are deemed to be of high risk in a particular engagement.
References
Multiple Choice Difficulty: 2 Medium Learning Objective: 01-04 Understand the
fundamental concepts that underlie
financial statement auditing.
26.
Award: 10.00 points
When obtaining an understanding of the entity and its environment, the auditor should obtain an
understanding of internal controls primarily to:
identify areas of relatively high risk of misstatement and plan the audit accordingly.
provide suggestions for improvement to the company.
serve as a basis for setting audit risk and materiality.
decide whether to perform an audit for the company.
References
Multiple Choice Learning Objective:
01-04 Understand
the fundamental
concepts that
underlie financial
statement auditing.
Difficulty: 2
Medium
Learning Objective:
01-06 Be able to
describe the basic
financial statement
auditing process and
the phases in which
an audit is carried
out.
27.
Award: 10.00 points
28.
Award: 10.00 points
Which one of the following statements best describes the concept of materiality?
Materiality is determined by reference to specific quantitative guidelines established by
the AICPA.
Materiality depends only on the dollar amount of an item relative to other items in the
financial statements.
Materiality depends on the nature of an item but not on the dollar amount of the item.
Materiality is largely a matter of professional judgment and reflects both quantitative and
qualitative considerations.
References
Multiple Choice Difficulty: 2 Medium Learning Objective: 01-04 Understand the
fundamental concepts that underlie
financial statement auditing.
Before accepting an engagement to audit a new entity, an auditor is required to:
make inquiries of the predecessor auditor.
tell the company whether or not the auditor is willing to issue a “clean” opinion.
prepare a memorandum setting forth the staffing requirements and documenting the
preliminary audit plan.
become a member of the entity’s board of directors.
References
Multiple Choice Difficulty: 2 Medium Learning Objective: 01-06 Be able to
describe the basic financial statement
auditing process and the phases in which
an audit is carried out.
29.
Award: 10.00 points
An investor is reading the financial statements of the Peres Corporation and observes that the
statements are accompanied by an auditor’s unqualified report. From this, the investor may
conclude that:
any disputes over whether Peres’ financial statements are fairly stated in accordance with
GAAP have been settled to the auditor's satisfaction.
the auditor is satisfied that Peres will be highly profitable in the future.
the auditor is certain that Peres’ financial statements have been prepared accurately and
that all account balances are precisely correct.
the auditor has determined that Peres’ management is not qualified to lead the company.
References
Multiple Choice Learning Objective:
01-06 Be able to
describe the basic
financial statement
auditing process and
the phases in which
an audit is carried
out.
Difficulty: 2
Medium
Learning Objective:
01-07 Know what an
audit report is and
understand the
nature of an
unqualified report.
30.
Award: 10.00 points
31.
Award: 10.00 points
Preliminary engagement activities include:
evaluating internal controls.
assessing audit risk at the account balance level.
setting materiality.
performing background checks on top management.
References
Multiple Choice Difficulty: 2 Medium Learning Objective: 01-06 Be able to
describe the basic financial statement
auditing process and the phases in which
an audit is carried out.
The auditor's report is generally addressed to the:
chief operating officer.
securities and exchange commission.
stockholders of the company.
chief financial officer.
References
Multiple Choice Difficulty: 1 Easy Learning Objective: 01-07 Know what an
audit report is and understand the nature
of an unqualified report.
32.
Award: 10.00 points
33.
Award: 10.00 points
An auditor would issue an adverse opinion if:
the auditor encounters adverse attitudes toward the auditor on the part of company
management.
a qualified opinion cannot be given because the auditor is not qualified to do so.
an immaterial misstatement is present.
the financial statements taken as a whole do not fairly present the financial condition and
results of operations of the company.
References
Multiple Choice Difficulty: 2 Medium Learning Objective: 01-07 Know what an
audit report is and understand the nature
of an unqualified report.
Which of the following is true with respect to the auditor’s report?
The report indicates that the company’s financial statements were audited in accordance
with generally accepted accounting standards.
The report indicates that the company’s financial statements were audited in accordance
with applicable auditing standards.
The report indicates that the company’s financial statements were audited in accordance
with the auditor's best judgment.
The report indicates that the company’s financial statements were audited in accordance
with statements issued by the FASB.
References
Multiple Choice Difficulty: 1 Easy Learning Objective: 01-07 Know what an
audit report is and understand the nature
of an unqualified report.
34.
Award: 10.00 points
35.
Award: 10.00 points
Which of the following is not a concept that is included in the audit report in the paragraph on the
auditor’s responsibilities?
The conformance of the financial statements with generally accepted accounting
principles.
The audit was conducted in accordance with applicable auditing standards.
The audit was planned and performed to obtain reasonable, rather than absolute,
assurance.
A description of when misstatements are considered material.
References
Multiple Choice Difficulty: 2 Medium Learning Objective: 01-07 Know what an
audit report is and understand the nature
of an unqualified report.
Which of the following is not a benefit of emerging audit technologies?
automate much of the more tedious work that auditors perform
the potential to dramatically enhance the effectiveness and the value of the external audit
leave more time for auditors to better understand the businesses they are auditing and the
underlying risks related to financial reporting
remove the challenge of junior auditor work and make that work less interesting
References
Multiple Choice Difficulty: 1 Easy Learning Objective: 01-08 Understand
how technology and audit data analytics
are changing audits in exciting ways.
36.
Award: 10.00 points
Information Risk is defined as:
the risk that information conveyed by a company’s management will be false, inaccurate,
or misleading.
the risk that an assertion contains a misstatement, before considering internal controls.
the risk that the auditor has followed appropriate auditing standards and issued a standard
unqualified opinion, and the financial statements contain a material misstatement.
the risk that the internal controls will not prevent or detect a misstatement in the financial
statements.
References
Multiple Choice Difficulty: 2 Medium Learning Objective: 01-02 Understand the
demand for auditing and be able to
explain the desired characteristics of
auditors and audit services.
37.
Award: 10.00 points
The accounting processes of a business involve, among other things, individual transactions,
internal controls, and account balances.
Required:
A. Describe the relationship between internal controls, individual transactions, and account
balances presented in the financial statements.
B. Discuss how evidence regarding each of these three areas can help an auditor determine if the
financial statements are fairly stated.
A. A company implements internal controls as a safeguard to support appropriate capturing and
recording of individual transactions, which are then collected into ending account balances.
Ending account balances are then used to prepare the financial statements. The auditor
expresses an opinion on the financial statements, which are made up of ending account
balances and disclosures.
B. The auditor can obtain evidence from all three areas of the accounting process. For instance, an
auditor can directly test the account balance (e.g., by examining a bank statement reconciliation).
Evidence that represents the auditor’s direct knowledge and is supported by an independent,
knowledge source outside the client is usually the highest-quality but costliest evidence.
Alternatively, the auditor can obtain indirect information by testing the individual transactions that
make up an account balance. If transactions are handled properly, this provides indirect
evidence that the ending balances are more likely to be fairly stated. The least direct method of
obtaining evidence is to evaluate and test the company's internal controls, which are
implemented to ensure that transactions are handled properly. If a company's system of internal
control is effective, transactions are more likely to be handled properly, and thus the ending
balances making up a set of financial statements are more likely to be fairly stated. Auditors
usually collect evidence relating to all three areas: internal control, transactions, and ending
balances.
References
Short Answer Learning Objective:
01-04 Understand
the fundamental
concepts that
underlie financial
statement auditing.
Difficulty: 2
Medium
Learning Objective:
01-06 Be able to
describe the basic
financial statement
auditing process and
the phases in which
an audit is carried
out.
38.
Award: 10.00 points
Sally Thompson’s company, Sally’s Shoes, is a successful shoe retail business with one store. Sally
would like to expand to two locations, but the bank has asked for an independent audit before it will
provide financing. Sally hires her brother-in-law, George Thompson, to perform the audit. George
has experience in auditing non-profit organizations, and he decides to perform the audit the same
way as his other audits. After completing all the steps of the audit process, George issues an
unqualified opinion indicating that he is certain that the company’s financial statements contain no
misstatements. Comment on any potential problems with George’s audit of Sally’s Shoes.
Independence: Because George is Sally’s brother-in-law, he is not considered independent. This
presents a problem, both in the perceived value of the audit and in the actual objectivity of the
audit. That is, George may be intentionally or unintentionally biased towards Sally’s Shoes rather
than its creditors. This would also violate professional standards.
Competence: George’s competence in this audit is also questionable. While George has experience
in auditing, he has no experience or knowledge of retail stores or even for-profit organizations. To
successfully perform an audit, George would need to obtain an understanding of the industry. One
audit should not be performed exactly the same as another—rather, audits should be tailored to the
specific circumstances and risks.
Other: An unqualified audit opinion provides only reasonable assurance, not certainty or “absolute”
assurance. It also provides assurance only with respect to the fairness of the financial statements “in
all material respects;” it does not provide assurance with respect to all misstatements, only material
ones.
References
Short Answer Learning Objective:
01-02 Understand
the demand for
auditing and be able
to explain the
desired
characteristics of
auditors and audit
services.
Difficulty: 3 Hard Learning Objective:
01-06 Be able to
describe the basic
financial statement
auditing process and
the phases in which
an audit is carried
out.
39.
Award: 10.00 points
Explain the relationship between audit, attest and assurance services.
All three services entail the evaluation of evidence to determine the correspondence of some
information to a set of criteria and the issuance of a report to indicate the degree of
correspondence.
Assurance services are independent professional services that improve the quality of information or
its context, for decision makers. Note that assurance services cover both nonfinancial and financial
information. Assurance services can capture information, improve its quality, and enhance its
usefulness for decision makers. The extended reach of this definition allows professionals to report
not only on the reliability and credibility of information but also on the relevance and timeliness of
that information.
Attestation is a type of assurance. Attest services occur when a practitioner is engaged to issue or
does issue a report on subject matter or an assertion about subject matter that is the responsibility
of another party. The practitioner is able to add reliability and credibility to information beyond
traditional financial information. Examples of attest services include financial forecasts and reports
on internal control.
Auditing is a specialized form of an attest service. Auditing is a systematic process of (1) objectively
maintaining and evaluating evidence regarding assertions about economic actions and events to
ascertain the degree of correspondence between those assertions and established criteria and (2)
communicating results to interested users. Examples of audit services include compliance auditing
and audits of financial statements. Auditing is a form of attest services which are a type of assurance
services. However, not all assurance services are audits nor are they all attest services.
References
Short Answer Difficulty: 2 Medium Learning Objective: 01-03 Know the basic
definition of a financial statement audit.
40.
Award: 10.00 points
Define “information asymmetry” and discuss how it plays a role in companies in the context of the
principal-agent model. Include in your discussion how information asymmetry can be reduced.
In the context of financial markets, information asymmetry is the concept that the company’s
management generally has more information about the true financial position and results of
operations of the entity than the absentee owner does. While management of a public company
works as an agent for the stockholders, a conflict of interest is apparent because both sides seek to
maximize their self-interest. This leads to a risk that the manager will not always act in the best
interest of the owner and that the manager may present information in a bias manner to the
absentee owner to present their management efforts in a positive way. Therefore, the owners
attempt to protect themselves through monitoring. Audits provide reasonable assurance that the
information presented by management is fairly stated. The owners are attempting to reduce
information asymmetry by seeking out reliable company information.
References
Short Answer Difficulty: 2 Medium Learning Objective: 01-02 Understand the
demand for auditing and be able to
explain the desired characteristics of
auditors and audit services.
41.
Award: 10.00 points
The textbook presents the concept of auditing using an analogy that involves buying a house and
hiring a house inspector. Name three desirable qualities of a house inspector and discuss how
those qualities apply to an auditor and why those qualities are important for an auditor to possess.
A house inspector should be competent, which means he should possess the required training,
expertise, and experience to evaluate the property for sale. An auditor should also be competent.
An auditor must know the acceptable methods to perform an audit and report an opinion.
Furthermore, the auditor should have or obtain knowledge of the specific industry involved in the
audit so she can appropriately adjust the timing, nature, and extent of auditing procedures.
A house inspector should be objective. He should have no reason to side with the seller; he is
independent of the seller’s influence. In the same way, an auditor should be independent of
management’s influence. Financial statement audits differ from house inspections in that auditing
fees are paid for by the seller instead of the buyer. Because of this, an auditor needs to maintain
independence in fact and appearance to decrease bias towards the company's management and
garner public confidence for the findings.
A house inspector should be honest; he should conduct himself with integrity and share all findings
with the buyer. If an auditor discovers a material misstatement, she is required to report the findings
to management. If nothing is done to rectify the situation and the auditor feels the financial
statements are not fairly presented, she cannot issue an unqualified report.
A house inspector should be skeptical. He will not simply take the seller’s assertions at face value.
He will conduct his own analysis and testing. An auditor, in comparison, should always exercise
professional skepticism. An auditor gathers her own evidence to determine the validity of
management’s assertions.
A house inspector should be responsible and/or liable. He should stand behind his assessment with
a guarantee and/or be subject to litigation if he fails to act with due care. An auditor should always
act with due care. When a firm issues a report, the report is signed with the firm's name to signify
the firm’s responsibility for performing the audit.
References
Short Answer Difficulty: 2 Medium Learning Objective: 01-02 Understand the
demand for auditing and be able to
explain the desired characteristics of
auditors and audit services.
42.
Award: 10.00 points
Provide a brief overview of the financial statement audit process using the terms “assertion,”
“evidence,” and “report.”
The auditor gathers evidence about the business transactions that have occurred (economic activity
and events), account balances that are reported in the financial statements (e.g., by reporting a cash
balance on the balance sheet, management is asserting that the cash exists, and the company has
a right to that cash), and about management (the preparer of the statements). The auditor uses this
evidence to compare the assertions contained in the financial statements to the criteria chosen by
the user. The auditor’s report communicates to the user the degree of correspondence between the
assertions and the criteria.
References
Short Answer Difficulty: 2 Medium Learning Objective: 01-06 Be able to
describe the basic financial statement
auditing process and the phases in which
an audit is carried out.
43.
Award: 10.00 points
You are a new employee at the accounting firm Murray & Murray, CPAs. Before you are assigned to
your first audit, your supervisor tests your knowledge and asks you to explain the term “scope” in
the context of a financial statement audit.
Required:
A. Provide a definition of scope.
B. Describe what influences an auditor's determination of scope.
A. The scope of an audit is the type and amount of audit work to be performed and the financial
statements, including the time periods, being audited.
B. The auditor’s assessments of risk and materiality influence the scope of the audit. For instance, if
an auditor sets a lower materiality amount or would like to substantially reduce audit risk, the
scope of the audit would be increased. In establishing the scope of an audit, the auditor must
make decisions about the nature, extent, and timing of evidence to be gathered in order to
evaluate management’s assertions.
References
Short Answer Difficulty: 1 Easy Learning Objective: 01-06 Be able to
describe the basic financial statement
auditing process and the phases in which
an audit is carried out.
44.
Award: 10.00 points
Why must an auditor assess materiality as part of planning an audit engagement?
An auditor must assess materiality because to find all misstatements would not be cost-efficient, or
even feasible. To search for all misstatements, the auditor would need to examine every transaction.
In addition, relatively minor misstatements may not matter to users. For this reason, when planning
and performing an audit the auditor focuses on misstatements that would affect the users’ decisions
(i.e. material misstatements).
References
Short Answer Learning Objective:
01-04 Understand
the fundamental
concepts that
underlie financial
statement auditing.
Difficulty: 2
Medium
Learning Objective:
01-05 Understand
why sampling is
important in an
audit.
45.
Award: 10.00 points
You are a new staff auditor, and you are auditing a company’s inventory account. Briefly describe
one way you might obtain direct evidence and one way you might obtain indirect evidence that the
inventory account balance is fairly stated.
To obtain direct evidence, an auditor might physically examine and count the items included in the
ending balance of the inventory account. To obtain indirect evidence, an auditor might examine
invoices from suppliers relating to purchases of inventory or test whether the internal controls over
the inventory process were working properly.
References
Short Answer Difficulty: 3 Hard Learning Objective: 01-04 Understand the
fundamental concepts that underlie
financial statement auditing.
46.
Award: 10.00 points
Name and discuss the seven phases of the audit process.
1. Client acceptance/continuance: To minimize the likelihood that an auditor will be associated with
companies who lack integrity, prospective auditors are required to confer with the predecessor
auditor and frequently conduct background checks on top management.
2. Preliminary engagement activities: Preliminary engagement activities include (1) determining the
audit engagement team requirements; (2) ensuring the independence of the audit team and
audit firm; and (3) establishing an understanding with management regarding the services to be
performed and the other terms of the engagement.
3. Plan the audit: The audit team must make a preliminary assessment of materiality and relevant
risks. With those determinations, the audit team can assess risk relating to the likelihood of
material misstatements in the financial statements. Based on these assessments, the auditor
then prepares a written audit plan that sets forth, in reasonable detail, the nature, extent, and
timing of the audit work.
4. Consider and audit internal control: The auditor gains an understanding of internal control to
determine its effectiveness at achieving reliability of financial reporting.
5. Audit business processes and related accounts: The auditor determines and performs individual
audit procedures directed toward specific assertions in the accounts that are likely to be
misstated.
6. Complete the audit: The auditor evaluates the sufficiency of the evidence gathered, assesses
the possibility of contingent liabilities, and searches for any events subsequent to the balance
sheet date that may impact the financial statements.
7. Evaluate results and issue audit report: The auditor reaches a conclusion as to whether or not
the financial statements are fairly stated. If the uncorrected misstatements incorporated into the
financial statements do not cause the statements to be materially misstated, the auditor issues
an unqualified report.
References
Short Answer Difficulty: 2 Medium Learning Objective: 01-06 Be able to
describe the basic financial statement
auditing process and the phases in which
an audit is carried out.
47.
Award: 10.00 points
48.
Award: 10.00 points
A standard, unqualified auditor’s report for a public company contains three sections. Provide a brief
(one or two sentences) description for each section.
The first section, Opinion on the Financial Statements, indicates the name of the company being
audited, the financial statements and time period covered by the report, and the auditor’s opinion
concerning the fairness of financial statements. The second section, Basis for Opinion ,
communicates to the users, in very general terms, what an audit entails and how the audit was
conducted (in accordance with the PCAOB auditing standards). The third section, Critical Audit
Matters, identifies matters arising from the audit that involve especially challenging, subjective, or
complex auditor judgment, and how the auditor responded to those matters.
References
Short Answer Difficulty: 1 Easy Learning Objective: 01-07 Know what an
audit report is and understand the nature
of an unqualified report.
Explain the relationship between sample size and materiality, and between sample size and desired
level of assurance.
The size of a sample is influenced by the materiality and the desired level of assurance for the
account or assertion being examined. There is an inverse relationship between sample size and
materiality (i.e., if materiality increases then sample size decreases) and a direct relationship
between sample size and the desired level of assurance (i.e., if the desired level of assurance
increases then sample size increases).
References
Short Answer Difficulty: 2 Medium Learning Objective: 01-05 Understand
why sampling is important in an audit.
49.
Award: 10.00 points
Other than a financial statement audit, give examples of two other assurance services? How do
these assurance services differ from a financial statement audit?
Services like Consumer Reports, Carfax, and Angie’s List are all examples of Assurance Services.
Assurance services are defined as independent profession services that improve the quality of
information, or its context for decision makers. Consumer Reports sells to consumers information
about products and services based on Consumer Reports’ scientific testing. Carfax generates
reports on used vehicles’ maintenance history and vehicle damage history for used car purchasers.
Angie’s List provides user reviews of home project service providers. The user reviews are verified
by Angie’s List. All of these assurance services differ from an Audit in that Auditing Standards
require auditors to issue an audit report. The Assurance Services listed provide reports, but there is
no government or regulatory body that requires them to do so. When a CPA conducts an assurance
service, she is focused on increasing the quality of the information. A CPA may perform an attest
service such as examining prospective financial information. Also, auditing is defined as a
systematic process of objectively obtaining and evaluating evidence regarding assertions about
economic actions and events (i.e. financial statements) to ascertain the degree of correspondence
between those assertions and established criteria (e.g. US GAAP) and communicating the results
(i.e. audit report). These items are different than the more general definition of an assurance service.
References
Short Answer Difficulty: 2 Medium Learning Objective: 01-03 Know the basic
definition of a financial statement audit.
50.
Award: 10.00 points
The cost of capital can be generally defined as the rate of return expected by a party that provides
capital to a company (e.g. an investor or a creditor). How can a financial statement audit reduce the
cost of capital for a company?
An audit adds credibility to a company’s financial statements. The audit reduces information risk, or
the risk that information circulated by a company’s management will be false or misleading. With
reduced risk of poor information, anyone providing capital will have better information on which to
base their capital decisions. This will lead to a lower cost to the company for obtaining capital.
References
Short Answer Difficulty: 2 Medium Learning Objective: 01-02 Understand the
demand for auditing and be able to
explain the desired characteristics of
auditors and audit services.