Performing Effective and Efficient Audit Sampling and Analytical Procedures

Overview

When performing an audit, an auditor bases their opinion about whether the financial statements are free from material misstatement on a variety of tests on the underlying account balances and classes of transactions. Some balances, such as debt or cash, may be tested 100 percent, but more commonly the auditor will use sampling to test a subset of the population to obtain sufficient evidence to support the opinion. The auditor will also use sampling when testing control activities to conclude on the effectiveness of the controls. For other account balances and transactions, auditors may choose to perform analytical procedures as substantive tests instead of, or alongside, sampling techniques. It is important to properly design and perform analytical procedures to ensure an effective and efficient audit engagement. This course will provide detailed guidance and methods for performing these analytical techniques and explore the different sampling applications used in a financial statement/compliance audit.

Objectives

Discuss the professional requirements related to sampling applications

Differentiate attribute testing for tests of controls or compliance from variable sampling for substantive testing

Explain special considerations related to internal control and compliance testing in a Single or Program-Specific Audit

Performing effective preliminary analytical procedures in the risk assessment process

Performing a final overall analysis to assess the conclusions reached during the audit and evaluate the overall financial statement presentation Planning and performing effective and efficient substantive analytical procedures

Concluding on analytical procedures

Highlights

Types of sampling and sampling risk

Attribute testing for tests of controls and compliance

Variable sampling for substantive assurance

Differentiating statistical and nonstatistical sampling approaches

Determining sample sizes in a compliance audit

Preliminary analytical procedures as risk assessment procedures

Performing final analytical procedures to assess the conclusions reached during the audit and evaluate the overall financial statement presentation

When to use substantive analytical procedures for efficiency and effectiveness

Establishing expectations for substantive analytical procedures

Setting a threshold for differences

Following up on differences from expectations

Concluding on substantive analytical procedures

Designed For

Auditors of all levels

Prerequisites

Prior experience on private or public company audit engagements

Preparation

None

Notice

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