This 2-hour session is designed to provide participants with a solid understanding of the important judgment calls that are made before the audit engagement even begins. While these decisions are made by the audit partner/manager, the impact of these conclusions has a direct impact on the entire engagement team.

Professional judgment calls at this early stage influence the auditor’s assessed risk of material misstatement (i.e., “what could go wrong” in the client’s financial statements due to fraud or error). In addition, safeguards to protect and preserve threats to independence and objectivity are designed at this stage of the audit.

This 2-hour session focuses on the initial information that is gathered and important conclusions that are reached at the on-set of engagement planning and the performance of certain risk assessment procedures. This phase of the engagement sets the stage for how much effort will be invested in evaluating the design and implementation of internal controls (which is covered in Session 3 of this series).

Key professional judgments made at this stage provide the foundation and rationale for risk assessment conclusions that are ultimately used to design the nature, timing and extent of further audit procedures (which is covered in Session 4 of this series). One of the most important learning points that participants will take away from this session will be the recognition that these preliminary activities are not just “check off the box” tasks, but are critical to early judgment calls about risk of material misstatement, which directly influences the audit effectiveness and efficiency.

This 2-hour session focuses on important internal control considerations. This includes both evaluating the design and implementation of internal controls, which is required on all engagements. It also includes testing controls for operating effectiveness, which should be considered as part of the risk assessment procedures.

This area is one of the most commonly misunderstood and misapplied aspects of the audit process, particularly given the recent significant changes in auditing standards. Inappropriate or inadequate judgment calls made at this stage of the engagement could have the greatest impact on financial statement audit effectiveness and efficiency. Missteps in this area also have the greatest likelihood of being identified as deficiencies in peer or regulatory review.

This 2-hour session focuses on how to appropriately identify, evaluate, document and respond to risks of material misstatement due to either fraud or error in order to effectively and efficiently design the nature, timing and extent of further audit procedures (tests of controls for operating effectiveness and substantive audit procedures).

This 2-hour session focuses on performing the substantive audit procedures outlined in the detailed audit plan. Common deficiencies in performing and documenting these further audit procedures will be discussed.

This 2-hour session focuses on all activities that occur during the wrap-up phase of the engagement. This aspect of an audit engagement is where all good intentions are at risk of unraveling and creating deficiencies in audit quality and compliance with professional and regulatory standards.

This 2-hour session focuses on how to properly fulfill the requirements for identifying, evaluating and communicating internal control deficiencies identified during the course of the financial statement audit.

This 2-hour session emphasizes the key activities that ensure that appropriate quality control procedures were performed on the financial statement audit.