Deck 1: Introduction to Auditing

Question 1

Internal auditing is an independent activity designed to add value and improve an organization's operations.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

The primary role and responsibility of independent external auditors is to

A)Prepare a company's annual financial statements and notes.
B)Perform an audit and provide an opinion on the financial statements of a company.
C)Provide business consulting advice to audit clients.
D)Obtain an understanding of a client's internal control system and prepare a report for management about control weaknesses.

Answer 2

B

Question 3

The auditee is the person or company:

A)who will use the audited information.
B)who performs an audit.
C)who pays the audit fee.
D)whose information is being audited.

Answer 3

D

Question 4

Business risk is the risk that the financial statements do not reflect the economic substance of business activities.

Question 5

Which of the following best describes the main reason that independent auditors report on a company's financial statements?

A)Management fraud may exist within the company and it is likely that the independent auditors will detect it.
B)Users of financial need confidence in the numbers they base their decisions on.
C)Misstated account balances may be corrected as the result of the independent audit work.
D)The accounting system from which the financial statements are derived may have a poorly designed system of internal control.

Question 6

The underlying conditions that create demand by users for reliable financial information include the fact that

A)More reliable information will allow investors to calculate the rate of return on their investment.
B)Users are separated from accounting records by distance and time.
C)Governments rely on such information to create tax policies.
D)There is a need for the expression of an opinion as to the fairness of financial statements.

Question 7

The three underlying conditions affecting users' demand for accounting information are complexity, reliability, and completeness.

Question 8

The failure of Enron and WorldCom in the U.S.raised questions about the audit profession and as a result auditing is likely to become less important in society.

Question 9

Self regulation as applied to the auditing profession means:

A)The profession advises the government on the laws which should be applied to the profession.
B)The profession is solely responsible for disciplining any member found to be engaged in wrong doing.
C)The profession establishes the rules that govern audit practice and monitors compliance with these rules.
D)The profession exists to protect the best interests of its members and not the best interests of the public.

Question 10

A prospectus is the information, including financial information, about a firm that accompanies any new issuance of shares in a regulated securities market.

Question 11

The risk that financial statements may be materially false and misleading is called

A)Business risk.
B)Information risk.
C)Client risk.
D)Risk assessment.

Question 12

The concept of three-party accountability means that the auditor is expected to act in the interests of the party paying the audit fee.

Question 13

The role of the auditor is to satisfy users' demand for reliable information.

Question 14

Reducing information risk means the same as:

A)Serving the public interest.
B)Monitoring economic activities.
C)Improving the credibility of information.
D)Ensuring generally accepted accounting principles are used to measure profit.

Question 15

A material misstatement is one that would affect a user's decision making.

Question 16

The assurance function involves the lending of credibility to financial information.

Question 17

The CICA's policy is to adopt ISAs as is, unless there is already a Canadian standard dealing with the same topic.

Question 18

Value-for-money audits include testing of compliance with laws and regulations.

Question 19

Professional judgment is a widely used concept in accounting and auditing.How is it defined in the audit standards?

A)There is no definition of professional judgment in the auditing standards.
B)Professional judgment includes consideration of key principles and concepts of disciplines underlying the professional standards, such as economics, psychology, law, finance, statistics and philosophy.
C)Professional judgement means reaching a complex decision by incorporating auditing standards, accounting standards, and rules of professional ethics in a coherent manner.
D)Professional judgement involves specialized concepts and language integrating several disciplines in order to provide appropriate justification for audit decisions.

Question 20

One of the main impacts on auditors of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act is to decrease the responsibilities of the audit committee in an organization.

Question 21

Why is three-party accountability an important distinguishing feature of auditing?

Question 22

What is one of the factors mentioned that is driving the international harmonization of auditing standards?

A)Increased ownership of Canadian companies by companies outside North America.
B)Increased overseas investment by Canadians.
C)Improved living standards throughout the world.
D)Technological change permitting world wide trading in financial securities.

Question 23

SOX's has had consequences for many areas of corporate activities, including the following impact on the work of the auditor:

A)The auditor is now required to report all fraudulent activities it uncovers directly to the
B)The auditor is specifically required to evaluate the internal controls used by management to prepare financial information.
C)The auditor is must monitor how well management is carrying out its financial reporting responsibilities.
D)The auditor must prepare a report verifying the information in the financial statements.

Question 24

Describe the Sarbanes-Oxley Act.

Question 25

Why is it important to Canadian auditors to understand the rules of the Security and
Exchange Commission?

A)Many Canadian companies are finding it cheaper to raise money on U.S.stock exchanges.
B)Canadian investors think these rules apply to Canadian companies.
C)The Free Trade Act requires Canadian companies to follow U.S.rules.
D)There is no similar body in Canada regulating the stock markets.

Question 26

What is information risk?

Question 27

Discuss the underlying conditions affecting users' demand for accounting information.

Question 28

What is the difference between the American Accounting Association's (AAA) definition of auditing and the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants (CICA) objectives of financial statement auditing?

Question 29

On which of the following reasons do many people blame for the profession's problems in the post-Enron world?

A)Inadequate training of professional accountants.
B)The lack of focus on fraud investigation by external auditors.
C)A lack of independence between audit services and non-audit services provided to the same client.
D)New stock trading technology causing major swings in the capital markets.

Question 30

In operational auditing, the auditor studies business operations and makes recommendations about all of the following except

A)Economic and efficient use of resources.
B)Effective achievement of business objectives.
C)The fairness of the financial statements.
D)Compliance with company policies.

Question 31

An example of a forensic accounting assignment might be:

A)To ensure compliance with specific legislation.
B)To provide an opinion about the effectiveness of a government program.
C)To provide assurance about the fairness of prospective financial information included in an initial public offering document.
D)To estimate the value of inventory lost in a warehouse fire.

Question 32

Auditors on staff in the Office of the Auditor General (OAG) are considered to be external auditors with respect to the government agencies they audit because the OAG is

A)Organizationally independent.
B)The accounting and auditing agency of the Canadian Senate.
C)Funded by the federal government.
D)Guided by standards similar to GAAS.

Question 33

In addition to the audit of financial statements, governmental auditing may also include audits of efficiency, effectiveness and

A)Fraud.
B)Accuracy.
C)Economy.
D)Adequacy.