Fundamentals of Assurance Engagements [REDSIRUG] Flashcards
These are independent professional services that improve the quality of information for decision-making.
a. Management consultancy
b. Audit services
c. Assurance services
d. Attestation services
C
Which of the following statements best describes assurance services?
a. Independent professional services designed to express an opinion on the fairness of historical financial statements based on the results of an audit.
b. Services that requires the preparation of financial statements or the collection, classification, and summarization of other financial information.
c. Independent professional services that are intended to enhance the credibility of information to meet the needs of an intended user.
d. Independent professional services designed for the improvement of operations, resulting in better outcomes.
C
Which of the following best describes the objective of an assurance engagement?
a. To compare the company’s information and policies to those of other entities.
b. To improve the company’s outcomes.
c. To enhance the credibility of information in order to improve the likelihood that the information will meet the needs of an intended user.
d. None of the above.
C
The degree of certainty that the practitioner has attained and wishes to convey is:
a. A conveyance.
b. An assertion.
c. A declaration.
d. An assurance.
D
What level of assurance is provided by the auditor in an audit engagement?
a. Positive level of assurance
b. High, but not absolute, level of assurance
c. Moderate assurance
d. High level of assurance
B
The level of assurance provided by an audit of detecting a material misstatement is referred to as:
a. Positive assurance.
b. High assurance.
c. Reasonable assurance.
d. Negative assurance.
C
Of the following, which is the broadest concept?
a. Internal control audit.
b. Audit of financial statements.
c. Attestation services.
d. Assurance services.
D
In performing attestation services, a CPA will normally:
a. Recommend uses for information.
b. Improve the quality of information, or its context, for decision makers.
c. Perform market analyses and cost estimates.
d. States a conclusion about a written assertion.
D
Which of the following is the single feature that most clearly distinguishes auditing, attestation, and assurance:
a. CPA’s approach to the service.
b. Type of service.
c. Scope of services.
d. Training necessary to perform the service.
C
Which of the following services provides the highest level of assurance to third parties about a company’s financial statements?
a. Audit.
b. Review.
c. Compilation.
d. Each of the above provides the same level of assurance.
A
For assurance engagements regarding historical financial information, reasonable assurance engagements are called:
a. Review engagements.
b. Audit engagements.
c. Compilation engagements.
d. Agreed-upon procedures engagements.
B
In some assurance engagements, the evaluation or measurement of the subject matter is performed by the responsible party, and the subject matter information is in the form of an assertion by the responsible party that is made available to intended users. These engagements are called
a. Recurring engagements
b. Non-assurance engagements
c. Direct reporting engagements
d. Assertion-based engagements
D
The following are characteristics of “direct reporting” assurance engagements, except
a. The practitioner either directly performs the evaluation or measurement of the subject matter or obtains a representation from the responsible party that has performed the evaluation or measurement.
b. The subject matter information is in the form of an assertion by the responsible party that is made available to the intended users.
c. The representation of the responsible party that has performed the evaluation or measurement of the subject matter is not available to the intended users.
d. The subject matter information is provided to the intended users in the assurance report.
B
What type of assurance engagement is involved when the practitioner expresses a positive form of conclusion?
a. Positive assurance engagement
b. Limited assurance engagement
c. Reasonable assurance engagement
d. Absolute assurance engagement
C
What type of assurance engagement is involved when the practitioner expresses a negative form of conclusion?
a. Negative assurance engagement
b. Assertion-based assurance engagement
c. Limited assurance engagement
d. Reasonable assurance engagement
C
Assurance engagements involve:
a. Two separate parties: a professional accountant and intended users.
b. Two separate parties: a professional accountant and a responsible party.
c. Three separate parties: a practitioner, a responsible party and intended users.
d. Three separate parties: a professional accountant, a responsible party, and intended users.
C
Which of the following statements concerning the assurance engagement’s three party relationships is incorrect?
a. The responsible party and intended users may be from different entities or the same entity.
b. The term “practitioner” as used in the Framework for Assurance Engagements is broader than the term “auditor” as used in PSAs and PSREs.
c. An entity’s senior management (the responsible party) may engage a practitioner to perform an assurance engagement on a particular aspect of the entity’s activities that is the immediate responsibility of a lower level of management (the intended user).
d. In an assertion-based engagement the responsible party is responsible for the subject matter information (the assertion), and may be responsible for the subject matter.
C
Which of the following statements concerning the intended user of a professional accountant’s report is incorrect?
a. The responsible party and the intended user may both be within the same organization.
b. The intended user should never be established by agreement between the practitioner and the responsible party or those engaging or employing the practitioner.
c. In some circumstances, the intended user may be established by law.
d. The responsible party may also be one of the intended users.
B
Which of the following is not one of the requirements before accepting an assurance engagement?
a. The practitioner should be competent and independent.
b. The practitioner should accept the engagement only if the subject matter is the responsibility of another party
c. The practitioner should accept the engagement only if the subject matter is identifiable and in the form that can be subjected to evidence gathering procedures.
d. The responsible party and the intended user of assurance report should be from different organizations.
D
The following statements relate to the three parties involved in an assurance engagement. Which is correct?
a. The responsible party and the intended users should always be from different entities.
b. A practitioner should not accept an assurance engagement when the subject matter of the engagement requires specialized skills and knowledge beyond those ordinarily possessed by the practitioner.
c. A responsible party is the person who is responsible for the subject matter or the subject matter information.
d. In all assurance engagements, the responsible party is the engaging party, i.e., the party that engages the practitioner
C
Suitable criteria are required for reasonably consistent evaluation or measurement of the subject matter of an assurance engagement. Which of the following statements concerning the characteristics of suitable criteria is correct?
a. Relevant criteria allow reasonably consistent evaluation or measurement of the subject matter including, where relevant, presentation and disclosure, when used in similar circumstances by similarly qualified practitioners.
b. Reliable criteria contribute to conclusions that are clear, comprehensive, and not subject to significantly different interpretations.
c. Criteria are sufficiently complete when they contribute conclusions that are clear, comprehensive, and not subject to different interpretations.
d. Neutral criteria contribute to conclusions that are free from bias.
D
Criteria that are embodied in laws or regulations, or issued by authorized or recognized bodies of experts that follow a transparent due process are called:
a. Suitable criteria
b. General criteria
c. Established criteria
d. Specifically developed criteria
C
Which of the following is not a characteristic of suitable criteria?
a. Completeness
b. Comparability
c. Neutrality
d. Relevance
B
The criteria to be used for a particular engagement can either be established or specifically developed. Established criteria are those
a. Designed for the purpose of the engagement.
b. Embodied in laws or regulations or issued by authorized or recognized bodies of experts that follow a transparent due process.
c. Made available to the intended users.
d. Not made available to the intended users.
B
A practitioner should accept an assurance engagement only if
a. The subject matter is the responsibility of either the intended users or the practitioner.
b. The subject matter is in the form of financial information.
c. The practitioner’s conclusion is to be contained in a written report.
d. The criteria to be used are not available to the intended users.
C
In an assurance engagement, this refers to the information obtained by the practitioner in arriving at the conclusions on which the conclusion is based.
a. Generally accepted auditing standards
b. Assertions
c. Criteria
d. Evidence
D
Assurance engagement risk is the risk
a. Of expressing an inappropriate conclusion when the subject matter information is not materially misstated.
b. That the practitioner expresses an inappropriate conclusion when the subject matter information is materially misstated.
c. Of expressing an inappropriate conclusion when the subject matter information is either materially miss-tated or not materially misstated.
d. Through loss from litigation, adverse publicity, or other events arising in connection with a subject matter reported on.
B
The following are components of assurance engagement risk, except
a. Business risk
b. Detection risk
c. Inherent risk
d. Control risk
A
The predominant type of attestation service performed by CPAs is:
a. Audit.
b. Review.
c. Compilation.
d. Management consulting.
A
Which of the following characteristics is not considered necessary in determining whether the criteria are suitable?
a. Sufficiency
b. Relevance
c. Reliability
d. Neutrality
A
The assurance report is often addressed to the intended users which may be:
a. The party responsible for the subject matter.
b. Established by agreement between the professional accountant and the responsible party.
c. Both A and B
d. Neither A nor B
C
The assurance report is often addressed to the intended users which may be:
a. The party responsible for the subject matter.
b. Established by agreement between the professional accountant and the responsible party.
c. Both A and B
d. Neither A nor B
C
Which of the following services provides positive assurance through attestation?
a. Tax services
b. Review
c. Auditing
d. Accounting services
C
The three commonly-sought types of assurance services are:
a. Audits, reviews, and compilations.
b. Reviews, compilations, and other assurance services.
c. Audits, reviews, and other assurance services.
d. Audits, compilations, and other assurance services.
C
Positive assurance is expressed through:
a. Attestation
b. Declaration
c. Conclusion
d. Stating whether anything has come to the auditor’s attention that indicates that the financial statements are not presented fairly.
A
The subject matter of an assurance engagement can take the following forms except
a. The entity’s internal control.
b. Historical or prospective financial statements.
c. Performance of an entity that could indicate efficiency and effectiveness.
d. Evaluation of a capital investment proposal.
D
Which of the following statements best describes review services?
a. Review engagements focus on providing assurance on the internal controls of a public company.
b. Review engagements focus on providing assurance on the assertions contained in the financial statements of a public company.
c. Review engagements focus on providing advice in a three-party contract.
d. Review engagements focus on providing limited assurance on financial statements of a private company.
D
A review of a company’s financial statements by a CPA firm:
a. Is similar in scope to an audit and adds similar credibility to the statements.
b. Is significantly less in scope than an audit and results in a report which provides positive assurance, although not absolute assurance.
c. Concludes with the issuance of a report expressing the CPA’s opinion as to the fairness of the financial statements.
d. Is designed to provide only moderate assurance.
D
The objective of a review of financial statements is to:
a. Express an opinion on the overall financial statements.
b. Carry out audit procedures agreed on with the client and other users of report.
c. State whether anything has come to the auditor’s attention that indicates that the financial statements are not presented fairly.
d. Assist the client in the preparation of the financial statements.
C
Which of the following is incorrect regarding a compilation engagement?
a. The CPA uses his auditing expertise to collect, classify and summarize financial information.
b. The CPA should exercise due care.
c. The engagement ordinarily entails reducing detailed data to a manageable and understandable form.
d. The procedures performed do not enable the accountant to express any form of assurance.
A
The type of assurance that is provided by the CPA on a compilation report is:
a. Limited assurance.
b. No assurance.
c. Low assurance.
d. Negative assurance.
B
Which of the following statements concerning compilation engagement is incorrect?
a. In a compilation engagement, the accountant is engaged to use accounting expertise as opposed to auditing expertise to collect, classify, and summarize financial information.
b. A compilation engagement ordinarily entails reducing detailed data to a manageable and understandable form without a requirement to test the assertions underlying that information.
c. Users of the compiled financial information derive some benefit as a result of the accountant’s involvement because the service has been performed with due professional skill and care.
d. The procedures employed in a compilation engagement enable the accountant to express a moderate level of assurance on the compiled financial information.
D
Assurance services differ from consulting services in that they
I. Focus on providing advice.
II. Involve monitoring of one party by another.
a. I only.
b. II only.
c. Both I and II.
d. Neither I nor II.
B
For assurance engagements which are neither audits nor reviews of historical financial information, the following standard applies:
a. PSAs
b. PSREs
c. PSAEs
d. PSRSs
C
Unlike consulting services, in assurance services:
a. There is confirmation that financial statement assertions are accurate.
b. Misstated account balances are generally corrected by an independent audit.
c. Competing interests may exist between management and the users of statements.
d. Ineffective internal controls may exist.
C
The attest function:
a. Is an essential part of every engagement performed by a CPA.
b. Includes the preparation of a written report of the CPA’s conclusion.
c. Requires a complete review of all transactions during the period under examination.
d. Requires a review of a sample of transactions during the period under examination.
B
Which of the following is an assurance service?
a. Performance measurement
b. Systems design and installation
c. Tax planning
d. Personal financial planning
A