IIA-CIA-Part2 Exam Dumps - Practice of Internal Auditing

The planning memorandum serves as a comprehensive blueprint for an audit engagement, outlining the specific steps, procedures, and strategies that will be employed to carry out the audit. According to IIA guidance, the purpose of this document is to ensure that the audit team is well-prepared and that the audit process is systematic and thorough.

Documentation of Audit Steps and Procedures: The primary purpose of a planning memorandum is to detail the steps and procedures that the audit team will follow. This ensures consistency and clarity throughout the audit process and provides a clear framework for team members to follow.

The statement that "Senior management is charged with overseeing the establishment risk management and control processes" is false. Senior management is typically responsible for establishing risk management and control processes, not just overseeing them. The board or its committees usually have the oversight role.

To investigate unusually high employee turnover at the organization's primary manufacturing plant, the internal auditor is likely to use benchmarking. Benchmarking involves comparing the organization’s turnover rates with those of similar organizations or industry standards to identify deviations and potential issues. This approach helps in understanding whether the turnover rate is indeed unusually high and what factors may be contributing to it.

IIA Practice Guide: Benchmarking in Internal Audit

IIA Standards: 1220 - Due Professional Care

The statistical model indicates that daily sales have a direct relationship with the cost of ingredients used and an inverse relationship with rainy days.

Option A: On a rainy day, if total sales are greater than expected compared to the cost of ingredients used, it may indicate discrepancies that could be a sign of employee theft. For instance, if ingredients are used but not reflected in the sales, it suggests that items might be missing (stolen).

Option B: On a sunny day, lower-than-expected sales compared to the cost of ingredients could indicate wastage but not necessarily theft.

Option C and D: Both scenarios where total sales and the cost of ingredients are higher or lower than expected do not specifically point to theft without additional context​​.

An operational audit would be the most appropriate type of engagement to assess the root causes of the quality issues with components received from an overseas supplier. Operational audits focus on the efficiency and effectiveness of operations, and in this context, would involve examining the processes related to the procurement, inspection, and quality control of components to identify the underlying causes of the quality problems.

IIA Standards: 2210 - Engagement Objectives

IIA Practice Guide: Auditing the Quality Process

During the planning phase of an assurance engagement, one of the key supervisory activities is approving the audit work programs. This step ensures that the planned procedures are appropriate for achieving the engagement objectives and that the audit scope is adequately covered. Supervisory activities like ensuring alignment with engagement objectives, reviewing draft reports, and ensuring workpapers support findings typically occur during the fieldwork or reporting phases. Approving the audit work programs at the planning stage helps to ensure that the engagement is well-directed and thorough.

The Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA) - Standards for the Professional Practice of Internal Auditing, Standard 2200 - Engagement Planning

When documenting findings from a nonstatistical sample, internal auditors should record the factual observations and quantify the results where possible. In this case, the auditor should document that 17% of the sampled accounts receivable balances exceeded the approved unsecured credit limit. This provides a clear, quantifiable basis for the finding, which is critical for accurate reporting and for management to understand the scope of the issue. Documenting this percentage also supports the auditor's conclusions and recommendations for corrective actions.

The Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA) Practice Guide: Audit Sampling.

IIA Standard 2310 - Identifying Information

ï‚· Competitive Strategies: Recognized competitive strategies include cost leadership, differentiation, focus, and innovation. Each strategy emphasizes different aspects of competitive advantage.

ï‚· Cost Leadership Strategy:

Efficiency Focus: Cost leadership focuses on gaining efficiencies and reducing costs to offer products or services at a lower price than competitors. This strategy aims to achieve the lowest operational costs and prices in the industry.

Economies of Scale: It involves optimizing production processes, achieving economies of scale, and minimizing expenses to maintain competitive pricing.

ï‚· Comparison with Other Strategies:

Focus Strategy: Concentrates on serving a particular market niche with specialized products or services.

Innovation Strategy: Emphasizes creating unique products or services through innovation and technological advancement.

Differentiation Strategy: Focuses on offering unique and superior products or services that stand out from competitors.

ï‚· IIA Guidance and References:

Cost leadership as a competitive strategy centers on achieving cost efficiencies to gain a competitive edge in pricing, making it a strategic choice for organizations looking to compete on price rather than product differentiation​​​​.