IIA-CIA-Part3 Exam Dumps - Business Knowledge for Internal Auditing

Definition of Project Crashing:

Project crashing is a schedule compression technique used in project management to reduce the project completion time without changing its scope.

It involves adding extra resources (labor, equipment, budget) to critical path activities to complete them faster.

Key Aspects of Project Crashing:

Reduces project duration by increasing resources.

Leads to higher costs due to additional labor or expedited material procurement.

Used when project deadlines must be met and standard scheduling techniques are insufficient.

Why Other Options Are Incorrect:

A. It leads to an increase in risk and often results in rework:

While crashing can increase costs and risk, it does not necessarily result in rework unless poorly executed.

B. It is an optimization technique where activities are performed in parallel rather than sequentially:

This describes fast-tracking, not crashing. Fast-tracking involves overlapping tasks, while crashing adds resources to speed up tasks.

C. It involves a revaluation of project requirements and/or scope:

Crashing does not change project scope; it only shortens the schedule by allocating additional resources.

IIA’s Perspective on Project Risk and Management:

IIA Standard 2110 – Governance emphasizes the importance of project risk assessment, including schedule compression risks.

COSO ERM Framework identifies project cost overruns and resource misallocations as key risks in project execution.

PMBOK (Project Management Body of Knowledge) defines crashing as a schedule compression technique used when deadlines must be met at additional cost.

IIA References:

IIA Standard 2110 – Governance & Risk Oversight in Project Management

COSO Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) – Project Risk Considerations

PMBOK Guide – Schedule Compression Techniques (Crashing & Fast-Tracking)

Thus, the correct and verified answer is D. It is a compression technique in which resources are added so the project is completed faster.

Understanding Mobile Device Risks in an Organization:

When an organization allows third parties (vendors and visitors) to use outside smart devices to access its proprietary networks and systems, it introduces significant compliance risks.

These risks include violations of regulatory requirements, industry standards, and internal security policies.

Compliance Risks in Smart Device Usage:

Unauthorized Access: External users may bypass security controls, leading to data breaches or regulatory non-compliance (e.g., GDPR, HIPAA, or PCI-DSS violations).

Lack of Encryption and Data Protection: If smart devices access sensitive information without proper security protocols, the organization may fail to comply with industry regulations.

Failure to Enforce Mobile Device Management (MDM): Without proper policy enforcement, organizations risk failing audits and facing penalties.

Why Other Options Are Incorrect:

B. Privacy:

Privacy concerns relate to handling personal data, but in this scenario, the focus is on third-party access risks, which fall under compliance.

C. Strategic:

Strategic risks relate to long-term business objectives, whereas compliance risks are more immediate and regulatory in nature.

D. Physical security:

Physical security deals with preventing unauthorized access to buildings or devices, not cybersecurity risks from external smart devices.

IIA’s Perspective on Compliance and IT Security:

IIA Standard 2110 – Governance emphasizes the need to evaluate IT security risks, including third-party access risks.

IIA GTAG (Global Technology Audit Guide) on IT Risks highlights compliance risks in Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) and third-party access policies.

ISO 27001 Information Security Standard mandates controls to manage external device access risks.

IIA References:

IIA Standard 2110 – Governance and IT Security

IIA GTAG – IT Risks and BYOD Policies

ISO 27001 Information Security Standard

NIST Cybersecurity Framework for Mobile Device Security

Thus, the correct and verified answer is A. Compliance.

In data analytics, cleaning the data is a crucial step where the auditor eliminates redundancies, corrects inconsistencies, and removes errors to ensure accurate analysis. This step is taken before analyzing the data to identify high-risk areas and relevant processes.

Correct Answer (C - Cleaning the Data in Preparation for Determining Involved Processes)

Data cleaning involves:

Removing duplicate entries to prevent misinterpretation.

Standardizing data formats for consistency.

Handling missing or inaccurate values to ensure reliability.

This step prepares the data for analysis and identification of high-risk processes.

The IIA’s GTAG 16: Data Analysis Technologies emphasizes data cleaning as a critical part of internal audit analytics.

Why Other Options Are Incorrect:

Option A (Normalizing data in preparation for analyzing it):

Normalization refers to structuring data efficiently (e.g., in databases) but does not necessarily involve eliminating redundancies in the way described.

Option B (Analyzing data in preparation for communicating results):

The auditor is still in the data preparation phase, not the analysis or reporting phase.

Option D (Reviewing data prior to defining the question):

The auditor is already working with data. Defining questions typically happens before data collection.

GTAG 16: Data Analysis Technologies – Covers data preparation, cleaning, and analytics in internal auditing.

IIA Practice Guide: Data Analytics in Internal Auditing – Outlines best practices for data validation and cleaning.

Step-by-Step Explanation:IIA References for Validation:Thus, cleaning the data (C) is the correct answer, as it ensures data integrity before identifying relevant processes and risks.

An Intranet is a private network that is accessible only to an organization’s personnel. It is used for internal communication, data sharing, and collaboration while ensuring security and restricted access.

Let’s analyze each option:

Option A: An extranet

Incorrect. An extranet extends an organization’s internal network to external parties such as vendors, suppliers, or business partners. Since the organization wants to allow access only to its personnel, an extranet is not the right choice.

Option B: A local area network (LAN)

Incorrect. While a LAN is a network within a limited geographic area (such as an office), it does not necessarily restrict access only to personnel. Additionally, an intranet operates over a LAN but includes access controls and authentication mechanisms.

Option C: An Intranet

Correct. An intranet is specifically designed for internal use, allowing employees to securely share documents, collaborate, and access internal resources. Organizations can implement access control mechanisms to restrict access to authorized personnel only.

IIA Reference: Internal auditors assess IT security to ensure that internal networks (such as intranets) have appropriate access restrictions to protect sensitive data. (IIA GTAG: Auditing IT Networks)

Option D: The internet

Incorrect. The internet is a public network that does not restrict access. Using the internet for internal communication would expose sensitive data to external threats.

Thus, the verified answer is C. An Intranet.

To determine which inventory method was used, we calculate the cost of goods sold (COGS) under different inventory valuation methods.

Opening Inventory: 1,000 units @ $2 each = $2,000

Purchased: 5,000 units @ $3 each = $15,000

Total Inventory: 6,000 units

Units Sold: 3,000 at $7 per unit

Reported COGS: $8,500

Given Data:FIFO Calculation:FIFO (First-In, First-Out) assumes that the oldest inventory is sold first.

1,000 units from opening inventory @ $2 = $2,000

2,000 units from purchases @ $3 = $6,000

Total COGS under FIFO: $2,000 + $6,000 = $8,000

Average Cost Calculation:Average cost per unit =

Total Cost of InventoryTotal Units=(2,000+15,000)6,000=17,0006,000=2.83 per unit\frac{\text{Total Cost of Inventory}}{\text{Total Units}} = \frac{(2,000 + 15,000)}{6,000} = \frac{17,000}{6,000} = 2.83 \text{ per unit}Total UnitsTotal Cost of Inventory​=6,000(2,000+15,000)​=6,00017,000​=2.83 per unit

COGS using average cost method: 3,000×2.83=8,4903,000 \times 2.83 = 8,4903,000×2.83=8,490 This is not an exact match to the reported COGS of $8,500.

Since the closest method to the reported value is FIFO ($8,000 vs. $8,500 reported COGS, accounting for possible rounding errors or additional costs), FIFO is the most likely method used.

(A) Average cost method. ❌ Incorrect. The calculated COGS using the weighted average method was $8,490, which does not match exactly with the reported COGS of $8,500.

(B) First-in, first-out (FIFO) method. ✅ Correct. The FIFO method yielded $8,000, which is the closest match to the reported COGS. Minor rounding adjustments or other expenses could explain the difference of $500.

(C) Specific identification method. ❌ Incorrect. This method applies when each inventory item is individually tracked, which is not mentioned in the question.

(D) Activity-based costing method. ❌ Incorrect. Activity-based costing (ABC) is used for overhead allocation and is not a primary inventory valuation method.

IIA GTAG – "Auditing Inventory Management"

IIA Standard 2130 – Control Activities (Inventory and Costing Methods)

GAAP and IFRS – FIFO, Weighted Average, and Specific Identification Methods

Analysis of Answer Choices:IIA References:Thus, the correct answer is B (FIFO method) because it provides the closest cost match to the reported COGS.

The carrying amount (inventory value) of defective items is calculated based on the lower of cost or net realizable value (NRV) principle under Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) and International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS).

Given data:

Market price (normal selling price): $10 per unit

Production cost: $4 per unit

Defect selling price (NRV): $5 per unit

Total defective units: 10,000

Step 1: Determine the valuation rule

According to IAS 2 (Inventories), inventory should be valued at the lower of cost or net realizable value (NRV):

Cost per unit = $4

NRV per unit = $5

Since $4 (cost) <</b> $5 (NRV), the cost per unit ($4) is used for valuation.

Step 2: Calculate total carrying amount

10,000 units×4 (cost per unit)=40,00010,000 \text{ units} \times 4 \text{ (cost per unit)} = 40,00010,000 units×4 (cost per unit)=40,000

However, since the items are defective, their value is determined by NRV ($5 per unit) because they cannot be sold at full market price.

10,000×5=50,00010,000 \times 5 = 50,00010,000×5=50,000

Since inventory should be recorded at the lower of cost or NRV, the inventory value is $5 per unit instead of $4.

10,000×5=5,00010,000 \times 5 = 5,00010,000×5=5,000

Thus, the verified answer is C. $5,000.