Advanced Auditing and Assurance Training Course

Duration 10 days 20 modules · 65 contact hours
Level Advanced Certificate on completion
Who attends Audit Managers, Senior Auditors and others
Fee from USD 2,200 KSh 190,000 for Kenyan organisations
Where 52 cities + online See dates by city
Next start 16 Nov 2026 Course code SD-A-116

Before you join: Participants should have practical experience in external audit, internal audit, financial reporting, financial control or assurance work.

Dates & prices

Two start dates a month in every city, and live online on weekdays or weekends. Fees are per participant; classroom fees include tuition, materials, lunch and refreshments, and the certificate.

Suggest a date or city

Showing the next six months. Later dates, other cities and private deliveries for your team are available on request.

Course overview

Senior auditors and assurance professionals must form defensible conclusions from incomplete evidence, complex estimates, technology-dependent controls and tight reporting deadlines. A weak risk assessment, poorly designed sample or unsupported judgement can lead to inspection findings, inappropriate audit opinions, regulator challenge and loss of stakeholder confidence. This course addresses the judgement-intensive parts of an audit: planning significant risk responses, testing controls and balances, evaluating management estimates, resolving misstatements and reporting conclusions under International Standards on Auditing.

Participants work through the full audit cycle, from engagement acceptance and independence through risk assessment, materiality, audit strategy, evidence, completion and reporting. They apply ISA requirements to revenue recognition, impairment, provisions, related parties, fraud risk, going concern, group audits and information technology controls. The course also covers assurance engagements beyond financial statement audits, including ISAE 3000 engagements, agreed-upon procedures and assurance over non-financial information. Participants gain methods for documenting professional judgement, challenging management assertions and communicating significant matters to audit committees.

Teaching combines focused technical briefings with financial-services, public-sector, manufacturing and NGO cases. Teams analyse audit files, assess control designs, build audit programmes, evaluate evidence and defend conclusions in structured review discussions. Participants develop a complete planning-to-reporting audit file during the course, including risk assessment, materiality rationale, control-testing plan, substantive procedures, completion memorandum and draft auditor’s report. The final capstone requires each team to review and present its audit conclusion as if responding to an engagement quality review.

The course is designed for experienced audit and finance professionals who already understand core audit concepts and now need stronger technical judgement, documentation discipline and review capability.

What you will be able to do

  • Design a risk-based audit strategy aligned with ISA 300 and ISA 315
  • Assess inherent risk, control risk and significant risks using documented assertions
  • Calculate and allocate materiality using quantitative and qualitative ISA 320 factors
  • Develop control-testing and substantive audit programmes for significant account balances
  • Evaluate accounting estimates, fair values and impairment models under ISA 540
  • Conclude on going concern, subsequent events and uncorrected misstatements
  • Draft audit reports and communications consistent with ISA 700 series requirements
  • Present a complete audit file supported by sufficient appropriate audit evidence

Benefits of attending

For you

  • Greater confidence defending risk assessments and audit judgements during file review
  • Stronger ability to identify insufficient evidence before engagement completion
  • Practical templates for planning, testing, completion and reporting documentation
  • Improved readiness for audit manager, reviewer or assurance leadership responsibilities
  • Clearer judgement when challenging management estimates, forecasts and accounting treatments

For your organisation

  • More consistent risk assessments and audit plans across engagement teams
  • Fewer review notes caused by weak evidence, incomplete documentation or unclear conclusions
  • Better identification of control failures, fraud indicators and financial reporting risks
  • Higher-quality audit committee communication on significant matters and uncorrected misstatements
  • Stronger inspection readiness against ISA and quality management requirements

Course modules

20 modules over 10 days

Participants can distinguish audit, review and other assurance engagements and frame defensible professional judgements.

  • ISA 200 objectives, ethical requirements and reasonable assurance explained
  • Financial statement assertions linked to risks, procedures and conclusions
  • Professional scepticism applied when evidence conflicts with management explanations
  • Reasonable versus limited assurance under ISA and ISAE engagements
  • Audit risk model used to structure engagement-level risk decisions
  • Judgement frameworks distinguishing facts, assumptions, estimates and conclusions

Participants can evaluate ethical threats, independence safeguards and engagement quality responsibilities.

  • IESBA Code threats assessed using safeguards and prohibited services
  • Self-interest, self-review and advocacy threats identified from engagement facts
  • Independence confirmations tested against financial interests and business relationships
  • Engagement partner responsibilities under ISA 220 and ISQM 1
  • Consultation protocols documented for contentious accounting and reporting matters
  • Differences of opinion resolved through firm policies and evidence trails

Participants can determine whether audit preconditions, acceptance criteria and engagement terms are satisfied.

  • ISA 210 preconditions assessed before accepting financial statement audit engagements
  • Management integrity indicators evaluated through governance, litigation and regulatory records
  • Competence, time and resource requirements matched to engagement complexity
  • Engagement letters specify responsibilities, reporting framework and access rights
  • Continuance decisions incorporate prior-year findings and management cooperation
  • Scope limitations evaluated before acceptance and before audit completion

Participants can document a risk assessment that identifies and assesses risks of material misstatement.

  • Business model analysis identifies revenue drivers, financing pressures and incentives
  • ISA 315 risk assessment procedures combine inquiry, observation and inspection
  • Process walkthroughs trace transactions from initiation through financial statement posting
  • Inherent risk factors evaluated for complexity, subjectivity, change and uncertainty
  • Significant risks determined using likelihood, magnitude and fraud considerations
  • Risk register links entity risks to assertions and planned responses

Participants can set materiality and evaluate identified misstatements using ISA 320 and ISA 450.

  • Materiality benchmarks selected from profit, revenue, assets and expenditure
  • Performance materiality calculated using risk, control environment and history
  • Specific materiality established for sensitive disclosures and regulatory metrics
  • Clearly trivial threshold documented for accumulation of detected misstatements
  • Qualitative materiality factors assessed for covenants, remuneration and compliance
  • Misstatement schedules distinguish factual, judgemental and projected differences

Participants can evaluate control design, identify deficiencies and design effective tests of controls.

  • COSO components mapped to transaction cycles and financial reporting objectives
  • Control objectives distinguish preventive, detective and corrective control activities
  • Design effectiveness tested through walkthroughs, inquiry and documentary inspection
  • Operating effectiveness procedures specify population, period and expected evidence
  • Control deviations evaluated against tolerable rates and reliance decisions
  • Deficiencies classified by severity and communicated to governance bodies

Participants can respond appropriately to fraud risks and suspected non-compliance with laws and regulations.

  • ISA 240 fraud triangle applied to incentives, opportunities and rationalisation
  • Revenue recognition presumed fraud risk rebutted or addressed explicitly
  • Journal-entry testing targets management override and unusual closing entries
  • Professional scepticism sharpened through contradictory evidence and management bias indicators
  • ISA 250 procedures address suspected non-compliance with laws and regulations
  • Fraud communications distinguish matters for management, governance and regulators

Participants can translate assessed risks into a coordinated audit strategy and detailed audit plan.

  • Overall audit strategy sets scope, timing, direction and resource allocation
  • Audit plans align procedures with assertions, risks and materiality thresholds
  • Combined approaches integrate controls testing with substantive audit procedures
  • Staffing plans assign specialists for valuations, tax, technology and actuarial work
  • Audit programmes define procedures, evidence sources and clear completion criteria
  • Planning memoranda document changes from prior-year audit approaches

Participants can design substantive procedures that produce persuasive evidence for revenue and key balances.

  • ISA 520 expectations developed from independent financial and operational data
  • Precision thresholds set before relying on substantive analytical procedures
  • Revenue testing addresses occurrence, cut-off, pricing and contract modifications
  • Data disaggregation isolates unusual products, locations, customers and reporting periods
  • Plausibility tests reconcile revenue trends with volumes, margins and cash receipts
  • Detailed tests target high-risk transactions selected from defined populations

Participants can select samples and evaluate results using audit risk and population characteristics.

  • ISA 530 sampling risk distinguished from non-sampling risk sources
  • Population completeness assessed before random, systematic or targeted selection
  • Attribute sampling supports tests of controls and deviation-rate conclusions
  • Monetary-unit sampling focuses substantive testing on higher-value recorded items
  • Sample sizes reflect tolerable misstatement, expected error and assessed risk
  • Results projected to populations and evaluated with qualitative findings

Participants can challenge assumptions, methods and disclosures supporting complex accounting estimates.

  • ISA 540 requirements applied to estimation uncertainty and management bias
  • Valuation methods assessed using market, income and cost approaches
  • Discount rates tested against risk, currency, term and market inputs
  • Impairment models challenged through forecasts, growth rates and sensitivity analysis
  • Management experts evaluated for competence, capability and objectivity
  • Auditor's point estimate developed when management assumptions lack support

Participants can identify related-party risks and obtain evidence for provisions and non-routine transactions.

  • ISA 550 procedures identify undisclosed relationships and related-party transactions
  • Board minutes, declarations and registers reconciled to accounting disclosures
  • Unusual transactions assessed for business rationale and financial reporting effects
  • IAS 37 provisions tested against obligations, probability and measurement evidence
  • Legal letters evaluated for litigation, claims and contingent liability completeness
  • Subsequent cash settlements corroborate provisions and disputed liability estimates

Participants can plan and evaluate group audit work across components and component auditors.

  • ISA 600 group audit scope determined from component financial significance
  • Group risks linked to components, consolidation adjustments and disclosures
  • Component materiality allocated using aggregation risk and component characteristics
  • Instructions specify risks, procedures, reporting deadlines and documentation requirements
  • Component auditor competence, independence and communication assessed before reliance
  • Consolidation testing addresses eliminations, foreign exchange and acquisition accounting

Participants can assess technology risks and use data analysis to target audit procedures.

  • IT general controls cover access, change management and operations
  • Application controls tested for input validation, processing and interface completeness
  • Reports used as audit evidence tested for completeness and accuracy
  • Data extraction reconciled to source systems and general ledger totals
  • Benford analysis, duplicate testing and gap detection identify exceptions
  • Data analytics results translated into targeted substantive audit procedures

Participants can evaluate going concern assessments and determine appropriate reporting implications.

  • ISA 570 procedures evaluate management's going concern assessment period
  • Thirteen-week cash forecasts tested against receipts, payroll and supplier payments
  • Forecast assumptions challenged using historical accuracy and external market evidence
  • Covenant headroom recalculated under downside revenue, margin and liquidity scenarios
  • Financing availability corroborated through facility agreements and lender correspondence
  • Material uncertainty disclosures assessed for adequacy, clarity and completeness

Participants can complete an audit file, evaluate final evidence and form an audit conclusion.

  • ISA 450 uncorrected misstatements aggregated against overall materiality thresholds
  • Subsequent events procedures extend through the auditor's report date
  • Management representation letters corroborate assertions lacking alternative evidence
  • Final analytical review identifies unexplained relationships and presentation anomalies
  • Going concern, litigation and related-party conclusions updated before reporting
  • Completion memoranda summarise significant judgements, evidence and unresolved matters

Participants can select appropriate audit opinions and communicate significant matters to those charged with governance.

  • ISA 700 report structure connects opinion, basis and responsibilities
  • Modified opinions determined under ISA 705 for misstatements and scope limitations
  • ISA 706 emphasis-of-matter paragraphs distinguished from modified opinions
  • Key audit matters selected and described under ISA 701
  • ISA 260 communications address scope, findings, independence and significant risks
  • Control deficiency reports identify condition, consequence, cause and recommendation

Participants can scope and document assurance and related services engagements beyond statutory audits.

  • ISAE 3000 criteria assessed for relevance, completeness, reliability and neutrality
  • Limited assurance procedures designed around inquiry and analytical review
  • Reasonable assurance procedures expanded through testing and corroborative evidence
  • ISRS 4400 agreed-upon procedures reports state factual findings without assurance
  • ISAE 3402 reports evaluate controls at service organisations
  • Non-financial reporting assurance considers boundaries, metrics and evidence quality

Participants can review audit files against quality requirements and address common inspection findings.

  • ISQM 1 quality risks identified across governance, resources and engagement performance
  • Engagement quality reviews focus on significant judgements and report appropriateness
  • File review checklists test linkage between risks, procedures and conclusions
  • Inspection findings analysed for root causes, not isolated documentation errors
  • Remediation plans assign actions, owners, deadlines and monitoring evidence
  • Coaching notes convert review observations into future engagement improvements

Participants can build, review and present a complete risk-based audit file with a supported reporting conclusion.

  • Engagement facts analysed to identify risks, assertions and materiality benchmarks
  • Audit strategy prepared with controls reliance and substantive response decisions
  • Working papers assembled for revenue, estimates, provisions and going concern
  • Misstatements evaluated and completion memorandum drafted from accumulated evidence
  • Draft auditor's report selected using findings and reporting requirements
  • Engagement quality review presentation defends judgements, evidence and conclusions

Exercises and examples are adapted to each cohort's sectors and roles.

What you take back to work

  1. ISA-based audit planning memorandum template
  2. Risk and assertion assessment matrix
  3. Materiality and misstatement evaluation workbook
  4. Control-testing and substantive procedure programme
  5. Audit completion memorandum template
  6. Engagement quality review checklist

Who should attend

  • Audit Managers — strengthen planning, review and conclusion-setting across complex engagements
  • Senior Auditors — take responsibility for high-risk sections and audit documentation
  • Internal Audit Managers — align assurance work with risk, controls and evidence disciplines
  • Financial Controllers — prepare audit-ready evidence and respond to auditor challenge
  • Compliance and Risk Managers — understand assurance expectations for key controls and reporting
  • Public Sector Auditors — apply advanced audit judgement to accountability and value-for-money contexts

Skills and tools covered

Risk-based audit planningAudit evidence evaluationControl testing designAccounting estimates reviewAudit reporting judgementWorking paper review

Tools and standards

International Standards on Auditing, ISQM 1, ISAE 3000, COSO Internal Control Framework

How the course runs

Training methodology

The course uses short technical briefings followed by case analysis, audit-file reviews, group exercises, role-based management challenge and engagement-quality-review simulations. Participants work with realistic financial statements, control descriptions, forecasts, board papers and audit evidence. Each module adds to a structured audit file developed from the first week onward. Facilitators test reasoning through review questions, contradictory evidence and reporting decisions, then support participants in translating course methods into their own engagement planning and review practices.

Requirements and prerequisites

Participants should have practical experience in external audit, internal audit, financial reporting, financial control or assurance work. They should understand double-entry accounting, financial statements, audit assertions, materiality, basic sampling and internal controls. Familiarity with International Financial Reporting Standards or a comparable reporting framework is useful because cases include estimates, impairment and revenue recognition. This course does not require prior certification, specialist data analytics skills, programming knowledge or previous responsibility for signing audit opinions. It is not an introductory auditing course.

A typical training day

08:30 – 10:30First session
10:30 – 10:45Refreshment break
10:45 – 12:30Second session
12:30 – 13:30Lunch and networking
13:30 – 15:00Third session
15:00 – 15:15Refreshment break
15:15 – 16:30Workshop and daily review

Live online deliveries follow the same structure in East Africa Time, with shorter screen blocks and longer breaks.

What the fee includes

  • Instruction by a practitioner facilitator
  • Full course workbook and materials
  • Exercise files, templates and case studies
  • Refreshments and lunch on classroom deliveries
  • Certificate of completion
  • Post-course application plan

Frequently asked questions

Participants should already understand financial statements, audit assertions, basic audit procedures and internal controls. The course is intended for practitioners with audit, assurance, finance control or related experience rather than new entrants to auditing.

Bring a laptop for reviewing case materials and developing working-paper outputs. Participants may also bring a redacted audit programme, risk register or recurring audit issue from their workplace for application planning.

It is most suitable for senior auditors, audit managers, internal audit managers, financial controllers and risk professionals. It is particularly useful for people reviewing audit work or leading complex audit sections.

Foundation courses explain audit terminology, standard procedures and basic audit evidence. This course concentrates on significant judgement areas, complex estimates, group audits, reporting decisions, quality reviews and inspection-ready documentation.

Participants leave with reusable planning, risk assessment, testing, completion and review tools. The methods can be applied to current audits, internal assurance reviews, financial-control assessments and audit committee reporting.

Each training day runs from 08:30 to 16:30 and provides about 6.5 contact hours. The first week develops planning and evidence methods; the second week addresses complex judgements, reporting, quality management and the final audit-file capstone.

Questions about this course?

Ask about dates, fees, group bookings or running it for your team. Our training team replies by email.

Ask on WhatsApp info@skillsetdevelopment.com

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