CPE + Events Catalog

With the AICPA's heightened focus on enhancing audit quality, increased oversight of the peer review process and the auditor's overall responsibility to provide high quality services, the focus on compliance with professional standards has never been greater. Add to that the requirement to implement the revised risk assessment standards (SAS 145) and it's easy to see why it's more important than ever to ensure that auditors have a good understanding of the requirements and comply with documentation standards. Recent peer reviews have indicated that auditors are often failing to perform and/or document certain critical components of an audit such as the auditor's assessment of risk and linking the results of the assessment to substantive procedures performed. In addition, auditors are not adequately documenting their consideration of fraud, expectations in analytical procedures and the appropriate level of work needed to understand an entity's internal control. The AICPA issued its Quality Management Standards in 2022. Firms are required to implement the standards by December 15, 2025. And the firm's evaluation of the System of Quality Management is required within one year after that. This is not just a matter of tweaking the firm's existing QM document, the standard requires a risk assessment process to identify risk. The objective of the course is to provide the insights necessary to help auditors and accountants improve not just the quality of their work but also the perception of the accounting profession as a whole. We will focus on the most significant items resulting in deficiencies identified in the peer review process. We will also discuss the applicable audit standards, documentation requirements, and best practices. We will address the new QM standards.

Over the past few years, the AICPA revamped the quality management standards by issuing Statement on Quality Management Standards 1, 2, and 3 (SQMS 1, SQMS 2, and SQMS 3, respectively), SSARS No. 26, and SAS 146, Quality Management for an Engagement Conducted in Accordance with Generally Accepted Auditing Standards (SAS 146). These standards, effective December 15, 2025, modernize quality management standards to reflect an increased focus on risk assessment, technology use, and the presence of outside experts on many engagements. With a risk-based approach, the standards enhance requirements for engagement quality reviews, encourage QMS monitoring, and focus on the entire system of quality control maintained by a firm. We will cover the key provisions of the standards, how to effectively implement them, and what you need to do today to prepare for the required implementation. The earlier your firm begins the transition, the better off you will be.

Regulators, investors, other capital markets stakeholders and users of the financial statements need accurate and transparent financial information for decision making. One reason that why the capital markets are as efficient as they are today, is that users believe that they can trust audited financial statements, in part, due to the fact that they are audited. The AICPA instituted its Enhancing Audit Quality Initiative in 2014 to help to improve regulator and stakeholder trust when it was being questioned. Education, outreach and changes to the peer review program have helped to increase audit quality over the last 8 years. In early 2021 the Auditing Standards Board issued an exposure draft that would make significant changes to the requirements that firms implement a system of quality control. The new standard will require a risk-based approach to quality management and enhance the guidance on the role of the engagement quality reviewer and the audit partner. This module will discuss these topics including the proposed changes to the quality standards which are expected to be effective in 2024. (Please Note: This module is part of Surgent's Audit Skills Training: Level 5.)

Specifically tailored for practitioners who not only perform audits but provide other attest and nonattest services to small and medium-sized businesses, this course is a comprehensive update covering recently issued accounting, auditing, and SSARS standards, as well as other professional guidance impacting small and medium-sized business accountants. The course uses practical examples and illustrations to help you understand and apply the new guidance and will get you up to speed on the things that are most important to your smaller and medium-sized clients. This course covers recently released FASB ASUs, AICPA Auditing Standards, AICPA SSARSs, and the not yet effective Statements on Quality Management Standards (SQMS). Lastly, we will cover ongoing issues and pain points following ASC 842 becoming effective.