Questions
REVIEW QUESTIONS
1.1 What types of assurance services are provided by the public accounting profession? What
factors create a need for assurance services?
1.2 What is an attestation function? What major factors create a demand for the performance of
attestation services by public accounting firms?
1.3 What is the essence of the ‘theory of inspired confidence’ developed by Limperg in 1930s.
1.4 What are the main objectives of audits of financial statements? How does an audit enhance
the quality of financial statements?
1.5 How do assurance services differ from audit services? How have these differences developed
in recent years?
1.6 What are the main differences between reasonable and limited levels of assurance
engagements?
1.7 Explain the objective of agreed-upon procedures engagement and provide five examples of
such procedures.
1.8 To what extent is it reasonable to view the external auditor as a guarantor in the capital
market economy? Explain.
1.9 In your opinion, what are the potential threats facing an external auditor when conducting all
types of assurance services?
1.10 What are the major aspects of the relationship between the structure of audit market and its
regulation?
1.11 What is the primary rationale for market regulatory bodies to require mandatory reporting on
internal accounting controls and the auditor’s involvement in this respect?
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1.12 To what extent do factors such as:
(a) economic developments;
(b) globalization and internationalization of capital markets;
(c) the complexity of financial operations; and
(d) information technology advances,
affect the demand for and the performance of auditing services?
1.13 Discuss the historical perspective of auditing with regard to Limperg (1930s) and Mautz and
Sharaf (1960s).
1.14 Discuss the arguments supporting the idea that auditing is a field of knowledge. What are the
contributions of Mautz and Sharaf in this area?