substantive testing

substantive testing
Auditing procedures that evaluate the accuracy, completeness, and existence of amounts stated in *general ledger accounts and financial statements. Substantive testing involves the auditing of quantifiable amounts (individual transactions as well as accumulated balances). The substantive testing of the purchase of a *long-term asset, for example, may include the following: (i) *physical inspection of the asset, (ii) reference to a Vendor’s invoice, (iii) verification of delivery documentation, (iv) tracing of related disbursement records, and (v) ascertaining that the asset is recorded in an appropriate general ledger account. Substantive testing also includes *analytical review procedures, in which general ledger or financial statement items are evaluated for reasonableness, and the logical nature of their interrelations over time is assessed. Analytical review procedures apart, detailed substantive testing can be time-consuming, and for most audits only a sample of items in an *auditing population can usually be tested. Auditors therefore rely on either Statistical or judgmental sampling techniques, or a combination of the two, to test items substantively. Auditors tend to extrapolate their findings from sample testing to the auditing population as a whole. Further, auditors undertake Compliance testing of internal controls, on the assumption that satisfactory controls and procedures reduce the risk of incorrectly extrapolating the findings of tests on sampled items. In practice, therefore, auditing often comprises a combination of substantive and compliance tests: the balance between the two types of testing is determined by factors like the volume of transactions to be tested, and the sophistication and reliability of an entity’s internal controls.

Auditor's dictionary. 2014.

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  • Audit substantive test — Substantive procedures (or substantive tests) are those activities performed by the auditor during the substantive testing stage of the audit that gather evidence as to the completeness, validity and/or accuracy of account balances and underlying …   Wikipedia

  • compliance testing — Auditing procedures that evaluate the reliability of an entity’s *internal controls. In contrast to *substantive testing, which focuses on verifying the accuracy of quantifiable amounts, compliance testing aims to gain Reasonable assurance that… …   Auditor's dictionary

  • Financial audit — A financial audit, or more accurately, an audit of financial statements, is the examination by an independent third party of the financial statements of a company or any other legal entity (including governments), resulting in the publication of… …   Wikipedia

  • compliance tests — Tests used during an audit to determine the effectiveness of a company s control procedures. The extent of compliance testing will depend upon the extent to which specific controls are relied upon. Results of compliance testing will indicate the… …   Accounting dictionary

  • audit test — An action or procedure to gather and evaluate *audit evidence. Audit tests are normally formalized in *audit programs, and they may be classified into (i) *substantive and (ii) *compliance testing. *Analytical review procedures are normally… …   Auditor's dictionary

  • Audit evidence — is evidence obtained during a financial audit and recorded in the audit working papers. [cite web |title=Audit evidence |publisher=abrema.net |date=undated |url=http://www.abrema.net/abrema/au ev g.html |accessdate=2007 08 07] * In the audit… …   Wikipedia

  • detailed audit — An audit characterized by extensive *substantive testing of a large number of transactions. In a detailed audit there is only a limited reliance on Compliance testing …   Auditor's dictionary

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