Audit Focus

Audit Focus is a series of PCAOB publications that aims to provide easy-to-digest information to auditors, especially those who audit smaller public companies and/or broker-dealers. Each edition of Audit Focus reiterates the applicable auditing standards, rules, and/or staff guidance, as well as offers reminders and good practices tailored to PCAOB-registered auditors of smaller public companies and/or broker-dealers all with an eye toward protecting investors and improving audit quality.

    Broker-Dealer Audit Focus: Review Engagements Regarding Exemption Reports

    This edition of Broker-Dealer Audit Focus highlights key reminders for auditors from AT No. 2, provides the staff’s perspectives on common deficiencies observed in auditors’ work, and shares good practices that staff has observed.

    Read the Audit Focus

    Audit Focus: Engagement Acceptance

    This edition of Audit Focus highlights key reminders for auditors from PCAOB standards related to engagement acceptance for the initial engagements of auditors who audit smaller public companies or brokers and dealers.

    Read the Audit Focus
     

    Audit Focus: Auditing Accounting Estimates

    This edition of Audit Focus highlights key reminders for auditors from the PCAOB standards related to auditing accounting estimates, provides the staff’s perspectives on common deficiencies in auditors’ work, and shares good practices that the staff has observed.

    Read the Audit Focus

    Audit Focus: Form AP

    This edition of Audit Focus highlights key reminders for auditors from the PCAOB rules, standards, and staff guidance related to Form AP; provides the staff’s perspectives on common deficiencies in auditors’ work; and shares good practices that the staff has observed.

    Read the Audit Focus
     

    Audit Focus: Journal Entries

    This edition of Audit Focus highlights key reminders for auditors from the PCAOB standards related to testing of journal entries, provides the staff’s perspective on common deficiencies made by auditors, and shares good practices that PCAOB staff has observed.

    Read the Audit Focus

    Audit Focus: Audit Committee Communications

    This edition of Audit Focus highlights key reminders for auditors from the PCAOB standards and staff guidance related to audit committee communications, provides the staff’s perspectives on common deficiencies in auditors’ work, and shares good practices that the staff has observed.

    Read the Audit Focus

    Audit Focus: Critical Audit Matters

    This edition of Audit Focus highlights key reminders for auditors from the PCAOB standards and staff guidance related to CAMs, provides the staff’s perspectives on common deficiencies made by auditors, and shares good practices that the staff has observed.

    Read the Audit Focus