Quality Control in Smaller Audit Practices

Abstract

An AICPA peer review checklist was modified to determine the extent of compliance with auditing standards on 68 audit engagements spread over 12 smaller audit firms. A quality control checklist was completed by each firm to identify the quality control policies and procedures they had adopted. The research study identified a lack of formalised quality controls and instances where informal procedures did not exist. A high level of non-compliance with the standards of fieldwork was also identified.