An audit is a process that occurs mostly after the regular accounting cycle of an organization (it may happen earlier in specific circumstances such as interim audit, project audit, process audit or forensic audit). The whole idea behind audits is to confirm and monitor whether the financial statements comply with the generally accepted accounting principles and whether the activities of the firm are in compliance with statutory requirements.  

An audit work paper is a written or printed record that records a transaction or event and the related discussion and analysis. These audit work papers form a very important part of an audit. Hence, they are classified into different types depending on their role and usage. In this article, I will list down the common classification of audit work papers. 

Interview Notes 

Auditors use a number of different categories to capture information when conducting internal audits. One of these categories is “Interview Notes.” Interview notes are an important part of the audit work papers because they provide first-hand information about what actually happened during the audit. 

The auditor should be adequately prepared to actively listen, formulate questions, and take notes simultaneously. It is recommended that the auditor takes the following steps before during and after the interview: 

1. Plan and prepare for the meeting; find out as much detail about the subject as possible 

1. Formulate questions, actively listen to the responses and take notes 

1. Make a summary of the notes made and list the key risks or other important findings 

1. Collaborate the answers received by conducting tests on the items discussed. 

Test Templates 

A test design can be a template that includes the full layout of an audit or a detailed outline of each individual test. Test Templates are used in an audit to test the consistency of a company's business processes. Having already prepared the test template, the auditor will begin to assess the company's controls and procedures. In order to do this, the auditor will create a set of test data and will then use it to determine whether data was recorded accurately and how control over that data is maintained. 

This process can be made more efficient if the auditor is using an automated testing template from an audit software for example Auditproo. 

Process Memos 

Process Memos are an important part of an auditor's work papers. They describe the internal controls, operating procedures, and practices auditors used during their time on site. They also discuss the results of an audit, usually from a sample perspective, including aspects like exception conditions and audit findings. The auditor may detail how they were able to address exceptions, which might involve additional research, follow-up procedures, and additional testing if necessary. 

Workflow Reperformance 

Work papers are documents that verify the quality of your audit engagement. Since it is important for you to keep track of these work papers, good workflow performance papers can ensure you have everything you need. Audits should not be a meaningless task or unnecessary operating expenses but instead provide useful information for improving management efficiency. So, workflow performance papers maintain high-level reports of audit work papers to better organize work and enhance audit efficiency. 

An important workflow paper is audit journals, they should be tracked from the origin and adequaitely supported to demonstrate their relevance. When using an audit software like Auditproo, the audit journals workflow is maintained in the system together with the supporting documentation. 

Guided Substantive Questions 

Guided Substantive Questions Papers are the auditor's materials to meet their professional obligations and support their audit opinion. They provide evidence to support their findings, conclusions, and report on the financial statements. The firm's professional standards may specify certain types of audit work papers, and many organizations have detailed record-keeping requirements for their records. 

Permanent Client File 

Permanent Client Files consist of different types of audit work papers. 

Papers related to internal controls: Like procedures for recording cash receipts or testing for fraud. These documents have to do with your internal controls, which make sure the financial information in your accounting system is reliable. 

Workpapers: These are the documents auditors create while doing the audit. It can be anything from a list of the steps they took while testing something on your books to their notes about what happened at a meeting with management. 

Documents related to specific transactions: There could be times when auditors want to look at specific transactions in more detail than just their general appearance on your books. This is where workpapers come in handy! For example, an auditor might want to see if the documentation for a contract you've entered into matches up with what's written on your books. They'd probably use workpapers as part of this process. 

Conclusion 

Audit work papers serve as a written, tangible record of the professional responsibilities and tasks that the auditor team performs during an audit. The information stored in audit work papers includes various important details about each step in the audit process. 

Understanding the various types of audit work papers will help you recognize them if you encounter them again during your career. Be sure to keep the different kinds of work papers in mind and refer back to this article when it’s necessary.