穿行测试是指追踪交易在财务报告信息系统中的处理过程。这是注册会计师了解被审计单位业务流程及其相关控制时经常使用的审计程序。穿行测试不是单独的一种程序,而是将多种程序按特定审计需要进行结合运用的方法。
其英文为walk-through test,英文释义如下:
A walk-through test is a procedure used during an audit of an entity's accounting system to gauge its reliability. A walk-through test traces a transaction step-by-step through the accounting system from its inception to the final disposition.
穿行测试的方法/步骤如下:
注册会计师在了解内部控制时,可以观察被审计单位的生产经营活动,检查文件、记录和内部控制手册,阅读由管理层和治理层编制的报告,实地查看被审计单位的生产经营场所和设备,追踪交易在财务报告信息系统中的处理过程(穿行测试)。
1、先将公司规范某项经济业务行为的制度按业务流程的方式描述出来;这表明公司的该项经济业务应该都是按所描述的业务流程运行的。
2、抽取某几笔业务样本;
3、要求受监察的单位提供所有所抽取业务样本的运行记录;
4、按照流程环节,描述样本业务的实际运行情况;
5、对照流程环节与要求,比较并记录没有做到位的地方。
例如甲注册会计师针对销售交易,从订单处理--核准信用状况及赊销条款--填写订单并准备发货--编制货运单据--订单运送/递送追踪至客户或由客户提货--开具销售发票--复核发票的准确性并邮寄/送至客户--生成销售明细账--汇总销售明细账,并过账至总账和应收账款明细账等交易的整个流程,考虑之前对相关控制的了解是否正确和完整,并确定相关控制是否得到执行,这就是穿行测试。
控制测试是指用于评价内部控制在防止或发现并纠正认定层次重大错报方面的运行有效性的审计程序。控制运行有效性强调的是控制能够在各个不同时点按照既定设计得以一贯执行,这与“了解内部控制”不同。在了解内部控制确定控制是否得到执行时,只需要确定某项控制是否存在,被审计单位是否正在使用。
其英文为control test或test of controls,相关释义如下:
A test of controls is an audit procedure to test the effectiveness of a control used by a client entity to prevent or detect material misstatements. Depending on the results of this test, auditors may choose to rely upon a client's system of controls as part of their auditing activities. If the auditors encounter an error in a test of controls, they will expand the sample size and conduct further testing. If additional errors are found, they will consider whether there is a systematic controls problem that renders the controls ineffective, or if the errors appear to be isolated instances that do not reflect upon the overall effectiveness of the control in question. If the auditors conclude that controls are weak, they will enhance their use of substantive testing, which usually increases the cost of an audit.
作为进一步审计程序类型之一,控制测试并非在任何情况中都需要实施。当存在下列情形其中之一时,注册会计师就应当实施控制测试:(l)在评估认定层次重大错报风险时,预期控制运行是有效的;(2)仅仅实施实质性程序不足以提供认定层次充分、适当的审计证据。
以下为相关双语示例,供参考:
A walk-through test can be done by simply asking employee questions, although this isn’t recommended. This is because an employee’s description isn’t always what happens in practice. The better method of a walk-through is actually observing employees—how they process transactions, etc. As well, actually analyzing paperwork and documents is a step further in analyzing the company’s accounting process.
穿行测试可以通过仅询问员工问题而进行,尽管并不建议这样做。这是因为员工描述的并不一定是实际发生的事情。更好的测试方法是实际观察员工——观察他们是如何处理交易的等等。对文件进行分析也是进一步分析公司会计流程的措施。