Audit Guide: Analytical Procedures

AICPA Audit Guides are developed and updated to provide guidance and tools for practitioners as they perform audit engagements.

The AICPA Audit Guide Analytical Procedures, updated as of March 1, 2012, includes relevant guidance contained in applicable standards and other technical sources. The guide summarizes applicable requirements and practices, and delivers "how-to" advice for handling analytical procedures used in audits. The included case study illustrates the use of analytical procedures in planning and substantive testing, utilizing trend analysis, ratio analysis, reasonableness testing, and regression analysis. The appendices include a variety of examples of financial ratios and a comparison of the key provisions of the Risk Assessment Standards.

This AICPA Audit Guide has been fully conformed to reflect the new standards resulting from the Clarity Project. Fully incorporating the clarified auditing standards into this year’s edition of the guide enables auditors to further their understanding of these recently issued auditing standards, as well as begin updating their audit methodologies, resources, and tools prior to the clarified auditing standards’ effective date. Additionally, this approach gives auditors the opportunity to review and understand the changes made by their third-party audit methodology and resource providers, if applicable. The clarified auditing standards are effective for audits of financial statements for periods ending on or after December 15, 2012 (calendar year 2012 audits). Auditors should continue to use the previous edition of this guide (2008 edition) until the clarified auditing standards become effective for the auditors’ engagements.