At - Audit in A Computerized Environment
At - Audit in A Computerized Environment
3. Which of the following is least considered if the auditor has to determine whether specialized CIS
skills are needed in an audit?
a. The auditor needs to obtain a sufficient understanding of the accounting and internal control system
affected by the CIS environment.
b. The auditor needs to determine the effect of the CIS environment on the assessment of overall risk
and of risk at the account balance and class of transactions level.
c. Design and perform appropriate tests of controls and substantive procedures.
d. The need of the auditor to make analytical procedures during the completion stage of audit.
4. It relates to materiality of the financial statement assertions affected by the computer processing.
a. Threshold
b. Relevance
c. Complexity
d. Significance
5. Which of the following least likely indicates a complexity of computer processing? a. Transactions are
exchanged electronically with other organizations without manual review of their propriety.
b. The volume of the transactions is such that users would find it difficult to identify and correct errors in
processing.
6. The nature of the risks and the internal characteristics in CIS environment that the auditors are mostly
concerned include the following except:
d. Cost-benefit ratio.
7. Which of the following is least likely a risk characteristic associated with CIS environment?
a. Errors embedded in an application’s program logic maybe difficult to manually detect on a timely
basis.
b. Many control procedures that would ordinarily be performed by separate individuals in manual
system maybe concentrated in CIS.
c. The potential unauthorized access to data or to alter them without visible evidence maybe greater.
8. Which of the following significance and complexity of the CIS activities should an auditor least
understand?
c. The significance and complexity of computer processing in each significant accounting application.
a. Personal computers or PCs are economical yet powerful self-contained general purpose computers
consisting typically of a central processing unit (CPU), memory, monitor, disk drives, printer cables and
modems.
c. Personal computers cannot be used to process accounting transactions and produce reports that are
essential to the preparation of financial statements.
d. Generally, CIS environments in which personal computers are used are the same with other CIS
environments.
a. The stand-alone workstation can be operated by a single user or a number of users at different times
accessing the same or different programs.
c. A local area network is an arrangement where two or more personal computers are linked together
through the use of special software and communication lines.
d. Personal computers can be linked to servers and used as part of such systems, for example, as an
intelligent on-line workstation or as part of a distributed accounting system.
12. Which of the following is the least likely characteristic of personal computers?
d. The operating system software is less comprehensive than that found in larger computer
environments.
b. The programs are tailored-made according to the specific needs of the user.
a. Compact disk
b. Tapes
c. Diskettes
d. Hard disk
15. It is a computer program (a block of executable code) that attaches itself to a legitimate program or
data file and uses its as a transport mechanism to reproduce itself without the knowledge of the user.
a. Virus
c. Utility program
d. Encryption
16. Which statement is incorrect regarding internal control in personal computer environment?
a. Generally, the CIS environment in which personal computers are used is less structured than a
centrally-controlled CIS environment.
b. Controls over the system development process and operations may not be viewed by the developer,
the user or management as being as important or cost-effective.
c. In almost all commercially available operating systems, the built-in security provided has gradually
increased over the years.
d. In a typical personal computer environment, the distinction between general CIS controls and CIS
application controls is easily ascertained.
17. Personal computers are susceptible to theft, physical damage, unauthorized access or misuse of
equipment. Which of the following is least likely a physical security to restrict access to personal
computers when not in use?
18. Which of the following is not likely a control over removable storage media to prevent
misplacement, alteration without authorization or destruction?
a. Using cryptography, which is the process of transforming programs and information into an
unintelligible form.
b. Placing responsibility for such media under personnel whose responsibilities include duties of
software custodians or librarians.
c. Using a program and data file check-in and check-out system and locking the designated storage
locations.
d. Keeping current copies of diskettes, compact disks or back-up tapes and hard disks in a fireproof
container, either on-site, off-site or both.
19. Which of the following least likely protects critical and sensitive information from unauthorized
access in a personal computer environment?
c. Employing passwords.
20. It refers to plans made by the entity to obtain access to comparable hardware, software and data in
the event of their failure, loss or destruction.
a. Back-up
b. Encryption
c. Anti-virus
21. The effect of personal computers on the accounting system and the associated risks will least likely
depend on
a. The extent to which the personal computer is being used to process accounting applications.
b. The type and significance of financial transactions being processed.
22. The auditor may often assume that control risk is high in personal computer systems since , it may
not be practicable or cost-effective for management to implement sufficient controls to reduce the risks
of undetected errors to a minimum level. This least likely entail
23. Computer systems that enable users to access data and programs directly through workstations are
referred to as
d. Database systems
24. On-line systems allow users to initiate various functions directly. Such functions include:
25. Many different types of workstations may be used in on-line computer systems. The functions
performed by these workstations least likely depend on their
a. Logic
b. Transmission
c. Storage
d. Cost
26. Types of workstations include General Purpose Terminals and Special Purpose Terminals. Special
Purpose Terminals include
27. Special Purpose Terminal used to initiate, validate, record, transmit and complete various banking
transactions
c. Remote workstations require the use of telecommunications to link them to the computer.
d. Workstations cannot be used by many users, for different purposes, in different locations, all at the
same time.
b. How it is processed.
a. Individual transactions are entered at workstations, validated and used to update related computer
files immediately.
b. Individual transactions are entered at a workstation, subjected to certain validation checks and added
to a transaction file that contains other transactions entered during the period.
c. Individual transactions immediately update a memo file containing information which has been
extracted from the most recent version of the master file.
c. On-Line/Inquiry
d. On-Line/Combined Processing
32. It is a communication system that enables computer users to share computer equipment,
application software, data and voice and video transmissions.
a. Network
b. File server
c. Host
d. Client
33. A type of network that multiple buildings are close enough to create a campus, but the space
between the buildings is not under the control of the company is
34. Which of the following is least likely a characteristic of Wide Area Network (WAN)?
b. Typically involves one or more long-distance providers, such as a telephone company to provide the
connections.
35. Gateway is
a. A hardware and software solution that enables communications between two dissimilar networking
systems or protocols.
c. A device that connects and passes packets between two network segments that use the same
communication protocol.
36. A device that works to control the flow of data between two or more network segments
37. The undesirable characteristics of on-line computer systems least likely include
38. Certain general CIS controls that are particularly important to on-line processing least likely include
a. Access controls.
b. System development and maintenance controls.
39. Certain CIS application controls that are particularly important to on-line processing least likely
include
40. Risk of fraud or error in on-line systems may be reduced in the following circumstances, except
a. If on-line data entry is performed at or near the point where transactions originate, there is less risk
that the transactions will not be recorded.
b. If invalid transactions are corrected and re-entered immediately, there is less risk that such
transactions will not be corrected and re-submitted on a timely basis.
c. If data entry is performed on-line by individuals who understand the nature of the transactions
involved, the data entry process may be less prone to errors than when it is performed by individuals
unfamiliar with the nature of the transactions.
d. On-line access to data and programs through telecommunications may provide greater opportunity
for access to data and programs by unauthorized persons.
41. Risk of fraud or error in on-line computer systems may be increased for the following reasons,
except
a. If workstations are located throughout the entity, the opportunity for unauthorized use of a
workstation and the entry of unauthorized transactions may increase.
b. Workstations may provide the opportunity for unauthorized uses such as modification of previously
entered transactions or balances.
c. If on-line processing is interrupted for any reason, for example, due to faulty telecommunications,
there may be a greater chance that transactions or files may be lost and that the recovery may not be
accurate and complete.
d. If transactions are processed immediately on-line, there is less risk that they will be processed in the
wrong accounting period.
42. The following matters are of particular importance to the auditor in an on-line computer system,
except
b. Integrity of records and processing, due to on-line access to the system by many users and
programmers.
43. A collection of data that is shared and used by a number of different users for different purposes.
a. Database
b. Information file
c. Master file
d. Transaction file
a. Individual applications share the data in the database for different purposes.
b. Separate data files are maintained for each application and similar data used by several applications
may be repeated on several different files.
c. A software facility is required to keep track of the location of the data in the database.
46. Due to data sharing, data independence and other characteristics of database systems
a. General CIS controls normally have a greater influence than CIS application controls on database
systems.
b. CIS application controls normally have a greater influence than general CIS controls on database
systems.
c. General CIS controls normally have an equal influence with CIS application controls on database
systems.
a. Since data are shared by many users, control may be enhanced when a standard approach is used for
developing each new application program and for application program modification.
b. Several data owners should be assigned responsibility for defining access and security rules, such as
who can use the data (access) and what functions they can perform (security).
c. User access to the database can be restricted through the use of passwords.
d. Responsibilities for performing the various activities required to design, implement and operate a
database are divided among technical, design, administrative and user personnel.
48. These require a database administrator to assign security attributes to data that cannot be changed
by database users.
49. A discretionary access control wherein users are permitted or denied access to data resource
depending on the time series of accesses to and actions they have undertaken on data resources.
50. The effect of a database system on the accounting system and the associated risks will least likely
depend on:
c. The nature of the database, the DBMS, the database administration tasks and the applications.
a. The extent to which the data in the database are used by the accounting system.
c. The nature of the database, the DBMS, the database administration tasks and the applications.
d. The general CIS controls which are particularly important in a database environment.
52. Which statement is incorrect regarding the characteristics of a CIS organizational structure?
a. Certain data processing personnel may be the only ones with a detailed knowledge of the
interrelationship between the source of data, how it is processed and the distribution and use of the
output.
b. Many conventional controls based on adequate segregation of incompatible functions may not exist,
or in the absence of access and other controls, may be less effective.
c. Transaction and master file data are often concentrated, usually in machine-readable form, either in
one computer installation located centrally or in a number of installations distributed throughout an
entity.
d. Systems employing CIS methods do not include manual operations since the number of persons
involved in the processing of financial information is significantly reduced.
53. System characteristics that may result from the nature of CIS processing include, except
54. The development of CIS will generally result in design and procedural characteristics that are
different from those found in manual systems. These different design and procedural aspects of CIS
include, except:
a. Consistency of performance.
a. Manual and computer control procedures comprise the overall controls affecting the CIS environment
(general CIS controls) and the specific controls over the accounting applications (CIS application
controls)
b. The purpose of general CIS controls is to establish a framework of overall control over the CIS
activities and to provide a reasonable level of assurance that the overall objectives of internal control
are achieved.
c. The purpose of CIS application controls is to establish specific control procedures over the application
systems in order to provide reasonable assurance that all transactions are authorized and recorded, and
are processed completely, accurately and on a timely basis.
d. The internal controls over computer processing, which help to achieve the overall objectives of
internal control, include only the procedures designed into computer programs.
d. Monitoring controls.
58. Which statement is incorrect regarding the review of general CIS controls and CIS application
controls?
a. The auditor should consider how these general CIS controls affect the CIS applications significant to
the audit.
b. General CIS controls that relate to some or all applications are typically interdependent controls in
that their operation is often essential to the effectiveness of CIS application controls.
c. Control over input, processing, data files and output may be carried out by CIS personnel, by users of
the system, by a separate control group, or may be programmed into application software.
d. It may be more efficient to review the design of the application controls before reviewing the general
controls.
59. Which statement is incorrect regarding the evaluation of general CIS controls and CIS application
controls?
a. The general CIS controls may have a pervasive effect on the processing of transactions in application
systems.
b. If general CIS controls are not effective, there may be a risk that misstatements might occur and go
undetected in the application systems.
c. Manual procedures exercised by users may provide effective control at the application level.
d. Weaknesses in general CIS controls cannot preclude testing certain CIS application controls.
60. The applications of auditing procedures using the computer as an audit tool refer to
b. To ensure appropriate control procedures, the presence of the auditor is not necessarily required at
the computer facility during the running of a CAAT.
c. The general principles outlined in PAPS 1009 apply in small entity IT environments.
d. Where smaller volumes of data are processed, the use of CAATs is more cost effective.
62. Consists of generalized computer programs designed to perform common audit tasks or
standardized data processing functions.
a. Expert systems.
d. Corporate and financial modeling programs for use as predictive audit tests
64. An internal auditor noted the following points when conducting a preliminary survey in connection
with the audit of an EDP department. Which of the following would be considered a safeguard in the
control system on which the auditor might rely?
a. Programmers and computer operators correct daily processing problems as they arise.
b. The control group works with user organizations to correct rejected input.
c. New systems are documented as soon as possible after they begin processing live data.
d. The average tenure of employees working in the EDP department is ten months.
64. An on-line access control that checks whether the user’s code number is authorized to initiate a
specific type of transaction or inquiry is referred to as
65. A control procedure that could be used in an on-line system to provide an immediate check on
whether an account number has been entered on a terminal accurately is a
68. Some of the more important controls that relate to automated accounting information systems are
validity checks, limit checks, field checks, and sign tests. These are classified as
69. Most of today’s computer systems have hardware controls that are built in by the computer
manufacturer. Common hardware controls are
d. Duplicate circuitry, echo check, tape file protection, and internal header labels
70. Computer manufacturers are now installing software programs permanently inside the computer as
part of its main memory to provide protection from erasure or loss if there is interrupted electrical
power. This concept is known as