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Auditor Interview Questions

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Indeed’s Employer Resource Library helps businesses grow and manage their workforce. With over 15,000 articles in 6 languages, we offer tactical advice, how-tos and best practices to help businesses hire and retain great employees.

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Whether you are preparing to interview a candidate or applying for a job, review our list of top Auditor interview questions and answers.

  1. Why have you chosen a career as an auditor? See answer
  2. What do you expect your daily duties to be in this role? See answer
  3. What do you think are the most important skills an excellent auditor should possess? See answer
  4. How do you inform the board of directors about fraudulent cases that would be difficult to hear? See answer
  5. What are some actions and steps you take after completing an audit? See answer
  6. Have you ever had a conflict with a colleague or manager? Describe how you resolved the issue. See answer
  7. How has your education prepared you for this job? See answer
  8. Is there a suggestion you made in your previous auditing job that was implemented? See answer
  9. Can you explain audit control procedures and their purpose? See answer
  10. What motivates you as an auditor? See answer
  11. What’s the importance of auditing, and what prompts auditing?
  12. How do you think the auditor’s position in this organisation will help you attain your goals?
  13. Have you thought about audit-related risk management in this company and how you can mitigate the risks?
  14. What are the things you are most proud of in your auditing career?
  15. What’s vouching, and how can you apply it in an auditing process?
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Our mission

Indeed’s Employer Resource Library helps businesses grow and manage their workforce. With over 15,000 articles in 6 languages, we offer tactical advice, how-tos and best practices to help businesses hire and retain great employees.

Read our editorial guidelines

15 Auditor Interview Questions and Answers

Why have you chosen a career as an auditor?

This question helps understand the motivations and reasons a candidate chose a career path as an auditor.You can also discover whether the candidate has long-term career goals with your company. What to look for in an answer:

  • Long-term career goals
  • Relevant skills and qualifications
  • Motivation to become an auditor

Example:

"I enjoy working with facts, data, and numbers. I developed an interest in accounting throughout high school and university. I discovered that as an auditor I could apply accounting knowledge."

What's the importance of auditing, and what prompts auditing?

Auditors need to understand the purpose of their role in order to stay vigilant and focused on details. This question assesses the candidate's skills and knowledge to determine their understanding of the auditing process. What to look for in an answer:

  • Knowledge of what kind of businesses or clients require auditing
  • Understanding of the auditing process
  • Understanding of why businesses are audited

Example:

"Auditing confirms the accuracy of financial reports, accounting systems, and evaluates financial risks. Stakeholders or owners of an organisation can request auditing at any time to verify financial accuracy. People also conduct audits in response to legal action, or to comply with government regulations."

What do you expect your daily duties to be in this role?

This question aims to discover whether a candidate has researched your business and has an in-depth understanding of their role as an auditor. The candidate should know who and where to report to. What to look for in an answer:

  • Research skills and preparation for the interview
  • Understanding of duties and responsibilities
  • Experience in a similar role

Example:

"In my first days, I would take time studying my predecessor's reports. During typical workdays, my duties involve examining records, operating practises, and reports to evaluate the validity of every department's financial reports. In case I find fraudulent cases, I would report the matter to the board of directors."

What do you think are the most important skills an excellent auditor should possess?

Auditors require unique abilities, technical knowledge, and essential hard skills to perform their jobs effectively. This question evaluates whether a candidate possesses the required skills. It also gives the candidate an opportunity to highlight their strengths. What to look for in an answer:

  • Knowledge of auditing duties and responsibilities
  • Hard skills, such as accounting knowledge and report writing
  • Soft skills, such as attention to detail and organisation

Example:

"I find analysis, attention to detail, and organisation to be the most important skills. Analytical skills are essential since auditors compare documents when looking for discrepancies and solutions. Attention to details makes it easy to compare documents and ensure accuracy. A strong foundational background in accounting practises is also highly important. I believe I'd be a great addition to your team because I possess all those abilities."

How do you inform the board of directors about fraudulent cases that would be difficult to hear?

Some negative feedback may be difficult to share, but it's important to inform the relevant authority. It requires great interpersonal and communication skills when delivering such information. What to look for in an answer:

  • Ability to handle sensitive information
  • Interpersonal and communication skills
  • Professionalism when sharing audit results

Example:

"Auditing work involves uncovering and disclosing fraudulent cases, which can sometimes be a shock to business owners or the board of directors. I inform the client of the fraud and provide a detailed report with my analysis. I offer advice on the next steps to take and how to prevent the issue from occurring again in the future."

How do you think the auditor's position with this organisation will help you attain your goals?

This question will help you understand the plans and goals of a candidate to determine if they fit into your company. You will also discover how the goals relate to your company. What to look for in an answer:

  • Career ambitions
  • Interest in professional development opportunities
  • Long-term career goals with your company

Example:

"My immediate objective is to secure an auditing position where I can improve both professionally and personally. I enjoy taking on challenges and am interested in working where I can take up more responsibilities and duties. Currently, I'm working towards improving my reporting skills, and believe I can learn from your experienced team."

What are some actions and steps you take after completing an audit?

After completing an audit, there are several steps an auditor must take. This question reveals whether a candidate has an organised process for their other responsibilities before and after an audit. What to look for in an answer:

  • Experience in a similar role
  • Strategies to prevent future discrepancies
  • organisational and communication skills to share results with clients

Example:

"After completing an audit, I take several steps to improve the results and ensure my report is used to improve the company's operations. First, I set a meeting to review the results with the board of directors and other stakeholders. I summarise the document and encourage the adoption and implementation of the auditing team's recommendations. Then, I..."

Have you ever had a conflict with a colleague or manager? Describe how you resolved the issue.

This question assesses how the candidate reacts to and resolves conflicts. It can also reveal their professionalism and ability to work in a team environment. What to look for in an answer:

  • Ability to stay calm and address workplace conflict objectively
  • Problem-solving and conflict-resolution skills
  • Ability to work and collabourate with different people professionally

Example:

"I once had a disagreement with my colleague about the best procedure for an audit. We discussed the pros and cons, but we were both adamant our own method was the best. Instead of continuing to debate or conduct the audit in different ways, we took the issue to our manager. She clarified the best course of action, and my colleague and I both followed those procedures without further argument."

How has your education prepared you for this job?

Auditors require an academic background in accounting to be prepared for the role. This question will help to understand the educational achievements of candidates applying for the auditor role. What to look for in an answer:

  • Key skills or lessons learned during their education
  • Meets academic requirements of the role
  • Ability to apply theory to real-world auditing processes

Example:

"During my undergraduate degree, I learned a lot of foundational accounting knowledge to prepare for a career as an auditor. While working towards my CPA designation, I learned more hands-on accounting skills. My education prepared me with knowledge of federal laws and regulations, and effective systems for identifying errors and discrepancies quickly. I'm also proficient with several auditing software programmes, as I took some elective courses on accounting technology."

Is there a suggestion you made in your previous auditing job that was implemented?

Auditors should be proactive when they realise or notice opportunities for improvement. This question will help you learn the positive impact a candidate has made in their previous positions. What to look for in an answer:

  • Attention to detail
  • Interest in continuous improvements
  • Innovative mindset

Example:

"I suggested several financial management methods to improve accuracy and finance management and my previous organisation. I suggested a user-friendly software that would improve efficiency and organisation, and presented my points to the CEO. The company adopted my changes, which made the accounting department more accurate and saved time."

Can you explain audit control procedures and their purpose?

Auditors frequently have to explain the process to clients or stakeholders who aren't familiar with the procedure or terminology. This question is used to gauge whether an auditor understands different aspects of the auditing process. It also reveals their ability to express these procedures to clients effectively. What to look for in an answer:

  • Knowledge of complex auditing processes
  • Ability to explain procedures to clients in an easy-to-understand way
  • Academic and real-world experience

Example:

"An audit control procedure is a documented set of policies and procedures that determine the method to use when auditing. The procedures are developed by the stakeholders of a company and approved by the directors or owners of the firm. Audit control procedures establish the organisation's goals and make it clear for the auditing team."

Have you worked with auditing software in the past?

Candidates need to be familiar with modern auditing technology and software to improve efficiency and organisation. This question evaluates a candidate's level of experience with specific software and their experience level. What to look for in an answer:

  • Familiarity with one or more relevant software programmes
  • Interest in learning new technology
  • Examples of experience with auditing software

Example:

"I have experience using two major accounting software. I learned Smart Audits during my Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) training. We used AuditFile in my previous role and they trained me on the job. Both have their pros and cons, but I find AuditFile offers more useful features. I would be happy to learn new software if your organisation uses another programme."

What motivates you as an auditor?

This question aims to find out what inspires the candidate and whether they're prepared for the position's duties and responsibilities. Through this question, you can also learn more about a candidate's personality and how they fit in with the company culture. What to look for in an answer:

  • Long-term career goals
  • Specific motivating factors that drive them to work hard
  • Attention to detail and commitment to accuracy

Example:

"I'm primarily driven by my desire to identify minor details that others may have missed. I'm committed to helping clients gain clear results with regulated audits. I take pride in my work and feel good when I know I've reviewed everything thoroughly."

What are the things you're most proud of in your auditing career?

This question evaluates what a candidate is passionate about and where they excel. It can also reveal what a candidate prioritises, values, and considers successful. What to look for in an answer:

  • Relevant examples of experience in the role
  • Confidence and pride in their professional achievements
  • Long-term career goals

Example:

"I'm still proud of the day I earned my CPA designation, because a lot of hard work and determination went into achieving that certification. I'm also proud of an auditing error I caught in my previous role which saved the company hundreds of thousands of dollars. It was missed by a more senior auditor, but upon my inspection, I noticed some numbers weren't adding up. It revealed..."

What is vouching, and how can you apply it in an auditing process?

This question targets the candidate's knowledge of industry terminology. It can also reveal their experience working in a similar role. Vouching is a key element of the auditing process, so qualified candidates should be able to explain how it relates to the role with ease. What to look for in an answer:

  • Ability to describe auditing jargon plainly
  • Critical thinking skills
  • Familiarity with several auditing procedures

Example:

"Vouching is an examination of documents and reports supporting and substantiating financial transactions. Through my inspection, I determine the accuracy and authenticity of reports. Vouching can also help to find out if transactions are properly authorised and recorded correctly."

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