Audit Fundamentals

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Course Description

This 4-week introductory course provides learners with a practical foundation in auditing concepts, processes, and professional practices. Designed for individuals with little or no prior audit experience, the course explores the purpose of auditing, types of audits, audit planning, risk assessment, evidence gathering, testing procedures, documentation, and reporting. Through interactive discussions, case studies, and hands-on exercises, participants will develop the knowledge and skills required to understand and support audit engagements in business, nonprofit, and public sector environments.

Prerequisites: Basic understanding of business operations and accounting principles is helpful but not required.

Click on the course outline below to view a weekly breakdown of the course, learning outcomes, course time commitment and course evaluation.

Career Relevance

This course prepares learners for entry-level roles such as:

  • Audit Assistant

  • Internal Audit Coordinator

  • Compliance Assistant

  • Risk and Controls Administrator

  • Finance and Accounting Support Staff

  • Junior Internal Auditor

Participants will leave with a practical understanding of how audits are conducted and how auditing supports organizational accountability, compliance, and continuous improvement.

Who Should Attend?

This course is ideal for:

  • Aspiring accountants and finance professionals

  • Business owners and entrepreneurs

  • Managers and team leaders

  • Professionals seeking to strengthen their financial decision-making skills

  • Anyone interested in understanding how businesses use financial information to drive performance

  • Course Outline

    Week 1: Introduction to Auditing

    • What is auditing?

    • Purpose and objectives of audits

    • Types of audits:

      • Financial audits

      • Internal audits

      • Compliance audits

      • Operational audits

    • Roles and responsibilities of auditors

    • Professional ethics and independence

    • Overview of the audit lifecycle

    Week 2: Audit Planning and Risk Assessment

    • Understanding the client and business environment

    • Establishing audit objectives and scope

    • Materiality concepts

    • Identifying risks and controls

    • Risk assessment process

    • Developing an audit plan and audit program

    Week 3: Audit Evidence and Testing

    • Types of audit evidence

    • Sources of audit evidence

    • Evidence reliability and sufficiency

    • Audit sampling concepts

    • Audit testing techniques:

      • Inspection

      • Observation

      • Inquiry

      • Recalculation

      • Confirmation

      • Analytical procedures

    • Working papers and documentation standards

    Week 4: Audit Findings and Reporting

    • Analyzing audit results

    • Identifying findings and root causes

    • Developing recommendations

    • Writing audit observations

    • Structure of an audit report

    • Communicating findings to stakeholders

    • Career pathways in auditing

    Learning Outcomes

    By the end of this course, participants will be able to:

    1. Explain the purpose, objectives, and importance of auditing.

    2. Differentiate between internal, external, compliance, operational, and financial audits.

    3. Identify the roles and responsibilities of auditors and auditees.

    4. Apply the basic stages of the audit process from planning to reporting.

    5. Conduct a basic risk assessment and identify key audit risks.

    6. Understand common audit evidence and testing procedures.

    7. Document audit findings using professional working papers.

    8. Interpret audit results and prepare simple audit reports.

    9. Demonstrate ethical behavior and professional judgment in audit engagements.

    10. Apply audit concepts to real-world business scenarios.

    Course Evaluation:

    This course will evaluate the learners based on the following criteria:

    · Participation in the classes themselves

    · Attendance for at least majority of classes

    · Performance on

    o Group discussions & stimulations during class

    o Hands-on exercises and case studies and demonstrations

    o Debrief of individual and group exercises

    o Filling out the course evaluations

    Course Time Commitment:

    Ø Duration: 4 weeks

    Ø Schedule: Every Tuesday and Thursday from 6-8:30pm EST

    Ø Class Time: (5) hours per week (total of 20 hours of instruction.

    Ø Format: Instructor-led online with camera on during class unless otherwise advised by instructor.

    · Plan is to have all exercises done in class but if not let’s say additional 2-4 hours outside of class doing exercises/reviewing complex topics

    • Basic knowledge of computers

    • Intermediate level of English in reading, writing and speaking (CLB6 and higher)

    • Basic understanding of business operations and accounting principles is helpful but not required.

  • CAD $550

  • Zaimin Karmali is a CPA (Certified Public Accountant) and Microsoft Certified.  She has a Masters in Adult Education and is a Certified Training Development Professional. She has over 10 years of teaching in both the public and private sector designing her own curriculum and training strategy on complex accounting and business topics.  She has over 20 years of accounting, audit and tax experience and has worked with a wide array of clients both in the government and private sector. She has a passion for teaching and always will. She loves to make students’ learning journey as valuable as possible, her way of making a difference in the world.

  • Training model: online

    Course length: 4 weeks, 20h

    Classes held on Tuesdays and Thursdays (6-8:30pm EST)

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