Master Class: Embedding Critical Thinking into the Internal Audit Process

Professional Standards
• International Standards for the Professional Practices of Internal Auditing – IIA
• Government Audit Standards – GAO
• IT Standards, Guidelines, and Tools and Techniques for Audit and Assurance and Control Professionals

Critical Thinking
• Key terms/definitions
• Critical thinking levels and characteristics
• Reasoning and professional judgment
• Understanding biases, fallacies and inferences in the thinking process
• Intellectual thinking traits and standards

Planning – Risk Based Audits
o In determining scope and levels of risk – impact and likelihood
o In determining audit prioritization
o Interviewing and questioning

Assessing Process and Testing
o Identifying what to test, how to test and when to expand testing
o Determining sufficiency of testing evidence
o Keeping the focus on the objective

Evidence and Evidence Gathering
o Why is Audit Evidence so important?
o Quality of Evidence and Assurance
o Evidentiary Sources and Reliance
o Methods to gather evidence

Communicating and Reporting
o 5 C’s – condition, criteria, consequence, cause, corrective action
o Findings – Significance, relevance, and framing
o Selecting impactful evidence – charts, graphs, pictures, flow charts

FOR WHOM:
Internal audit staff and management

1ST BATCH: Tuesday, January 13, 2026 — Friday, January 16, 2026.

2ND BATCH: Tuesday, May 5, 2026 — Friday, May 8, 2026.

3RD BATCH: Tuesday, September 1, 2026 — Friday, September 4, 2026.

The training methodology integrates lectures, interactive discussions, collaborative group exercises, and
illustrative examples. Participants will acquire a blend of theoretical insights and hands-on practical
experience, emphasizing the application of learned techniques. This approach ensures that attendees return
to their professional environments equipped with both the competence and self-assurance to effectively
implement the acquired skills in their responsibilities.