U.S. Triennial Firms Inspection Data

These graphs reflect data included in the public portion of the inspection reports. 

The inspection data below is readily ascertainable from the public portion of the inspection report, but the data should be understood in light of contextualizing information provided with each report, including (1) it relates only to the audits selected for review, which does not constitute a representative sample of the firm’s total population of issuer audits, and only to the particular portions of the issuer audits reviewed; (2) for various reasons, inspection results are not necessarily comparable over time or among firms; (3) inspection results are not an assessment of all of the firm’s audit work nor of all of the audit procedures performed for the audits reviewed; and (4) inspection reports are not intended to serve as overall rating tools.

Update first paragraph to say: These graphs reflect data included in the public portion of the inspection reports of U.S. triennially inspected firms.

Part I.A Deficiencies

An audit deficiency is cited and described in Part I.A of an inspection report if it is of such significance that we believe the firm, at the time it issued its audit report(s), had not obtained sufficient appropriate audit evidence to support its opinion(s) on the issuer’s financial statements and/or internal control over financial reporting (ICFR).

Part I.A Deficiency Rate by Firm Size

Percentage of issuer audits reviewed, by selection method, that have at least one Part I.A deficiency in the inspection report for all six firms.

Part I.A Deficiency Rate by Number of Times Firm Was Inspected

Percentage of issuer audits reviewed, by selection method, that have at least one Part I.A deficiency in the inspection report for all firms.

Percentage of Firms with Part I.A Deficiencies

Part I.A Deficiencies by the Average Number of Engagement Partners per Issuer Audit Work

Audits Affected by the Deficiencies Identified in Part I.A

Classification of Audits Reviewed

In our inspection reports, we classify each issuer audit reviewed in one of the categories shown in the graph based on the Part I.A deficiency or deficiencies identified in our review. The purpose of this classification system is to group and present issuer audits by the number of Part I.A deficiencies we identified within the audit as well as to highlight audits with an incorrect opinion on the financial statements and/or ICFR when applicable. 

Audits Selected for Review

Audits Selected for Review by Audit Type

We select both integrated audits of financial statements and ICFR and audits of financial statement only. 

Auditing Standards With Frequent Part I.A Deficiencies by Audit Area

We select audits in which the firm was the principal auditor audits in which the firm was not the principal auditor.

Deficiencies by Audit Areas and Auditing Standards

Inspection Results by Issuer Industry Sector

These are the audit areas we have selected most frequently for review across all six firms and the number of issuer audits by focus area with and without Part I.A deficiencies. For the issuer audits selected for review, we selected these areas because they were generally significant to the issuer’s financial statements, may have included complex issues for auditors, and/or involved complex judgments in (1) estimating and auditing the reported value of related accounts and disclosures and (2) implementing and auditing the related controls.

Part I.B Deficiencies

Part I.B Deficiencies by Type

This graph depicts the number of issuer audits identified for each firm by Part I.B deficiency type. Part I.B deficiencies are certain deficiencies that relate to instances of non-compliance with PCAOB standards or rules other than those where the firm had not obtained sufficient appropriate audit evidence to support its opinions.

 

Firms Inspected

Percentage of Firms

This graph depicts the number of issuer audits reviewed, by each industry with and without Part I.A deficiencies for all six firms. We select issuer audits for review in sectors and specific industries experiencing particularly significant disruptions or financial reporting risks.