The internal audit activity can be involved with systems development continuously, immediately prior to implementation, after implementation, or not at all. An advantage of continuous internal audit involvement compared to the other types of involvement is that:

A payroll clerk enters payroll transactions into the general ledger. The staff accountant reconciles the payroll ledgers. The payroll manager issues the manual payroll checks. The checks are maintained in a locked cabinet. The chief financial officer secures the keys to the cabinet. The payroll clerk distributes the manual checks.
The payroll manager reconciles the bank statements monthly. Which of the following audit steps best addresses the risk of fraud in the payroll process?

Which of the following best describes the most important criteria when assigning responsibility for specific tasks required in an audit engagement?

Which of the following statements describes an engagement planning best practice?

The chief audit executive (CAE) manages a large internal audit activity (IAA) reporting functionally to the audit committee and administratively to the chief risk officer. During the CAE's recent unplanned medical leave, several internal audit reports were completed and waiting for CAE approval, however, no formal delegation of authority was in place to anticipate this situation. In order to preserve the independence of the IAA, which of the following would be the most appropriate individual to review and approve these reports during the CAE's absence?