Audit Evidence
The information the auditor uses to reach conclusions on which the audit opinion is based.
AUD loves a “which evidence is most reliable?” question: rank the choices by source and form. The hierarchy runs auditor’s direct knowledge (inspection, recalculation, observation) > external confirmations and third-party documents > internally generated documents > inquiry alone. The classic tell is a choice that sounds thorough but rests on a client representation; per AU-C 500 / AS 1105, inquiry by itself is never sufficient and must be corroborated. Mind the modifiers: effective internal control makes internal evidence more reliable, and original documents beat photocopies or scans.
Don’t blur the related concepts. Assertions are what you’re proving (existence, completeness, valuation); audit evidence is what convinces you; analytical procedures and sampling are how you gather it. A frequent trap splits appropriateness into its two parts: relevance ties to a specific assertion (an A/R confirmation tests existence, not completeness), while reliability turns on source and nature. More of the same evidence can’t cure a relevance problem—piling on quantity won’t fix the wrong kind.
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