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Continuing Education
Coming Soon
CE Yellow Book Government Auditing
Participants master the GAGAS framework, auditor independence, and financial audit procedures, while gaining hands‑on expertise in Single Audit compliance and government compliance auditing to ensure rigorous, standards‑driven outcomes.
Who Should Take This
Licensed CPAs who perform or supervise government audits, and who need to stay current with OMB and AICPA requirements, will benefit from this CPE‑level training. The course is ideal for auditors, consultants, and finance professionals seeking practical guidance on applying GAGAS standards and executing Single Audits with confidence.
What's Included in AccelaStudy® AI
Adaptive Knowledge Graph
Practice Questions
Lesson Modules
Console Simulator Labs
Exam Tips & Strategy
20 Activity Formats
Course Outline
60 learning goals
1
GAGAS Framework and General Standards
2 topics
Yellow Book overview and applicability
- Recognize the scope and applicability of Government Auditing Standards (Yellow Book) including the types of engagements covered and the entities subject to GAGAS.
- Comprehend the relationship between GAGAS and AICPA standards including how GAGAS incorporates and builds upon generally accepted auditing standards.
- Recognize the three types of GAGAS engagements — financial audits, attestation engagements, and performance audits — and the standards applicable to each.
- Analyze which GAGAS engagement type is appropriate for a given audit objective and determine the applicable standards for the engagement.
General standards
- Comprehend the GAGAS general standards including independence, professional judgment, competence, quality control, and peer review requirements.
- Analyze a government audit scenario to determine whether the auditor meets the GAGAS competence and continuing professional education requirements.
- Recognize the GAGAS CPE requirements including the 80-hour biennial requirement, 24-hour directly related requirement, and documentation standards.
2
Auditor Independence
2 topics
Independence requirements
- Recognize the GAGAS independence framework including independence of mind and independence in appearance and their conceptual framework approach.
- Comprehend the GAGAS threats to independence including self-interest, self-review, bias, familiarity, undue influence, management participation, and structural threats.
- Analyze an audit engagement to identify threats to independence and determine whether safeguards can reduce threats to an acceptable level.
- Synthesize an independence quality control policy for a government audit practice addressing threat identification, safeguard implementation, and documentation procedures.
Non-audit services and independence
- Comprehend the GAGAS restrictions on non-audit services that impair independence including bookkeeping, IT system design, and management decision-making.
- Analyze whether a proposed non-audit service would impair the auditor's independence under GAGAS and identify available safeguards.
- Synthesize a firm-wide policy addressing GAGAS non-audit service restrictions including pre-engagement evaluation procedures, documentation requirements, and monitoring.
3
Financial Audits Under GAGAS
1 topic
Additional GAGAS financial audit requirements
- Recognize the additional GAGAS requirements for financial audits beyond AICPA standards including compliance testing, internal control reporting, and communication requirements.
- Comprehend the GAGAS reporting requirements for financial audits including the report on internal control, compliance report, and findings communication.
- Analyze a government financial audit to determine the additional GAGAS testing and reporting requirements beyond those required by AICPA standards.
- Synthesize a government financial audit plan that integrates AICPA and GAGAS requirements addressing compliance testing, internal control evaluation, and reporting.
- Comprehend the GAGAS requirements for communicating audit findings including the distinction between material weakness, significant deficiency, and other matters.
4
Single Audit (Uniform Guidance)
3 topics
Single audit requirements
- Recognize the entities subject to Single Audit requirements under the Uniform Guidance including the $750,000 federal expenditure threshold and the types of recipients.
- Comprehend the process for determining major programs including the risk-based approach, Type A and Type B program classification, and percentage-of-coverage rule.
- Analyze a non-federal entity's federal award portfolio to determine Single Audit applicability and identify major programs for compliance testing.
- Recognize the Data Collection Form requirements and the Federal Audit Clearinghouse submission process for completed Single Audits.
Compliance requirements and testing
- Comprehend the twelve types of compliance requirements in the Compliance Supplement including activities allowed, cash management, eligibility, and procurement.
- Analyze a federal program's compliance requirements to design appropriate tests of compliance and internal control over compliance.
- Synthesize a Single Audit testing plan for a major program addressing compliance requirement identification, sample selection, control testing, and findings documentation.
Single audit reporting
- Comprehend the Single Audit reporting package components including the Schedule of Expenditures of Federal Awards, audit reports, and corrective action plans.
- Analyze audit findings to properly classify them as material weakness, significant deficiency, or noncompliance and determine the reporting implications.
- Synthesize a Schedule of Findings and Questioned Costs addressing finding criteria, condition, cause, effect, and recommendation for each identified deficiency.
5
Compliance Auditing
1 topic
Compliance audit methodology
- Recognize the types of compliance audits including program-specific audits, organization-wide audits, and attestation engagements on compliance.
- Comprehend the compliance audit planning process including understanding the entity's compliance framework, identifying applicable requirements, and assessing compliance risk.
- Analyze a compliance audit engagement to determine the nature, timing, and extent of compliance testing procedures.
- Synthesize a compliance audit plan addressing applicable requirements identification, risk assessment, testing procedures, and findings documentation.
6
Internal Controls (COSO) in Government
1 topic
Government internal control standards
- Recognize the Green Book (Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government) components and their alignment with the COSO Internal Control Framework.
- Comprehend the internal control assessment requirements for government entities including control environment, risk assessment, and monitoring activities.
- Analyze a government entity's internal control system to identify deficiencies in control design and operating effectiveness.
- Synthesize internal control improvement recommendations for a government entity addressing control gaps, risk mitigation strategies, and monitoring enhancements.
7
Government Accounting (GASB)
2 topics
GASB standards and financial reporting
- Recognize the government-wide and fund-based financial reporting model under GASB including the measurement focus and basis of accounting for each.
- Comprehend the major fund determination criteria and the reporting requirements for governmental, proprietary, and fiduciary fund types.
- Analyze a government entity's financial statements to evaluate compliance with GASB reporting requirements and identify potential misstatements.
- Recognize recent GASB pronouncements including GASB 87 on leases, GASB 96 on IT arrangements, and GASB 101 on compensated absences.
- Synthesize an audit approach for evaluating a government entity's compliance with GASB lease and IT arrangement standards including completeness and measurement testing.
Pension and OPEB accounting
- Comprehend the accounting and reporting for pension obligations under GASB 68 including net pension liability, deferred inflows/outflows, and pension expense.
- Analyze a government entity's pension and OPEB disclosures to evaluate the reasonableness of actuarial assumptions and the completeness of required disclosures.
- Synthesize an audit approach for testing pension and OPEB liabilities including actuarial assumption evaluation, census data testing, and employer allocation verification.
8
Schedule of Expenditures of Federal Awards
1 topic
SEFA preparation and audit
- Recognize the SEFA presentation requirements including CFDA numbers, pass-through entity identification, loan and loan guarantee balances, and cluster identification.
- Comprehend the auditor's responsibilities for the SEFA including opining on the schedule's fair presentation, reconciling to financial records, and evaluating completeness.
- Analyze a SEFA for accuracy and completeness including proper identification of federal programs, correct expenditure amounts, and appropriate subrecipient reporting.
- Synthesize a SEFA audit program addressing reconciliation procedures, subrecipient identification, pass-through testing, and loan balance verification.
9
Performance Auditing
1 topic
Performance audit standards
- Recognize the GAGAS performance audit standards including the audit objectives of economy, efficiency, effectiveness, and program results.
- Comprehend the performance audit methodology including developing audit criteria, assessing evidence, and identifying findings with the five elements: criteria, condition, cause, effect, and recommendation.
- Analyze a government program to develop performance audit objectives, identify appropriate criteria, and design evidence-gathering procedures.
- Synthesize a performance audit report addressing findings, recommendations, auditee views, and the overall assessment of program effectiveness.
10
Emerging Issues in Government Auditing
2 topics
Technology and data in government auditing
- Recognize the impact of emerging technologies on government auditing including data analytics, GIS mapping, AI-assisted testing, and continuous auditing techniques.
- Comprehend the audit considerations for government cybersecurity assessments including NIST frameworks, FedRAMP authorization, and information system controls.
- Analyze a government entity's IT control environment to identify cybersecurity risks and determine the impact on the financial statement and compliance audits.
- Synthesize a technology-enhanced government audit methodology incorporating data analytics, continuous monitoring tools, and GIS-based testing procedures.
Federal grant management updates
- Comprehend recent updates to the Uniform Guidance including changes to procurement standards, subrecipient monitoring, and indirect cost rate negotiation.
- Analyze the audit implications of pandemic-era federal funding programs including ARPA, ESSER, and CARES Act compliance requirements.
- Synthesize an audit approach for testing compliance with pandemic-era federal grants addressing allowable costs, reporting requirements, and subrecipient monitoring.
Scope
Included Topics
- Government Auditing Standards (Yellow Book) framework including general standards, financial audit standards, and performance audit standards.
- Auditor independence under GAGAS including threats, safeguards, non-audit services, and documentation requirements.
- Single Audit requirements under the Uniform Guidance including major program determination, compliance testing, and reporting.
- Compliance Supplement usage and the twelve types of compliance requirements for federal programs.
- Internal controls in government including the Green Book, COSO framework, and control deficiency classification.
- Government accounting under GASB including financial reporting model, fund accounting, pension and OPEB reporting.
- Schedule of Expenditures of Federal Awards preparation and auditing.
- Performance auditing methodology including audit criteria, evidence gathering, and findings development.
- Emerging issues including technology in government auditing, cybersecurity, and pandemic-era grant compliance.
Not Covered
- Detailed federal budget process and appropriations law beyond their intersection with compliance auditing.
- State and local government tax policy and revenue forecasting.
- Military and intelligence community auditing with classified information.
- Detailed GASB implementation guidance for specific transactions beyond overview.
- Government procurement and contract administration beyond compliance audit testing.
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