Internal Audit Job Interview Questions

 

Working in internal audit requires a combination of technical, analytical, and soft skills, along with a commitment to ethical conduct and attention to detail. Interviews are designed to assess your skills, experience, and personality to ascertain whether you possess these desired attributes.

If you’ve already secured an interview for an internal audit position, congratulations! However, the hard work starts now. It's important to prepare thoroughly for your auditing job interview, review the job description, and research the company to anticipate the types of questions you may be asked. Be prepared to provide specific examples from your past experiences, demonstrate your technical expertise, and highlight your problem-solving skills.

 

General Interview Questions

Here are some examples of the kind of questions you can expect to be asked:

 

Technical questions: These questions are designed to assess your knowledge of accounting principles, auditing standards, and internal control frameworks.

Example: What is the difference between a control deficiency and a significant deficiency?

 

Experience-based questions: Prospective employers will want to understand your previous experience in internal auditing.

Example: Can you describe a time when you identified a significant control weakness during an audit and how you addressed it?

 

Behavioural questions: An important part of the hiring process is to assess how you might approach certain situations or challenges that may arise in an internal auditing role.

Example: Can you describe a time when you had to work with a difficult team member and how you handled the situation?

 

Problem-solving questions: Internal auditors need to be able to think critically and solve problems.

Example: How would you approach a situation where you discovered evidence of fraud during an audit?

 

Industry-specific questions: Depending on the industry you will be auditing; you may be asked questions related to that industry.

Example: If you’re interviewing for a position in healthcare, you may be asked about HIPAA regulations.

 

Entry Level Internal Audit Roles

Internal audit job interview questions will naturally vary depending on the seniority of the role. If you’re looking for an entry-level or junior position, then you should expect questions designed to assess why you’ve chosen this career path and to ascertain your level of knowledge.

These might include:

• Why do you want to work in auditing?
• Tell us about some recent developments within internal audit?
• How much do you know about our company?

 

Senior Internal Audit Positions

If you’re interviewing for a senior internal auditing role, you can expect questions that focus on your experience, leadership abilities, and strategic thinking. Prospective employers are also going to want to see evidence of your ability to communicate effectively at board level.

Here are some example questions you may encounter:

• Can you describe a time when you had to lead a team through a challenging audit project?
• Can you explain the differences between COSO and COBIT frameworks?
• Can you describe a time when you had to manage multiple audit projects simultaneously?
• Can you describe how you would prioritise audit projects based on the organisation's strategic goals?
• Can you describe a time when you had to communicate audit findings to senior executives?

 

Summary

No matter where you are in your career journey, interviews can be nerve-wrecking, but if you’re properly prepared it’s easier to keep calm and come across more confidently. Research the organisation thoroughly, review the questions listed above, and role play your answers. That way you can give any prospective employer proper insight into why you’re a good fit for their internal auditing position.