Certified Internal Auditor (CIA) Part 2: Practice of Internal Auditing — Question 143

An internal auditor accessed accounts payable records and extracted data related to fuel purchased for the organization’s vehicles. As a first step, she sorted the data by vehicle and used spreadsheet functions to identify all instances of refueling on the same or sequential dates. She then performed other tests. Based on the auditor’s actions, which of the following is most likely the objective of this engagement?

Answer options

• A. To identify whether fuel was purchased for work-related purposes.
• B. To estimate future fuel costs for the organization’s fleet of vehicles.
• C. To determine trends in average fuel consumption by vehicle.
• D. To determine whether the organization is paying more than the industry average for fuel.

Correct answer: A

Explanation

The correct answer is A because the auditor's focus on identifying refueling instances on the same or sequential dates suggests an investigation into the legitimacy of fuel purchases for work-related activities. The other options, while relevant to fuel management, do not align with the specific actions taken by the auditor aimed at verifying fuel usage purpose.