- You can start a career in auditing with a clear education plan and practical experience.
- Certifications and hands-on training boost credibility and salary potential.
- Developing technical skills, communication, and ethics is crucial for audit success.
- A targeted job search, good interview preparation, and ongoing learning help you grow as an auditor.
If you want to learn how to become a auditor, this guide walks you through each step from choosing the right education to landing your first role. You will get clear actions, examples, and timelines so you can plan a practical path into auditing. Follow the steps at your own pace and use the tips to stay organized and confident.
Step-by-Step Guide
Learn what auditors do and why auditing matters
Start by understanding the core responsibilities of auditors, including checking financial records, testing controls, and reporting findings. Knowing why audits exist helps you decide which audit path to follow, such as external financial audit, internal audit, or IT/compliance audit.
Read plain-language resources from accounting firms, regulatory bodies, or textbooks to get a broad view of the field and typical tasks.
Next, look at day-to-day examples to make the role concrete. For example, an external auditor might verify revenue transactions for a retail client, while an internal auditor could test a company's procurement controls for fraud risk.
This practical context helps you pick relevant courses and volunteer opportunities that match the audit work you want to do.
- Read a firm's 'what we do' pages and recent audit reports to see real deliverables.
- Watch short training videos or webinars from accounting bodies to hear practitioners explain work tasks.
- Talk to one auditor on LinkedIn and ask about a typical week to get realistic expectations.
Choose the right education path for how to become a auditor
Most auditors begin with a degree in accounting, finance, or a related field because these subjects cover accounting principles and financial reporting standards. If you already have a degree in another field, plan to take foundational accounting courses, either through a post-baccalaureate program or online certificate, so you meet entry requirements for jobs and certifications.
Check job listings in your area to see the common degree requirements and preferred coursework, such as auditing, taxation, and financial reporting.
If a full degree is not feasible, consider targeted certificates like bookkeeping or introductory audit courses that demonstrate commitment and basic knowledge. Many firms hire candidates with partial education plus practical experience, especially for entry-level roles like audit assistant.
List the exact courses or certificates on your resume and be ready to explain how they prepared you for audit tasks in interviews.
- Compare local university programs and online certificates for cost and scheduling.
- Prioritize courses covering accounting standards, audit procedures, and ethics.
- Keep transcripts or course syllabi handy when applying, so you can show relevant coursework quickly.
Gain practical experience and build an audit-ready resume
Practical experience is the fastest way to make your resume competitive, so target internships, part-time accounting roles, or volunteer bookkeeping positions. Even short stints in accounting or data-entry roles teach transaction flow and reconciliation, which are core audit skills.
When you list experience on your resume, use action statements such as 'reconciled monthly accounts' or 'tested controls for invoice approvals' to show audit relevance.
If you cannot find paid roles immediately, create relevant projects you can describe, such as running a monthly reconciliation for a nonprofit or documenting internal processes for a small business. Those projects show initiative and let you discuss specific audit-style work during interviews.
Keep a short portfolio or one-page project summary to share in applications or networking conversations.
- Apply early for summer audit internships at local firms and accounting departments.
- Volunteer to manage finances for a community group to gain reconciliation experience.
- Quantify results on your resume, for example 'reduced reconciliation errors by 20 percent', when possible.
Prepare for certifications as part of how to become a auditor
Certifications raise your credibility and are often required for career progression, so identify which credential fits your target role, such as CPA for financial auditors or CIA for internal auditors. Review the exam requirements, including education, experience, and exam sections, and create a study schedule that spreads preparation across months.
Join study groups or use established review courses to stay disciplined and cover exam topics comprehensively.
Plan for the experience requirement early, because many certifications require one to two years of supervised audit-related work. Track your relevant tasks and ask supervisors to confirm experience in writing when you qualify for an application.
Passing one certification early signals commitment and improves your chances when applying for mid-level roles.
- Pick one certification to focus on first, and schedule the first exam date as motivation.
- Use question banks and timed practice exams to simulate test conditions.
- Log experience hours in a simple spreadsheet to make certification applications straightforward.
Develop technical skills and audit-specific tools for how to become a auditor
Auditors use software for accounting, data analysis, and reporting, so learn common tools such as Excel, audit sampling techniques, and data analytics basics. Practice formulas, pivot tables, and simple macros in Excel, and try free versions of accounting systems to understand how transactions flow through ledgers.
Familiarity with audit software or analytics tools helps you be productive during internships and shows employers you can handle technical aspects of the job.
Also focus on soft skills that matter in audit work, like clear written reports and effective interviewing of clients. Conduct mock conversations where you ask process owners about controls and take concise notes that turn into action items.
Those exercises prepare you for fieldwork, help you collect evidence efficiently, and let you write clear audit findings that managers can review quickly.
- Complete an Excel crash course and practice with real data sets.
- Learn basic SQL or data filtering methods if you plan to work in data-heavy audits.
- Practice writing one-page summaries of your audit findings to improve clarity.
Apply, interview, and grow once you start as an auditor
Target entry-level roles like audit associate, junior internal auditor, or accounting trainee by tailoring your resume to highlight relevant coursework, projects, and certifications in progress. Prepare for interviews by rehearsing examples of how you followed procedures, solved discrepancies, or improved a process, and use the STAR format to structure answers clearly.
During interviews, ask practical questions about team size, supervision, and the types of audits you would join to ensure the role matches your learning goals.
After you start, seek feedback regularly and volunteer for varied assignments so you build a broad skill set quickly. Keep a learning log of tasks and lessons, and set quarterly goals for certifications, technical skills, and client exposure.
This ongoing approach helps you move from entry-level to a more independent auditor role in a predictable way.
- Customize your cover letter to mention a recent audit topic relevant to the employer.
- Practice two STAR stories for common audit interview questions, such as problem solving and ethics.
- Set a 12-month plan with your manager for certification and skill milestones.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Pro Tips from Experts
Schedule weekly learning blocks of two hours, split between technical practice and reading audit reports to build both skills and context.
Keep a short cheat sheet of accounting standards and common audit procedures that you update after every assignment for quick reference.
Network within the audit community by attending one local professional event every quarter, and follow up with two contacts afterwards to build useful relationships.
Becoming an auditor is a step-by-step process of education, hands-on work, certification, and continuous improvement. Follow the steps here, track your progress, and set clear short-term goals so you can move from entry-level roles to greater responsibility.
Take action now by choosing one course or applying to an internship this month to start building momentum.
Step-by-step guide to become an auditor
1.
- •What to do: Read job descriptions for internal, external, IT, and compliance auditors. Track common skills (accounting, sampling, Excel, GAAP/IFRS).
- •How to do it: Use LinkedIn Jobs and Glassdoor; save 10 sample postings and highlight repeated requirements.
- •Pitfalls: Confusing auditing with bookkeeping. Avoid by focusing on control testing and evidence gathering.
- •Success indicator: A one-page checklist of 10 core auditor tasks.
2.
- •What to do: Complete an associate or bachelor’s in accounting, finance, or information systems.
- •How to do it: Prioritize courses in auditing, cost accounting, and data analytics; aim for GPA ≥3.0 if possible.
- •Pitfalls: Skipping audit classes. Success indicator: Transcript with at least 2 audit-related courses.
3.
- •What to do: Work as a staff accountant, bookkeeper, or in accounts payable/receivable.
- •How to do it: Target companies that allow rotation across month-end close and reconciliations.
- •Pitfalls: Staying in a narrow role. Success indicator: You can explain 3 reconciliations and 1 monthly close process.
4.
- •What to do: Choose CPA, CIA, or CISA based on target role.
- •How to do it: Register for a prep course, schedule exams, and track pass rates per section.
- •Pitfalls: Underestimating study time. Success indicator: Passing first exam section within 12 months.
5.
- •What to do: Master Excel (pivot tables, VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP), and one analytics tool (ACL, Python, Power BI).
- •How to do it: Complete a project: analyze 12 months of transactions and flag anomalies.
- •Pitfalls: Learning theory only. Success indicator: A working anomaly-detection spreadsheet.
6.
- •What to do: Quantify results (e.g., reconciled $2M monthly, reduced errors by 15%).
- •How to do it: Use audit keywords, include certifications, and publish a short post about an audit topic.
- •Pitfalls: Generic resumes. Success indicator: Invitations to interview within 4 weeks.
7.
- •What to do: Apply to Big Four, regional firms, and corporate internal audit teams.
- •How to do it: Prepare STAR stories focused on controls, testing, and problem solving; practice case-tests.
- •Pitfalls: Poor technical answers. Success indicator: At least 3 interview offers or a job within 3 months.
8.
- •What to do: Keep a learning log; attend 20 hours/year of CPE; request stretch assignments.
- •How to do it: Shadow senior auditors, volunteer for IT audits, and document lessons learned.
- •Pitfalls: Stagnation. Success indicator: Promotion or salary increase within 18–24 months.
9.
- •What to do: Pick a niche: IT audit, SOX, forensic, or tax-related auditing.
- •How to do it: Obtain relevant credentials (CISA for IT, forensic certificates) and lead a pilot audit.
- •Pitfalls: Too many simultaneous specializations. Success indicator: Lead auditor role or team responsibility.
Actionable takeaway: Follow steps 1–9 with timelines, track three measurable milestones (certification, first audit lead, promotion), and update your plan every 6 months.
Expert tips and pro strategies
- •Master pivot tables and XLOOKUP early. For example, build a 12-month variance dashboard to find 5–10 outliers before testing; this saves 20–40% of sampling time.
- •Use IDEA or ACL for transaction testing. Run duplicate-payment and round-dollar tests to find errors that manual review misses.
- •Keep a reusable workpaper library. Save templates for test plans, sampling worksheets, and memos; reuse them to cut prep time by half.
- •Learn basic SQL or Python for data pulls. With a simple query you can replace manual exports and reduce data-cleaning time from days to hours.
- •Frame findings with dollar impact and control gap. When presenting to management, state "$45,000 risk exposure" not just "control weakness."
- •Request a 1:1 with process owners before audits. Pre-engagement interviews uncover undocumented controls and reduce pushback during fieldwork.
- •Apply continuous auditing on high-risk cycles. For instance, schedule monthly automated exception reports for revenue and payroll to catch issues earlier.
- •Document “why” not just “what.” Include root-cause analysis in memos; this makes remediation actionable and shortens follow-up cycles.
- •Volunteer for IT and compliance audits early. These projects expose you to system controls and increase promotion velocity by about 30%.
- •Keep a study cadence for certifications: 90 minutes daily for 12 weeks per exam section. Consistency beats cramming and improves pass probability.
Common challenges and how to overcome them
- •Lack of technical skills
- •Why it occurs: Many new auditors come from generalist backgrounds.
- •How to recognize: You rely on others for Excel tasks or data pulls.
- •Solution: Complete a two-week Excel bootcamp and automate one task; measure improvement by time saved.
- •Prevention: Schedule monthly skill refreshers.
- •Failing certification exams
- •Why it occurs: Poor study planning and inconsistent practice.
- •How to recognize: Low practice exam scores two months before test day.
- •Solution: Use a structured course (e.g., Becker or Gleim), take timed practice tests, and join a study group.
- •Prevention: Stick to a 90-minute daily study routine.
- •Limited audit exposure
- •Why it occurs: Small teams may not rotate staff.
- •How to recognize: You’ve only worked on 1–2 audit cycles in a year.
- •Solution: Ask for ad-hoc tasks, volunteer for special projects, or request a temporary rotation.
- •Prevention: Build relationships with senior auditors and express career goals in performance reviews.
- •Poor data quality
- •Why it occurs: Legacy systems and weak input controls.
- •How to recognize: High volume of exceptions and manual adjustments.
- •Solution: Agree on a data-cleaning checklist with IT, document assumptions, and sample cautiously.
- •Prevention: Recommend simple input-control changes with estimated effort and impact.
- •Stakeholder resistance
- •Why it occurs: Perceived threat or resource constraints.
- •How to recognize: Slow responses to information requests and defensive tone.
- •Solution: Start with a collaborative kickoff, explain objectives, and offer quick-win recommendations.
- •Prevention: Build rapport through short monthly check-ins.
- •Time pressure and tight deadlines
- •Why it occurs: Compressed reporting cycles or peak audit season.
- •How to recognize: Last-minute audit scoping changes and overtime.
- •Solution: Re-scope low-value testing, prioritize high-risk areas, and document trade-offs.
- •Prevention: Create a standard audit timeline template for each cycle.
Actionable takeaway: Address one challenge each quarter—train a skill, plan certification study, or improve stakeholder outreach—to reduce roadblocks.
Real-world examples
Example 1 — Internal audit at a manufacturing firm (12 months)
Situation: A 350-employee manufacturer had recurring inventory variances of 3–5% monthly, costing about $120,000/year.
Approach: The internal audit team used monthly cycle counts, built an Excel dashboard with pivot tables, and implemented a transaction exception report using SQL. They focused on the top 3 SKUs that drove 70% of variance.
Challenges: Data resided in three systems and physical counts conflicted with system records. The team scheduled joint sessions with warehouse and IT to reconcile logic.
Result: Within 9 months, inventory variance dropped to 0. 8%, saving roughly $95,000/year.
The audit team reduced count time by 40% through targeted sampling. Management adopted two recommended control changes.
Example 2 — External audit in public accounting (6 months)
Situation: A public accounting firm audited a SaaS client with rapid revenue growth (45% YoY). Revenue recognition complexity increased audit risk.
Approach: Auditors applied data analytics to test 100% of contracts, extracting billing and usage lines with Python scripts. They verified cut-off by comparing invoice dates to usage logs.
Challenges: Contracts used custom billing terms and discounts; initial scripts misclassified 22% of records.
Result: After two script iterations, auditors identified a $210,000 misstatement in deferred revenue that required adjustment. The analytics approach cut sampling time from 120 hours to 28 hours.
Example 3 — IT audit for a mid-market bank (9 months)
Situation: A regional bank faced a regulatory review around user access controls.
Approach: The auditor ran an access-matrix audit, exported AD and application logs, and used ACL to detect orphaned accounts and privilege creep.
Challenges: Logs were incomplete for legacy apps; auditors worked with the security team to fill gaps using manual reconciliations.
Result: The audit found 112 inactive accounts and 18 excessive privileges. Remediation reduced privileged access by 65% and passed the regulator’s follow-up review.
Actionable takeaway: Apply focused data testing, collaborate with process owners, and measure impact in dollars or percent improvements.
Essential tools and resources
- •Microsoft Excel (required)
- •What it does: Data cleaning, pivot tables, XLOOKUP, and basic analytics.
- •When to use: Every day for reconciliations and sampling.
- •Cost/limits: Included in Microsoft 365 subscription (~$8–20/month); limited for very large datasets.
- •ACL/IDEA (audit analytics)
- •What it does: Transaction-level testing, duplicate payments, gap analysis.
- •When to use: Large data sets and testing 100% of transactions.
- •Cost/limits: Commercial; licenses typically $1,000–$5,000/user/year.
- •Power BI / Tableau (visualization)
- •What it does: Dashboards for audit committees and status reporting.
- •When to use: Presenting trends and exceptions to stakeholders.
- •Cost/limits: Power BI Pro ~$10/user/month; Tableau starts higher.
- •SQL and Python (free tools: MySQL, SQLite, Anaconda)
- •What it does: Data extraction and automation of routine tests.
- •When to use: When you need repeatable data pulls or advanced analytics.
- •Cost/limits: Free open-source options; time required to learn.
- •AICPA, IIA, ISACA guidance
- •What it does: Standards, templates, and CPE courses.
- •When to use: Preparing work papers and meeting professional standards.
- •Cost/limits: Some content free; membership fees vary ($200–$400/year).
- •CPA/CIA/CISA review courses (Becker, Gleim, Surgent)
- •What it does: Structured exam prep with practice tests.
- •When to use: For certification study; follow their 12-week plans.
- •Cost/limits: $400–$2,000 depending on provider and package.
- •Sample workpaper templates (IIA toolkits, firm templates)
- •What it does: Ready-made memos, sampling worksheets, and audit programs.
- •When to use: To speed documentation and ensure consistency.
- •Cost/limits: Many templates free from IIA; firm-specific templates may be internal only.
Actionable takeaway: Start with Excel and one analytics tool, pair them with IIA or AICPA templates, and add a certification course within 12 months.