SOC Communication & Stakeholder Relations 3

Question 1

When communicating SOC audit results to the audit committee, what is the service auditor's PRIMARY responsibility?

Accepted Answer

Report on the fairness of management's description and effectiveness of controls

Answer

The service auditor's primary role is to provide an independent opinion on whether management's description is fairly presented and controls are suitably designed and operating effectively.

Question 2

A service organization uses a subservice organization for data hosting. Under the carve-out method, how are the subservice organization's controls communicated to report users?

Accepted Answer

They are excluded; the report describes what the subservice organization does but does not test its controls

Answer

Under the carve-out method, the subservice organization's controls are excluded from the scope of testing, though its nature and the controls assumed to exist are described.

Question 3

Which Trust Services Criteria category directly addresses the requirement to communicate system availability commitments to stakeholders?

Accepted Answer

Availability (A1)

Answer

The Availability criteria (A1) require the service organization to communicate its availability commitments and related information to authorized users.

Question 4

A user entity's external auditor requests a copy of the service organization's SOC 1 Type II report. The service organization refuses. What is the likely consequence?

Accepted Answer

The user entity's auditor may be unable to rely on the service organization's controls and must perform alternative procedures

Answer

If a SOC 1 report is withheld, the user entity's auditor cannot rely on it and must use alternative procedures to obtain assurance over the relevant financial reporting controls.

Question 5

Management's assertion in a SOC 2 report serves which primary communication purpose?

Accepted Answer

It formally states management's claim about the description's fairness and control effectiveness

Answer

Management's assertion is a written statement accepting responsibility for the system description and asserting that controls were suitably designed and operating effectively.

(SOC) System and Organization Controls Certification Practice Test

(SOC) System and Organization Controls Certification Practice Test

SOC Communication & Stakeholder Relations 3