ACCA Advanced Audit and Assurance (AAA) Practice Exam

Which of the following is NOT a party involved in an assurance engagement?

1. Intended user

2. Responsible party

3. External auditor

4. Practitioner

The correct answer is: External auditor

In an assurance engagement, the primary parties involved are the intended user, responsible party, and the practitioner. The intended user is the party who will rely on the assurance report, while the responsible party is typically the organization being assessed or those who hold the responsibility for the information being assured. The practitioner is the individual or firm providing the assurance service, and they could be auditors or other professionals qualified to perform assurance engagements. The external auditor is a role that typically pertains to audits rather than assurances in a broader sense, which can include various types of engagements beyond financial audits, such as those related to internal controls or compliance. While the external auditor can also act as a practitioner in assurance engagements, not all assurance engagements necessarily involve an external auditor as this term is specifically associated with statutory and compliance audits. Therefore, identifying the external auditor as a party involved in all assurance engagements is not accurate, making it the correct response to the question about which option is not a party involved in an assurance engagement.