HYBRID: Audit Lab - The Science of Better Auditing
 
Event Description

Audit Lab

The Science of Better Auditing

The Audit Quality Mastery Lab is a full-day immersive training that transforms the way internal auditors think and perform. Grounded in cutting-edge research on auditor reasoning and metacognition, this workshop goes beyond theory – it plunges you into realistic audit simulations and engaging “psych lab” exercises that reveal how to leverage the human mind for better audit outcomes. Developed by Dr. Toby Groves based on his scientific study of auditor decision-making, the program alternates between short content modules and live-action simulations, where you’ll investigate fraud, triage control failures, and manage ethical dilemmas under real-world pressures. You will practice techniques of persuasive communication, team problem-solving, and dynamic skepticism in a risk-free environment that’s been called “the most fun I’ve ever had learning about auditing.” By day’s end, you will have sharper judgment, heightened skepticism, and science-proven strategies to elevate audit quality in your organization.

Learning Objectives:

By the end of this intensive workshop, participants will be able to:

  • Communicate with impact – Craft and deliver audit findings and recommendations in a persuasive, stakeholder-tailored manner that drives action.
  • Leverage collective intelligence – Utilize team diversity and social perceptiveness to improve group judgment and manage team dynamics to avoid groupthink and dominance issues.
  • Assess and design effective controls – Understand the science behind why controls succeed or fail in practice and apply behavioral insights to strengthen control environments.
  • Apply dynamic professional skepticism – Practice skepticism as an active process, continually updating beliefs as new information emerges rather than fixating.
  • Recognize and mitigate cognitive biases – Heighten awareness of common decision traps (confirmation bias, anchoring, availability, overconfidence) and employ strategies (metacognitive prompts, peer challenge, structured techniques) to minimize their impact on audit judgments.
  • Prioritize evidence effectively – Understand what psychological science says about attention and memory, enabling more effective risk identification and evidence gathering.
  • Enhance decision agility – Improve the ability to make sound decisions under uncertainty and time pressure by using dual-process thinking (knowing when to trust intuition and when to slow down for analysis) and by rehearsing crisis scenarios.
  • Foster an ethics and quality-focused culture – Translate insights from the workshop into actions that promote an audit culture of curiosity, continuous learning, and integrity.

Who Should Attend:

Internal auditors (financial, operational, IT, compliance) in corporate, government, or non-profit sectors who want to upskill for the modern audit environment. From junior auditors to audit managers and CAEs, all will benefit as the content is layered and the exercises scale to different experience levels. The program is especially valuable for audit teams to attend together, as it enhances team dynamics and a shared understanding of advanced concepts.

Why Attend?

This is not your typical CPE seminar – it’s a high-energy, experiential masterclass that has earned rave reviews for being “engaging,” “eye-opening,” and “a real-world crash course in audit thinking.” You will leave not only with new knowledge but with practical experience applying that knowledge, having navigated realistic audit scenarios start to finish. It’s the ultimate preparation to make the real audits you face feel easier, because you’ve effectively practiced on “hard mode” in the workshop. Elevate your professional skepticism, enrich your toolkit with science-backed techniques, and lead your audit engagements with greater confidence and insight.

Date: Wednesday, October 8, 2025

Time: 8:00am- 4:30pm CST

  • 8:00am - 8:30am CST - Welcome and Registration
  • 8:30am - 4:30pm CST - Audit Lab: The Science of Better Auditing - Presentation

Hybrid Event:

CPE credits: 8 NASBA CPE credits (7 Audit and 1 ETHICS!)

Price: 

  • $350 Member Price
  • $400 Non-member Price
  • 10% discount offered for groups of 4 or more!  Use IIATC10 at registration!

Register Today!