Bulgarian Public Sector Internal Auditor Exam study plan

Map the Bulgarian legal and institutional framework governing public sector internal audit by outlining the roles of the Minister of Finance, the Central Harmonisation Unit, and internal audit units in public sector organisations

Identify the statutory basis and scope of internal audit activity in the public sector, including the distinction between internal audit and internal control functions

Explain the purpose, structure, and mandatory nature of the International Standards for the Professional Practice of Internal Auditing and the Code of Ethics

Compare the core principles of the Code of Ethics (integrity, objectivity, confidentiality, competency) against concrete public sector scenarios

Distinguish the attribute standards from the performance standards and describe what each category governs

Apply the concepts of independence and objectivity to organisational placement and individual auditor situations

Describe the elements of a quality assurance and improvement programme, including internal and external assessments

Evaluate professional conduct dilemmas using the Code of Ethics as the decision framework

Define risk and describe the components of a risk management process applicable to public sector entities

Distinguish inherent, residual, and target risk and explain how risk appetite and tolerance are expressed

Explain the five components of the COSO internal control framework and how they interrelate

Map the seventeen COSO principles to the five components and give a public sector example for each component

Assess how control deficiencies are identified, rated, and escalated within a COSO-based control environment

Describe the stages of a risk-based audit engagement from annual planning through engagement-level planning

Translate entity-level risk assessment results into audit engagement priorities and resource allocation

Draft engagement objectives, scope, and criteria that respond to identified risks

Classify audit evidence by type and evaluate its sufficiency, relevance, and reliability

Select appropriate audit procedures (inspection, observation, inquiry, confirmation, recalculation, re-performance, analytical procedures) for given assertions

Design sampling approaches and document the rationale for sample selection

Prepare working papers that meet documentation standards and support conclusions

Structure an audit report that presents findings, criteria, causes, effects, and recommendations clearly

Formulate recommendations that are actionable, risk-based, and acceptable to management

Design a follow-up process that tracks management action plans to completion

Explain the core rules of public finance, budgeting, and public procurement relevant to audit work

Evaluate the reliability of evidence collected through inquiry and observation and identify when corroboration is required

Document supervisory review of working papers and evidence of review sign-off

Draft audit findings that clearly link condition, criteria, cause, and effect

Prepare a communication plan for discussing results with auditees before the final report

Consolidate all domains through a timed full-length mock examination under exam conditions

Review every missed question and trace each error to the underlying standard, legal rule, or concept

Rehearse the weakest domains identified in the mock exam with targeted practice

Confirm readiness by reviewing the personal error log and the completed deliverables from prior weeks