Explain how the Sarbanes-Oxley Act changed the auditing profession.

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The Sarbanes-Oxley Act is major legislation passed in 2002 that substantially changed the accounting and auditing professions. It was enacted in response to major fraud scandals such as Enron and WorldCom. The interviewee should know the Act in detail as it is a key driver of the profession, but a summary here will suffice.

"The Sarbanes-Oxley Act was passed into legislation in 2002 in response to fraud scandals like Enron. The goal of SOX was to protect investors and employees from fraudulent reporting. As a result, there is a greater onus on auditors to provide assurance that financial statements are free of material misstatement. For example, auditors are now required to test a company's internal controls and report on their effectiveness. Additionally, there are stricter requirements for financial statement disclosures."

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"The Sarbanes-Oxley Act was passed as legislation in 2002 when Enron collapsed. This was introduced mainly to protect the stakeholders from fraudulent financial reporting and misappropriation of assets. That being said, increased an auditor's responsibilities by performing more significant tests of internal controls as there were charges on auditors for being negligent and not performing audits with due diligence."

Cindy's Feedback

Great, again you sound very knowledgeable about the law and also its application. But showing how you've applied SOX would show your qualifications in action.

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How to Answer: Explain how the Sarbanes-Oxley Act changed the auditing profession.

Advice and answer examples written specifically for a Senior Auditor job interview.

13. Explain how the Sarbanes-Oxley Act changed the auditing profession.

How to Answer

The Sarbanes-Oxley Act is major legislation passed in 2002 that substantially changed the accounting and auditing professions. It was enacted in response to major fraud scandals such as Enron and WorldCom. The interviewee should know the Act in detail as it is a key driver of the profession, but a summary here will suffice.

Written by Brian Schuchart on January 4th, 2021

Answer Example

"The Sarbanes-Oxley Act was passed into legislation in 2002 in response to fraud scandals like Enron. The goal of SOX was to protect investors and employees from fraudulent reporting. As a result, there is a greater onus on auditors to provide assurance that financial statements are free of material misstatement. For example, auditors are now required to test a company's internal controls and report on their effectiveness. Additionally, there are stricter requirements for financial statement disclosures."

Written by Brian Schuchart on January 4th, 2021

Anonymous Interview Answers with Professional Feedback

Anonymous Answer

"The Sarbanes-Oxley Act was passed as legislation in 2002 when Enron collapsed. This was introduced mainly to protect the stakeholders from fraudulent financial reporting and misappropriation of assets. That being said, increased an auditor's responsibilities by performing more significant tests of internal controls as there were charges on auditors for being negligent and not performing audits with due diligence."

Cindy's Feedback

Great, again you sound very knowledgeable about the law and also its application. But showing how you've applied SOX would show your qualifications in action.

Next Question