Certified Information Systems Auditor Practice Exam 2025 - Free CISA Practice Questions and Study Guide

Establishing audit objectives during the initial phase of an audit program is essential to ensure that the focus is directed towards identifying and understanding the significant risks that could impact the organization’s objectives. Without clearly defined audit objectives, there is a risk that the audit may miss critical areas of business risk that could lead to financial loss, operational inefficiencies, or compliance issues. By not concentrating on the most pertinent risks, the audit may fail to provide value or insight into key areas that require attention, potentially leaving the organization vulnerable to unforeseen challenges.

While the other concerns are valid in their contexts, they relate to different aspects of the audit process. For instance, exceeding budget limits focuses on financial management and resource allocation, which can be navigated through careful planning. Meeting stakeholder expectations is certainly important, but it can often be directly tied to how well-defined and communicated the audit objectives are. Similarly, although audit findings may indeed lack relevance without a focus on objectives, the most pressing concern remains that critical risks could be overlooked, which impacts the overall integrity and usefulness of the audit itself.