Summary of Singapore Standard on Auditing (SSA) 200: Overall Objectives of the
Independent Auditor and the Conduct of an Audit in Accordance with Singapore Standards
on Auditing
This SSA is effective for audits of financial statements for periods ending on or after 15
December 2013.
This SSA deals with the independent auditor’s overall responsibilities when conducting an audit
of financial statements in accordance with SSAs. The purpose of an audit is to enhance the
degree of confidence of intended users of financial statements by expressing an opinion on
whether the financial statements are prepared, in all material respects, in accordance with an
applicable financial reporting framework. An audit in accordance with SSAs is conducted on the
premise that management and, where appropriate, those charged with governance have
acknowledged certain responsibilities that are fundamental to the conduct of the audit. The audit
of the financial statements does not relieve management or those charged with governance of
their responsibilities.
Objectives
The objectives of the auditor are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial
statements as a whole are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, thereby
enabling the auditor to express an opinion on whether the financial statements are prepared, in all
material respects, in accordance with an applicable financial reporting framework; and to report
on the financial statements, and communicate in accordance with the auditor’s findings.
Requirements
Ethical Requirements
The auditor shall comply with relevant ethical requirements, including those pertaining to
independence, relating to financial statement audit engagements.
Professional Skepticism
The auditor shall plan and perform an audit with professional skepticism recognizing that
circumstances may exist that cause the financial statements to be materially misstated.
Professional Judgment
The auditor shall exercise professional judgment in planning and performing an audit of financial
statements.
Sufficient Appropriate Audit Evidence and Audit Risk
To obtain reasonable assurance, the auditor shall obtain sufficient appropriate audit evidence to
reduce audit risk to an acceptably low level and thereby enable the auditor to draw reasonable
conclusions on which to base the auditor’s opinion.
Conduct of an Audit in Accordance with SSAs
The auditor shall have an understanding of the entire text of an SSA, including its application
and other explanatory material, to understand the objectives and to apply its requirements
properly. The auditor shall not represent compliance with SSAs in the auditor’s report unless the
auditor has compiled with the requirements of SSA 200 and all other SSAs relevant to the audit.
To achieve the auditor’s objectives, the auditor shall use the objectives stated in relevant SSAs in
planning and performing the audit, having regard to the interrelationships among the SSAs, to
determine whether any audit procedures in addition to those required by the SSAs are necessary,
and to evaluate whether sufficient appropriate audit evidence has been obtained.
In exceptional circumstances, the auditor may judge it necessary to depart from a relevant
requirement in an SSA. In such circumstances, the auditor shall perform alternative audit
procedures to achieve the aim of that requirement. The need for the auditor to depart from a
relevant requirement is expected to arise only where the requirement is for a specific procedure
to be performed and, in the specific circumstances of the audit, that procedure would be
ineffective in achieving the aim of the requirement.
If an objective in a relevant SSA cannot be achieved, the auditor shall evaluate whether this
prevents the auditor from achieving the overall objectives of the auditor and thereby requires the
auditor, in accordance with the SSAs, to modify the auditor’s opinion or withdraw from the
engagement (where withdrawal is possible under applicable law or regulation). Failure to
achieve an objective represents a significant matter requiring documentation.
The summary does not amend or override the SSAs. Reading the summary is not a substitute for
reading the SSAs. The summary is not meant to be exhaustive and reference to the SSAs should
always be made. In conducting an audit in accordance with SSAs, the auditor is required to
comply with all the SSAs that are relevant to the engagement.