Project History: Quality Control

Objective

Consider how PCAOB quality control (QC) standards should be revised to enhance and strengthen requirements related to a firm’s QC system.

Most Recent Action

Adopted a new QC standard, QC 1000, A Firm’s System of Quality Control, together with related amendments to PCAOB rules, standards, and forms.

In brief, the Board’s new standard and related amendments:

• Provide an integrated, risk-based standard that includes establishing quality objectives, identifying and assessing quality risks to the achievement of the quality objectives, designing and implementing quality responses to address the quality risks, and monitoring the firm’s QC system, and that encourages an ongoing feedback loop to drive continuous improvement of the QC system.
• Require all registered firms to design a QC system that complies with QC 1000 and require firms that perform or have responsibilities with respect to engagements under PCAOB standards – for example, audit engagements for issuers or broker-dealers – to implement and operate their QC systems.  
• Require an external oversight function (EQCF) for the QC system composed of one or more persons who can exercise independent judgment related to the QC system for the largest firms.
• Provide specified requirements regarding firm technological resources. 
• Provide objectives regarding a firm’s publication of firm and engagement metrics.
• Establish annual reporting requirements to the PCAOB on a new, non-public reporting form, Form QC.
• Expand the auditor’s responsibility to respond to deficiencies on engagements under an amended and retitled AS 2901, Responding to Engagement Deficiencies After Issuance of the Auditor’s Report, and related amendments to our attestation standards for broker-dealer engagements.
• Establish a new standard, EI 1000, Integrity and Objectivity, to better align our ethics requirements with the scope, approach, and terminology of QC 1000.
• Make additional changes to PCAOB rules, standards, and forms.
  

Background

• Effective QC systems are crucial for supporting the consistent performance of high-quality audits and other engagements under PCAOB standards.
• The Board’s current QC standards were developed decades ago and issued by the AICPA before the PCAOB was established.
• The auditing environment has changed significantly since that time, including evolving and greater use of technology, and increasing auditor use of outside resources, including other firms and providers of support services.
• Firms themselves have also changed significantly, as has the role of firm networks.
• Advances in internal control, quality management, and enterprise risk management suggest that factors such as active involvement of leadership, focus on risk, clearly defined objectives, objective-oriented processes, monitoring, and remediation of identified issues can contribute to more effective QC.

Status

On May 13, 2024, the PCAOB adopted a new standard, QC 1000, A Firm’s System of Quality Control; AS 2901, Responding to Engagement Deficiencies After Issuance of the Auditor’s Report; EI 1000, Integrity and Objectivity; and conforming amendments.

Subject to approval by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, the new standard and related amendments to auditing standards, rules, and forms will take effect on December 15, 2025. 

Resources