## Qualities of an Auditor

A good auditor must possess both technical competence and strong ethical character. These qualities are directly connected to the concept of Independence.

### Core Ethical Principles

Principle	What It Means
Independence	Free from bias; not influenced by management or personal relationships
Integrity	Honest and straightforward in all professional dealings
Objectivity	Unbiased judgment; not influenced by personal interest or external pressure
Professional Competence & Due Care	Maintains up-to-date technical knowledge; exercises appropriate care in performing work
Confidentiality	Does not disclose client information to third parties without proper authority
Professional Behaviour	Complies with laws and avoids actions that discredit the profession

> Memory aid: I O PC P — Integrity, Objectivity, Professional Competence, Confidentiality, Professional Behaviour (+ Independence overarching all)

### Connection to Independence

All six principles collectively uphold the auditor's independence — both in fact (actually being independent) and in appearance (being seen as independent by users of the Audit Report).

Worked example

### Example 1

An auditor is assigned to audit a company owned by a close relative. Despite family pressure to give a clean report, the auditor finds material misstatement and issues a Modified Opinion — demonstrating Independence and Integrity overriding personal relationships.

### Example 2

During the audit, the auditor learns that the client company is about to announce a major acquisition. The auditor does not share this information with anyone outside the engagement team — demonstrating Confidentiality.

⚠️ Common exam mistakes

Listing only Independence as the quality of an auditor — the full set includes Integrity, Objectivity, Professional Competence & Due Care, Confidentiality, and Professional Behaviour.
Confusing Confidentiality with concealing wrongdoing — confidentiality means not disclosing client information without authority, but the auditor still has a duty to report material misstatements in the Audit Report.
Treating these as a rote list without explaining what each principle means — exam answers should define each principle briefly.

Reference:

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Qualities of an Auditor — Ethical Principles

Worked example

⚠️ Common exam mistakes