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⇱ Assurance Essentials | Coursera


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Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.
Intermediate level

Recommended experience

6 hours to complete
Flexible schedule
Learn at your own pace

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.
Intermediate level

Recommended experience

6 hours to complete
Flexible schedule
Learn at your own pace

What you'll learn

  • Differentiate between audits, reviews, and agreed-upon procedures and evaluate their level of assurance.

  • Explain the responsibilities of auditors and financial statement preparers, including independence, internal controls, and evidence requirements.

Details to know

Shareable certificate

Add to your LinkedIn profile

Recently updated!

March 2026

Assessments

5 assignments

Taught in English

Build your subject-matter expertise

This course is part of the CPA Licensure Prep: Advanced Auditing and Attestation Specialization
When you enroll in this course, you'll also be enrolled in this Specialization.
  • Learn new concepts from industry experts
  • Gain a foundational understanding of a subject or tool
  • Develop job-relevant skills with hands-on projects
  • Earn a shareable career certificate

There are 4 modules in this course

By the end of this course, you’ll understand how assurance and attestation services strengthen financial reporting, support public trust, and shape the responsibilities of CPAs and their clients. You’ll learn how audits, reviews, and agreed-upon procedures differ in scope and purposeβ€”and how professional standards guide each engagement.

This course explores the real-world dynamics of CPA-client relationships, auditor independence, internal control evaluation, risk assessment, and evidence gathering. You’ll examine both sides of the engagement: what auditors are responsible for, and what financial statement preparers must do to ensure a successful audit. You’ll also explore the growing demand for CPAs, the structure of the profession, and the regulatory environment that governs assurance services. What makes this course unique is its applied, judgment-focused approach. Rather than memorizing definitions, you’ll analyze how assurance services operate in practice, how professional responsibilities intersect, and why financial transparency is critical to markets and stakeholders.

In this module, you'll discover the high level details around one of the most impactful services a CPA firm can provide to companies around the globe: assurance services. You'll examine the concepts behind the value added from various assurance services and how they compare to non-assurance services that CPA firms generally perform. By the end of the module, you'll be prepared to recognize common assurance services and how CPA firms enhance information through the performance of such services.

What's included

5 videos3 readings2 assignments

5 videosβ€’Total 31 minutes
  • Instructor Introduction and Course Overviewβ€’4 minutes
  • Assurance Service Conceptsβ€’8 minutes
  • Attestation Service Conceptsβ€’8 minutes
  • Non-Assurance Vs. Assuranceβ€’6 minutes
  • CPAs and CPA Firmsβ€’6 minutes
3 readingsβ€’Total 55 minutes
  • Course Outlineβ€’5 minutes
  • Attestation Engagementsβ€’25 minutes
  • CPA Firms and Servicesβ€’25 minutes
2 assignmentsβ€’Total 30 minutes
  • Graded Assessment: Module 1β€’20 minutes
  • Assurance and Attestationsβ€’10 minutes

In this module, you'll discover the details about three of the most common attestation engagements performed by a CPA firm. You'll examine the concepts behind the value added from various attestation services and how they vary in the level of assurance they provide to the client. By the end of the module, you'll be prepared to recognize common attestation services and how CPA firms enhance information through the performance of such services.

What's included

4 videos2 readings1 assignment

4 videosβ€’Total 29 minutes
  • Introduction to Attestation Engagement Typesβ€’8 minutes
  • Purpose of Examination Engagementsβ€’8 minutes
  • Purpose of Review Engagementsβ€’6 minutes
  • Purpose of Agreed-Upon Proceduresβ€’7 minutes
2 readingsβ€’Total 45 minutes
  • Examination Engagementsβ€’20 minutes
  • Reviews and Agreed-Upon Proceduresβ€’25 minutes
1 assignmentβ€’Total 20 minutes
  • Practice Assessment: Module 2β€’20 minutes

In this module, you'll explore the primary relationships between CPA firms performing assurance services and the clients that hire the CPA firm. You'll also learn about the responsibilities the auditor has in an audit engagement along with the responsibilities client management has when it comes to preparing the financial statements. By the end of the module, you'll be prepared to recognize multiple nuances regarding the CPA-client relationship in an audit.

What's included

4 videos3 readings1 assignment

4 videosβ€’Total 28 minutes
  • CPA and Client Relationshipsβ€’8 minutes
  • The Demand for CPAsβ€’6 minutes
  • Auditor's Responsibilitiesβ€’7 minutes
  • Responsibilities of the Financial Statement Preparersβ€’7 minutes
3 readingsβ€’Total 65 minutes
  • CPA-Client Relationshipsβ€’25 minutes
  • Auditor Responsibilities in the Real Worldβ€’15 minutes
  • Financial Statement & Audit Responsibilitiesβ€’25 minutes
1 assignmentβ€’Total 20 minutes
  • Practice Assessment: Module 3β€’20 minutes

This final module brings everything together. You'll review key concepts from the course and apply what you've learned to real-world business situations. By stepping back and looking at the key benefits of assurance services, you'll strengthen your ability to operate within a CPA form be able to better handle CPA firms who perform assurance services on the company you work for.

What's included

1 video2 readings1 assignment

1 videoβ€’Total 3 minutes
  • Course Wrap-Upβ€’3 minutes
2 readingsβ€’Total 11 minutes
  • Review: Course Conceptsβ€’10 minutes
  • Congratulations and What's Nextβ€’1 minute
1 assignmentβ€’Total 40 minutes
  • Graded Assessment: Courseβ€’40 minutes

Earn a career certificate

Add this credential to your LinkedIn profile, resume, or CV. Share it on social media and in your performance review.

Instructor

University of California, Santa Barbara
12 Coursesβ€’2,791 learners

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Frequently asked questions

This course is part of a CPA Licensure Preparation series and is designed to support learning and exam readiness. Completing this course does not by itself qualify you for CPA licensure or guarantee eligibility to sit for the CPA Exam. CPA licensure requirements vary by state and are determined by individual state boards of accountancy. Learners should consult their state board to confirm education and exam requirements.

To access the course materials, assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience when you enroll in a course. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid. The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.

When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Specialization, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. Your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile.

Yes. In select learning programs, you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you can’t afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, you’ll find a link to apply on the description page.

Financial aid available,