What is Cost Audit Programme? Need, Specimen

  • Post last modified:20 April 2021
  • Reading time:11 mins read
  • Post category:Finance
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What is Cost Audit Programme?

Cost audit programme is a detailed plan prepared by the cost audit showing how various stages of the cost audit work are to be completed by the cost audit staff, the procedure to be followed by them for doing cost audit work assigned to them, the extent to which the examination and verification of the cost data should be carried out by them and in how much time the cost audit work should be completed by them.

It is thus a plan which

  • shows the distribution of the cost audit work among the cost audit staff
  • which work is assigned to a person or group of persons in the staff
  • how the work of checking and verification of the cost data is expected to be done by the cost audit staff and
  • time-schedule in which each part of the cost audit should be completed by them.

    With the help of the cost audit programme the work of the cost audit is done properly and systematically.

Need for preparation of cost audit programme

Cost audit work of a company is a voluminous work and it cannot be completed by a cost auditor alone. He needs assistance from many persons who are known as audit staff.

These persons are appointed by the cost auditor as audit clerks and they are required to do the examination, checking and verification of recording done by the costing department’s employees.

The need for preparation of cost audit programme arises due to following reasons:

  • Each cost audit clerk or a group of cost audit clerks can be allotted a specific part of the cost audit work. So they know definitely which work is to be done by them. This helps in avoiding confusion and ambiguity in the cost audit work.


  • A cost audit programme is in written form and each person involved in cost audit work knows the procedure which is to be followed by him while performing cost audit work.

    In case of doubt that person can approach the cost auditor and obtain explanation to clarify his doubts.


  • There are different types of work to be performed and they need a certain skill, experience and competency on the part of the audit clerks.

    Considering this requirement, the cost auditor can select the audit clerks for each type of audit work. This helps in performing cost audit work efficiently.


  • The time needed for performing part of audit work is not same. Simple type of work needs less time for completion while the work involving more and careful checking needs a longer time.

    The cost auditor while preparing the cost audit programme considers this and allows sufficient time for completion of each part of the work.


  • The work of cost audit is required to be completed and the cost audit report is to be sumbitted by the cost auditor to the Central Government within a certain time limit as specified in the Cost Accounting Record Rules and Cost Audit Report Rules.

    The cost audit programme gives a time table for completing the cost audit work and the cost auditor is able to prepare and submit his cost audit report within the time limit.

  • The cost auditor can use the cost audit programme to see whether the various stages of cost audit are being completed as per the plan or not. If he finds that the actual work is lagging behind, he can take appropriate and timely action to set the things right and can complete the entire work of cost audit in the planned time.

  • The cost audit clerks prepare the necessary notes, records and reports for the cost audit work completed by them. They sign these documents and submit them to the cost auditor.

    These documents become the evidence of the cost audit work done by them and the cost auditor can fix the responsibility of the audit clerks on the basis of them.

Cost Audit Programme Specimen

S.NoParticularPerson ResponsibleNo of DaysExtent of checking to be done
1Cost Accounting SystemMr. A12 Hrs.Systems for stores, labour, utilities, overheads, depreciation, technical know-how, inter unit and inter company transactions, pollution control expenses, HRD expenses, sales realisation, export exp. and export incentives, treatment of by product, captive consumption and its accounting, variance calculation and its treatment, capitalisation of expenses, inventory valuation.
2Quantitative detailsMr. B.30 Hrs.Capacity, production, sales, captive consumption, closing stock of materials, work-in-process and finished goods, linked up with excise records, etc.
3Raw Materials purchased and consumedMr. C & D10 daysInvoices, material requisition notes material issue notes, closing stock quantity and value.
4Indirect materials tools, appliancesMr. E2 daysSample physical checking of some major items, excess-shortage.
5Salaries and wagesMr. G & H4 daysRandom checking of gate time keeping, sample checking of leave register, checking of wage sheets and salary books, absenteeism, overtime payments, record of payment to casual workers-100% checking, idle time records and payment for idle time.
6Direct expensesMr. J8 Hrs.Vouchers for direct expenses – 100% checking.
7DepreciationMr. A1 dayRates, amounts charged to each asset, cost centrewise checking – 100% recordings to be checked.
8Factory overheadsMr. B.20 Hrs.Major items to be checked checking dependent upon items checked by internal auditor and financial auditors.
9Office and administration overheadsMr. E10 Hrs.Sample checking of items of over head
10Selling and distribution overheadsMr. E18 Hrs.Some major items to be checked on sample basis.
11Expenses on export sales and export incentives receivedMr. E8 Hrs.100% checking, to be linked up with excise records and documents.
12Inter unit and inter company transactionsMr. A2 daysChecking of related records 100% checking.
13Services used-steam water,
electricity, internal transportation,
etc.
Mr. J15 Hrs.100% vouching for 4 months including beginning and closing months
14Expenses for pollution control, technical know-how,
royalty, etc.
Mr. G.12 Hrs.100% checking of vouchers.
15Production and Sales detailsMr. H15 Hrs.100% checking with sales and excise records.
16Abnormal itemsMr. E.6 Hrs.Check the transactions and basis used for determination and treatment given.
17Financial position and ratio analysisMr. A2 daysComparison of the financial statements for past two years and calculate financial ratio’s
18Cost sheets and reconciliation with financial statementsMr. J and Mr. G25 hrs.100% checking of cost sheets and comparison for two years records.
19Draft cost audit report, annexures to be attached and
comments to be
made
Cost Auditor

According to the available time, the existence of internal control system in the company and availability of the staff for the cost audit work, the cost auditor may make necessary changes in the specimen cost audit programme given above.

He may reduce the extent of checking of some items and may rely on sample checking but while doing this he increases the risk for himself because the documents not checked may contain some errors or frauds committed by the staff of the cost accounting department of the company and so cost calculation shown by them will not be accurate.

The cost auditor should, by using his experience, decide certain areas where the chances of errors and frauds committed are more and he should instruct his audit clerks to be more alert and cautious while checking and verifying the recording done and documents prepared by the employees of the company in such areas. He may instruct them to do 100% checking if there is cause to be suspicious about the recording.

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