ICAS staff have delegated authority in the straightforward Responsible Individual audit applications – and along with other checks, it is generally when all conditions about audit experience are met. We check that an applicant has experience across 10 audits over the last 24 months, and that it extends across the IES8 competencies.

If the conditions are not obviously met, then applications can be taken to the Authorisation Committee, as it is the Committee that is responsible for decision making regarding audit firm and RI applications.

All decision making is overseen by the FRC.

The experience requirements are detailed on the ICAS website - an applicant should have recent, relevant and sufficient experience in order to be competent to conduct audit work. 

If the application is considered by ICAS’s Authorisation Committee and the Committee has any concerns regarding the sufficiency of the audit experience, the application may only be approved subject to conditions and/or restrictions. This could include:

• external/internal hot or cold file reviews
• notifying the Committee when audit appointments are accepted, and/or
• providing future completed CPD details.

Alternatively, if the Committee rejects the application due to inexperience, then the applicant may be asked to gain further relevant audit experience before reapplying.

We can take an application to the Authorisation Committee, but it would assist consideration of the application if:

• The application gives detail of the experience that the applicant has and how s/he has stayed up to date if s/he has not been auditing recently,
• The applicant is now able to gain some current audit experience to support the application, and
• Ways in which the ACP/firm would plan to mitigate any risks with the applicant not having had recent experience.