What sampling methods can auditors use?
Sampling works by obtaining information about a population by examining only part of it. There are various sampling methods auditors can use when undertaking substantive testing. Typically haphazard sampling is the most common form of sampling used. This is where a random sample of a population is tested. Stratified sampling is where a populations is sub-divided into ‘strata’s’ and tested. An example is as follows: If a company employs 130 people on a payroll of which 50 are full time males, 20 are part time males, 20 are full time females and 40 are part time females, then we have to first work out the percentage which makes up each ‘strata’. Full-time males % (50/130×100) = 38% Part-time males % (20/130 x 100) = 15% Full-time females % (20/130 x 100) = 15% Part-time females % (40/130 x 100) = 32% So if a sample size is 20, then we can see from the above that 38% of the sample should be full time males, 15% should be part time males, 15% should be full time females and 32% should be p
