Ever wondered how some auditors can look at a few pages of numbers and spot mistakes that took you hours to find? Most people say “oh, they just have experience.” That’s true, but there’s more to it.
After 5 years doing audit work, I’ve realized something important: really good auditing isn’t just about following checklists and documentation. Don’t get me wrong—we need those things. But the best auditors have developed some specific mental skills that make them different. Let me share what I’ve learned about these skills.
1. Remembering Things: Building Your Mental File
Good auditors have a strong memory for details and patterns. It’s not like memorizing facts—it’s more like building a personal database of things you’ve seen.
When you review last year’s statements, you remember things like: the company changed its depreciation method, supplier prices went up mid-year, or Q3 always has inventory fluctuations. This memory bank lets you spot when something’s off without needing to dig through old files every time.
Your brain stores information temporarily when you work—think of it like a mental notepad. The more you practice keeping multiple pieces of information in your head at once, the better you get at it. So when you’re reviewing statements, try to hold several numbers in your mind at the same time instead of jumping to the calculator every time.
2. Understanding the Story Behind the Numbers: What’s Really Going On?
This is crucial—financial numbers always have a story. They’re not random. They reflect what’s actually happening in the business.
When you see marketing expenses jump up suddenly, you need to think: did they launch a new product? Enter a new market? Fight off competition? Same with receivables going up 20%—is it because they’re being too lenient with credit? Are they having trouble collecting? Or is it just normal growth?
Understanding the business story is what separates someone who just looks at numbers from someone who really thinks about what they mean. When you know the story, you’ll naturally know what numbers should look like. That’s when you can spot when something doesn’t fit.
3. Connecting the Dots: How Everything Relates
When you check each number separately, you miss the big picture. The real skill is looking at how everything connects.
Here’s a real example: you notice inventory isn’t turning over as fast, profit margins dropped a bit, and they’re taking longer to pay suppliers. One by one, these might not seem like a big deal. But together? They might point to supply chain problems, customers squeezing prices, or cash flow issues.
The point is: almost everything in financial statements is connected. A mistake in one place usually shows up somewhere else too. When you find things, you’re thinking about the whole picture and how one number affects others.
4. Thinking 360 Degrees: Looking at Everything
Good auditing means thinking about things from all angles—not just the accounting side, but operations, rules, risks, everything.
Say you find a weak control over sales. Don’t just ask: “Could this cause a wrong number in revenue?” Also ask: “What does this mean for customer billing? Could it mess up collections? What would regulators think about this?” A problem in sales controls can affect customer management, cash flow, and more.
This 360-degree thinking also means asking: How would the company explain this? What would a bank worry about? What could go wrong if we don’t dig deeper? It’s about being thorough and thinking like different people would think.
5. Quick Mental Math: Your Calculator in Your Head
Good auditors do mental calculations all the time. Not because they’re showing off—just to quickly check if numbers make sense.
When you see revenue numbers, quickly think in your head: what should cost of sales roughly be? When you look at expenses, mentally calculate what percentage of sales they are. Your goal is to feel if something’s off before you dive into details.
Why does this matter? It trains your brain to spot when things don’t add up. It keeps you thinking instead of just mechanically moving through the audit. And honestly, it catches a lot of mistakes right away. You’re building an instinct for what normal looks like.
6. Testing if Numbers Seem Reasonable: Check Before You Dig
Before you do all the detailed work, good auditors ask: does this number make sense?
Think about depreciation as an example. Before checking all the schedules, you should expect it to be roughly the same as last year, adjusted for any new equipment bought or old equipment sold. If suddenly it jumps 30% and nothing major changed? That’s worth investigating.
This skill is powerful because it guides you to where the real problems might be. You don’t waste time on things that make sense. You focus on what doesn’t. It’s more efficient, and it catches real issues faster. Your expectations should be based on what happened before, industry norms, and any business changes.
7. Your Brain Working in the Background: Problems Solving Themselves
Here’s something interesting—when you’re really thinking about audit issues, your mind keeps working on them even when you’re not at your desk. And it’s not about working too much. It’s just how the brain works.
You review a transaction on Tuesday. Then on Friday, you see something similar and suddenly think “wait, that first one didn’t seem right.” Or you’re driving home and suddenly an explanation for a confusing number pops into your head. Your subconscious mind is connecting things in the background.
This happens naturally as you build experience, but you can help it along. Talk through unusual transactions with colleagues. Reflect on what you found and why. Ask yourself why numbers look the way they do. Your brain will work on these questions even when you’re not actively thinking about them.
8. Always Questioning: The Most Important Skill
This is probably the most important thing—staying curious and questioning what you see.
It’s not about being suspicious of the client. It’s about not accepting easy answers too quickly. When management explains something, ask yourself: is that the full story? Could something else explain this? What if they’re missing something? What could go wrong?
Question yourself too. When something “checks out,” don’t just move on. Ask why. Accept the first explanation you hear less easily. Really think about whether alternatives might also make sense. This is especially important in tricky areas like revenue recognition, inventory valuation, asset write-downs, and related parties. These areas are where mistakes and problems hide.
Even when numbers seem fine, a good auditor asks: am I being too quick to accept this? What am I not seeing?
Why Checklists Aren’t Enough
Look, checklists and documentation are important. They keep audits consistent and organized. We need them. But they have a real limit.
Someone can tick every box on a checklist and still miss big mistakes because they’re not thinking. A checklist might make it look like the audit was done well, but that doesn’t mean it actually was. On the flip side, someone using these mental skills can catch things that no checklist would ever prompt.
The difference between an okay auditor and a really good auditor is thinking. It’s the mental work that happens beyond the checklist.
How to Get Better at These Skills
Here’s the good news: you get better at these things by doing them and thinking about what you’re doing.
Pay attention not just to what you find, but to how you found it. When something catches your eye, think about why. Talk to people who are good at spotting issues—ask how they approach problems. Watch how they work. Do this on every audit, and you’ll naturally get better.
Don’t just complete the audit program like a robot. Actually engage with the numbers. Question things. Connect dots. Remember patterns. Build your own mental library of what normal looks like.
When you see someone find an issue in minutes that took you hours, they’re not magic. They’re using these skills they’ve developed over time. They’re thinking carefully, connecting information, remembering patterns, and questioning what they see.
The Real Path Forward
The shift from “just doing the checklist” to “actually thinking” doesn’t happen overnight. It’s a choice to keep getting better. To think more deeply. To question more. To remember more.
Your value as an auditor—what you bring to clients and the firm—depends much more on these mental skills than on ticking boxes. So start building them now. Every engagement is a chance to strengthen your thinking muscles.
After 5 years, this is what I’ve learned: the best auditors aren’t just thorough. They think. And that thinking is what really makes them better.
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