Certified Information Privacy Manager (CIPM) 2025 – 400 Free Practice Questions to Pass the Exam

The audit lifecycle is a structured process that encompasses several key phases, ensuring that audits are comprehensive and effective. The correct choice reflects the essential stages involved in an audit: planning, fieldwork, reporting, and follow-up.

Planning is crucial as it lays the groundwork for what will be examined, establishes objectives, and determines the resources needed. Fieldwork involves the actual gathering of data and evidence relevant to the audit objectives. Reporting is where findings and results are documented, providing stakeholders with insights into the audit outcomes. Finally, the follow-up phase is critical for ensuring that any recommendations are implemented and any identified issues are addressed.

Each of these stages is interconnected, and omitting any one of them may compromise the integrity and effectiveness of the audit process. In contrast, focusing only on data analysis and reporting lacks the necessary context of planning and follow-up, which are vital for a comprehensive audit. Similarly, maintaining stakeholder relations, although important for overall governance and communication, does not encompass the complete cycle required for auditing. Implementing new software solutions may support auditing processes but does not define the fundamental structure of the audit lifecycle itself.