AICPA CPA-Auditing Exam Actual Questions
CPA Auditing and Attestation (AUD) (Page 108 )

• Answer: C (192.168.0.1-192.168.0.99, 192.168.0.101-192.168.0.254)

• Why: The interface is 192.168.0.100/24, so DHCP pools must be within the 192.168.0.0/24 subnet and cannot include the router’s IP (192.168.0.100), the network address (192.168.0.0), or the broadcast (192.168.0.255). Option C provides two ranges that exclude those addresses.

• Why the other options are invalid:

• A. Flash the BIOS: Not the first move. A BIOS update can be risky when POST is failing. It’s better to first rule out simpler causes (like RAM seating). BIOS flashing is usually done if the CPU isn’t supported by the current BIOS, which you’d check after RAM seating.

• B. Check the CMOS battery: Possible but unlikely the immediate cause. CMOS battery issues would more likely cause BIOS settings to reset or clock problems. RAM seating is a more common, direct fix after a motherboard swap.

• D. Reinstall the old motherboard: Not a troubleshooting step for the new system. The goal is to get the new motherboard to POST, not revert to old hardware.

• C. Reseat the RAM: Correct because memory seating problems are the most common cause of POST failures after a motherboard swap. Re-seating ensures proper contact in the new board’s slots.

• Answer: No.

• Why:

• If you need such an assessment while controlling costs, you’d generally pursue a paid MCS engagement or another option outside of the basic Premier entitlement.

• Startup scripts run at computer startup, before any user logs on, making them ideal for machine-wide configuration on each new VM.
• They execute under the Local System account, which is appropriate for initial setup tasks.
• Linking a GPO to the OU ensures every new VM in that domain automatically receives the configuration—great for scalability.

• A) SetupComplete.cmd runs only once, right after Windows Setup, not on every boot, so it isn’t ideal for provisioning multiple VMs consistently.
• B) Logon scripts run per user, not per machine, so they aren’t reliable for initial VM configuration before a user signs in.
• D) Placing scripts in a VHD doesn’t automatically execute them.

• A) MTU mismatch: OSPF neighbors must exchange Hello packets with a compatible MTU. If MTUs differ, the neighbor conversation fails and the adjacency cannot become Full.

• B) Incorrect subnet mask: Routers must be in the same IP subnet on the connected link to form a neighbor relationship. A subnet mismatch prevents Hello packets from being considered valid on the same network.

• D) Area ID not the same: Neighbors must share the same Area ID. A mismatch stops adjacency from forming beyond the 2-Way state.

• E) Different metric set on each end of the link: Cost differences do not prevent OSPF adjacency; they affect routing decisions, not neighbor formation.
• F) Router ID not defined: OSPF can auto-choose a router ID; an undefined ID is not a prerequisite for adjacency to reach Full.

1. Define Power Platform DLP policies
2. Add custom prompt modifications
3. Conduct adversarial testing

1. DLP policies first

1. Prompt modifications second

1. Adversarial testing last

Why B works

• AWS KMS keys are Regional resources. A normal customer managed key in Region A cannot be used directly in Region B.
• A customer managed multi-Region KMS key (MRK) has related key replicas in both Regions. The replicas share key material and key ID, although each has a Regional ARN.
• With client-side encryption, the application encrypts the data before storing it in S3. Cross-Region replication then copies already-encrypted objects, so S3 does not need to decrypt and re-encrypt them with a different Regional key.

Why the other choices are weaker

• A and C: SSE-S3 uses Amazon-managed S3 keys, not the required customer managed KMS key.
• D: SSE-KMS can work only if the solution creates and configures the appropriate KMS key or multi-Region key replica in each Region. As written, it says to create a customer managed KMS key in each Region, which implies separate keys—not the same KMS key. Replication also requires additional KMS permissions and destination encryption configuration.

• You provision the virtual machine.
• You manage the guest operating system, applications, and configuration.
• Azure manages the physical servers, datacenter, and underlying virtualization infrastructure.

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• Prompts and Suggestions: Retained for 28 days
• User Engagement Data: Kept for Two Years

• Use a field on Account to show the aggregated yearly shipments (a Roll-Up Summary).
• A Master-Detail relationship between Shipment and Account is required for Roll-Up Summary to work (and to ensure access is governed by the parent Account).
• OWD and the relationship type determine what users can see. If you want to restrict shipment-level access while still showing a summary on Account, Private OWD on Shipment plus Master-Detail helps, because access to shipments is controlled by the Account record.

• A (Public OWD on Shipment with Process Builder and a Lookup to Account): Not ideal. Public access would expose shipments broadly, and a lookup cannot support a built-in roll-up summary.
• B (Private OWD on Shipment, Roll-Up Summary, Master-Detail to Account): Best answer. Private shipments, but because of Master-Detail, access and the roll-up are tied to the Account. The Account can show the yearly total via a Roll-Up Summary field.
• C (Controlled by Parent on Shipment, Trigger, Master-Detail): Master-Detail is correct, but using a trigger is unnecessary for a straightforward roll-up; roll-ups are the standard, maintainable solution.
• D (Private OWD on Shipment, Trigger, Lookup to Account): More complex and not as efficient; no automatic roll-up, and lookup breaks the ease of summarizing by Account.

• What the scenario tests: How monitoring paths on a Universal Forwarder (UF) behave when you deploy an app via the Deployment Server.
• How monitoring is configured: Log paths to monitor are defined in inputs.conf (within apps/local on the UF). Splunk on the UF merges inputs from all apps and local config.
• Key point: Deploying a new app that adds a monitor for a log file does not typically remove existing monitors. The UF will continue monitoring any previously configured paths and will add the new ones from the deployed app.

• Correct answer: C) /var/log/maillog and /var/log/messages.

• Create Power Query parameters for the Azure SQL server/database—or at least the database name.
• Use the parameter in the PBIX connection.
• Publish the same PBIX separately to the relevant development, test, and production workspaces.
• Set each dataset’s parameter value in the Power BI service so it points to the corresponding Azure SQL database.

• Development dataset ? DevelopmentDB
• Test dataset ? TestDB
• Production dataset ? ProductionDB

• The same PBIX is used for every lifecycle stage.
• Each stage consumes data from its matching database.
• Deployment pipelines are not required.
• Azure SQL is a cloud source, so gateway administration is generally avoided.
• Only the parameter value differs between published datasets, reducing maintenance.

• Answer:

• Why:

• Why the other centers aren’t the right fit here:

• The requirement is a fully managed file server that natively supports Microsoft workloads and file systems and uses the SMB protocol. FSx for Windows File Server is built specifically for Windows workloads, provides native SMB file shares, and supports Windows permissions/Active Directory integration.
• Why the others don’t fit:

• Review the risk register.
• Use the previously defined risk response plan, such as assigning a backup resource, reprioritizing work, or using another qualified engineer.
• Implement the response promptly because the task is on the critical path.

• B: Revising the schedule without first applying the planned response may be premature.
• C: Excluding a required task could compromise the project’s objectives and requirements.
• D: Updating the risk and lessons learned records is appropriate, but it should happen after managing the immediate issue, not as the next primary action.

• Correct answer: B — A reservation for the server based on the MAC address.

• Why this is the best choice:

• Why the other options are less suitable:

• Quick takeaway: Use a DHCP reservation to give the file server a fixed IP while still benefiting from centralized DHCP management.

• Goal: serving a static website globally with minimal latency.
• Why C works: CloudFront is a Content Delivery Network (CDN) that caches content at many edge locations around the world. When users request the site, CloudFront serves cached copies from the nearest edge location, greatly reducing latency. It also reduces load on your EC2 origin by handling many requests at the edge.
• Why the other options aren’t as good:

• Correct answer: C — The model is deployed at UK border checkpoints.

• The EU AI Act applies to AI systems used within the EU or by entities established in the EU. So:

• The diagnostic output shows that the protocol is TCP (proto=6) and the session state is 2.
• In FortiGate’s session output, state=2 maps to SYN_SENT. This means the TCP SYN has been sent but the handshake hasn’t completed yet.
• Therefore, the session is not ESTABLISHED, FIN/ACK-related states, or other states; it’s in SYN_SENT.

• Multi-factor authentication
• A secure password change for users whose credentials may be compromised

• I can’t view the images, so I can’t tell which table is labeled as A in your screenshot. But here’s how to decide:

• How to identify the fact table:

• How to identify the surrogate key in the Patient table:

• Relationship:

• Elicited and documented customer requirements
• Converted them into clear, measurable specifications
• Validated the requirements with the customer
• Used them as the basis for design, quality checks, and acceptance

• A: Requirements should reflect the customer’s needs—not the supplier’s standards.
• B: Iteration review planning does not replace proper requirements collection.
• D: A retrospective occurs after work is completed and is mainly for process improvement, not initial requirements definition.

• Question 142: Security governance is MOST associated with which IT infrastructure component? Network / Application / Platform / Process
• Answer: D. Process

• Security governance is about how decisions are made, accountability, and oversight to ensure security objectives align with business goals. These are implemented through governance processes (policy development, risk management, assurance, monitoring, escalation, etc.).
• The other options (Network, Application, Platform) are concrete IT components; governance affects them, but it’s exercised primarily through the processes that govern how those components are managed and controlled.

• In governance-related questions, focus on the decision-making, accountability, and control processes rather than the underlying technology components.

• Correct answer: Day 3 (Option B)

• Why: In Engagement Studio, when the program is paused, the prospects’ wait times are also paused and do not count down. They resume from the same point when the program restarts. Here, the prospect was at day 3 of a 5-day wait when paused, so they resume on day 3 after the 1-day pause.

• Answer: Internal load balancers (ILB) — option C.

• An ILB has a frontend IP address that must be a private IP within the subnet’s address space. You pick this IP when you create the ILB, and it can be Static or Dynamic.
• Other options don’t require a per-subnet IP:

• Network Security Groups (NSGs) control network traffic to and from Azure resources.
• By applying NSGs to the web tier and the database tier (subnets or NICs), you can:

• NSGs provide the necessary granularity (source/destination, port, protocol) to enforce the desired traffic patterns between tiers.
• For easier management you can use separate subnets for each tier or, optionally, use Application Security Groups to simplify rule management.

• Honeypots: Decoy systems or services designed to attract attackers. Legitimate users should not access them, so activity on a honeypot is a strong indicator of unauthorized activity. Security teams can also observe attacker behavior.

• DNS sinkhole: Redirects requests for known malicious domains to a controlled internal server or blocks them. If an infected workstation attempts to contact command-and-control infrastructure, the sinkhole records the request and helps identify the compromised device.

• Tokenization: Protects sensitive data by replacing it with tokens.
• CI/CD: Automates software development and deployment.
• Threat modeling: Identifies potential risks before or during system design.
• Data obfuscation: Makes data harder to understand, but does not detect intruders.

• Answer: D

• The strongest security comes from enforcing access at the storage layer. An IAM policy scoped to the Cognito identity prefix restricts each user to their own S3 prefix (folder), so users can only access their own files regardless of client or server code.
• This per-user isolation reduces risk of cross-user data access and is more robust than UI validation or Lambda/API validation alone.
• Implementation note: attach a policy to the Cognito identity role that allows actions on arn:aws:s3:::your-bucket/${cognito-identity.amazonaws.com:sub}/* (per-user prefix). Ensure TLS in transit and enable at-rest encryption (SSE-S3 or SSE-KMS). Use multipart upload for large files up to 300 MB.

• Correct answer: D — AWS Migration Hub

• AWS Migration Hub provides a single location to track the progress of application migrations. It offers a centralized dashboard to view migration status across multiple tools and projects.

• AWS Application Discovery Service helps inventory and map on-prem applications and their dependencies, not a single progress tracker.
• AWS Application Migration Service (formerly SMS) performs the actual lift-and-shift migrations, but isn’t the centralized tracker itself.
• AWS Service Catalog manages catalogs of IT services for self-service deployment, not migration progress.

• Coordinate and manage the assessment team
• Assign assessment activities
• Direct interviews, examinations, and tests
• Ensure the assessment follows the CAP

• Answer key: Lead Assessor — likely wrong
• CAP-based answer: C3PAO

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• Multiple AWS accounts: Create a separate account for each department or workload. This provides clear isolation and makes it easier to track each department’s usage and costs for chargeback.
• Consolidated billing: AWS Organizations can combine billing for multiple accounts into one central payer account. The company can still view costs by account while managing payment centrally.

• Placement groups: Control how EC2 instances are physically placed for networking or performance; they do not provide departmental billing separation.
• Edge locations: Infrastructure used by services such as Amazon CloudFront; unrelated to chargeback.
• AWS Config: Records and evaluates resource configurations and compliance; it is not a billing-separation mechanism.

• Problème: le système d’alertes signale des fluctuations tout en manquant les activités qui restent anormalement constantes sur une période longue. Il faut donc un scénario qui capte les anomalies qui se maintiennent dans le temps plutôt que les pics ponctuels.
• Peer: permet de comparer un client à ses pairs; utile pour repérer des écarts relatifs, mais ne cible pas nécessairement les motifs d’anomalie persistante sur plusieurs périodes.
• Revenus mapping: relie les transactions à des sources ou flux de revenus; utile pour l’analyse des fonds, mais pas directement pour détecter une anomalie longue durée.
• Below-the-line: conçu pour détecter des activités qui passent en dessous des seuils habituels ou qui demeurent anormales sur une longue période, comblant ainsi la faiblesse des alertes à long terme.

• Recovery procedures actually work
• Recovery time and recovery point objectives can be met
• Staff understand their responsibilities
• Contact details, dependencies, and technical configurations are accurate
• Gaps or conflicts exist in the plan

• Not version-controlled: Creates a risk of using an outdated copy, but the plan might still be effective.
• Contact information needs updating: This is a specific weakness that can be corrected, often identified during testing.
• Not approved by senior management: Approval is important for authority and resource commitment, but an untested plan presents the most direct risk that recovery will fail when needed.

• A (training data, hyperparameters, stakeholder feedback) focuses on training provenance; these details are important but are typically part of pre-deployment/training records, not the primary post-deployment documentation.
• B (encountered issues, monitoring process, risks) relates to governance and monitoring rather than the core documentation you’d publish about the deployed model itself.
• C (licensing information, the team, business goals) covers governance context but not the technical traceability and performance-based record needed for ongoing maintenance.

• The app on EC2 connects to Aurora using DB credentials stored on the instance. Secrets Manager centralizes these credentials and can rotate them automatically, eliminating manual updates on each EC2 host.
• Automatic rotation reduces operational overhead and enhances security because credentials are rotated on a schedule without code changes.
• The app can retrieve the current secret at runtime (e.g., via the AWS SDK) and use it to authenticate to Aurora, avoiding reliance on locally stored files.

• B (Parameter Store) can store secrets but lacks seamless built-in rotation for database credentials like Secrets Manager; rotation often requires more custom work.
• C (S3) would require complex tooling to rotate and securely fetch credentials and still risks exposure if access policies aren’t perfect.
• D (Encrypted EBS volumes) would store credentials locally on each instance and does not automate rotation or centralized management.

• Answer: No.

• Why it doesn’t meet the goal:

• How to implement correctly (brief guidance):

• Amazon Kendra is a managed enterprise search service that can index content stored in S3 and support natural-language queries to find text inside documents (PDFs, Word files, etc.).

• Rekognition analyzes images/videos, not document text search.
• Polly is a text-to-speech service.
• Lex is a chatbot service.

• Create a Kendra index.
• Add a data source of type S3 and point it to your bucket (with an IAM role that allows access).
• Configure/document conversion if needed, then index the data.
• Use the Kendra API or console to run natural-language queries against your indexed documents.

• '15' is a string. With + and a string, JavaScript does string concatenation: '15' + 10 -> '1510'.
• The result '1510' is then used in a multiplication: '1510' 2. The operator triggers numeric conversion, so '1510' becomes the number 1510.
• 1510 * 2 = 3020.

• If the code were let x = (15 + 10) * 2, the result would be 50 since 15 + 10 is numeric addition.

• Correct answer: B) Context window.

• Why: The context window is the number of tokens the foundation model can process in a single inference. It sets the maximum length of the combined input (prompt) and the model’s output. A larger context window allows more content to be included in one prompt.

• How to use: Check the FM’s context window value and ensure your prompt length plus the desired completion stays within that limit. If needed, summarize or split input across multiple prompts.

• Why the other options aren’t correct:

• Quick tip: Verify the specific FM’s context window for Bedrock, since different models have different token limits.

• Azure Files is an example of infrastructure as a service (IaaS). No. Azure Files is a managed storage service, typically considered PaaS (Storage as a Service), not IaaS.
• A DNS server that runs on an Azure virtual machine is an example of platform as a service (PaaS). No. Running a DNS server on a VM is IaaS because you manage the OS and DNS software.
• Microsoft Intune is an example of software as a service (SaaS). Yes. Intune is a cloud-based, fully managed service you use over the Internet.

• Storage requirement: 10 apps × 10 GB each = 100 GB total. Basic’s storage quota is insufficient to host 100 GB in one plan, whereas Standard provides enough storage capacity for multiple apps.

• Dedicated compute: The plan must use dedicated compute instances; Free/Shared do not meet this, while Basic, Standard, and higher do.

• Load balancing: The plan must include load balancing between instances. Standard includes built-in load balancing across app instances; Basic may not meet this requirement.

• Costs: Among the plans that satisfy storage, dedicated compute, and load balancing, Standard is the lowest-cost option.

• Basic: Self-help only; no technical support or design assessment.
• Standard: Technical support, but not the full proactive architectural guidance required here.
• Professional Direct: Provides proactive guidance and architecture-related assistance.
• Premier: Also supports this, but is a more expensive, enterprise-level option.

• A — conformant: Incorrect because one explicit requirement is violated.
• B — consistent: “Consistent” is not sufficient where the implementation contradicts a mandatory specification. The RPC mechanism is covered by the architecture, and the implementation differs from it.
• C — consistent: Incorrect reasoning: the RPC mechanism does have a defined architectural requirement, so conformance must be assessed.
• D — non-conformant: Correct because the implementation fails to follow the specified RPC/threading requirement.

• Premium file shares: contoso104 only
• Blob access tiers: contoso101, contoso102, and contoso103

• Premium Azure Files shares require a storage account with the FileStorage account kind. This is a specialized account type and is not used for blob storage.
• Blob access tiers such as Hot, Cool, and—where supported—Archive apply to blob-capable accounts, such as General-purpose v2 or BlobStorage accounts shown in the exhibit.
• contoso104 is therefore excluded from the blob-tier selection because it is the premium Files account.

• A. IDS attack signatures: An IDS primarily detects suspicious network activity and usually alerts rather than directly scanning and blocking uploaded files.
• C. Load balancer: Distributes traffic among servers but does not inspect files for malware.
• D. WAF: Protects web applications from attacks such as SQL injection, cross-site scripting, and some malicious requests. It is not primarily a PDF-malware scanning solution.

• Azure Resource Manager templates: Use ARM templates to define the VM infrastructure and baseline configuration as code. This ensures all Windows Server 2016 VMs are created with a uniform setup, minimizing manual configuration.

• PowerShell Desired State Configuration (DSC) extension for Windows: DSC enforces a defined state across all servers and can automatically remediate drift. This keeps the VMs in the desired configuration with minimal ongoing admin effort.