This course is designed for federal employees who want to strengthen their ability to use data analytics in audit work. You will learn how to assess whether data are valid, reliable, and fit for the audit objective, while working within applicable federal requirements and GAO standards, including the Yellow Book and Gray Book. The course covers core audit data skills such as evaluating data integrity, cleaning and organizing data in Excel, using descriptive statistics and graphs, identifying outliers and other anomalies, and interpreting analytical results in a way that supports sound audit judgment. It is grounded in the practical realities of government auditing, with a strong emphasis on documenting reasonable assurance and making defensible reliability determinations.
Throughout the course, students apply these concepts through hands-on analysis and case-based exercises that reflect common audit scenarios. Topics include duplicate transactions, vendor and purchase card analysis, date comparisons, Benford’s Law, correlation, sampling, and the use of geographic or GPS-related data to identify unusual patterns or relationships. The course also introduces commonly used tools and approaches for audit analytics, with particular emphasis on Excel-based techniques for data testing, filtering, grouping, visualization, and risk-focused analysis. By the end of the course, federal employees will be better prepared to turn raw audit data into meaningful evidence, identify areas of concern more efficiently, and support oversight responsibilities with stronger, more informed analysis.
Students must complete Analysis Techniques for Auditors (AUDT7900) before enrolling in this course, or have equivalent knowledge.
Receive instruction from subject‑matter experts who bring proven government experience.
Courses that are regularly updated based on feedback and industry developments, ensuring versions are mapped to federal competencies.
The instructor was wonderful and so knowledgeable. The course materials were extremely relevant to what my job is. I feel like I can be better because of this class.
— 2025 student
Directly addressing the day-to-day challenges of federal employees.
Your trusted training partner, equipping public service professionals with the skills and knowledge to excel in their roles and drive meaningful impact.
Attend this course live online or as self-paced training. Engage with expert instructors, ask questions, and get feedback on your exercises and projects.
Get the same interactivity and access to the instructor as in-person students. There are no extra fees and we’ll work with you to ensure your remote setup is perfect.
Learn at your own pace with pre-recorded video lessons and hands-on exercises. Work through the material on your schedule with access to course content and resources.
Our instructors are industry experts and experienced educators, driven to help you succeed.
Upon completion of this course, you’ll receive an official certificate testifying to your mastery of the curriculum. We’ll send you a link where you can download your certificate, share it online with your friends, post it to your professional network on LinkedIn, and view all your earned certificates. Congratulations on your achievement!
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We offer a single free retake of the class within a year.
Since 1921, Graduate School USA has partnered with over 125 federal agencies and trained more than one million federal employees. Led by instructors with deep, real-world knowledge of federal regulations, policies, and practices, our private group programs are practical, mission-driven, and tailored to your agency’s objectives. We offer expertise across key federal domains—including human resources, financial management, acquisition and contracting, leadership, and more—to deliver training where and how your team needs it.
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