VERITAS · CASE FILE · AUDIT-SEASONOFFENDER'S PLAYBOOK · 90–120 min · 1–6 playersAN INVESTIGATOR'S GAMEAUDITSEASONTwelve months of creative books. One audit.№084
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OFFENDER'S PLAYBOOK · 90–120 min · 1–6 players

Audit Season

Twelve months of creative books. One audit.

You are the group financial controller of a listed mid-cap under earnings pressure. Close four quarters using aggressive accounting, survive an investigation-triggered control review, then sit on the other side of the table as the forensic auditor.

⚑ Educational simulation. Each entry shows its ratio fingerprint and the audit test that detects it.
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Learning objectives

  • 01Sequence the classic aggressive-accounting tactics across a reporting year
  • 02Read the ratio fingerprint each tactic leaves in the financial statements
  • 03Understand how investigation-triggered controls change management behaviour mid-year
  • 04Design the forensic audit programme that unwinds the year

Standards mapping

FATF Recommendations and CPD credit

Learning objectiveFATF
Sequence the classic aggressive-accounting tactics across a reporting yearR.3
Read the ratio fingerprint each tactic leaves in the financial statementsR.11
Understand how investigation-triggered controls change management behaviour mid-yearR.28
Design the forensic audit programme that unwinds the yearR.11, R.30
  • R.3 Money laundering offence. Tax offences committed through the accounts are predicate conduct.
  • R.11 Record keeping. The forensic round is a records reconstruction of the year.
  • R.28 Regulation and supervision of DNFBPs. The control review models external audit and supervisory pressure.
  • R.30 Responsibilities of law enforcement and investigative authorities. The forensic programme is designed to evidentiary standard.

Also covers: ISA 240 and ISA 315 (revised) · OECD Fighting Tax Crime: The Ten Global Principles · IFRS 15 revenue recognition

CPD credit rationale

2 structured hours (2 verifiable) — streams: Audit and assurance, Forensic accounting, Tax administration.

Hours are claimed against structured learning: facilitated play against a published set of learning objectives, decisions scored on a rubric, and a written debrief retained by the participant. Four quarters plus a control review and a forensic round produce a written audit programme that an accounting body's assessor can mark.

Evidence retained: Quarterly ratio record; Named detecting test per entry; Forensic audit programme.

Table setup · 1–6 players

Best with 4–6 (finance, audit and examiner benches)

1Solo study

Close four quarters, survive the review, then unwind your own year.

2Head-to-head

Preparer versus examiner across the four quarters.

3–4Case cell

S1–S4 play the company year; the app runs the forensic unwind.

5–6Full table

Full benches: preparers S1–S2, assurance S3–S4, and S5–S6 for the unwind and the board decision.

Seats at the table

  1. S1Group CFOOwns the quarterly numbers and the story to the market.
  2. S2Financial controllerBooks the entries and manages the close.
  3. S3Internal audit leadRuns the investigation-triggered control review.
  4. S4External audit partnerOwns materiality, sampling and the opinion.
  5. S5Forensic examinerUnwinds the year entry by entry in the final act.
  6. S6Audit committee / board chairDecides restatement, disclosure and self-report.

Team rules

  • 01One seat, one voice: a decision is only locked when the seat that owns it says so out loud.
  • 02Every locked decision needs a one-sentence justification the seat would defend in a real file.
  • 03Any player may call a 60-second 'case conference' once per round to force a table discussion.
  • 04The facilitator (or the highest-scoring player of the previous round) keeps time and reads the outcome cards.
  • 05Quarterly close is time-boxed to eight minutes — audit pressure is part of the lesson.

Rotation — Preparers and assurance benches swap at the half-year so both sides play under pressure.

How to play

  1. 1.Four quarterly rounds plus a control-review round and a forensic round.
  2. 2.Each entry moves revenue, EBITDA, effective tax rate and net debt, and adds audit heat.
  3. 3.Cross three red-flag ratios and the auditor qualifies the opinion: the campaign ends early.
  4. 4.Checkpoints between quarters require you to name the detecting audit test.

Mission

1 / 3

Rounds played

0

Reported earnings

0 pts

Clues spent

0

Your seat

Books the entries and signs the quarterly pack.

Mission I · H1 · Making the number · approx. 30 min

Two quarters, one covenant, and a consensus you must not miss

Meridian Industrial Group has guided the market to 8 % revenue growth. Actual H1 growth is 2.4 %. A leverage covenant tests at 3.5x net debt / EBITDA. You close Q1 and Q2.

Q1 · The revenue gapRound 1 of 2

You are €18m short on revenue with four days to the close.

Intel · reveal costs one clue token

Commit one action

Debrief · discuss with your team

  • Q1.Which quarter's entry gave the biggest lift for the least audit signature?
  • Q2.How did the control review change what management was willing to book?
  • Q3.Which single ratio, tracked over four quarters, would have exposed the whole year?