What does general use mean on the CPA exam?
General use. A report anyone may read, such as a SOC 3. It carries no detailed description of tests, because a general reader has no basis to interpret them.
Defined against AT-C 205.
Which CPA exam sections use general use?
General use appears in the ISC section of the CPA exam.
Other terms defined against AT-C 205
- restricted use: A report intended only for named parties who understand its context, such as a SOC 2 report.
Related terms
- SOC 3 report: A general use report on the same trust services criteria as a SOC 2, without the system description or the tests and results.
- carve-out method: Excludes a subservice organization's control objectives and controls from both the description and the scope of the service auditor's report.
- inclusive method: Brings a subservice organization's controls inside the description and the scope of the service auditor's report, so one report covers both organizations.
- SOC 1 Type 1 report: A report on the fairness of the description and the suitability of the design of controls, at a point in time.
- SOC 1 Type 2 report: A report covering the description, the suitability of design, and the operating effectiveness of controls over a period.
- accumulated earnings and profits: The C corporation earnings and profits an S corporation carries into S status.