What is the term for a deficiency in the design or operation of a control procedure that may result in misstatements not being detected?

• A. Control weakness
• B. Detective control
• C. Corrective control
• D. Control self-assessment

Answer: (A)

The main idea here is a flaw in how a control is designed or operates that could let misstatements slip through without being detected. That is a control weakness (often called a control deficiency). It happens when controls aren’t designed effectively or aren’t functioning as intended, creating the risk that errors go unnoticed. A detective control is designed to catch errors after they occur, so it’s not describing the deficiency itself. A corrective control fixes issues after detection, not the fact that misstatements might go undetected. Control self-assessment is the process of evaluating controls, not the deficiency.