What does the auditor's standard report imply about audit risk?

The correct choice indicates that the auditor's standard report implies that reasonable assurance is obtained during the audit process. This means that the auditor has conducted their work to a level that they believe, based on their examination and procedures, that the financial statements are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error.

While the auditor does not guarantee complete accuracy—instead aiming for reasonable assurance—the standard report reflects that they have gathered enough evidence to support their opinion. It’s important to note that audit risk, which is the risk that the auditor may unknowingly fail to appropriately modify their opinion on financial statements that are materially misstated, cannot be entirely eliminated, but reasonable assurance helps to minimize this risk to an acceptable level. Thus, the auditor communicates to users of the financial statements that, based on the evidence obtained, they believe the statements present a true and fair view of the entity's financial position.