When your SOC 2 audit is approaching, your organization should feel confident that you’ll come out with an unqualified SOC 2 report. That confidence does not come from guesswork. It comes from preparation.
The most effective way to prepare for a SOC 2 audit is through a SOC 2 readiness assessment.
A SOC 2 readiness assessment reviews your controls, policies, systems, and evidence before the official audit. It identifies gaps early, gives you time to fix issues, and helps ensure your audit goes smoothly without surprises.
This guide explains everything you need to know about SOC 2 readiness assessments, including what they are, why they matter, what they cost, and how to prepare successfully.
- What Is a SOC 2 Readiness Assessment?
- Why Is a SOC 2 Readiness Assessment Important?
- When Should You Perform a SOC 2 Readiness Assessment?
- Who Performs a SOC 2 Readiness Assessment?
- How Much Does a SOC 2 Readiness Assessment Cost?
- What Happens During a SOC 2 Readiness Assessment?
- SOC 2 Readiness Assessment vs SOC 2 Audit
- How Polimity Helps with SOC 2 Readiness
- Final Thoughts: Is a SOC 2 Readiness Assessment Worth It?
What Is a SOC 2 Readiness Assessment?
SOC 2 is a security and compliance standard developed by the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA). It evaluates how organizations protect customer data based on the Trust Services Criteria (TSC), which include:
- Security
- Availability
- Confidentiality
- Processing Integrity
- Privacy
A SOC 2 readiness assessment is a pre-audit evaluation that determines whether your organization is ready for a formal SOC 2 examination. It is sometimes called a SOC 2 self-assessment or pre-audit assessment.
During a readiness assessment, your organization’s controls and documentation are reviewed against the Trust Services Criteria to answer key questions:
- Are we ready for a SOC 2 audit?
- Do our current controls meet SOC 2 requirements?
- What gaps need to be addressed before the audit?
- What remediation steps are required to pass successfully?
While a readiness assessment is not mandatory, it is highly recommended, especially for companies pursuing SOC 2 for the first time.
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Why Is a SOC 2 Readiness Assessment Important?
A readiness assessment allows you to find problems before they impact your official audit.
In a real SOC 2 audit, control gaps can lead to:
- Audit delays
- Additional audit costs
- A qualified SOC 2 report
In a readiness assessment, finding gaps is a positive outcome because it gives you time to fix them.
Think of it as a dress rehearsal. You would not launch a major product or enterprise deal without testing first. SOC 2 should be no different.
Key Benefits of a SOC 2 Readiness Assessment
Increases your chances of an unqualified report
A readiness assessment helps you avoid common audit mistakes and confirms that your controls operate as intended.
Reduces audit risk and errors
Missing policies, incomplete evidence, or weak controls are identified early, not during the audit.
Reduces stress during the audit
SOC 2 audits often impact sales pipelines and customer trust. Readiness reduces uncertainty and last-minute scrambling.
Saves time and money
Fixing issues before the audit is faster and less expensive than correcting findings during the examination.
When Should You Perform a SOC 2 Readiness Assessment?
Timing matters.
You should complete your readiness assessment well before your official SOC 2 audit. This gives your team enough time to:
- Close identified control gaps
- Implement missing policies
- Collect sufficient audit evidence
- Train employees where needed
Best practice is to schedule a readiness assessment several months before your audit and align it with your SOC 2 project milestones.
Who Performs a SOC 2 Readiness Assessment?
Unlike the official SOC 2 audit, a readiness assessment does not need to be conducted by a CPA firm.
Organizations can:
- Perform a readiness assessment internally
- Work with an external compliance consultant
- Use a third-party advisory firm with SOC 2 expertise
External assessors often add value because they bring:
- Deep familiarity with SOC 2 audits
- Objective gap analysis
- Real-world knowledge of auditor expectations
Regardless of who performs it, the goal remains the same: identify gaps and prepare for a successful audit.
How Much Does a SOC 2 Readiness Assessment Cost?
The cost of a SOC 2 readiness assessment varies based on:
- Company size
- Technical complexity
- Scope of Trust Services Criteria
- Existing security maturity
In most cases, organizations can expect a professional readiness assessment to cost between $10,000 and $17,000.
While this is an upfront investment, it often reduces total SOC 2 costs by preventing audit delays, rework, and remediation surprises.
What Happens During a SOC 2 Readiness Assessment?
A readiness assessment mirrors many aspects of a real audit but without formal reporting consequences.
1. Control and Policy Review
Assessors evaluate whether required controls exist and align with the Trust Services Criteria. This includes reviewing:
- Information security policies
- Incident response plans
- Disaster recovery and business continuity plans
- Access control procedures
- Vendor management policies
- Employee training programs
Missing or incomplete policies are flagged for remediation.
2. Gap Analysis
A key outcome of the readiness assessment is a gap analysis.
This process compares your existing controls against SOC 2 requirements to determine:
- Which controls are missing
- Which controls need improvement
- Which controls lack sufficient evidence
The result is a prioritized list of actions needed before the audit.
3. Evidence and Documentation Review
SOC 2 relies heavily on proof.
Your readiness assessment evaluates whether you can produce sufficient evidence, such as:
- Access logs
- Security training records
- Audit logs
- Risk assessments
- Vulnerability scan reports
- Penetration test results
If evidence collection is manual, this step often highlights opportunities to improve documentation workflows.
4. Remediation Planning
After gaps are identified, the final step is building a remediation plan.
A strong remediation plan includes:
- Specific actions to close each gap
- Clear timelines
- Assigned owners
- Validation steps to confirm fixes
This plan becomes your roadmap to audit readiness.
SOC 2 Readiness Assessment vs SOC 2 Audit
It’s important to understand the difference.
A SOC 2 audit:
- Is performed by a CPA firm
- Results in a formal attestation report
- Can impact customer trust and sales
A readiness assessment:
- Is informal and preparatory
- Identifies gaps without penalties
- Helps ensure audit success
Most successful SOC 2 programs include both.
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How Polimity Helps with SOC 2 Readiness
Preparing for SOC 2 does not need to slow your business down.
Polimity helps organizations simplify SOC 2 readiness by combining practical security expertise with clear, scalable compliance guidance. Our team supports companies through:
- SOC 2 readiness assessments and gap analysis
- Control design and documentation
- Policy development and evidence preparation
- Remediation planning and execution
- Audit preparation for Type I and Type II
Our approach focuses on building audit-ready, business-aligned compliance programs that support growth, reduce sales friction, and meet enterprise security expectations.
Final Thoughts: Is a SOC 2 Readiness Assessment Worth It?
SOC 2 audits are expensive and time-consuming. Going in unprepared increases risk, stress, and cost.
A SOC 2 readiness assessment helps you:
- Understand where you stand
- Identify issues early
- Build confidence before your audit
- Increase your chances of an unqualified report
If SOC 2 is important for your customers, your sales pipeline, or your long-term growth, a readiness assessment is one of the smartest steps you can take.
