Final answer:
The d. potential impact on the independent outside auditor's financial statement audit is not a required consideration in consulting engagements.
Step-by-step explanation:
The correct answer is d. Potential impact on the independent outside auditor's financial statement audit is not a required consideration regarding proficiency and due professional care when choosing to perform a consulting engagement.
Proficiency and due professional care are important principles in the consulting profession.
When conducting a consulting engagement, the consultant must consider the availability of adequate skills and resources to conduct the engagement (option a), the needs and expectations of the engagement customer (option b), and the cost of the engagement relative to the potential benefits (option c).
However, the potential impact on the independent outside auditor's financial statement audit is not a required consideration for consulting engagements.
This is because the focus of the consulting engagement is on providing advice and assistance to the client, whereas the financial statement audit is a separate and independent process carried out by the auditor.