Overview

1 Financial accounting (AS Level)1.1.1 Types of business entityCandidates should have an understanding of:• the different types of business entity:- sole trader- partnership- limited company (including public limited company (plc))• the advantages and disadvantages of these types of business entity• sources of finance and methods of funding for these types of business entity including:- loans (secured and unsecured)- bank overdrafts- payment by instalments- rental/leasing as an alternative to purchase- trade credit- sources of finance for limited companies as in 1.5.41.2.1 The accounting systemCandidates should have an understanding of:• the principles of the double entry system to record business transactions• the accounting equation• the role of books of prime entry in the recording of business transactions- sales journal- sales returns journal- purchases journal- purchases returns journal- cash book- general journal• preparation of ledger accounts• the purpose of a trial balance• the advantages and disadvantages of maintaining full accounting records• the accounting concepts underpinning the preparation of accounts: business entity, historic cost, moneymeasurement, going concern, consistency, prudence, realisation, duality, materiality, objectivity, matching /accruals and substance over form• the use of computerised accounting systems in recording financial transactions• the advantages and disadvantages of introducing a computerised accounting system• the ways in which the security of data can be ensured within a computerised accounting system1.3 Accounting for non-current assets1.3.1 Capital and revenue income and expenditureCandidates should have an understanding of:• the difference between the treatment of capital and revenue income and capital and revenue expenditure• the effect on profit/loss and asset value of the incorrect treatment of capital and revenue expenditure1.3.2 Changing asset valuesCandidates should have an understanding of:• factors that cause the value of non-current assets to depreciate• the purpose of accounting for depreciation of non-current assets and the associated application of relevantaccounting concepts• how to calculate depreciation using the reducing balance and straight-line methods• the most appropriate method of calculating depreciation• how to measure the value of non-current assets by the cost model or the revaluation model• how to prepare ledger accounts and journal entries for:- non-current assets (acquisition and revaluation)- depreciation and disposal (including entries for part exchange)• how to calculate profit or loss on disposal of a non-current asset• how to record the effect of a charge for depreciation in the statement of profit or loss and statement of financial position1.4 Reconciliation and verification1.4.1 Reconciliation and verificationCandidates should have an understanding of:• the need to reconcile and verify ledger accounts using documentation from internal and external sources• the benefits and limitations of reconciliation and verification procedures1.4.2 Trial balanceCandidates should have an understanding of:• errors which affect the trial balance• errors which do not affect the trial balance:- omission- commission- principle- original entry- reversal- compensating• how to prepare ledger accounts and journal entries to correct errors using a suspense account• the effect on the financial statements of the correction of errors• the benefits and limitations of a trial balance1.4.3 Bank reconciliation statementsCandidates should have an understanding of:• updating of cash books• how to prepare bank reconciliation statements• the benefits and limitations of preparing a bank reconciliation statement1.4.4 Control accountsCandidates should have an understanding of:• entries in control accounts• sales ledger control accounts and purchases ledger control accounts• reconciliation statements between control account balances and ledger balances• the effects on financial statements of the correction of errors• the benefits and limitations of control accounts1.5 Preparation of financial statements1.5.1 Adjustments to draft financial statementsCandidates should have an understanding of:• how to calculate and record the adjustments needed and the effect on financial statements in respect of:- accruals and prepayments of income and expenses- irrecoverable debts, irrecoverable debts recovered and allowance for irrecoverable debts- depreciation- inventory valuation- correction of errors1.5.2 Sole tradersCandidates should have an understanding of:• how to prepare a statement of profit or loss and statement of financial position for a sole trader from full or incomplete accounting records. The business may be a trading or a service business1.5.3 PartnershipsCandidates should have an understanding of:• how to prepare a statement of profit or loss, appropriation account and statement of financial position for apartnership from full or incomplete accounting records. The business may be a trading or a service business• why partners may maintain separate capital accounts and current accounts• how to prepare partners' capital and current accounts• the contents of a partnership agreement• the advantages and disadvantages to partners of maintaining a partnership agreement• the provisions of the Partnership Act 1890 in respect of partners' salaries, division of profit or loss, intereston partners' loans, interest on capital and interest on drawings1.5.4 Limited companiesCandidates should have an understanding of:• the features and accounting treatment of ordinary shares, bonus issues, rights issues, debentures, dividends and reservesNote: Questions will not be set on preference shares.• the advantages and disadvantages to the company and to the shareholders of a company making a bonus issue of shares and a rights issue of shares• the advantages and disadvantages to the company and to the shareholders of a company issuing shares and issuing debentures• the distinction between capital reserves (share premium and revaluation reserve) and revenue reserves (retained earnings and general reserve)• how to prepare ledger accounts to record:- an issue of ordinary shares at par or at a premium- a rights issue of shares at par or at a premium- a bonus issue of sharesNote: For the purpose of a bonus issue of shares, the revaluation reserve is not to be used.• how to prepare a statement of profit or loss, statement of financial position and statement of changes in equity for a limited company. The business may be a trading or a service business• sources of finance for specified purposes1.6 Analysis and communication of accounting information1.6.1 Users of accounting informationCandidates should have an understanding of:• the differing requirements for information of stakeholders including:- owners- managers- employees- investors- lenders- suppliers- customers- government- public and environmental bodies• how to communicate and analyse the information required by these different stakeholders1.6.2 Calculation and evaluation of ratiosCandidates should have an understanding of:• how to calculate key accounting ratios to measure profitability, liquidity and efficiency:- profitability ratios: gross profit margin, mark-up, profit margin, return on capital employed, expenses to revenue ratio (operating expenses to revenue ratio)- liquidity ratios: current ratio, acid test ratio- efficiency ratios: non-current asset turnover, trade receivables turnover (days),trade payables turnover (days), inventory turnover (days), rate of inventory turnover (times)Note: Candidates must use the formulae given in the appendix to section 3. These are the only formulae accepted in candidate responses.• how to evaluate the profitability, liquidity and efficiency of an organisation by interpreting ratios• possible measures to improve the profitability, liquidity and efficiency of an organisation• the limitations of accounting information2 Cost and management accounting (AS Level)2.1 Costs and cost behaviour2.1.1 Materials and labourCandidates should have an understanding of:• accounting for material and labour costs• how to identify and calculate fixed costs, variable costs, semi-variable costs and stepped costs• how to identify and calculate the elements of direct and indirect costs• how to calculate the value of closing inventory using the first in first out (FIFO) and weighted average cost (AVCO) methods (perpetual and periodic)• the principles of just in time (JIT) management of inventory2.2 Traditional costing methods2.2.1 Costing applicationsCandidates should have an understanding of:• how to apply traditional costing methods to prepare costing statements using unit, job and batch costing principles in both manufacturing and service businesses as applicable2.2.2 Absorption costingCandidates should have an understanding of:• the difference between a cost centre and a cost unit• how to allocate and apportion overhead expenditure between production and service departments• how to calculate overhead absorption rates using an appropriate basis• the causes and the calculation of under absorption and over absorption of overheads• how to prepare costing and profit statements using absorption costing• the uses and limitations of absorption costing• the usefulness of absorption cost data as a support for management decision-making• non-financial factors and their significance2.2.3 Marginal costingCandidates should have an understanding of:• how to calculate the contribution of a product• how to interpret a break-even chartNote: Candidates will not be asked to prepare a break-even chart.• how to calculate the break-even point, contribution to sales ratio, level of output or sales to achieve a target profit, and margin of safety• the use and limitations of break-even analysis• how to prepare costing and profit statements using marginal costing• how to prepare a statement reconciling the reported profits using marginal costing and absorption costing• the uses and limitations of marginal costing• the usefulness of marginal costing data as a support for management decision-making, including make-or-buy, special orders, closure of business unit, limiting factors, target profit• non-financial factors and their significance2.2.4 Cost-volume-profit analysisCandidates should have an understanding of:• the advantages and limitations of cost-volume-profit analysis• the usefulness of cost-volume-profit data as a support for management decision-making• how to apply costing concepts to make business decisions and recommendations using supporting data• non-financial factors and their significance

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