F2 - Management Accounting Acca - 117 Faq Theory Questions
F2 - Management Accounting Acca - 117 Faq Theory Questions
F2 - Management Accounting
ACCA – 117 FAQ
Theory Questions
The IRR is the rate of interest at which the Net Present Value of the project is zero.
Abnormal gains and losses are valued at full cost per unit.
4. How is the Residual Income (RI) calculated? Outline advantages and disadvantages.
Advantages:
As an absolute measure, RI does not lead to dysfunctional decision making that relative
measures may do. Projects with a positive contribution to profit would not be rejected if
they have a lower percentage return than existing ones.
By attributing an imputed interest charge to the capital used, managers are made aware of
the funding cost of their division.
RI is consistent in the long run with the NPV approach criteria that maximized NPV in
the long run are normally likely to be consistent with RI maximization.
Disadvantages
Defining the appropriate parameters such as controllable profits and the attributable
interest charge (or cost of capital) may be difficult.
Comparison between divisions of different sizes may present problems where economies
of scale offer advantages.
When organization value assets at net book value, ROI & RI generally increase as assets
get older. Consequently, management may hold on to out of date plant and machinery.
The sales volume variance measures the effect on the budgeted profit of the difference between
the actual sales volume and the budgeted sales volume.
Top-down budgeting is where the budgets are prepared by high-level management and then
communicated to lower levels. Lower level management do not participate in the budget process.
7. A Paasche price index number uses base year or current year quantities. Which?
An abnormal gain is the amount by which the actual loss is less than the normal (or expected)
loss.
The labour production volume ratio = expected hours to produce actual output / total hours
available (budgeted) x 100%
10. If the linear equation y = a + bx, were to be drawn on a graph, what would be the
gradient of the line?
11. In the linear equation y = a + bx, where y is the total cost and x is the total production,
what is the variable cost per unit?
The dependent variable would be the sales revenue (it depends on the amount of advertising
expenditure.)
A pie chart is a circle that is divided into segments representing each type of observation. The
size of each segment is proportional to the proportion of the total that are within each type of
observation.
17. In the linear equation y = a + bx, where y is the total cost and x is the total production,
what is the fixed cost?
Indirect costs are those costs which cannot be specifically identified with a specific cost unit or
cost centre.
The line that most nearly goes through all the points when the data is plotted on a graph.
The population is stratified and a sample of each strata is restricted to a fixed number.
To help management run the business in a way that achieves the objectives of the business.
25. What are the four main elements & the role that one would expect to appear in a
Mission Statement?
Paying more than the budgeted price per unit of materials due to errors in purchasing.
a price increase in materials
purchasing better quality materials
incorrect budgeting of the standard cost of materials
The payback period is the number of years it takes to get back the original investment, in cash
terms.
A sunk cost is a cost already incurred (and is not relevant for investment decisions)
Planning
Control
Co-ordination
Authorisation
Communication
Motivation
Evaluation
A variable cost is one which varies in total with the level of activity.
A delivery note is included by the supplier with the goods, and lists the quantity of goods that are
being delivered.
33. In the formula on the formula sheet for the Economic Order Quantity, what does the
symbol D represent?
Labour capacity ratio = Number of hours spent working / total hours available x 100%
36. What is the symbol for the coefficient of correlation on the formulae sheet?
37. What is meant by the ‘cost gap’ in the context of target costing?
The cost gap is the excess of the estimated actual cost over the target cost.
38. What are the four main differences between the output of service and manufacturing
businesses?
Intangibility – the output of a service industry is performance rather than tangible goods.
Perishability – a service cannot be stored
Simultaneity – a service is received by the customer at the same time as it is delivered – it
cannot be checked first.
Heterogeneity – every service is likely to be different.
A by-product is output from a process which has a low value relative to the main product(s)
being produced in the process.
A mark-up is when the profit is calculated as a percentage of cost; a margin is when the profit is
calculated as a percentage of selling price.
41. Under what circumstances will the profit using marginal costing and the profit using
absorption costing be the same?
The profits will be the same if there is no change in the level of inventory over the period (i.e.
when the closing inventory is the same level as the opening inventory).
42. What is the reason for a difference between the profit calculated under marginal
costing principles and the profit calculated under absorption costing principles?
The difference is because of the difference in the way opening and closing inventories are
valued. Under marginal costing they are valued at the marginal (variable) cost of production;
under absorption costing they are valued at the full cost of production (variable plus fixed).
The contribution is the profit before fixed costs (or the revenue less all variable costs).
44. What is the difference between the allocation of overheads and the apportionment of
overheads?
• Allocation – whole cost items are charged to the relevant cost centre
• Apportionment – cost items are shared/divided between several cost centres
45. In assessing ‘Value for Money’, what are the three ‘E’s’?
48. What is the purpose of an operating statement (as part of variance analysis)?
The operating statement shows why the actual profit differs from the budgeted profit.
Bottom-up budgeting is where lower level managers are involved in the budget process – they
prepare budgets for their departments which are then checked and co-ordinated by higher level
management.
50. What is the difference between capital expenditure and revenue expenditure?
Capital expenditure is the acquisition of non-current assets (which appear on the Statement of
Financial Position).
Revenue expenditure is the payment of running expenses (which appear on the Income
Statement).
51. If there is perfect negative correlation between two variables, what will be the value of
the coefficient of correlation?
An abnormal loss is the excess of the actual loss over the normal (or expected) loss.
A stepped fixed cost is one that is fixed in total within a certain level of activity, but where once
an upper limit of activity is reached then a new higher level of fixed cost occurs.
A purchase requisition form is prepared by the department that requires the material and is sent
to the purchasing department.
59. In the formula on the formula sheet for the Economic Order Quantity, what does the
symbol Co represent?
60. What is the difference between direct and indirect labour costs?
Direct labour costs are directly involved in the making of products – the basic pay plus overtime
premium on specific jobs
Indirect labour costs are all other labour costs – general overtime premiums, bonus payments,
and the cost of indirect workers (e.g. canteen, maintenance)
61. In the formulae for regression analysis on the formulae sheet, what does the symbol n
represent?
Prevention costs (the costs of improving the quality of the production process)
Appraisal costs (the costs of quality control checks)
Internal failure costs (the costs of re-working; the costs of rejects)
External failure costs ( the costs of delivering poor quality to the customer – e.g.
replacements, repair work)
63. What are the basic principles involved in Total Quality Management?
‘Get it right first time’ – i.e. good quality production – no re-working, no rejects
Continuous improvement
Customer focus
64. What is meant by the term ‘target cost’?
The target cost is the maximum cost we can allow in order to achieve the target level of
profitability based on a pre-determined selling price.
A method that sets a target cost by subtracting a desired profit margin from a competitive market
price. Target costing involves deciding on a competitive price for a product and then deducting a
desired profit margin from it. The balance is the target cost.
65. In Activity Based Costing, what is meant by the term ‘cost driver’?
FIFO means first-in-first-out and means that we assume that items are issued out of inventory in
the order in which they were received into inventory. Therefore, any closing inventory is
assumed to be made up of the most recent items received into inventory.
Labour turnover ratio = number of leavers who require replacing / average number of employees
x 100%
The marginal cost of production is the total of all variable production costs.
70. If there is an over - absorption of overheads, does it mean that the actual total
overheads a more or less than the total overheads absorbed?
The actual overheads are less than the total overheads absorbed.
A cost unit is a unit of product or service for which the cost is calculated.
Direct costs are those that can be specifically measured in each unit of production.
Perfect positive linear correlation means when the observations are plotted on a graph they all lie
exactly on a straight line pointing upwards (i.e. both variables increase together)
76. In the formula on the formula sheet for the Economic Order Quantity, what does the
symbol Ch represent?
A fixed cost is one which remains constant in total over certain levels of activity.
Disadvantages
79. What are the four perspectives covered by the Balanced Scorecard?
The principal budget factor is the factor that limits the level of activity of the organisation
(usually sales).
A cost centre is a production or service location, activity, function or item of equipment for
which the total cost can be calculated.
86. Which of the following methods of inventory valuation are acceptable under IAS 2 for
financial accounting: FIFO; LIFO; Weighted Average Cost?
FIFO and Weighted Average Cost are allowed by IAS 2. LIFO is not allowed.
87. In inventory control, what is the difference between the ‘re-order quantity’ and the ‘re-
order level’?
The re-order quantity is the quantity actually ordered each time. The re-order level is the level of
inventory that triggers the placing of an order.
Labour efficiency ratio = expected hours to produce actual output / actual hours to produce
actual output x 100%.
Total quality management involves getting the entire workforce motivated to improve quality,
and assessing the costs and benefits involved in improving quality. Things related to TQM are
Continuous improvement, Zero defects, Right first time.
Investment centre
91. Which method of investment appraisal leads to the selection of projects that maximize
shareholders wealth?
An attainable standard assumes efficient level of operation, but includes allowances for normal
loss, waste and machine downtime.
93. Define ‘Cost value’, ‘Exchange value’, ‘Use value’, ‘and Esteem value’?
The first activity that needs to be done is to determine the principle budget factor as this is the
constraining factor that will affect all budgets. The master budget is prepared next. Flexing the
budget occurs after the budgeting process when actuals are known.
The prime cost of a product is the total of all the direct costs of the product.
Value analysis is a planned, scientific approach to cost reduction and Value analysis attempts to
enhance the esteem value of a product at the lowest cost.
Value analysis is a planned, scientific approach to cost reduction. It considers four aspects of
value: cost, exchange, use and esteem. Market value of the product or service refers to exchange
value, not cost value. Cost value is the cost of producing and selling an item. Value analysis is
Top management prepare a budget with little or no input from operating staff and It reduces
deliberate overestimation of costs and underestimation of revenues in a budget.
Imposed budgets are prepared with insignificant input from operational levels. This way the
management is able to prevent intentional creation of cost buffers or power revenue target setting
at operational level. One of the disadvantages of imposed budgeting is that it may hinder
motivation so it will not increase operational managers' commitment. Imposed budgets are most
effective in small organisations, not large organisations.
Activity based costing recognises that there are other factors than production volume which drive
overheads. Overheads may still be under or over absorbed and arbitrary cost apportionments may
still be required if activity based costing is used. Activity based costing is most likely to be
useful where there is a wide and diverse product range.
99. Explain the difference between fixed budget and flexible budget?
Flexible budgets are prepared using marginal costing techniques and fixed budgets are useful for
monitoring fixed costs
Flexible budgets are prepared using marginal costing techniques and knowledge of cost
behaviour. The flexible budget shows the expected cost or revenue for each item for the relevant
level of activity. The flexible budget is amended in response to change in the level of activity.
Fixed budgets are not useful for budgetary control purposes because actual activity levels rarely
match budgeted activity levels. Fixed costs should be fixed at any level so a fixed budget is
useful for monitoring fixed costs.
Scatter diagrams are graphs which are used to exhibit data (rather than equations). They compare
the way that two variables vary with each other. There may not be any correlation between the
two variables. If there is no correlation then there is no equation. The x axis on a scatter diagram
represents the independent variable and the y axis represents the dependent variable.
101. What would be the best basis of measuring the performance of a manager of an
investment centre?
Controllable operating profit should be used because it includes the total of all costs and
revenues that can be attributable to the performance of a manager of an investment centre.
Contribution is not suitable as it does not reflect controllable fixed costs. Traceable divisional
profit and divisional net profit are not suitable as they include costs that are outside the control of
the investment centre manager.
Managers of cost centres should be accountable for controllable costs only. A cost which is not
controllable by a junior manager may be controllable by a senior manager
There are more than two types of responsibility centres, namely, cost, profit, revenue and
investment. It is important both from a motivational point of view and a control point of view
that managers are only judged on areas over which they have control.
A profit centre's performance is usually based on profit, rather than its return on capital. An
investment centre is measured by its return on capital.
Costs that are not controllable by a junior manager may be controllable by a senior manager. For
example high direct labour costs in a department may be caused by excessive overtime. A junior
manager may be obliged to continue meeting production schedules but senior managers may be
able to reduce costs by deciding to hire extra full-time staff.
Motivation is creating a desire to work for the organization. Not all employees are motivated by
money. Many are motivated by spending time with their families or a desire to do a good job. It
is important that goals for all employees are aligned with the organisation's overall mission.
Employers must motivate employees to achieve these goals. This is vital for the future success of
the business.
When analysing the relationship between total cost and activity level the gradient of the
regression line represents variable cost per unit. This is because variable cost is the main
relationship between total cost and activity level.
A budget manual is a set of instructions governing the preparation of budgets. Whilst a budget
committee is involved co-ordinating and administering the budget process it is not involved in
the preparation of the actual budgets. This function would usually be undertaken by management
accountants or the finance department.
Batch costing would be used in industries that produce similar, separately identifiable products
(such as in footwear manufacturing and baking). It would not be used where the products are not
similar (such as in film making) or where process costing is more appropriate (such as in oil
refining).
107. Explain the difference between cost control and cost reduction?
Cost control is concerned with regulating the costs of operating a business. Cost reduction is a
planned approach to reducing expenditure.
108. Briefly explain reasons why net profit and net cash flow may be different?
Purchase of non-current assets: for instance you purchase an asset worth MVR 10,000 and
depreciation is charged at 10% of the original cost. The cash payment during the year is MVR
10,000 (and this does not affect the profit and loss account), instead you charge depreciation of
MVR 1,000. Hence overall profit and loss will reduce.
Matching receipts from receivables and sales invoice raised: if goods are sold on credit, the
cash receipts will be the same as the value of the sales (ignoring early settlement discounts and
bad debts). However, receipts may occur in a different period as a result of the timing of
payments.
Advantages
Disadvantages
It uses two extreme data point which may not be representative of normal conditions.
Using only two points to determine a formula may mean that the formula is not very
accurate.
111. Explain standard costing, uses & identify advantages and disadvantages of using ideal
standards?
Definition
“A control of technique that reports variances by comparing actual costs to preset standards so
facilitating action through management by exception.” CIMA
Uses
To value inventories and cost production for cost accounting purposes.
To act as a control device by establishing standards (planned cost), highlighting (via
variance analysis) activities that are not conforming to plan and thus alerting management
to areas which may be out of control and in need of corrective action.
Advantages of ideal standard
Ideal standards and variances from ideal standards are useful for pinpointing areas where a close
examination may result in large savings in order to maximize efficiency and minimize waste.
Disadvantages of ideal standard
Ideal standards are likely to have an unfavorable motivational impact because reported variances
will always be adverse. Employees will often feel that the goals are unattainable and not work so
hard.
112. What is meant by the interdependence of variances?
When two variances are interdependent (interrelated) one will usually be adverse and the other
one favorable. For instance, it may be decided to purchase cheaper material for a job in order to
obtain a favorable price variance. This may lead to higher material wastage than expected and
therefore, adverse usage variance occurs. If the cheaper materials are more difficult to handle,
there might be some adverse labour efficiency variance too.
There are two differences between the way that variances are calculated in a marginal costing
and in an absorption costing system.
In a marginal costing, fixed cost are not absorbed into product costs and so there are no fixed
cost varainces to explain any under or over absorottion of overheads. There will, therefore, be no
fixed overhead volume variance. There will, however, be a fixed overhead expenditure variance
which is calculated in exactly the same way as for absoroption costing system.
114. Suggest two financial & non-financial measures by which management might seek to
monitor the credit control department?
116. Explain the balance scorecard approach to performance measurement and discuss its
advantages over traditional accounting performance measures such as ROI?
Kaplan & Norton likened the practice of judging overall perforamance by reference to single
measures such as ROI as like trying to fly an aircraft in cloud by reference to only one
instrument: the picture is complex and must be observed through a number of perspectives.
Kaplan & Norton suggest these four perspectives:
Financial performance
Customer satisfaction
Efficiency of internal processes
Learning and innovation
Such an approach has a range advantages.
The wider range of performance measures provides a clear picture of both strengths and
weaknesses.
Dysfunctional decision making, short-termism and manipulation of single measures
outputs are discouraged and detected, since progress and performance are required on a
board front.
Perspective
Critical Success Factor (CSF) Key Performance Indicator (KPI)
Profitability ROI, G/P, N/P, ROCE
Cash flow Daily banking, customer days, supplier days,
bank balance, cash flow forecast.
Customer satisfaction
Critical Success Factor (CSF) Key Performance Indicator (KPI)
Delivery on time Ratio of late deliveries to those on time,
number of complaints as a percentage of orders
Reliability Number of deliveries lost as a percentage of
deliveries.
Number of parcels damaged as a percentage of
deliveries.
Percentage of late collection
Process Efficiency
Critical Success Factor (CSF) Key Performance Indicator (KPI)
Route efficiency Fuel cost per delivery compared to budget and
earlier periods.
Vehicle and driver idle time
Transport cost Van downtime, servicing cost per route mile,
vehicle availability each day