2004年6月考试Paper1.1考官谈备考ACCA_CAT

文章作者 100test 发表时间 2009:01:17 23:01:45
来源 100Test.Com百考试题网

　　Relevant to: Paper 1.1Professional scheme
　　The overall performance of candidates in
　　this examination was reasonable,
　　with the usual weakness in the
　　noncomputational questions in Section B.
　　Most candidates were able to complete
　　the paper, failure to do so being more the result of
　　lack of knowledge than of lack of time. One problem
　　that arose more than it has in the past was that too
　　many candidates did not provide workings. This meant
　　that marks were lost unnecessarily. As explained in the
　　notes on Question 3 in Section B below, the provision of
　　workings is vital to allow markers to give some credit for
　　partially correct figures. Perhaps the universal use of calculators
　　encourages this failure to give workings. There is no need to go to
　　the opposite extreme and provide ledger accounts for every single

　　figure in a profit and loss account/income statement,
　　as some candidates do. Workings need to be
　　brief to save time for candidates, and clear to enable
　　markers to give due credit.
　　Section A
　　As usual, the 25 multiple-choice questions
　　(MCQs) in Section A ranged across most of the
　　syllabus, with limited coverage of topics examined
　　in Section B. Questions deliberately differ in their level
　　of difficulty. The percentage of candidates getting a question
　　correct was usually between 40% and 80%. Questions that
　　candidates found particularly difficult were as follows:
　　Question 16, company financial statements - many
　　candidates thought that a disclosure note was necessary for
　　all adjusting events after the balance sheet date. A moments
　　reflection should convince you that this cannot be so.
　　Question 25, consolidated accounts - this question concerned
　　the inclusion of companies in group
　　accounts. Many candidates had obviously not studied this.
　　There is still a minority of candidates who fail
　　to answer the Section A MCQs properly on the form provided.
　　Some still gave their answers in the booklet
　　intended for the Section B answers.
　　Section B
　　Question 1
　　The examination almost always requires the preparation
　　of a profit and loss account/income statement or balance
　　sheet for one type of entity or another. This time it was a
　　company profit and loss account for internal use, with the
　　usual adjustments. The question was generally fairly well
　　completed. Points that proved difficult for candidates were:
　　Calculation of the figure for bad and doubtful debts.
　　Calculation of depreciation. Clear instructions were given in
　　the question, but many candidates proved unable to follow
　　them. Others penalised themselves by failing to provide workings
　　Treatment of the proposed dividend. UK Stream candidates
　　were expected to show it as a deduction from the final profit,
　　while International Stream candidates had to explain, in part (b),

　　that the proposed dividend was to be disclosed by note,
　　following IAS 10. Many candidates included the
　　dividend among the expenses.
　　Question 2
　　An essential basic skill for an accountant is the recording
　　of transactions in ledger accounts or journal entries.
　　This question presented two errors, whose corrections were to be

　　recorded. The first was relatively simple and many candidates got it
　　completely correct. There was a sizeable minority
　　who could not handle it,
　　however. The second problem was more difficult.
　　Although it dealt with an
　　area that should have been familiar - the disposal of a vehicle - few
　　managed to find their way through it
　　Question 3
　　Question 3 called for a cash flow statement, and it was much better
　　done than similar questions have been in the past.
　　There were two common weaknesses here:
　　Failure to show workings. The biggest working
　　was that for calculating the cost of
　　fixed/noncurrent assets purchased.
　　Candidate after candidate included a figure
　　without explanation. As explained earlier,
　　workings enable the marker
　　to give credit for the correct parts of an incorrect answer.
　　Omission of one or more of the figures making up the cost
　　of fixed/non-current assets purchased.
　　Question 4
　　Question 4 was based on the same information as Question 3.
　　The first part called for the calculation of three ratios, and the
　　second part for comments on the ratios and other aspects of the
　　financial statements.The ratios were, as usual, well done.
　　The first, the stock/inventory holding period, was the least well done,
　　with a variety of misunderstandings. One point that arose was that some
　　candidates, through an arithmetical error, came up with an answer in the
　　thousands of days, instead of the expected figure of 60 to 90 or so. They
　　then went on to discuss the result as if it was a feasible situation that
　　customers were taking (say) 4,000 days
　　(approximately 11 years) to settle their accounts.
　　In part (b), comment was required, and the
　　standard appeared better than
　　in previous sessions. In 4(b)(ii), candidates had to comment on the
　　movement in the return on capital
　　employed. Most of the comments given referred to
　　factors affecting the profit,
　　and few to factors affecting the capital employed,
　　which changed as a result
　　of a share issue and a revaluation. Full credit was,
　　of course, given to candidates
　　who explained two valid factors affecting the profit.
　　Question 5
　　Question 5 asked for an explanation of
　　comparability, and the contribution of
　　accounting standards in promoting it.
　　Candidates had to do three things:
　　1. Explain the term ’comparability’. It is hard to find
　　a synonym for the word and thus explain it
　　without using the word compare’.
　　Markers were asked not to be too pedantic
　　about this in assessing answers.
　　2. Give two examples of types of comparison.
　　The published answer refers
　　to comparison from one period to another and between companies.
　　Many candidates did this, but full credit was given to those who
　　 indicated two figures in financial statements that would be compared.
　　3. Explain how accounting standards aid comparability.
　　Candidates proved weaker in this aspect. Few mentioned the
　　requirements to disclose accounting policies and changes in them.
　　Overall, this question was somewhat better answered than similar
　　questions have been in previous years.