Assessment item 1
Assessment item 1
Value: 20 %
Due date: 05- Apr -2016
Return date: 27- Apr -2016
Submission method options Alternative submission method
Task
The purpose of Assessment item 1 is to establish the skills needed in the workplace for costing products and services using the appropriate processes and tools and apply analytical processes to construct accounting systems and models using workplace tools. Each question uses realistic data and the professional practices similar to that found in workplaces.
QUESTION 1 Purpose of management accounting reports
What is the purpose of management accounting reports? Give three examples.
QUESTION 2 factors that drive management accounting work Describe the three factors that drive management accounting work.

QUESTION 3 Cost concepts
Which of the following is incorrect?
A Direct materials + direct labour = prime cost
B Direct labour + manufacturing overhead = conversion cost
C Prime cost + conversion cost = cost of goods manufactured
D Cost of goods manufactured = direct labour + direct materials + manufacturing overhead E Only one of the above is incorrect Explain your answer.
QUESTION 4 Manufacturing statement and income statement
Spreadsheet. See the Spreadsheet Advice in Interact2 Resources and the examples in your textbook.
See the requirements within the spreadsheet template below.
Check the spreadsheet assignment requirements. Ensure you have separate data and report areas. The report area will show only formulas. Use IF functions to allow for the possibility of either a net income or a net loss.

QUESTION 5 Cost concepts
Should overtime payments be treated as direct labour, or as overhead? Why?
QUESTION 6 Understanding the entries in the Materials Control account.
The Materials Control account balances were $34 000 on 1 June and $28 000 on 30 June. Raw materials purchased during June cost $90 000. Direct materials issued to production during June were $40 000.
Required:
Reconstruct the Materials Control T-account and show the general journal entry to record the cost of raw materials issued as indirect materials during June.
QUESTION 7 Understanding the entries in the Accrued Payroll account
Salaries and wages payable to factory employees were $12,000 on 1 March and $34,000 on 31 March. Gross salaries and wages paid during March totalled $32,000. March's direct labour totalled $19,000.
Required:
T-account for Accrued Payroll and general journal entries for recording salaries and wages earned by, and paid to, factory employees during March.
QUESTION 8 Payroll entries
The Patel Company has a gross payroll of $8 000 per day. Withholdings for PAYG taxes are $2400 per day. There are no other deductions from employees' earnings. The firm works five days per week, Monday to Friday inclusive. The payroll period covers Thursday to Wednesday inclusive and the payroll for the week is paid on the following Friday.
Gross payroll consists of $4800 direct labour, $1600 indirect factory labour, $1120 selling expenses and $480 general and administrative expenses each day. The following calendar should be used to answer the questions:

(a) What is the total amount to be credited to Accrued Payroll in respect of September earnings? ( b) If balance day adjustments are performed at the end of each month, what would be the balance in Accrued Payroll account at the close of business on September 30?
( c) Suppose that a single journal entry is made on the last day of each month to record the distribution of total labour costs for the month, but that entries are made each Friday to record payment of wages and withholdings. Also, PAYG taxes withheld are remitted to the Taxation Department at the end of each month.
(i) Show the weekly journal entry.
(ii) Construct the necessary ledger accounts to show all entries in respect of labour costs during the month of September.
QUESTION 9 Activity Based Costing
Your employer is contemplating changing the existing costing systems used in the business to adopt activity based costing (ABC).
Prepare a business report to critically evaluate arguments for and against ABC. Use the Internet as a resource (about 300 words excluding references). The following resource will help you prepare and format your report: http://bit.ly/FoBAcademic-Writing-Skills
QUESTION 10 Service department cost allocation
Spreadsheet problem. Check the spreadsheet assignment requirements and review the examples in your textbook.

Using template 1 below, re-allocate the service centre costs to the production departments by (a) the direct method
(b) the step method
(c) the reciprocal services method
(d) complete the T accounts shown in the second template for EACH method. Add this template to the first template such that all solutions are created automatically.
(e) Assume you are the manager with the task of choosing one only of these methods to implement. With reference to the outcomes of each method, outline the criteria relevant to your decision. Template 1

Template 2. Create a solution for EACH method. See your text for examples.
Rationale
The learning outcomes assessed in this assignment task include the application of cognitive skills in the design and operation of costing systems; critical evaluation of the design and operation of costing systems; explanation of the role of management accounting in organisational contexts; the application of analytical and synthetical skills in report writing; and the application of quantitative techniques and computer software to management accounting problems.
Topics assessed include cost flows in management accounting, functions, terminology, manufacturing statements, spreadsheet construction, product costing, materials acquisition systems, labour payment systems, accounting for overhead, activity based costing, (ABC) and the allocation of overhead including service department costs.

Marking criteria
Marking Criteria Rubric Assignment 1
A rubric is a form of authentic assessment. A rubric lists a set of criteria, which defines and describes the important components of the work being planned or evaluated. A rubric can be defined as an established rule, tradition, or custom. The accounting system itself can be regarded as a type of rubric.
http://us.iearn.org/professional_development/multimedia/assess/rubric.html. This marking criteria rubric indicates how the assignments will be assessed in this subject
Your assignment consists of different question styles including discussion questions, reports, exercises, problem questions and spreadsheet questions.

Criteria High Distinction Distinction Credit Pass
Criteria for expected learning Be the result of Be the result of Be the result of Be the result outcomes to be achieved include your original work, your original your original of your critical evaluation of costing complete without work, be mostly work, be mostly original systems, demonstrating any omissions and complete complete with work, be understanding and application of correct. without any few omissions, mostly cost flows in management Evaluate all the omissions, and and be partially complete accounting, functions of cost flows issues raised in be mostly correct. with some in manufacturing, terminology, questions. correct Evaluation of omissions, manufacturing statements, computer Provide examples Evaluate most some of the issues and be modelling, product costing, materials where appropriate of the issues raised in partially acquisition systems, labour payment Accurate answers raised in questions. correct. systems, accounting for overhead, complying with all questions Provide examples Evaluate activity based costing, (ABC) and spreadsheet Provide some where some of the
the allocation of overhead including requirements examples where appropriate. issues raised service department costs. relevant to each appropriate Comply with in questions scenario. Comply with some of the Provides 1-2
the majority of spreadsheet examples spreadsheet requirements where
requirements relevant to each appropriate relevant to each scenario. Comply
scenario. with some
spreadsheet requirements
Academic writing skills. The Accurate use of Accurate use of Accurate use of Mostly discussion answers and business syntax, spelling syntax, spelling syntax, accurate reports meet academic standards of and punctuation; and vocabulary, syntax, syntax, vocabulary, spelling and correctly refers to a punctuation; spelling and spelling and punctuation and reflects an variety of sources succinct and punctuation; punctuation; awareness of audience needs. to support effective use of correctly refers to correctly arguments, vocabulary; more than the refers to including the correctly refers minimum minimum prescribed texts to a range of requirement of number of and a range of sources to sources to support sources to additional readings; support arguments, support reference list of the arguments, including arguments, range of resources including the prescribed texts including used, correctly prescribed text and recommended prescribed formatted using and a variety of readings; texts;
APA style. further reference list reference list readings; formatted in APA used,
reference lists a style, with few or formatted in
range of no errors. APA style,
relevant with few resources used, errors. correctly formatted using APA style.
Your assignments will be marked as a whole with recognition being given to application of knowledge, quality thinking and application of skills. For some questions, students have a chance to demonstrate some creativity, or provide their own examples or give evidence of wider reading or structure a computer spreadsheet model in an innovative manner. We also need to avoid the snowballing effects of cumulative errors - that is, an error early in a practical question which carries through. Thus a marking system is used with deductions for errors and omissions. Full marks are possible for well structured, complete, quality answers.
Any assignments with significant evidence of plagiarism may be referred to the university's academic misconduct processes and will receive a grade of zero.
The marking criteria for your assignments will be based on the content of the subject as identified by the learning objectives of the various topics as outlined in the Interact topics. Good spreadsheet answers will comply with the assignment requirements.
An example of marking criteria for an essay/business report follows. Some of the same criteria apply to longer discussion style questions, case studies and business reports.
Example criteria used in marking essays/discussion questions/case studies/business reports While there is no particular format required for these answers, the following criteria are likely to be used. Note that business reports are normally more structured than essays.
Criteria
Relevance of the answer - are the important issues raised in the question identified? Did the student answer the questions?
Critical capacity. Has reference material been carefully analysed or critically accepted?
Structure of the answer. Is the answer well-structured and the argument logically developed? Writing style. Is the style concise and lucid or confused, making it difficult for the reader to get the point?
Scope of reading. Does the answer indicate a satisfactory coverage of literature relevant to the questions?
Answers should:
• be well planned with arguments flowing logically;
• use correct sentence structure, punctuation and spelling;
• present original ideas where appropriate;
• and present a justified conclusion and acknowledge all sources.
Note:
Normal distribution curves for grades are not utilised in this subject. Penalties will apply for late submission at 10% of the total mark available per day; it is important that submitted assignments are complete; omitted answers will result in mark deductions; refer to the University regulations contained in the CSU online handbook for matters pertaining to special consideration, misadventure and extenuating circumstances, academic misconduct, code of conduct for users of electronic facilities, assessment regulation, grading scale, progression and academic performance, grade point average, examination regulations and other matters pertaining to assessment. The regulations can be found at the University's web site: http://www.csu.edu.au
Presentation
Please read this in conjunction with the assignment requirements below.
Single spacing and small margins are welcome to save paper.
For any business report style questions a report structure is expected.
Provide references throughout your assignment including page references to texts, articles and URL’s of websites.
APA is the referencing style used by the Faculty of Business but in this subject I am not too fussy about the style of referencing used, as long as you acknowledge ALL sources used. At the end of your assignment include a complete Bibliography (Reference List) of resources actually used including the Internet, textbook, Study Guide, Software help files and videos supporting this subject.
Requirements
Assignment Requirements (also check the presentation expectations above).
1. The first page of your assignment should consist of the following parts :
subject code and name; your name and student ID number; assignment task number;
list of questions attempted and a list of questions not attempted;
dates and details of any extension granted; include a copy of the approval email; an academic integrity statement that the work submitted is your own; an acknowledgement of all your sources, and a footer with your name, student ID and page number.
2. Your Turnitin submission will consist of two files - a Word file and an Excel file.
3. Paste the spreadsheet solution and a formula view of each spreadsheet in the word file showing row and column headings for both. Paste the normal view first then the formula view. Your word file will provide a complete answer to every question. Use portrait orientation wherever possible. All data will be in the data entry area. The report area will contain no data - just formulas. Check the spreadsheet requirements carefully. You only need to submit a spreadsheet file for those problems specifying such. You can, if you wish submit spreadsheet solutions to other assignment questions but these do not need to comply with the spreadsheet requirements.
4. Name the two files with your family name only as the file name. Record your name, student ID number and page number as a footer on every page of your assignments. Where you are asked to make changes in a spreadsheet, please highlight the changes.
5. Assignment solutions must be presented in the same sequence as set out in the study schedule.
6. Provide references throughout the assignment and a reference list (bibliography) at the end the assignment of all sources used including internet resources. If using internet resources include the URL. The date of date of access is not required in this subject. Post enquiries to the subject discussion forum to clarify any assignment format issues.
7. Your text and Interact2 resources may provide spreadsheet relevant templates.
8. For good spreadsheet design it is very important that you have completely separate data entry and solution/report areas. A good spreadsheet solution format is to key in the question in a structure which allows the solution to be completely formula driven. Thus NO data/numbers are entered into the solution/report area.
9. Create the spreadsheets as separate spreadsheets in one workbook. Name the tags at the bottom of the computer screen with the question number. See the examples provided with the Spreadsheet Advice in theInteract2 Resources.
10. Where appropriate, use the IF function to provide built-in checks etc. Variances? Net income or net loss?
11. How do you display potential negative numbers in brackets? Google the question! Hint. Format / Cells / Number and select Custom. Enter this: #,##0;(#,##0);0
12. Save each spreadsheet in your workbook with the cursor in cell A1 of the first spreadsheet.
13. Examples of spreadsheets are provided in the Spreadsheet Advice document in Interact2. You MUST read and follow these examples. If you choose to create spreadsheet solutions for other assignment problems, these solutions do not need to comply with the spreadsheet requirements.
14. Please check for viruses. Do not use macros in your files.
15. Keep a copy of all your work. Make copies of your work in progress in case your computer has an accident. Backup frequently.
16. It is imperative that you retain a copy of your assignments including your spreadsheets. Complete feedback will be provided to you with your grade and comments by the assessor.
Students can discuss their work with each other prior to submission using the discussion forum. However, please do not post complete versions of answers to the forum. Do not leave assignments until the last minute.
In today’s business environment we need verbal skills, writing skills, numeracy skills AND digital literacy skills. All of these skills are assessed throughout your study. It is suggested that you attempt the assignment questions week by week.
Solutions to questions should vary in length according to the nature of the question. Solutions to exercises and problem questions should be in a similar form to that demonstrated in the text.
Submit your work electronically through Turnitin. The work you submit must be your own. In the recent past a few students have received heavy penalties for submitting assignments which were not entirely their own work.
Students should normally submit the assignment only once.
Assignments must be submitted through turnitin. A hard copy submission is required addition to turnitin submission. Further details about submission are provided in Appendix 1.