Foundations of Financial Accounting - FFA Study Text 2016

554 Pages·2016·7.25 MB·English

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Foundations in Accountancy FFA / ACCA Paper F3

Financial Accounting
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FOR EXAMS FROM 1 SEPTEMBER 2016 TO 31 AUGUST 2017
F3/FFA FINANCIAL ACCOUNTING

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ii
CONTENTS
Contents
Page
Introduction
Helping you to pass ......................................................................................................................v
Chapter features...........................................................................................................................vi
Studying F3/FFA..........................................................................................................................vii
The Computer Based Examination...............................................................................................xxiii
Tackling Multiple Choice Questions..............................................................................................xxiv
Part A The context and purpose of financial reporting
1 Introduction to accounting.....................................................................................................3
2 The regulatory framework....................................................................................................19
Part B The qualitative characteristics of financial information
3 The qualitative characteristics of financial information.............................................................31
Part C The use of double entry and accounting systems
4 Sources, records and books of prime entry.............................................................................45
5 Ledger accounts and double entry.........................................................................................59
6 From trial balance to financial statements..............................................................................89
Part D Recording transactions and events
7 Inventory.........................................................................................................................107
8 Tangible non-current assets...............................................................................................133
9 Intangible non-current assets..............................................................................................169
10 Accruals and prepayments.................................................................................................181
11 Provisions and contingencies..............................................................................................195
12 Irrecoverable debts and allowances.....................................................................................207
13 Sales tax..........................................................................................................................223
Part E Preparing a trial balance
14 Control accounts...............................................................................................................235
15 Bank reconciliations..........................................................................................................257
16 Correction of errors...........................................................................................................271
Part F Preparing basic financial statements
17 Incomplete records............................................................................................................287
18 Preparation of financial statements for sole traders...............................................................311
19 Introduction to company accounting....................................................................................323
20 Preparation of financial statements for companies................................................................341
21 Events after the reporting period.........................................................................................369
22 Statements of cash flows...................................................................................................375
Part G Preparing simple consolidated financial statements
23 Introduction to consolidated financial statements..................................................................397
24 The consolidated statement of financial position...................................................................411
25 The consolidated statement of profit or loss.........................................................................437
Part H Interpretation of financial statements
26 Interpretation of financial statements...................................................................................451
Practice question bank.........................................................................................................................479
Practice answer bank...........................................................................................................................505
Index.....................................................................................................................................................517
Review form

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F3/FFA FINANCIAL ACCOUNTING

iv
INTRODUCTION
Helping you to pass
BPP Learning Media – ACCA Approved Content Provider
As an ACCA Approved Content Provider, BPP Learning Media gives you the opportunity to use study
materials reviewed by the ACCA examination team. By incorporating the examination team's comments
and suggestions regarding the depth and breadth of syllabus coverage, the BPP Learning Media
Interactive Text provides excellent, ACCA-approved support for your studies.
The PER alert!
To become a Certified Accounting Technician or qualify as an ACCA member, you have to not only pass
all your exams but also fulfil a practical experience requirement (PER). To help you to recognise areas
of the syllabus that you might be able to apply in the workplace to achieve different performance
objectives, we have introduced the 'PER alert' feature. You will find this feature throughout the
Interactive Text to remind you that what you are learning in order to pass your Foundations in
Accountancy and ACCA exams is equally useful to the fulfilment of the PER requirement.
Your achievement of the PER should be recorded in your online My Experience record.
Tackling studying
Studying can be a daunting prospect, particularly when you have lots of other commitments. The
different features of the Interactive Text, the purposes of which are explained fully on the Chapter
features page, will help you whilst studying and improve your chances of exam success.
Developing exam awareness
Our Interactive Texts are completely focused on helping you pass your exam.
Our advice on Studying F3/FFA outlines the content of the paper and the recommended approach to
studying.
Exam focus points are included within the chapters to highlight when and how specific topics might be
examined.
Using the Syllabus and Study Guide
You can find the syllabus and study guide on page ix – xxii of this Interactive Text.
Testing what you can do
Testing yourself helps you develop the skills you need to pass the exam and also confirms that you can
recall what you have learnt.
We include Questions – lots of them – both within chapters and in the Practice Question Bank, as well
as Quick Quizzes at the end of each chapter to test your knowledge of the chapter content.
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F3/FFA FINANCIAL ACCOUNTING
Chapter features
Each chapter contains a number of helpful features to guide you through each topic.
Topic list Tells you what you will be studying in this chapter and the
relevant section numbers, together with the ACCA syllabus
references.
Introduction Puts the chapter content in the context of the syllabus as a
whole.
Study Guide Links the chapter content with ACCA guidance.
Fast Forward Summarises the content of main chapter headings,
allowing you to preview and review each section easily.

EXAMPLE Demonstrates how to apply key knowledge and techniques.
Key Term Definitions of important concepts that can often earn you
easy marks in exams.

Exam Focus Tells you how specific topics may be examined.
Point

Formula Formulae which have to be learnt.

PER Alert This feature gives you a useful indication of syllabus areas
that closely relate to performance objectives in your
Practical Experience Requirement (PER).
Question Gives you essential practice of techniques covered in the
chapter.

Chapter Roundup A full list of the Fast Forwards included in the chapter,
providing an easy source of review.
Quick Quiz A quick test of your knowledge of the main topics in the
chapter.
Practice Question Bank Found at the back of the Interactive Text with more exam-
style chapter questions. Cross referenced for easy
navigation.
vi
INTRODUCTION
Studying F3/FFA
How to Use this Interactive Text
Aim of this Interactive Text
To provide the knowledge and practice to help you succeed in the examination for Paper F3/FFA
Financial Accounting.

To pass the examination you need a thorough understanding in all areas covered by the syllabus and
teaching guide.
Recommended approach
(a) To pass you need to be able to answer questions on everything specified by the syllabus and
teaching guide. Read the Interactive Text very carefully and do not skip any of it.
(b) Learning is an active process. Do all the questions as you work through the Interactive Text so
you can be sure you really understand what you have read.
(c) After you have covered the material in the Interactive Text, work through the Practice Question
Bank, checking your answers carefully against the Practice Answer Bank.
(d) Before you take the exam, check that you still remember the material using the following quick
revision plan.
(i) Read through the chapter topic list at the beginning of each chapter. Are there any gaps
in your knowledge? If so, study the section again.
(ii) Read and learn the key terms.
(iii) Look at the exam focus points. These show the ways in which topics might be examined.
(iv) Read the chapter roundups, which are a summary of the fast forwards in each chapter.
(v) Do the quick quizzes again. If you know what you're doing, they shouldn't take long.
This approach is only a suggestion. You or your college may well adapt it to suit your needs.
Remember this is a practical course.
(a) Try to relate the material to your experience in the workplace or any other work experience you
may have had.
(b) Try to make as many links as you can to other papers at the Introductory and Intermediate levels.
For practice and revision use BPP Learning Media's Practice & Revision Kit and Passcards.

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F3/FFA FINANCIAL ACCOUNTING
What F3/FFA is about
Paper F3/FFA aims to develop your knowledge and understanding of the underlying principles, concepts
and regulations relating to financial accounting. You will need to demonstrate technical proficiency in the
use of double entry techniques, including the preparation of basic financial statements for incorporated
and unincorporated entities, as well as simple consolidated financial statements for group incorporated
entities. You also need to be able to conduct a basic interpretation of financial statements. If you plan to
progress through the ACCA qualification, the skills you learn at F3 will be built on in Papers F7 and P2.
Approach to examining the syllabus
Paper F3/FFA is a two-hour paper. It can be taken as a written paper or a computer based examination.
The questions in the computer based examination are objective test questions – multiple choice, number
entry and multiple response. (See page xxiii for frequently asked questions about computer based
examinations.)
Both the written and computer based examinations are structured as follows.
Number of marks
Section A 35 compulsory objective test questions of two marks each 70
Section B 2 compulsory multi-task questions of fifteen marks each 30
100
Multi-task questions are a series of short questions relating to one scenario. These short questions can
take a number of formats, eg drop down lists, multiple choice, number entry and multiple response.
In paper exams, multi-task questions will require longer answers and workings need to be shown to
ensure that an error is only penalised once.
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