University of the South Pacific

School of Accounting and Finance

AF301 ACCOUNTING THEORY AND APPLICATIONS

Semester 2, 2014 (Face to Face Mode)

Final Examination

Duration
Reading time 10 minutes, Writing time 3 hours

Instructions
This examination carries a 50% weighting towards your overall course grade.
To secure a pass mark in the course, you must score a mark of at least 50% over all
assessment AND a mark of at least 40% in this examination.
You may use a non-programmable calculator
There are eight pages in this examination paper, including this cover page.

Section A

20 marks

This section is COMPULSORY. It contains 10 multiple choice questions, worth 2 marks each.
Answer this section on the special answer sheet provided.
Use the following information to answer Questions 1 and 2
On 1 July, a company purchased 2,000 units of inventory for $10.00. During the month, it sold all the
units for $15.00. On 31 July, the cost of inventory is $13.00.
Question 1
To maintain its physical capital, the company should recognise a profit of:
A

$10,000

$7,000

$6,000

$4,000

Question 2
Which of the following statements is incorrect?
To maintain its financial capital, using current cost accounting, the company
A

Should record a holding gain of $6,000

Should record an operating profit of $10,000

Ignores any potential reduction in operating capacity

Focuses on the ability to recover monetary investment in the business

Use the following information to answer Questions 3 and 4

The amounts in the following table are provided on a historical cost basis. All current assets and
current liabilities relate to the purchase and sale of inventory.
Account

2013

2014

Cash

5,000

7,000

Accounts Receivable

22,000

24,000

Inventory

9,000

5,000

Accounts Payable

18,000

20,000

Goodwill

100,000

90,000

Inventory Price Index

100

108

General Price Index

100

104

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Question 3
Assume the company uses current cost accounting. In 2014, it should recognise:
A

A loss on monetary items of $400

A gain on monetary items of $680

A loss on monetary items of $800

A loss on monetary items of $1,360

Question 4
Assume the company uses exit price accounting. The value of goodwill at 31 December 2014
should be:
A

Adjusted by the general price index

The average of opening and closing balances

Based on an impairment test and independent valuation

Zero

Use the following information to answer Questions 5 and 6

I) A business could be sold as a whole (rather than selling individual assets)
II) Businesses need to replace existing assets
III) Problem of additivity
IV) Businesses are constantly adapting to changing circumstances
Question 5
Which of the following apply to exit price accounting?
A

Ignores I and recognizes II

Refutes II and ignores III

Ignores I and addresses both III and IV

Addresses I, III and IV

Question 6
Which of the following apply to current cost accounting?
A

Addresses II, but ignores III

Ignores II and addresses I

Ignores III and addresses IV

Addresses III and IV

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Use the following information to answer Questions 7 to 10

A company commenced business on 1 January 2013. On that date, it purchased a building for
$300,000. The building is depreciated at 2% annually.
On 31 December 2013, the building has a current cost of $310,000 and a selling price of $330,000.
On 31 December 2014, the building has a current cost of $320,000 and a selling price of $350,000.
Question 7
Under current cost accounting, depreciation on the building for 2014 is:
A

$6,000

$6,200

$6,300

$6,400

Question 8
Under current cost accounting, back-log depreciation on the building for 2014 is:
A

$100

$300

$400

None of the above

Question 9
Under current cost accounting, the company should recognise
A

a current cost reserve relating to the building of $10,000 in 2014

a current cost reserve relating to the building of $5,000 in 2014

a holding gain on the building of $10,000 in 2013

A holding gain on the building of $5,000 in 2013

Question 10
Under exit price accounting, the price variation adjustment on buildings for 2014 is:
A

$10,000

$20,000

$30,000

None of the above

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Section B

60 marks

This section contains 3 COMPULSORY questions. Each question is worth 20 marks.

For each question, a good answer will be between 1 and 2 pages.

Question 11 Positive Accounting Theory

Avarua Ltd is negotiating a $5 million loan from the Commonwealth Bank. This loan will finance the
construction of a new shopping complex. In the loan agreement, the bank intends to include a debt
covenant which requires Avarua Ltd to maintain a debt to equity ratio below 40%.
Required
a) Advise the Commonwealth Bank of three agency problems of debt which may arise if it does not
enforce any debt covenants.
b) The debt hypothesis predicts managers policy choices as a firm approaches the limits of its debt
covenant. Use this hypothesis to predict the type of policies that Avarua Ltds managers will
choose as the debt to equity ratio approaches 40%.

Question 12 Social and Environmental Accounting

Social and environmental disclosures may be provided in the unaudited section of the corporate
annual report, in a separate report (sometimes known as a Sustainability Report) or through an
organisations website.
Required
a) Using two system-oriented theories which you have learnt in this course, discuss what motivates
organisations to provide social and environmental disclosures.
b) A firm may disclose some aspects of its social and environmental performance within its audited
financial statements. Explain three limitations of this approach.

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Question 13 Behavioural Accounting

You manage an investment portfolio of $3 million which is currently allocated equally between
shares in two companies (A and B). You ask three colleagues to review the following information
and suggest investment strategies.
Company Recent announcements and developments
A

This company has just announced a new capital investment project, which will
commence in the next 3 months. The project is expected to increase future profits.

This company is being sued by customers, who claim that its products have harmed
their health and may increase the chances of developing cancer.

This is a newly registered company, which has just released its prospectus. The
business plan and projected financial statements look very similar to another highly
successful company. The two companies also have some common directors.

Your colleagues responses are provided below.

Name

Suggested Strategy

Allen

Sell all shares in B and use the money to buy shares in A

Marjorie

Sell 10% of the shares in B in order to increase shareholding in A and acquire shares in
C

Seini

Ask investors for more money in order to buy shares in C

Required
a) Explain which decision-making heuristic is most evident in the strategy outlined by each of your
colleagues.
b) Instead of using heuristics, you could use an approach based on the Brunswik Lens Model.
Discuss which approach would result in a better investment decision.

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Section C

20 marks

This section contains 4 questions. Answer ONLY 1 question. Each question is worth 20 marks
In answering these questions, you may apply relevant theories from the course. You may also
discuss the findings and conclusions from your group research project.
A good answer will be between 1 and 2 pages.

Question 14 Accounting and Culture

Gray (1988) devised values for the accounting profession, based on earlier work by Hofstede.
Required
a) Discuss how accountants ethnic culture may affect disclosure and measurement in financial
statements. Use suitable examples from your own culture to illustrate your arguments.
b) Research shows that accountants do not always behave as Gray predicted. Provide some
possible explanations for such research findings.

Question 15 Harmonisation of Accounting

International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) have been adopted in many countries around the
world. There is a separate IFRS for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs).
a) Discuss how specific stakeholders are likely to benefit from the global adoption of IFRS.
b) Explain whether adoption of IFRS is beneficial for Pacific Island countries and SMEs.

Question 16 Accounting and Gender

At USP, more females than males graduate with accounting degrees. However, most accounting
professors and audit partners in Fiji are male.
a) Discuss the reasons for gender inequality in accounting.
b) Explain how gender inequality in the accounting profession can be reduced.

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Question 17 Accounting in the Public Sector

Proponents of sector neutrality assert that accounting practices from the private sector should also
be adopted in the public sector. However Barton (2005) argues that the public sector is distinct from
the private sector.
a) From an accounting perspective, discuss how the public sector differs from the private
sector.
b) Explain whether sector neutral accounting policies will improve or distort financial reporting
in the public sector.

THE END

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