OxfordAQA A-Level Accounting: Verification of accounting records (9615) – Practice Questions

These are original questions written for Marlbridge, for revision and practice on this content. They are not reproduced past-paper questions, and they do not replicate the exam’s exact structure, question count or mark tariffs – examination boards hold copyright in their own papers. Use these alongside the official past papers from your board or school.

These questions cover section 3.1.4, Verification of accounting records, of the OxfordAQA International AS and A-level Accounting (9615) specification, Version 1.2, for International AS exams May/June 2025 onwards and International A-level exams May/June 2026 onwards. It is International AS content, assessed on Paper 1: Introduction to Financial Accounting. No question here is International A-level only.

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Questions

1. Which one of the following errors would cause a trial balance to disagree? A error of original entry; B partial omission; C complete reversal; D error of principle. [1]

2. For each error, name the type of error and state whether it is revealed by a trial balance.

(a) A credit sale of 2,350 to H Castellano was posted to the account of H Castellanos. [1] (b) The discounts allowed total of 415 was posted to the discounts allowed account as 451. [1] (c) A supplier’s invoice for 780 was lost and never recorded. [1] (d) The wages account and the revenue account were each overcast by 100. [1]

3. Write general journal entries, with narratives, to correct these errors.

(a) A cheque for 640 received from M Ferreira was debited to M Ferreira’s account and credited to bank. [2] (b) Shelving for the shop costing 1,750 was debited to purchases. [2]

4. Ravindra Opticians’ cash book showed a bank overdraft of 1,275 on 31 August 2026. The bank statement showed: a standing order for rent 850; bank interest charged 48; a credit transfer from a customer 2,160; a customer’s cheque of 390 dishonoured. A receipt of 1,370 had been entered in the cash book as 1,730. Cheques for 945 and 1,840 were unpresented and a lodgement of 1,610 had not been credited by the bank.

(a) Prepare the updated cash book (bank columns). [4] (b) Prepare a bank reconciliation statement at 31 August 2026, starting with the balance per bank statement. [4]

5. Lindfield Wholesale provides this information for July 2026: receivables ledger balances on 1 July debit 31,840 and credit 410; credit sales 52,370; cash sales 7,900; receipts from credit customers 47,615; discounts allowed 1,035; sales returns 1,840; irrecoverable debts written off 760; interest charged on overdue accounts 220; contra with the payables ledger 1,450; increase in provision for doubtful debts 300; refund paid to a customer with a credit balance 180; credit balances on 31 July 295.

Prepare the trade receivables ledger control account for July 2026. [7]

6. A trade payables ledger control account shows a closing credit balance of 19,460. The list of supplier balances totals 18,920. Investigation finds:

1. The purchases journal was undercast by 400.
2. A supplier’s balance of 640 was left off the list.
3. Discounts received of 85 were entered on the credit side of a supplier’s account.
4. A contra of 470 was entered in the personal accounts but not in the control account.

Calculate the corrected control account balance and the corrected total of the list. [6]

7. Bellweather Cycles’ trial balance at 30 June 2026 had debit totals of 168,240 and credit totals of 169,770. The difference was placed in a suspense account. These errors were then found.

1. The sales journal was overcast by 600.
2. Rent received of 1,480 was correctly entered in the cash book but credited to the rent received account as 1,840.
3. A payment of 725 for repairs was entered in the cash book but not posted to the repairs account.
4. Cash drawings of 1,200 were debited to the wages account.
5. Discounts allowed of 155 were entered in the discounts allowed account but not in the customer’s account.

(a) Prepare journal entries to correct the errors. Narratives are not required. [5] (b) Prepare the suspense account. [3]

8. Bellweather Cycles’ draft profit for the year was 28,460. Use question 7.

(a) Calculate the corrected profit for the year. [4] (b) The draft statement of financial position showed the suspense balance as a current asset. Show that the change in net assets equals the change in closing capital. [3]

9. State the effect of each error on profit for the year and on one named item in the statement of financial position.

(a) Closing inventory was undervalued by 840. [2] (b) A depreciation charge of 1,650 was not recorded. [2] (c) A credit sale of 940 was entered twice in the sales journal. [2]

10. Explain two limitations of a bank reconciliation statement as a verification technique. [4]

11. A business owner says: “My trial balance agrees every month, so I do not need control accounts or bank reconciliations.” Evaluate this view. [8]

Answers

1. B, partial omission. Only one side is recorded, so the totals differ [1]. [1] Examiner insight: In multiple choice, test each option against “are debits still equal to credits?”; the three wrong options all keep the totals equal.

2. (a) Commission, not revealed [1]. (b) Transposition, revealed; the difference of 36 divides by 9 [1]. (c) Omission, not revealed [1]. (d) Compensating, not revealed [1]. Examiner insight: Each answer needs both the error type and the revealed/not revealed point; give only one and you risk losing the mark.

3. (a) Dr Bank 1,280, Cr M Ferreira 1,280 [1]. Narrative: correction of complete reversal of receipt from M Ferreira; twice 640 [1]. (b) Dr Shop fittings (or fixtures and fittings) 1,750, Cr Purchases 1,750 [1]. Narrative: capital expenditure wrongly debited to purchases, error of principle [1]. Examiner insight: A reversal needs double the amount; journalising 640 only cancels the wrong entry and leaves nothing recorded.

4. (a)

              Cash book (bank columns)
Credit transfer      2,160 | Balance b/d          1,275
Balance c/d            763 | Standing order         850
                           | Bank interest           48
                           | Dishonoured cheque     390
                           | Receipt error          360
                     -----                        -----
                     2,923                        2,923
                           | Balance b/d            763

Opening overdraft on the credit side [1]. Charges, standing order and dishonoured cheque credited [1]. Error of 1,730 − 1,370 = 360 credited [1]. Overdraft of 763 [1].

(b)

Bank reconciliation statement at 31 August 2026
Balance per bank statement (favourable)        412
Add: outstanding lodgement                   1,610
                                             2,022
Less: unpresented cheques (945 + 1,840)     (2,785)
Balance per updated cash book (overdrawn)     (763)

Bank statement balance of 412 favourable [1]. Lodgement added [1]. Unpresented cheques deducted [1]. Ends at the updated overdraft of 763, shown as negative [1]. Examiner insight: Label which balances are overdrawn; a correct figure without “overdrawn” or brackets is ambiguous and may not gain credit.

5.

             Trade receivables ledger control
Balance b/d            31,840 | Balance b/d              410
Credit sales           52,370 | Bank (receipts)       47,615
Interest charged          220 | Discounts allowed      1,035
Refund to customer        180 | Sales returns          1,840
Balance c/d               295 | Irrecoverable debts      760
                              | Contra                 1,450
                              | Balance c/d           31,795
                       ------                         ------
                       84,905                         84,905

Both opening balances on correct sides [1]. Credit sales and interest debited [1]. Refund debited [1]. Receipts, discounts and returns credited [1]. Irrecoverable debts and contra credited [1]. Cash sales and provision excluded, credit balance c/d 295 on the debit side [1]. Closing debit 31,795 [1]. Examiner insight: Distractors such as cash sales and the provision are there to test your judgement; including either changes the closing balance and costs marks.

6. Control: 19,460 + 400 (undercast) [1] − 470 (contra) [1] = 19,390 [1]. List: 18,920 + 640 (omitted balance) [1] − 170 (85 credited instead of debited, twice 85) [1] = 19,390 [1]. Examiner insight: Decide first whether each error affects the control account, the list or both; adding the 400 to the list is a common slip.

7. (a)

                              Dr       Cr
1  Revenue                   600
     Suspense                          600
2  Rent received             360
     Suspense                          360
3  Repairs                   725
     Suspense                          725
4  Drawings                1,200
     Wages                           1,200
5  Suspense                  155
     Trade receivables (customer)      155

One mark for each correct entry [1] [1] [1] [1] [1].

(b)

                    Suspense account
Balance b/d          1,530 | Revenue              600
Trade receivables      155 | Rent received        360
                           | Repairs              725
                     -----                      -----
                     1,685                      1,685

Opening debit of 169,770 − 168,240 = 1,530 [1]. Entries from (a) posted [1]. Totals 1,685, account closes [1]. Examiner insight: Error 4 must not appear in the suspense account; including it means the account will not close.

8. (a) 28,460 − 600 − 360 − 725 [1] [1] + 1,200 [1] = 27,975 [1]. Error 5 has no effect on profit.

(b) Capital: profit down 485 and drawings up 1,200, so closing capital falls by 1,685 [1]. Net assets: suspense asset of 1,530 removed and receivables down 155, a fall of 1,685 [1]. The two changes agree [1]. Examiner insight: Show the profit adjustments as a list with signs, so each adjustment can be seen even if a later figure is wrong.

9. (a) Profit understated by 840; inventory (current assets) understated by 840 [1] [1]. (b) Profit overstated by 1,650; non-current assets overstated by 1,650 [1] [1]. (c) Profit overstated by 940; trade receivables overstated by 940 [1] [1]. Examiner insight: Say “overstated” or “understated” and give the amount; “affects profit” alone does not answer the question.

10. It cannot reveal an error made identically in both records, for example a cheque written out for the wrong amount, which the bank pays as written [1], because the comparison relies on the two records differing [1]. It checks only the bank account, so errors in other ledger accounts such as a payment posted to the wrong expense account remain hidden [1], since the cash book side is correct [1]. Examiner insight: “Explain” needs a reason after each limitation; two bare statements with no reasons are unlikely to gain full credit.

11. For the view: an agreeing trial balance shows that the arithmetic and posting of debits and credits are consistent [1], and it reveals addition, partial omission, transposition and unequal posting errors [1]. Against: six error types, such as original entry, commission and compensating errors, still leave it in agreement [1]. A bank reconciliation compares the cash book with an independent record, so it finds unrecorded charges, dishonoured cheques and a wrong amount in the cash book [1]. Control accounts localise errors to the receivables or payables ledger [1], give quick totals for the statement of financial position [1], and help deter fraud if kept by someone other than the ledger clerk [1]. Judgement: the owner is wrong; the trial balance is a necessary but limited check, and the techniques work best together, although none reveals every error [1]. Examiner insight: An “Evaluate” question needs both sides and a justified judgement; a list of benefits with no conclusion leaves the top marks out of reach.

Where marks are usually lost

• Opening the suspense account on the wrong side.
• Putting commission, principle or drawings errors through suspense.
• Journalising a complete reversal for the original amount only.
• Including cash sales or provisions in a control account.
• Netting credit balances in the receivables ledger against debit balances.
• Treating a dishonoured cheque as a reconciliation timing item.
• Missing the overdrawn label on cash book and bank statement balances.
• Changing profit for an error that affects only a personal account.
• Giving an effect on profit without the direction and the amount.

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Official syllabus

OxfordAQA International AS and A-level Accounting (9615) specification, Version 1.2, for International AS exams May/June 2025 onwards and International A-level exams May/June 2026 onwards, published by OxfordAQA. Section 3.1.4, Verification of accounting records.