Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 1:
Workplace tasks are read, explained and acted upon.
Clients are listened to and spoken to so as to enhance client relationships and promote team cooperation.
Reports are written using the correct format and language.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 2:
Present financial data for internal and external use.
Manage cash balances according to organizational requirements.
Prepare and evaluate estimates of costs and revenues.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 3:
Check suppliers’ invoices for accuracy and against source documents.
Check calculations, including discounts, on suppliers’ invoices and credit notes.
Check suppliers’ credit notes against correspondence or other relevant source documents.
Code purchase invoices and credit notes.
Enter purchase invoices and credit notes into the purchases day book and purchases returns day book.
Post invoices and credit notes into the subsidiary (purchases) ledger and main (general) ledger.
Calculate supplier payments from source documents.
Schedule payments, and types of payment, as per company policy.
Enter payments in cashbook and ledgers.
Write to suppliers to resolve discrepancies in invoices.
Make payments to employees and record those payments.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 4:
Operate a petty cash system, including imprested system.
Reconcile petty cash control account with cash in hand and petty cash book.
Make adjustments through the journal.
Reconcile sales and purchase ledger control accounts with subsidiary ledgers.
Update cashbook from source documents.
Balance cashbook and compare with bank statement.
Reconcile bank statement.
Prepare an initial trial balance.
Create a suspense account when necessary and subsequently clear it.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 5:
Recognise cost centres and elements of costs and extract and code income and expenditure from orders and invoices.
Consolidate and reconcile data from different parts of an organisation into a given format, adjusting for internal transfers as necessary.
Provide, in the given format, comparisons of data as requested, to include ratios and performance indicators.
Adjust data to allow for changing price levels.
Prepare internal reports which identify problems and discrepancies and present to appropriate staff whilst observing confidentiality requirements.
Prepare external reports in the given format observing confidentiality requirements.
Identify VAT inputs and outputs and complete a VAT return.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 6:
Power up the computer and use passwords to access the system, software and data files.
Save, back up and print data files.
Enter accounting transactions into computerised records.
Operate a computerised accounting system including output.
Maintain security and confidentiality of data, passwords, disks etc, so that potential risks are minimized.
Exit from software and safely close down the computer.
Identify the possible impact of relevant legislation and regulations.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 7:
Record relevant details relating to capital expenditure in the appropriate records.
Ensure that the organisation’s records agree with the physical presence of capital items.
Correctly identify and record all acquisition and disposal costs and revenues in the appropriate records.
Correctly calculate and record depreciation charges and other necessary entries and adjustments in the appropriate records.
Ensure that the records clearly show the prior authority for capital expenditure and disposal and the approved method of funding and disposal.
Correctly calculate and record the profit and loss on disposal in the appropriate records.
Ensure that the organisation’s policies and procedures relating to the maintenance of capital records are adhered to.
Identify and resolve or refer to the appropriate person any lack of agreement between physical items and records.
Make suggestions for improvements in the way the organisation maintains its capital records where possible to the appropriate person.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 8:
Correctly prepare reconciliations for the preparation of final accounts.
Identify any discrepancies in the reconciliation process and either take steps to rectify them or resolve them to the appropriate person.
Accurately prepare a trial balance and open a suspense account to record any imbalance.
Establish the reasons for any imbalance and clear the suspense account by correcting the errors, or reduce them and resolve outstanding items to the appropriate person.
Correctly identify, calculate and record appropriate adjustments.
Make the relevant journal entries to close off the revenue accounts in preparation for the transfer of balances to the final accounts.
Conduct investigations into business transactions with tact and courtesy.
Ensure that the organisation’s policies, regulations, procedures and time scales relating to preparing final accounts are observed.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 9:
Agree credit terms with customers in accordance with the organisation’s policies.
Identify and use internal and external sources of information to evaluate the current credit status of customers and potential customers.
Open new accounts for those customers with an established credit status.
Ensure the reasons for refusing credit are discussed with customers in a tactful manner.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 10:
Identify information relevant to estimating current and future revenues and costs.
Prepare estimates of future income and costs.
Calculate the effects of variations in capacity on product costs.
Analyse critical factors affecting costs and revenues using appropriate accounting techniques and draw clear conclusions from the analysis.
State any assumptions used when evaluating future costs and revenues.
Identify and evaluate options and solutions for their contribution to organisational goals.
Present recommendations to appropriate people in a clear and concise way and supported by a clear rationale.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 11:
Monitor and control cash receipts and payments against budgeted cash flow.
Consult appropriate staff to determine the likely pattern of cash flows over the accounting period and to anticipate any exceptional receipts or payments.
Ensure forecasts of future cash payments and receipts are in accord with known income and expenditure trends.
Prepare cash budgets in the approved format and clearly indicate net cash requirements.
Identify significant deviations from the cash budget and take corrective action within defined organisational policies.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 12:
Monitor information relating to the current state of debtors` accounts regularly and take appropriate action.
Send information regarding significant outstanding accounts and potential bad debts promptly to relevant individuals within the organization.
Ensure discussions and negotiations with debtors are conducted courteously and achieve the desired outcome.
Use debt recovery methods appropriate to the circumstances of individual cases and in accordance with the organization’s procedures.
Base recommendations to write off bad and doubtful debts on a realistic analysis of all known factors.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 13:
Identify and apply the fundamental principles of honesty and integrity.
Highlight situations within professional work that require objectivity and fairness, and where judgments and actions could compromise personal or organisational integrity and reputation.
Recognise the principles of effective Continuing Professional Development (CPD) to maintain professional and technical competence (to include sources of advice and information outside formal learning).
Recognise and explain why certain types of information should be regarded as confidential.
Identify circumstances when it would be appropriate to disclose confidential information.
Identify the key issues which ensure professional services are performed within the scope of professional ethics guidance.
Make critical decisions to identify appropriate ethical behaviour when interacting with others in a variety of circumstances.
Refer and seek advice from relevant sources for issues beyond own professional competence.
Describe the types of contractual obligations you would have in providing services to clients to include due care and carrying out assignments within a reasonable time scale.
Discuss agree and resolve any ethical conflict.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 14:
Describe the type of culture within organisations which supports and promotes high ethical values and helps resolve any conflict of loyalties.
Resolve conflicting loyalties where an employer may ask you to perform tasks which are illegal, unethical or against the rules or standards of the accounting profession.
Follow appropriate procedures where you believe an employer has or will commit an act which you believe to be illegal or unethical.
Respond appropriately to requests to work outside the confines of your own professional experience and expertise.
Prepare appropriate letters of engagement and develop and implement a fair fees policy for your professional services.
Identify and explain how specific situations can undermine professional independence.
Prepare a policy to be followed for handling clients’ monies.
Maintain independence and objectivity and impartiality in a range of circumstances.
Make recommendations for a policy statement in relation to a client wishing to change accountant.
Identify scope of professional liability.
Prepare clear guidelines which should be followed to advertise your accounting services in a professional and ethical manner.
Give advice to clients on retention of books, working papers and other documents.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 15:
Prepare sales invoices from source documents.
Prepare sales credit notes from correspondence or other relevant source documents and ensure authorization.
Code sales invoices and credit notes.
Enter sales invoices and credit notes into sales day book and sales returns day Book.
Post sales invoices and credit notes into the subsidiary (sales) ledger and main (general) ledger.
Check receipts against records.
Deal with discrepancies.
Enter receipts into the cashbook, subsidiary ledger and main ledger.
Prepare paying in documents.
Produce statements of account for debtors.
Write to customers in an appropriate style to request payment of an overdue Account.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 16:
Prepare year-end accounts of sole traders in proper form, from the trial balance.
Prepare year-end accounts of partnerships in proper form and in compliance with partnership agreement, from the trial balance.
Observe the organisation’s policies, regulations, procedures and time scales in relation to preparing final accounts of sole traders and partnerships.
Identify and resolve or refer to the appropriate person discrepancies, unusual features or queries.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 17:
Identify direct costs in accordance with the organisation’s costing procedures.
Record and analyse information relating to direct costs.
Calculate direct costs in accordance with the organisation’s policies and procedures.
Check cost information for stocks against usage and stock control practices.
Resolve or refer queries to the appropriate person.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 18:
Identify overhead costs in accordance with the organisation’s procedures.
Attribute overhead costs to production and service cost centres in accordance with agreed bases of allocation and apportionment.
Calculate overhead absorption rates in accordance with agreed bases of absorption.
Record and analyse information relating to overhead costs in accordance with the organisation’s procedures.
Make adjustments for under and over recovered overhead costs in accordance with established procedures.
Review methods of allocation, apportionment and absorption at regular intervals in discussions with senior staff and ensure agreed changes to methods are implemented.
Consult staff working in operational departments to resolve any queries in overhead cost data.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 19:
Arrange overdraft and loan facilities in anticipation of requirements and on the most favourable terms available.
Invest surplus funds in marketable securities within defined financial authorisation limits.
Ensure the organisation’s financial regulations and security procedures are observed.
Ensure account is taken of trends in the economic and financial environment in managing cash balances.
Maintain an adequate level of liquidity in line with cash forecasts.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 20:
Enter into contracts with service customers in accordance with the organisation’s policies.
Identify and use internal and external sources of information to evaluate the current credit status of customers and potential customers, inter alia, to calculate suitable account deposits and other methods of reducing risk.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 21:
Check receipts against records.
Deal with discrepancies.
Enter receipts into cashbook, subsidiary ledger and main ledger.
Prepare paying in documents.
Produce statements of accounts for debtors.
Write to customers in an appropriate manner to request payment of an account.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 22:
Use the trial balance to prepare final accounts of departments in proper form and in compliance with the relevant legislation and National Treasury guidelines.
Observe the organisation’s policies, regulations, procedures and timescales in relation to preparing final accounts of departments.
Identify and resolve or refer to the appropriate person discrepancies, unusual features or queries.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 23:
Identify direct costs in accordance with the organisation’s costing procedures.
Record and analyse information relating to direct costs.
Calculate direct costs in accordance with the organisation’s policies and procedures.
Check cost information for stocks against usage and stock control practices.
Resolve or refer queries to the appropriate person.

Assessment Criteria Associated with Cross Critical Field Outcomes:

The Organisation:
Understanding of the organisation’s business transactions, accounting systems and procedures including the in-putting, holding, protecting and transmitting of data through the use of computers.
Cost centres and coding structures within the organisation.
Understanding the organisational structure and reporting systems.
Basic awareness of the outside bodies to which the organisation reports including the VAT office.
The organisation’s requirements and procedures for protecting against risk, avoiding viruses and maintaining confidentiality where necessary.
The need for, and awareness of, health, safety and security provisions which apply to organisations.
Awareness of, and appropriate actions to deal with, hazards within organizations.
Planning the work environment to allow maximum effectiveness and efficiency in the performance of duties.
Prioritising and planning duties to achieve maximum effectiveness and efficiency.
Team working and procedures to deal with conflict.

Integrated Assessment:

Assessment of competence, knowledge and understanding is undertaken through a combination of competence based examinations and work based simulations. Some learners may undertake a work place project for one unit. Others will complete the unit through a work based simulated case study exercise.