Foundation · Business
Introductory Accounting
Unit 04 — Elective — Semester 2
Unit 04 — Elective — Semester 2
Introduces the purpose of accounting, the accounting equation and double-entry basics, and how to prepare simple financial statements, cash-flow forecasts and ratio analysis.
To give students a foundational understanding of accounting principles and the ability to prepare and interpret basic financial statements.
| Week | Topic & Activity |
|---|---|
| 1 | Purpose of Accounting AC1.1 Explain why businesses keep financial records. AC1.2 Identify internal and external users of accounts. Lecture: Why Every Business Needs a Ledger. |
| 4 | The Accounting Equation AC2.1 Apply Assets = Liabilities + Capital to simple transactions. AC2.2 Record simple transactions using double-entry principles. Workshop: Balancing the Accounting Equation. |
| 7 | Financial Statements AC3.1 Prepare a simple Statement of Profit or Loss. AC3.2 Prepare a simple Statement of Financial Position. Lab: Building Financial Statements in Excel. |
| 10 | Cash Flow Basics AC3.3 Distinguish between profit and cash flow. AC3.4 Construct a simple cash flow forecast. Workshop: Cash Flow Forecasting. |
| 12 | Ratio Analysis AC4.1 Calculate simple liquidity and profitability ratios. AC4.2 Explain what the ratios indicate about business health. Workshop: Interpreting a Set of Company Accounts. |
| Final exam week | Final Assessment Submission Final submission of all units of the semester. Report finalisation. |
Assessed by coursework (no written examination) — an assignment, report or portfolio task set at the start of Semester 2. A formative draft is reviewed with tutor feedback as the unit’s midterm assessment during the teaching weeks, and the final version is submitted in the final exam week at the end of the semester. Graded Pass, Merit or Distinction, with plagiarism-checked submissions (Turnitin) and a signed Learner Declaration Form.