ACCA AS Performance Management (PM) — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A company manufactures two products, X and Y. Product X has a contribution per unit of £15 and requires 3 machine hours. Product Y has a contribution per unit of £20 and requires 5 machine hours. If machine hours are the binding constraint, which product should be prioritised?
- Product Y, because it has higher total contribution per unit
- Product X, because it has higher contribution per limiting factor (Correct answer)
- Both products equally, as they have the same contribution ratio
- Neither can be determined without knowing fixed costs
Correct answer: Product X, because it has higher contribution per limiting factor
When resources are constrained, products should be ranked by contribution per unit of the limiting factor. Product X: £15/3 = £5 per machine hour. Product Y: £20/5 = £4 per machine hour. Product X generates a higher contribution per machine hour (£5 vs £4), so it should be prioritised despite Product Y having a higher contribution per unit.
Question 2: What is the primary purpose of a flexed budget?
- To forecast next year's revenue based on current trends
- To adjust the original budget to reflect the actual level of activity achieved (Correct answer)
- To set aspirational targets that are unlikely to be achieved
- To calculate the cash flow requirements for the period
Correct answer: To adjust the original budget to reflect the actual level of activity achieved
A flexed budget adjusts the original (fixed) budget to the actual activity level, allowing meaningful comparison with actual results. This separates volume variances from expenditure variances, enabling more useful performance analysis.
Question 3: In a standard costing system, a favourable material usage variance indicates that:
- Materials were purchased at a price lower than standard
- Fewer materials were used than the standard quantity for actual production (Correct answer)
- More units were produced than budgeted
- Material costs in total were under budget
Correct answer: Fewer materials were used than the standard quantity for actual production
A favourable material usage variance arises when actual quantity used is less than the standard quantity allowed for the actual production level. It is calculated as (Standard quantity for actual output − Actual quantity used) × Standard price. Price differences are captured separately in the material price variance.
Question 4: Which of the following is a characteristic of a cost centre?
- The manager is responsible for both costs and revenues
- The manager is responsible for costs only (Correct answer)
- The manager is responsible for costs, revenues, and investment decisions
- The manager has no accountability for any financial measures
Correct answer: The manager is responsible for costs only
A cost centre is a responsibility centre where the manager is accountable only for controllable costs. Revenue responsibility is added in a revenue centre or profit centre, while investment responsibility is added in an investment centre.
Question 5: A company has a target profit of £80,000, fixed costs of £120,000, and a contribution to sales ratio of 40%. What level of sales revenue is needed to achieve the target profit?
- £200,000
- £300,000
- £500,000 (Correct answer)
- £800,000
Correct answer: £500,000
Required sales = (Fixed costs + Target profit) / C/S ratio = (£120,000 + £80,000) / 0.40 = £200,000 / 0.40 = £500,000. The C/S ratio tells us that for every £1 of sales, £0.40 contributes towards covering fixed costs and profit.
Question 6: In the context of transfer pricing, which of the following is the most appropriate transfer price when there is a perfectly competitive external market for the intermediate product?
- Marginal cost of production
- Full cost plus a markup
- Market price (Correct answer)
- Negotiated price between divisions
Correct answer: Market price
When a perfectly competitive external market exists, the market price is the optimal transfer price. It ensures goal congruence (divisional decisions align with company-wide interests), provides a fair measure of divisional performance, and preserves divisional autonomy. Neither division is disadvantaged compared to trading externally.
ACCA AS Performance Management (PM)
A company manufactures two products, X and Y.
Product X has a contribution per unit of £15 and requires 3 machine hours.
Product Y has a contribution per unit of £20 and requires 5 machine hours.
If machine hours are the binding constraint, which product should be prioritised?