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ACCG2000 – Cost Analysis and Managerial Decision Making

2025 – Session 1, In person-scheduled-weekday, North Ryde

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit Convenor
Dr Amy Tung
Level 3 Room 317, 4ER Building
TBA
Lecturer (Excel)
Nicky Bull
Credit points Credit points
10
Prerequisites Prerequisites
40cp at 1000 level or above including ACCG1000
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description

This unit is the first of the two units in cost and management accounting that are required for accreditation with CPA Australia, the Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CAANZ) and the Institute of Public Accountants (IPA). The unit explains how cost information is generated and used in organisations for decision making purposes. There are three main parts to the unit: 1) using costs for decision making; 2) costing techniques (job/process costing and cost allocations); and 3) budget setting and evaluating performance against the budget. By the end of the unit, students are able to distinguish between the various product costing techniques available, solve problems by identifying and selecting appropriate courses of action, and demonstrate an understanding of budgeting techniques and the behavioural issues associated with budgeting practices.

Important Academic Dates

Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  • ULO1: Distinguish between management and financial accounting and assess business operations using various product costing, budgeting and decision-making techniques
  • ULO2: Discuss and analyse management accounting issues and information.
  • ULO3: Use Microsoft Excel for fundamental managerial accounting planning, control and evaluation tasks.
  • ULO4: Apply appropriate management accounting concepts and techniques to formulate informed solutions to business problems.

General Assessment Information

1. Test (35%)

The test will be conducted via iLearn in the Week 13 Lecture (PLEASE BRING YOUR LAPTOP TO CLASS). Further information will be provided on iLearn.

No extension will be granted except for cases in which an application for special consideration is made and approved. A mark of zero will be awarded for non-submission.

2. Excel (30%)

Students are required to listen to an online lecture and study twenty (20) videos provided on iLearn regarding Excel skills. Students are required to complete and submit 10 multiple-choice questions (5%) and the Excel assignment (25%) via iLearn by Friday 9th May (Week 9). More details about the Excel assignment will be available on iLearn in due course.

3. Cost Analysis (35%)

Students are required to complete and submit the Cost Analysis Assignment via Turnitin on iLearn by Friday 11th April (Week 7). The assignment must be typed. No handwritten work will be marked. 

 

Late Assessment Submission Penalty   

Unless a Special Consideration request has been submitted and approved, a 5% penalty (of the total possible mark) will be applied each day a written assessment is not submitted, up until the 7th day (including weekends). After the 7th day, a grade of ‘0’ will be awarded even if the assessment is submitted. 

For any late submissions of time-sensitive tasks, such as scheduled tests/exams, performance assessments/presentations, and/or scheduled practical assessments/labs, students need to submit an application for Special Consideration

 

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due
Formal and observed learning: Test 35% No Week 13
Skills development: Excel 30% No Friday 9th May
Professional practice: Cost analysis 35% No Friday 11th April

Formal and observed learning: Test

Assessment Type 1: Quiz/Test
Indicative Time on Task 2: 30 hours
Due: Week 13
Weighting: 35%

 

The purpose of this assessment is for you to demonstrate your expertise in matters relevant to cost analysis and managerial decision making.

You will participate in a class test.

Skills in focus: - Discipline Knowledge

Deliverable: Test Individual assessment

 


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Distinguish between management and financial accounting and assess business operations using various product costing, budgeting and decision-making techniques
  • Discuss and analyse management accounting issues and information.
  • Apply appropriate management accounting concepts and techniques to formulate informed solutions to business problems.

Skills development: Excel

Assessment Type 1: Quantitative analysis task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 20 hours
Due: Friday 9th May
Weighting: 30%

 

The purpose of this assessment is for you to develop digital skills that are key to the accounting profession.

You will use Excel software to tackle a business scenario.

Skills in focus: - Digital skills (Excel) - Work readiness

Deliverable: Excel spreadsheet Individual assessment

 


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Use Microsoft Excel for fundamental managerial accounting planning, control and evaluation tasks.
  • Apply appropriate management accounting concepts and techniques to formulate informed solutions to business problems.

Professional practice: Cost analysis

Assessment Type 1: Practice-based task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 30 hours
Due: Friday 11th April
Weighting: 35%

 

The purpose of this assessment is for you to gain professional practice in how to conduct cost analysis and how that influences managerial decision making.

You will apply theoretical concepts covered in this course to practical examples of incorporating cost analysis in managerial decision making.

Skills in focus: - Critical Thinking & Problem Solving - Communication

Deliverable: Written submission Individual assessment

 


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Distinguish between management and financial accounting and assess business operations using various product costing, budgeting and decision-making techniques
  • Discuss and analyse management accounting issues and information.
  • Apply appropriate management accounting concepts and techniques to formulate informed solutions to business problems.

1 If you need help with your assignment, please contact:

  • the academic teaching staff in your unit for guidance in understanding or completing this type of assessment
  • the Writing Centre for academic skills support.

2 Indicative time-on-task is an estimate of the time required for completion of the assessment task and is subject to individual variation

Delivery and Resources

Classes

Students should attend three hours of face-to-face/online teaching per topic consisting of a one-and half hour lecture and a one-and-half hour tutorial. Students are advised to note that any changes to tutorial classes must be made online through eStudent. Students wishing to change their tutorial time should login to eStudent and enrol in a class where there is a vacancy. Staff members WILL NOT deal with tutorial changes unless there are exceptional circumstances. It is each student’s responsibility to know which tutorial group they have been allocated to. Students will not be awarded any tutorial marks unless they attend the class in which they are formally enrolled. 

Prizes

Details of prizes for this unit are available at: http://www.businessandeconomics.mq.edu.au/undergraduate_degrees/prizes_scholarships.

Required and Recommended Texts and/or Materials

Management Accounting: Information for Creating and Managing Value By Kim Langfield-Smith, David Smith, Paul Andon, Ronald Hilton, and Helen Thorne, 9th edition 2021, McGraw-Hill.

Access to this text is essential for lecture references and revision questions. This text (Ebook and print versions) can be purchased directly via: https://www.mheducation.com.au/9781743767603

15% Discount Code: 2025SL15

Unit Web Page

The web page for this unit can be found at: http://ilearn.mq.edu.au

You should also contact the IT helpdesk if you need assistance with using this website. Alternatively, use the help feature provided. Make sure that when you have finished website that you Log Out. Failure to do so could allow unauthorised access to your account.

The following information will be available on the website: • Assessment guide • Important announcements • Lecture notes • Staff consultation hours • Staff contact details • Tutorial questions and solutions • Online practice quizzes • Other relevant material

You are encouraged to regularly check the website and use it as an information and resource centre to assist with your learning.

Teaching and Learning Strategy

The course is structured around a 1.5 hour lecture and a 1.5 hour tutorial per topic. Lectures are intended to provide students with an overview of the main concepts and techniques. Lectures may not cover all of the material and students are expected to read all of the prescribed references prior to the lecture. Tutorials will be run on a workshop basis with students being given the opportunity to apply the concepts to additional problems and exercises. The tutorials are designed to provide an interactive environment in which students will be able to discuss issues and problems with each other, and their tutor, in order to improve their understanding of material. Regular class attendance, reading of prescribed references and the completion of tutorial and revision questions are essential for satisfactory progress in this course.

Lecture slides and additional material for tutorials and lectures will be available to download via the unit website.  Any other announcement regarding the unit will also be available from the website.

Unit Schedule

UNIT SCHEDULE

Lecture

Week

Week

Commencing:

 

Topic

 

Prescribed references

1

24th February

Introduction & Basic cost concepts and terms

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

2

3rd March

Cost Volume Profit Analysis

Chapter 18

3

10th March

Product Costing Systems – Job Costing

Chapter 4 pp.125-136 and pp.138-151

4

17th March

Process Costing

Chapter 4 pp.136-138 and pp.151-154;

Chapter 5 pp.177-184

5

24th March

A Closer Look at Overhead Costs

Chapter 7

6 31st March

Activity-Based Costing

Chapter 8

7 7th April

Excel Lecture

(Cost Analysis Assignment due on Friday, 11th April)

All Excel videos 

Mid Session Break 14th April -  25th April 
8 28th April

Service Costing 

Absorption and Variable Costing

Chapter 6

Chapter 7 p.306- p.311

9

5th May

Information for Decisions 

(Excel Assignment Due  on Friday, 9th May)

Chapter 19

10

12th May

Product Mix Decisions

Chapter 20 pp. 933-938; pp. 945-947; pp. 952-955

11

19th May

Budgeting

Chapter 9

Chapter 11 pp. 494 –498

12

26th May

Standard Costing for Control

Chapter 10

Chapter 11 pp. 498-511

13

2nd June

Test 

 

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

Students seeking more policy resources can visit Student Policies (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/policies). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.

To find other policies relating to Teaching and Learning, visit Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au) and use the search tool.

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/admin/other-resources/student-conduct

Results

Results published on platform other than eStudent, (eg. iLearn, Coursera etc.) or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit connect.mq.edu.au or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au

Academic Integrity

At Macquarie, we believe academic integrity – honesty, respect, trust, responsibility, fairness and courage – is at the core of learning, teaching and research. We recognise that meeting the expectations required to complete your assessments can be challenging. So, we offer you a range of resources and services to help you reach your potential, including free online writing and maths support, academic skills development and wellbeing consultations.

Student Support

Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/

Academic Success

Academic Success provides resources to develop your English language proficiency, academic writing, and communication skills.

The Library provides online and face to face support to help you find and use relevant information resources. 

Student Services and Support

Macquarie University offers a range of Student Support Services including:

Student Enquiries

Got a question? Ask us via the Service Connect Portal, or contact Service Connect.

IT Help

For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/

When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.


Unit information based on version 2025.04 of the Handbook