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ACCG2000 – Cost Analysis and Managerial Decision Making

2026 – 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
manamy.tung@mq.edu.au
Level 3 Room 317, 4ER Building
Thursday 1pm- 2pm
Lecturer (Excel)
Nicky Bull
nicole.bull@mq.edu.au
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 in tutorials in Week 13. 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 watch an online lecture and study twenty (20) videos provided on iLearn regarding Excel skills. Students are required to complete and submit the Excel assignment via iLearn by Thursday 23rd April (Week 7). 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 Monday 30th March (Week 6). The assignment must be typed. No handwritten work will be marked. 

 

Late Submission Penalties

If you submit your assessment late, 5% of the total possible marks will be deducted for each day (including weekends), up to 7 days. Submissions more than 7 days late will receive a mark of 0.

Example 1 (out of 100):

If you score 85/100 but submit 20 hours late, you will lose 5 marks and receive 80/100.

Example 2 (out of 30):

If you score 27/30 but submit 20 hours late, you will lose 1.5 marks and receive 25.5/30.

Extensions

Automatic short extension: Some assessments are eligible for automatic short extension. You can only apply for an automatic short extension before the due date.

Special Consideration: If you need more time due to serious issues and for any assessments that are not eligible for Short Extension, you must apply for Special Consideration. Need help? Review the Special Consideration page for further details.

 

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due Groupwork/Individual Short Extension AI assisted?
Formal examination: Test 35% No Week 13 Individual No Observed
Skills development: Excel 30% No 23/04/2026 Individual Yes Open AI
Professional practice: Cost analysis 35% No 30/03/2026 Individual Yes Open AI

Formal examination: Test

Assessment Type 1: Examination
Indicative Time on Task 2: 30 hours
Due: Week 13
Weighting: 35%
Groupwork/Individual: Individual
Short extension 3: No
AI assisted?: Observed

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(s): 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: Problem-based task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 20 hours
Due: 23/04/2026
Weighting: 30%
Groupwork/Individual: Individual
Short extension 3: Yes
AI assisted?: Open AI

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: Work readiness

 

Deliverable(s): 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: Problem-based task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 30 hours
Due: 30/03/2026
Weighting: 35%
Groupwork/Individual: Individual
Short extension 3: Yes
AI assisted?: Open AI

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 and problem solving
  • Discipline knowledge
  • Communication skills

Deliverable(s): Written submission [2000 words]

 

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.

3 An automatic short extension is available for some assessments. Apply through the Service Connect Portal.

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. 

Prizes

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

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 via: https://www.booktopia.com.au

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

23th February

Introduction & Basic cost concepts and terms

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

2

2nd March

Cost Volume Profit Analysis

Chapter 18

3

9th March

Product Costing Systems – Job Costing

Chapter 4 pp.125-136 and pp.138-151

4

16th March

Process Costing

Chapter 4 pp.136-138 and pp.151-154;

Chapter 5 pp.177-184

5

23rd March

A Closer Look at Overhead Costs

Chapter 7
6 30th March

Excel Lecture 

(Cost Analysis Assignment due on Monday 30th March)

All Excel videos
Mid Session Break 6th April -  19th April 
7 20th April

Activity-Based Costing 

(Excel assignment due on Thursday 23rd April)

Chapter 8
8 27th April

Service Costing 

Absorption and Variable Costing

Chapter 6

Chapter 7 p.306- p.311

9

4th May

Information for Decisions 

Chapter 19

10

11th May

Product Mix Decisions

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

11

18th May

Budgeting

Chapter 9

Chapter 11 pp. 494 –498

12

25th May

Standard Costing for Control

Chapter 10

Chapter 11 pp. 498-511

13

1st June

Class 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 2026.03 of the Handbook