BCS Written Accounting study guide
BCS Written Accounting · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The accounting paper of the BCS Written Examination is a descriptive and problem-solving test used by the Bangladesh Public Service Commission (BPSC) to assess candidates for the Bangladesh Civil Service cadre. It suits graduates with a commerce or accounting background who are preparing for a generalist civil-service career, and it assumes comfort with double-entry bookkeeping, cost sheets, audit procedures and numerical analysis under time pressure. The BCS Written Accounting study guide has 8 sections and about 2,180 words.
01Financial Accounting: Conceptual Foundations and Reporting Traps
Financial accounting is built on the conceptual framework: accrual basis, going concern, consistency, prudence, and the qualitative characteristics of relevance and faithful representation. Candidates must be fluent in double-entry mechanics, the accounting equation, adjusting entries, and the preparation of financial statements under IFRS.
314 words, about 2 min02Cost and Management Accounting: Costing Methods and Decision Rules
Management accounting focuses on internal decision support. Candidates must understand cost classification (direct/indirect, fixed/variable, product/period), cost behaviour, and the preparation of cost statements.
275 words, about 1 min03Auditing and Assurance: Risk, Evidence, and the Audit Opinion
Auditing tests the auditor's ability to obtain sufficient appropriate evidence to express an opinion on financial statements. Candidates must know the audit process: engagement acceptance, planning and risk assessment, understanding internal controls, substantive testing, and reporting.
274 words, about 1 min04Taxation: Computation, Allowances, and Compliance
Taxation questions test the computation of taxable income and tax payable, the treatment of allowances and reliefs, and compliance obligations. Candidates must understand the difference between accounting profit and taxable profit (temporary and permanent differences), capital allowances, deductible versus non-deductible expenses, withholding taxes, and the administration of returns, assessments, and appeals.
264 words, about 1 min05Business Law and Corporate Governance: Entities, Duties, and Compliance
This domain covers the legal framework of business organisations and the governance structures that oversee them. Candidates must understand the types of business entity (sole trader, partnership, limited company), the doctrine of separate legal personality and limited liability, the formation and constitution of companies, share capital, directors' duties, and the roles of the board, audit committee, and external auditor.
284 words, about 1 min06Financial Management: Investment, Financing, and Working Capital
Financial management covers the three decisions: investment (capital budgeting), financing (capital structure), and dividend policy, plus working capital management. Candidates must understand time value of money, net present value (NPV), internal rate of return (IRR), payback, the cost of capital (weighted average cost of capital, WACC), the capital asset pricing model (CAPM), gearing, and the management of receivables, inventory, and cash.
253 words, about 1 min07Public Sector and Government Accounting: Fund Accounting and Accountability
Public sector accounting differs from private sector accounting because the objective is accountability for public funds rather than profit. Candidates must understand fund accounting, budgetary control, the distinction between the budget and the financial statements, modified accrual versus full accrual bases, and the reporting of government revenue (taxes, grants) and expenditure.
263 words, about 1 min08Information Technology and Accounting Information Systems: Controls and Risks
This domain tests the accountant's understanding of information systems and the controls that protect them. Candidates must understand the components of an accounting information system (people, procedures, data, software, hardware), the transaction processing cycle, and the types of controls: general IT controls (access, change management, backup, physical security) and application controls (input, processing, output).
253 words, about 1 min