Cash Handling Fundamentals
Cash handling questions test whether you understand custody, counting discipline, and the paper trail that proves both. Know the core vocabulary: cash-in-transit, till float, cash limit, denominations, soiled and mutilated notes, counterfeit detection, and the difference between a cash short and a cash over. Understand the principle of dual control - no single officer should both count and record the same transaction - and the meaning of joint custody of keys and combinations.
Traps are common here. A question may describe a teller who counts cash alone and asks what control failed; the answer is segregation of duties, not accuracy. Another trap confuses a genuine note's security features with a damaged note's exchange rules. Read carefully whether the question asks about detection, retention, or reporting.
Rule of thumb: count twice, record once, and never let the person who counts be the person who authorises. For counterfeit notes, the standard sequence is detain the note, do not return it to the customer, record the details, inform the customer politely, and report to the branch manager and the central bank under the applicable regulations.
Worked example: A till opens with a float of 20,000 and closes with counted cash of 68,500 against recorded receipts of 48,000. Expected cash is 20,000 + 48,000 = 68,000, so the till is over by 500. The correct action is to record the difference, investigate before adjusting, and never to quietly pocket or absorb it.