ACCOUNTING (AQA)

A2 Course Outline

What is Accounting at A2?

Accounting Building on the firm foundation for AS the unit at A2 will present more in-depth of financial accounting in Unit 3 and extensive coverage of management accounting in Unit 4.

Unit 3 Further Aspects of Financial Accounting

  • Limited companies are legally required to annually publish their financial statements. This unit explores the issues surrounding this requirement in meeting the needs of various stakeholder groups.
  • Ten International Accounting Standards are studied as they relate to content and presentation in financial statements. Choosing appropriate financing options is further explored in this unit.
  • The specialist accounts of Partnership Organisations are also a feature largely in Unit 3

Unit 4 Further Aspects of Management Accounting

  • In this unit students are given the opportunity to develop accounting techniques which provide solutions to aid the management in effective decision-making.
  • Areas such as make or buy decisions are explored as are making the optimum use of limited scarce resources.
  • Large scale fixed asset investment decisions are studied with consideration for financial and non-financial aspects.
  • Social Accounting aspects in decision-making is also studied.

What skills will students develop when studying Accounting?

  • An understanding of the importance of effective accounting information systems and an awareness of their limitations.
  • An understanding of the purposes, principles, concepts and techniques of accounting.
  • The transferable skills of numeracy, communication, application, presentation, interpretation, analysis and evaluation in an accounting context.
  • An appreciation of the effects of economics, legal, ethical, social environmental and technological influences on accounting decisions.
  • A capacity for methodical and critical thought.


Accounting (AQA) A2 Specification
Unit 3

120 minutes
90 Marks
25% of A level total

Further Aspects of Financial Accounting
  • Sources of Finance
  • Incomplete Record Accounting
  • Partnership Accounts
  • Published Accounts Requirements
  • Statements of Cash Flow (IHS 7)
  • International Accounting Standards
  • Valuation of Stock
Unit 4

120 minutes
90 Marks
25% of A level total

Further Aspects of Management Accounting
  • Manufacturing Accounts
  • Marginal Costing and Absorption Costing
  • Activity Based Costing
  • Standard Costing and Variance Analysis
  • Capital Investment Appraisal
  • Budgeting - debtors, creditors, purchases, sales productions, labour
  • Social Accounting in decision-making

Structure of the Course

The course will be taught over 6 lessons per week. Homework will be set each lesson as it is a subject learned through practical application and it is essential for effective learning that students put knowledge into practice immediately. This is vital also as learning accounting is an incremental process and one lesson very much builds on the previous so speedy uptake of the subject material is beneficial for syllabus progression.

Course Textbook

A2 Accounting for AQA D.Cox and M.Fardon

Fees and Dates