Chapter 1-The Information System: An Accountant's Perspective
Chapter 1-The Information System: An Accountant's Perspective
Chapter 1-The Information System: An Accountant's Perspective
MULTIPLE CHOICE
2. Which level of management is responsible for short-term planning and coordination of activities
necessary to accomplish organizational objectives?
a. operations management
b. middle management
c. top management
d. line management
ANS: B
4. The ability to achieve the goals of a system depends upon the effective functioning and harmonious
interaction between its subsystems. This is called
a. system decomposition
b. system redundancy
c. backup system
d. subsystem interdependency
ANS: D
5. The value of information for users is determined by all of the following but
a. reliability
b. relevance
c. convenience
d. completeness
ANS: C
9. The major difference between the Financial Reporting System (FRS) and the Management Reporting
System (MRS) is the
a. FRS provides information to internal and external users; the MRS provides information to
internal users
b. FRS provides discretionary information; the MRS provides nondiscretionary information
c. FRS reports are prepared using information provided by the General Ledger System; the
MRS provides information to the General Ledger System
d. FRS reports are prepared in flexible, nonstandardized formats; the MRS reports are
prepared in standardized, formal formats
ANS: A
10. The purpose of the Transaction Processing System includes all of the following except
a. converting economic events into financial transactions
b. recording financial transactions in the accounting records
c. distributing essential information to operations personnel to support their daily operations
d. measuring and reporting the status of financial resources and the changes in those
resources
ANS: D
11. The Transaction Processing System includes all of the following cycles except
a. the revenue cycle
b. the administrative cycle
c. the expenditure cycle
d. the conversion cycle
ANS: B
13. When designing the data collection activity, which type of data should be avoided?
a. data that is relevant
b. data that is efficient
c. data that is redundant
d. data that is accurate
ANS: C
15. In a database, a complete set of attributes for a single occurrence of an entity class is called
a. a key
b. a file
c. a record
d. a character
ANS: C
18. The author distinguishes between the Accounting Information System and the management Information
System based on
a. whether the transactions are financial or nonfinancial
b. whether discretionary or nondiscretionary reports are prepared
c. the end users of the reports
d. the organizational structure of the business
ANS: A
20. Market research and advertising are part of which business function?
a. materials management
b. finance
c. marketing
d. production
ANS: C
21. Which function manages the financial resources of the firm through portfolio management, banking,
credit evaluation, and cash receipts and disbursements?
a. accounting
b. finance
c. materials management
d. distribution
ANS: B
29. The objectives of all information systems include all of the following except
a. support for the stewardship function of management
b. evaluating transaction data
c. support for the day-to-day operations of the firm
d. support for management decision making
ANS: B
30. Which individuals may be involved in the Systems Development Life Cycle?
a. accountants
b. systems professionals
c. end users
d. all of the above
ANS: D
31. An appraisal function housed within the organization that performs a wide range of services for
management is
a. internal auditing
b. data control group
c. external auditing
d. database administration
ANS: A
33. Disadvantages of distributed data processing include all of the following except
a. mismanagement of organizationwide resources
b. hardware and software incompatibility
c. cost reductions
d. difficulty in hiring qualified IT professionals
ANS: C
34. Advantages of distributed data processing include each of the following except
a. cost reductions
b. better management of organization resources
c. improved operational efficiency
d. increased user satisfaction
ANS: B
35. Disadvantages of the distributed data processing approach include all of the following except
a. possible mismanagement of organization resources
b. redundancy of tasks
c. software incompatibility
d. system is not responsive to the users situation
ANS: D
38. Useful information must possess all of the following characteristics except
a. relevance
b. timelessness
c. accuracy
d. completeness
ANS: B
39. The objectives of an information system include each of the following except
a. support for the stewardship responsibilities of management
b. furthering the financial interests of shareholders
c. support for management decision making
d. support for the firms day-to-day operations
ANS: B
40. Accountants play many roles relating to the accounting information system, including all of the following
except
a. system users
b. system designers
c. system auditors
d. system converters
ANS: D
MULTIPLE CHOICE
2. Which system produces information used for inventory valuation, budgeting, cost control, performance
reporting, and make-buy decisions?
a. sales order processing
b. purchases/accounts payable
c. cash disbursements
d. cost accounting
ANS: D
8. Subsidiary ledgers are used in manual accounting environments. What file is comparable to a subsidiary
ledger in a computerized environment?
a. archive file
b. reference file
c. transaction file
d. master file
ANS: D
14. Which type of graphical documentation represents systems at different levels of detail?
a. data flow diagram
b. document flowchart
c. system flowchart
d. program flowchart
ANS: A
22. Which step is not found in batch processing using sequential files?
a. control totals
b. sort runs
c. edit runs
d. immediate feedback of data entry errors
ANS: D
23. Both the revenue and the expenditure cycle can be viewed as having two key parts. These are
a. manual and computerized
b. physical and financial
c. input and output
d. batch and real-time
ANS: B
24. All of the following can provide evidence of an economic event except
a. source document
b. turn-around document
c. master document
d. product document
ANS: C
25. Which method of processing does not use the destructive update approach?
a. batch processing using direct access files
b. real-time processing
c. batch processing using sequential files
d. all of the above use the destructive update approach
ANS: C
b.
c.
d.
ANS: B
b.
c.
d.
ANS: D
b.
c.
d.
ANS: A
b.
c.
d.
ANS: B
c.
d.
ANS: D
b.
c.
d.
ANS: A
32. The characteristics that distinguish between batch and real-time systems include all of the following
except
a. time frame
b. resources used
c. file format
d. efficiency of processing
ANS: C
33. A file that stores data used as a standard when processing transactions is
a. a reference file
b. a master file
c. a transaction file
d. an archive file
ANS: A
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. Which ethical principle states that the benefit from a decision must outweigh the risks, and that there is no
alternative decision that provides the same or greater benefit with less risk?
a. minimize risk
b. justice
c. informed consent
d. proportionality
ANS: D
2. Individuals who acquire some level of skill and knowledge in the field of computer ethics are involved in
which level of computer ethics?
a. para computer ethics
b. pop computer ethics
c. theoretical computer ethics
d. practical computer ethics
ANS: A
5. For an action to be called fraudulent, all of the following conditions are required except
a. poor judgment
b. false representation
c. intent to deceive
d. injury or loss
ANS: A
10. Who is responsible for establishing and maintaining the internal control system?
a. the internal auditor
b. the accountant
c. management
d. the external auditor
ANS: C
12. Which of the following is not a limitation of the internal control system?
a. errors are made due to employee fatigue
b. fraud occurs because of collusion between two employees
c. the industry is inherently risky
d. management instructs the bookkeeper to make fraudulent journal entries
ANS: C
17. The bank reconciliation uncovered a transposition error in the books. This is an example of a
a. preventive control
b. detective control
c. corrective control
d. none of the above
ANS: B
18. In balancing the risks and benefits that are part of every ethical decision, managers receive guidance from
each of the following except
a. justice
b. self interest
c. risk minimization
d. proportionality
ANS: B
19. Which of the following is not an element of the internal control environment?
a. management philosophy and operating style
b. organizational structure of the firm
c. well-designed documents and records
d. the functioning of the board of directors and the audit committee
ANS: C
20. Which of the following suggests a weakness in the internal control environment?
a. the firm has an up-to-date organizational chart
b. monthly reports comparing actual performance to budget are distributed to managers
c. performance evaluations are prepared every three years
d. the audit committee meets quarterly with the external auditors
ANS: C
22. According to SAS 78, an effective accounting system performs all of the following except
a. identifies and records all valid financial transactions
b. records financial transactions in the appropriate accounting period
c. separates the duties of data entry and report generation
d. records all financial transactions promptly
ANS: C
23. Which of the following is the best reason to separate duties in a manual system?
a. to avoid collusion between the programmer and the computer operator
b. to ensure that supervision is not required
c. to prevent the record keeper from authorizing transactions
d. to enable the firm to function more efficiently
ANS: C
26. The decision to extend credit beyond the normal credit limit is an example of
a. independent verification
b. authorization
c. segregation of functions
d. supervision
ANS: B
27. When duties cannot be segregated, the most important internal control procedure is
a. supervision
b. independent verification
c. access controls
d. accounting records
ANS: A
28. An accounting system that maintains an adequate audit trail is implementing which internal control
procedure?
a. access controls
b. segregation of functions
c. independent verification
d. accounting records
ANS: D
29. Employee fraud involves three steps. Of the following, which is not involved?
a. concealing the crime to avoid detection
b. stealing something of value
c. misstating financial statements
d. converting the asset to a usable form
ANS: C
31. The importance to the accounting profession of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977 is that
a. bribery will be eliminated
b. management will not override the companys internal controls
c. firms are required to have an effective internal control system
d. firms will not be exposed to lawsuits
ANS: C
32. The board of directors consists entirely of personal friends of the chief executive officer. This indicates a
weakness in
a. the accounting system
b. the control environment
c. control procedures
d. this is not a weakness
ANS: B
33. Computer fraud can take on many forms, including each of the following except
a. theft or illegal use of computer-readable information
b. theft, misuse, or misappropriation of computer equipment
c. theft, misuse, or misappropriation of assets by altering computer-readable records and files
d. theft, misuse, or misappropriation of printer supplies
ANS: D
34. When certain customers made cash payments to reduce their accounts receivable, the bookkeeper
embezzled the cash and wrote off the accounts as uncollectible. Which control procedure would most
likely prevent this irregularity?
a. segregation of duties
b. accounting records
c. accounting system
d. access controls
ANS: A
35. The office manager forgot to record in the accounting records the daily bank deposit. Which control
procedure would most likely prevent or detect this error?
a. segregation of duties
b. independent verification
c. accounting records
d. supervision
ANS: B
38. The four principal types of fraud include all of the following except
a. bribery
b. gratuities
c. conflict of interest
d. economic extortion
ANS: B
41. Management can expect various benefits to follow from implementing a system of strong internal control.
Which of the following benefits is least likely to occur?
a. reduced cost of an external audit.
b. prevents employee collusion to commit fraud.
c. availability of reliable data for decision-making purposes.
d. some assurance of compliance with the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977.
e. some assurance that important documents and records are protected.
ANS: B
43. Which of the following is not an issue to be addressed in a business code of ethics required by the SEC?
a. Conflicts of interest
b. Full and Fair Disclosures
c. Legal Compliance
d. Internal Reporting of Code Violations
e. All of the above are issues to be addressed
ANS: E
MULTIPLE CHOICE
2. The reconciliation that occurs in the shipping department is intended to ensure that
a. credit has been approved
b. the customer is billed for the exact quantity shipped
c. the goods shipped match the goods ordered
d. inventory records are reduced for the goods shipped
ANS: C
3. The adjustment to accounting records to reflect the decrease in inventory due to a sale occurs in the
a. warehouse
b. shipping department
c. billing department
d. inventory control department
ANS: D
5. Copies of the sales order can be used for all of the following except
a. purchase order
b. credit authorization
c. shipping notice
d. packing slip
ANS: A
12. Usually specific authorization is required for all of the following except
a. sales on account which exceed the credit limit
b. sales of goods at the list price
c. a cash refund for goods returned without a receipt
d. write off of an uncollectible account receivable
ANS: B
15. The most effective internal control procedure to prevent or detect the creation of fictitious credit
memoranda for sales returns is to
a. supervise the accounts receivable department
b. limit access to credit memoranda
c. prenumber and sequence check all credit memoranda
d. require management approval for all credit memoranda
ANS: D
16. The accounts receivable clerk destroys all invoices for sales made to members of her family and does not
record the sale in the accounts receivable subsidiary ledger. Which procedure will not detect this fraud?
a. prenumber and sequence check all invoices
b. reconcile the accounts receivable control to the accounts receivable subsidiary ledger
c. prepare monthly customer statements
d. reconcile total sales on account to the debits in the accounts receivable subsidiary ledger
ANS: C
19. Good internal controls in the revenue cycle should ensure all of the following except
a. all sales are profitable
b. all sales are recorded
c. credit is authorized
d. inventory to be shipped is not stolen
ANS: A
20. Which control does not help to ensure that accurate records are kept of customer accounts and inventory?
a. reconcile accounts receivable control to accounts receivable subsidiary
b. authorize credit
c. segregate custody of inventory from record keeping
d. segregate record keeping duties of general ledger from accounts receivable
ANS: B
21. Internal controls for handling sales returns and allowances do not include
a. computing bad debt expense using the percentage of credit sales
b. verifying that the goods have been returned
c. authorizing the credit memo by management
d. using the original sales invoice to prepare the sales returns slip
ANS: A
22. The printer ran out of preprinted sales invoice forms and several sales invoices were not printed. The best
internal control to detect this error is
a. a batch total of sales invoices to be prepared compared to the actual number of sales
invoices prepared
b. sequentially numbered sales invoices
c. visual verification that all sales invoices were prepared
d. none of the above will detect this error
ANS: A
27. EDI trading partner agreements specify all of the following except
a. selling price
b. quantities to be sold
c. payment terms
d. person to authorize transactions
ANS: D
30. Commercial accounting systems have fully integrated modules. The word integrated means that
a. segregation of duties is not possible
b. transfer of information among modules occurs automatically
c. batch processing is not an option
d. separate entries are made in the general ledger accounts and the subsidiary ledgers
ANS: B
31. The data processing method that can shorten the cash cycle is
a. batch, sequential file processing
b. batch, direct access file processing
c. real-time file processing
d. none of the above
ANS: C
32. Which of the following is not a risk exposure in a microcomputer accounting system?
a. reliance on paper documentation is increased
b. functions that are segregated in a manual environment may be combined in a
microcomputer accounting system
c. backup procedures require human intervention
d. data are easily accessible
ANS: A
34. Periodically, the general ledger department receives all of the following except
a. total increases to accounts receivable
b. total of all sales backorders
c. total of all sales
d. total decreases in inventory
ANS: B
36. Adjustments to accounts receivable for payments received from customers is based upon
a. the customers check
b. the cash prelist
c. the remittance advice that accompanies payment
d. a memo prepared in the mailroom
ANS: C
37. The revenue cycle utilizes all of the following files except
a. credit memo file
b. sales history file
c. shipping report file
d. cost data reference file
ANS: D
38. All of the following are advantages of real-time processing of sales except
a. The cash cycle is shortened
b. Paper work is reduced
c. Incorrect data entry is difficult to detect
d. Up-to-date information can provide a competitive advantage in the marketplace
ANS: C
Chapter 5The Expenditure Cycle Part I: Purchases and Cash Disbursements
Procedures
MULTIPLE CHOICE
3. All of the following departments have a copy of the purchase order except
a. the purchasing department
b. the receiving department
c. accounts payable
d. general ledger
ANS: D
5. The open purchase order file in the purchasing department is used to determine
a. the quality of items a vendor ships
b. the best vendor for a specific item
c. the orders that have not been received
d. the quantity of items received
ANS: C
7. The reason that a blind copy of the purchase order is sent to receiving is to
a. inform receiving when a shipment is due
b. force a count of the items delivered
c. inform receiving of the type, quantity, and price of items to be delivered
d. require that the goods delivered are inspected
ANS: B
9. When a copy of the receiving report arrives in the purchasing department, it is used to
a. adjust perpetual inventory records
b. record the physical transfer of inventory from receiving to the warehouse
c. analyze the receiving departments process
d. recognize the purchase order as closed
ANS: D
11. Which document is least important in determining the financial value of a purchase?
a. purchase requisition
b. purchase order
c. receiving report
d. suppliers invoice
ANS: A
12. In a merchandising firm, authorization for the payment of inventory is the responsibility of
a. inventory control
b. purchasing
c. accounts payable
d. cash disbursements
ANS: C
13. In a merchandising firm, authorization for the purchase of inventory is the responsibility of
a. inventory control
b. purchasing
c. accounts payable
d. cash disbursements
ANS: A
14. When purchasing inventory, which document usually triggers the recording of a liability?
a. purchase requisition
b. purchase order
c. receiving report
d. suppliers invoice
ANS: D
15. Because of time delays between receiving inventory and making the journal entry
a. liabilities are usually understated
b. liabilities are usually overstated
c. liabilities are usually correctly stated
d. none of the above
ANS: A
19. The documents in a voucher packet include all of the following except
a. a check
b. a purchase order
c. a receiving report
d. a suppliers invoice
ANS: A
20. To maintain a good credit rating and to optimize cash management, cash disbursements should arrive at
the vendors place of business
a. as soon as possible
b. on the due date
c. on the discount date
d. by the end of the month
ANS: C
21. The cash disbursement clerk performs all of the following tasks except
a. reviews the supporting documents for completeness and accuracy
b. prepares checks
c. signs checks
d. marks the supporting documents paid
ANS: C
25. In a firm with proper segregation of duties, adequate supervision is most critical in
a. purchasing
b. receiving
c. accounts payable
d. general ledger
ANS: B
27. The major risk exposures associated with the receiving department include all of the following except
a. goods are accepted without a physical count
b. there is no inspection for goods damaged in shipment
c. inventories are not secured on the receiving dock
d. the audit trail is destroyed
ANS: D
28. When searching for unrecorded liabilities at the end of an accounting period, the accountant would search
all of the files except
a. the purchase requisition file
b. the cash receipts file
c. the purchase order file
d. the receiving report file
ANS: B
29. In regards to the accounts payable department, which statement is not true?
a. the purchase requisition shows that the transaction was authorized
b. the purchase order proves that the purchase was required
c. the receiving report provides evidence of the physical receipt of the goods
d. the suppliers invoice indicates the financial value of the transaction
ANS: B
30. In a computerized system that uses an economic order quantity (EOQ) model and the perpetual inventory
method, who determines when to reorder inventory?
a. the inventory control clerk
b. the purchasing department
c. the vendor
d. the computer system
ANS: D
31. Firms can expect that proper use of a valid vendor file will result in all of the following benefits except
a. purchasing agents will be discouraged from improperly ordering inventory from related
parties
b. purchases from fictitious vendors will be detected
c. the most competitive price will be obtained
d. the risk of purchasing agents receiving kickbacks and bribes will be reduced
ANS: C
32. In a real-time processing system with a high number of transactions, the best and most practical control
over cash disbursements is to have
a. all checks manually signed by the treasurer
b. all checks signed by check-signing equipment
c. checks over a certain dollar amount manually signed by the treasurer
d. checks over a certain dollar amount manually signed by the cash disbursements clerk
ANS: C
33. The document which will close the open purchase requisition file is the
a. purchase order
b. vendor invoice
c. receiving report
d. none of the above
ANS: C
35. If a company uses a standard cost system, inventory records can be updated from the
a. vendor invoice
b. purchase order
c. receiving report
d. purchase requisition
ANS: C
36. If a company uses an actual cost system, inventory records can first be updated from the
a. vendor invoice
b. purchase order
c. receiving report
d. purchase requisition
ANS: A
37. Copies of a purchase order are sent to all of the following except
a. inventory control
b. receiving
c. general ledger
d. accounts payable
ANS: C
Chapter 6The Expenditure Cycle Part II: Payroll Processing and Fixed Asset
Procedures
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. The document that captures the total amount of time that individual workers spend on each production job
is called a
a. time card
b. job ticket
c. personnel action form
d. labor distribution form
ANS: B
5. Depreciation
a. is calculated by the department that uses the fixed asset
b. allocates the cost of the asset over its useful life
c. is recorded weekly
d. results in book value approximating fair market value
ANS: B
6. Depreciation records include all of the following information about fixed assets except
a. the economic benefit of purchasing the asset
b. the cost of the asset
c. the depreciation method being used
d. the location of the asset
ANS: A
11. Where does the responsibility lie for reconciling the labor distribution summary and the payroll
disbursement voucher?
a. cash disbursements
b. cost accounting
c. personnel
d. general ledger
ANS: D
13. In a manufacturing firm, employees use time cards and job tickets. Which of the following statements is
not correct?
a. Job tickets are prepared by employees for each job worked on, so an employee may have
more that one job ticket on a given day.
b. An individual employee will have only one time card.
c. The time reported on job tickets should reconcile with the time reported on time cards.
d. Paychecks should be prepared from the job tickets.
ANS: D
14. Which department is responsible for approving changes in pay rates for employees?
a. payroll
b. treasurer
c. personnel
d. cash disbursements
ANS: C
16. Why would an organization require the paymaster to deliver all unclaimed paychecks to the internal audit
department?
a. to detect a phantom employee for whom a check was produced
b. to prevent an absent employees check from being lost
c. to avoid paying absent employees for payday
d. to prevent the paymaster from cashing unclaimed checks
ANS: A
17. Which of the following is not a reasonable control for fixed assets?
a. Proper authorization is required for acquisition and disposal of fixed assets.
b. Fixed asset records show the location of each asset.
c. Fully depreciated assets are immediately disposed of.
d. Depreciation policies are in writing.
ANS: C
19. Payroll uses time card data to do all of the following except
a. prepare the payroll register
b. update employee payroll records
c. prepare the labor distribution summary
d. prepare paychecks
ANS: C
22. Accounting records that provide the audit trail for payroll include all of the following except
a. time cards
b. job tickets
c. payroll register
d. accounts payable register
ANS: D
23. Personnel actions forms are used to do all of the following except
a. activate new employees
b. terminate employees
c. record hours worked
d. change pay rates
ANS: C
25. The document that records the total amount of time spent on a production job is the
a. time card
b. job ticket
c. labor distribution summary
d. personnel action form
ANS: C
26. A control technique that can reduce the risk of a terminated employee being paid is
a. a security camera viewing the time clock
b. the supervisor taking role during the shift
c. paychecks being distributed by an independent paymaster
d. reconciliation of time cards and job tickets
ANS: C
28. All of the following are processed by the Fixed Asset System except
a. sale of unneeded equipment
b. purchase of raw materials
c. repair of production equipment
d. purchase of a new plant
ANS: B
29. The Fixed Asset System performs all of the following except
a. determines the need for new assets
b. maintains depreciation records
c. records retirement and disposal of assets
d. tracks the physical location of fixed assets
ANS: A
31. Depreciation
a. assures that assets are reported at fair market value
b. is discretionary for many firms
c. allocates the cost of an asset over its useful life
d. is the responsibility of the department using the asset
ANS: C
32. The Fixed Asset System is similar to the expenditure cycle except
a. fixed asset transactions are non-routine and require special authorization and controls
b. fixed assets are capitalized, not expensed
c. both a and b
d. none of the above
ANS: C
34. The Fixed Asset Systems does all of the following except
a. records acquisition of assets
b. records improvements to assets
c. estimates the fair market value of assets in service
d. records the disposal of assets
ANS: C
MULTIPLE CHOICE
4. Which process creates a homogeneous product through a continuous series of standard procedures?
a. batch process
b. make-to-order process
c. continuous process
d. none of the above
ANS: C
9. A move ticket
a. is the formal plan and authority to begin production
b. specifies the materials and production required for each batch
c. records the work done in each work center
d. authorizes the storekeeper to release materials to work centers
ANS: C
10. The internal control significance of the excess materials requisition is that it
a. indicates the amount of material released to work centers
b. identifies materials used in production that exceed the standard amount allowed
c. indicates the standard quantities required for production
d. documents the return to raw materials inventory of unused production materials
ANS: B
13. Which of the following is not an assumption of the Economic Order Quantity model?
a. demand for the product is known with certainty
b. total cost per year of placing orders is fixed
c. lead time is known and is constant
d. there are no quantity discounts
ANS: B
15. What is the economic order quantity if the annual demand is 10,000 units, set up cost of placing each
order is $3 and the holding cost per unit per year is $2?
a. 174
b. 123
c. 245
d. none of the above
ANS: A
16. If the daily demand is 40 units and the lead time is 12 days, the reorder point is
a. 52 units
b. 48 units
c. 480 units
d. none of the above
ANS: C
18. Which of the following is not a category of critical success factors in most manufacturing companies?
a. product quality
b. customer service
c. revenue generation
d. resource management
ANS: C
19. Computer integrated manufacturing groups all of the following technologies except
a. robotics
b. materials requirements planning
c. automated storage and retrieval systems
d. computer aided design
ANS: B
20. The SAP R/3 system provides pre-defined modules to support business processes in the all of the
following categories except
a. human resources
b. business process support
c. strategic
d. financial
ANS: C
22. All of the following are internal control procedures that should be in place in the conversion cycle except
a. calculation and analysis of direct material and direct labor variances
b. retention of excess materials by work centers
c. physical count of inventory items on hand
d. limited access to raw material and finished goods inventories
ANS: B
24. A manufacturing process that is organized into group technology cells utilizing no human labor is called
a. islands of technology
b. process simplification
c. Computer Integrated Manufacturing
d. traditional manufacturing
ANS: C
29. The cost of poor quality includes all of the following except
a. cost of rework
b. warranty claims
c. scheduling delays
d. proceeds from the sale of scrap
ANS: D
31. Deficiencies of the traditional cost accounting information system include all of the following except
a. an emphasis on financial performance
b. inaccurate cost allocations
c. an emphasis on standard costs
d. immediate feedback about deviations from the norm
ANS: D
37. All of the following are documents in batch process production systems except
a. production schedule
b. route sheet
c. materials requisition
d. purchase order
ANS: D
38. Transaction authorization occurs in a traditional manufacturing environment in all of the following ways
except
a. production planning and control initiates production with a work order
b. movement of the work through the production process follows the move ticket
c. the sales department modifies work orders to match changes in demand
d. the materials requisition authorizes the storekeeper to release materials to the work centers
ANS: C
39. Manufacturing flexibility incorporates four characteristics. These include all of the following except
a. high product quality
b. high inventory levels
c. automation of manufacturing processes
d. physical reorganization of production facilities
ANS: B
MULTIPLE CHOICE
6. Entries into the General Ledger System (GLS) can be made using information from
a. the general journal
b. a journal voucher which represents a summary of similar transactions
c. a journal voucher which represents a single, unusual transaction
d. all of the above
ANS: D
10. Which steps in the Financial Accounting Process are in the correct sequence?
a. record the transaction, post to the ledger, prepare the adjusted trial balance, enter adjusting
entries, prepare financial statements
b. record the transaction, prepare the unadjusted trial balance, record adjusting journal
entries, record closing entries, prepare financial statements
c. record the transaction, post to the ledger, record adjusting entries, prepare the unadjusted
trial balance, prepare financial statements
d. record the transaction, post to the ledger, prepare the adjusted trial balance, prepare
financial statements, record closing entries
ANS: D
14. Risk exposures in the General Ledger and Financial Reporting Systems include all of the following
except
a. loss of the audit trail
b. unauthorized access to the general ledger
c. loss of physical assets
d. general ledger account out of balance with the subsidiary account
ANS: C
15. Which situation indicates an internal control risk in the General Ledger/Financial Reporting Systems
(GL/FRS)?
a. the employee who maintains the cash journal computes depreciation expense
b. the cash receipts journal voucher is approved by the Treasurer
c. the cash receipts journal vouchers are prenumbered and stored in a locked safe
d. the employee who maintains the cash receipts journal records transactions in the accounts
receivable subsidiary ledger
ANS: D
16. With a limited work force and a desire to maintain strong internal control, which combination of duties
performed by a single individual presents the least risk exposure?
a. maintaining the inventory ledger and recording the inventory journal voucher in the
general ledger
b. recording the inventory journal voucher in the general ledger and maintaining custody of
inventory
c. maintaining the cash disbursements journal and recording direct labor costs applied to
specific jobs
d. preparing the accounts payable journal voucher and recording it in the general ledger
ANS: C
17. The audit trail fulfills all of the following purposes except
a. provides the ability to answer inquiries
b. ensures the accuracy of the application software
c. fulfills governmental regulations
d. offers a means for preventing, detecting, and correcting errors
ANS: B
18. Which best describes a batch process General Ledger System (GLS)
a. paper documents are eliminated
b. the general ledger master file is updated each night
c. there is a time lag between transaction processing and posting to the general ledger
d. no direct access or querying of the General Ledger is possible
ANS: C
27. All of the following are elements of operational control decisions except
a. determining the scope of the activity
b. setting operating standards
c. evaluating performance
d. taking corrective action when necessary
ANS: A
28. In contrast to tactical planning decisions, management control decisions, and operational control
decisions, strategic planning decisions usually
a. are more focused
b. have a shorter time frame
c. are unstructured
d. have a high degree of certainty
ANS: C
29. Which of the following management principles affects the management reporting system?
a. formalization of tasks
b. authorization
c. span of control
d. all of the above
ANS: D
34. What mechanism is used to convey to managers the standards by which their performance will be
measured?
a. the responsibility report
b. the scheduled report
c. the budget
d. all of the above
ANS: C
37. Which file has as its primary purpose to present comparative financial reports on a historic basis?
a. journal voucher history file
b. budget master file
c. responsibility file
d. general ledger history file
ANS: D
38. All of the following are characteristics of the strategic planning process except the
a. emphasis on both the short and long run.
b. review of the attributes and behavior of the organizations competition.
c. analysis of external economic factors.
d. analysis of consumer demand.
ANS: A
39. Which of the following performance measures can not result in dysfunctional behavior?
a. price variance
b. quotas
c. ROI
d. net income
e. all of the above can result in dysfunctional behavior
ANS: E
MULTIPLE CHOICE
2. The task of searching the database to locate a stored record for processing is called
a. data deletion
b. data storage
c. data attribution
d. data retrieval
ANS: D
3. Which of the following is not a problem usually associated with the flat-file approach to data
management?
a. data redundancy
b. restricting access to data to the primary user
c. data storage
d. currency of information
ANS: B
5. Which characteristic is not associated with the database approach to data management?
a. the ability to process data without the help of a programmer
b. the ability to control access to the data
c. constant production of backups
d. the inability to determine what data is available
ANS: D
6. The textbook refers to four interrelated components of the database concept. Which of the following is
not one of the components?
a. the Database Management System
b. the Database Administrator
c. the physical database
d. the conceptual database
ANS: D
9. Which of the following may provide many distinct views of the database?
a. the schema
b. the internal view
c. the user view
d. the conceptual view
ANS: C
16. Which term is not associated with the relational database model?
a. tuple
b. attribute
c. collision
d. relation
ANS: C
18. In the relational database model all of the following are true except
a. data is presented to users as tables
b. data can be extracted from specified rows from specified tables
c. a new table can be built by joining two tables
d. only one-to-many relationships can be supported
ANS: D
24. Which of the following is not a common form of conceptual database model?
a. hierarchical
b. network
c. sequential
d. relational
ANS: C
27. All of the following are elements of the DBMS which facilitate user access to the database except
a. query language
b. data access language
c. data manipulation language
d. data definition language
ANS: B
28. Which of the following is a level of the database that is defined by the data definition language?
a. user view
b. schema
c. internal view
d. all are levels or views of the database
ANS: D
31. Which procedure will prevent two end users from accessing the same data element at the same time?
a. data redundancy
b. data replication
c. data lockout
d. none of the above
ANS: C
32. The advantages of a partitioned database include all of the following except
a. user control is enhanced
b. data transmission volume is increased
c. response time is improved
d. risk of destruction of entire database is reduced
ANS: B
34. What control maintains complete, current, and consistent data at all information processing units?
a. deadlock control
b. replication control
c. concurrency control
d. gateway control
ANS: C
MULTIPLE CHOICE
2. The REA approach leads to more efficient operations in all of the following ways except
a. identifying non-value-added activities
b. storage of both financial and nonfinancial data in the same database
c. storage of detailed data to support a wider range of management decisions
d. standardizing data forms for simplicity
ANS: D
12. Which of the following represents the order of the steps in the preparation of an REA model?
a. organize events in order, identify resources and agents, identify links, identify operating
events, assign cardinalities
b. identify operating events, identify resources and agents, identify links, assign cardinalities,
organize events in order
c. identify operating events, organize events in order, identify resources and agents, identify
links, assign cardinalities
d. identify resources and agents, identify operating events, organize events in order, identify
links, assign cardinalities
ANS: C
14. Which of the following is not an advantage of using the REA model?
a. greater efficiency
b. increased productivity
c. more relevant and timely information
d. simpler database creation
ANS: D
MULTIPLE CHOICE
20. Separating the data warehouse from the operations databases occurs for all of the following reasons
except
a. to make the management of the databases more economical
b. to increase the efficiency of data mining processes
c. to integrate legacy system data into a form that permits entity-wide analysis
d. to permit the integration of data from diverse sources
ANS: A
MULTIPLE CHOICE
APPENDIX QUESTION
7. What do you call a system of computers that connects the internal users of an organization that is
distributed over a wide geographic area?
a. LAN
b. decentralized network
c. multidrop network
d. Intranet
ANS: D
8. Sniffer software is
a. software used by malicious Web sites to sniff data from cookies stored on the users hard
drive
b. used by network administrators to analyze network traffic
c. used by bus topology Intranets to sniff for a carrier before transmitting a message to avoid
data collisions
d. illegal programs downloaded from the Net to sniff passwords from the encrypted data of
Internet customers
ANS: B
9. In a ring topology
a. all nodes are of equal status
b. nodes manage private programs and databases locally
c. shared resources are managed by a file server which is a node on the ring
d. all of the above
ANS: D
13. Which method does not manage or control data collisions that might occur on a network?
a. multiplexing
b. polling
c. carrier sensing
d. token passing
ANS: A
15. All of the following are true about the Open System Interface (OSI) protocol except
a. within one node different layers communicate with other layers at that node
b. one protocol is developed and applied to all the OSI layers
c. specific layers are dedicated to hardware tasks and other layers are dedicated to software
tasks
d. layers at each node communicate logically with their counterpart layers across nodes
ANS: B
17. XBRL
a. is the basic protocol that permits communication between Internet sites.
b. controls Web browsers that access the Web.
c. is the document format used to produce Web pages.
d. was designed to provide the financial community with a standardized method for
preparing
e. is a low-level encryption scheme used to secure transmissions in higher-level (HTTP)
format.
ANS: D
18. FTP
a. is the document format used to produce Web pages.
b. controls Web browsers that access the Web.
c. is used to connect to Usenet groups on the Internet
d. is used to transfer text files, programs, spreadsheets, and databases across the Internet.
e. is a low-level encryption scheme used to secure transmissions in higher-level () format.
ANS: D
19. HTML
a. is the document format used to produce Web pages.
b. controls Web browsers that access the Web.
c. is used to connect to Usenet groups on the Internet.
d. is used to transfer text files, programs, spreadsheets, and databases across the Internet.
e. is a low-level encryption scheme used to secure transmissions in higher-level () format.
ANS: A
21. A message that is made to look as though it is coming from a trusted source but is not is called
a. a denial of service attack
b. digital signature forging
c. Internet protocol spoofing
d. URL masquerading
ANS: C
23. HTTP
a. is the document format used to produce Web pages.
b. controls Web browsers that access the Web.
c. is used to connect to Usenet groups on the Internet
d. is used to transfer text files, programs, spreadsheets, and databases across the Internet.
e. is a low-level encryption scheme used to secure transmissions in higher-level () format.
ANS: B
25. NNTP
a. is the document format used to produce Web pages.
b. controls Web browsers that access the Web.
c. is used to connect to Usenet groups on the Internet
d. is used to transfer text files, programs, spreadsheets, and databases across the Internet.
e. is a low-level encryption scheme used to secure transmissions in higher-level (HTTP)
format.
ANS: C
Chapter 13Managing the Systems Development Life Cycle
MULTIPLE CHOICE
8. When implementing a new system, the costs associated with transferring data from one storage medium
to another is an example of
a. a recurring cost
b. a data conversion cost
c. a systems design cost
d. a programming cost
ANS: B
14. The formal product of the systems evaluation and selection phase of the Systems Development Life Cycle
is
a. the report of systems analysis
b. the systems selection report
c. the detailed system design
d. the systems plan
ANS: B
17. All of the following are reasons why new systems fail except
a. the user is not involved in the development of the system
b. system requirements are not clearly specified
c. systems analysts rely on prototyping models
d. system development techniques are ineffective
ANS: C
18. The systems steering committee is responsible for all of the following except
a. assigning priorities
b. determining whether and when to terminate systems projects
c. analyzing the technical feasibility of the project
d. budgeting funds for systems development
ANS: C
21. The degree of compatibility between the firms existing procedures and personnel skills and the
requirements of the new system is called
a. technical feasibility
b. operational feasibility
c. schedule feasibility
d. legal feasibility
ANS: B
22. The ability of a system to protect individual privacy and confidentiality is an example of
a. schedule feasibility
b. operational feasibility
c. legal feasibility
d. economic feasibility
ANS: C
24. Which step is not used to evaluate a systems proposal? An analysis of the projects
a. feasibility factors
b. ability to eliminate nonessential activities and costs
c. ability to provide a competitive advantage to the firm
d. use of Computer Aided Software Engineering (CASE) tools in developing the system
proposal
ANS: D
25. Reasons that a new systems implementation may be unsuccessful include all of the following except
a. organizational restructuring required by the new system results in displaced workers
b. end users do not understand the strategic merits of the new system
c. employees are not trained to use the system
d. system development team members include representatives from end-user departments
ANS: D
30. After the systems analysis phase of the System Development Life Cycle (SDLC) is complete, the
company will have a formal systems analysis report on
a. the conceptual design of the new system
b. an evaluation of the new system
c. users needs and requirements for the new system
d. a comparison of alternative implementation procedures for the new system
ANS: C
31. The accountants role in systems analysis includes all of the following except
a. specify audit trail requirements
b. prepare data gathering questionnaires
c. suggest inclusion of advanced audit features
d. ensure mandated procedures are part of the design
ANS: B
37. The role of the accountant/internal auditor in the conceptual design phase of the Systems Development
Life Cycle includes all of the following except
a. the accountant is responsible for designing the physical system
b. the accountant is responsible to ensure that audit trails are preserved
c. the internal auditor is responsible to confirm that embedded audit modules are included in
the conceptual design
d. the accountant is responsible to make sure that the accounting conventions that apply to
the module are considered by the system designers
ANS: A
MULTIPLE CHOICE
2. Which statement is not true? Computer Aided Software Engineering (CASE) technology
a. is commercially available software
b. reduces the productivity but increases the quality of the work of systems professionals
c. expedites the System Development Life Cycle
d. consists of upper and lower tools
ANS: B
3. The central repository of the Computer Aided Software Engineering (CASE) system contains
a. the program code
b. user prototype screens
c. data flow diagrams
d. all of the above
ANS: D
5. Which level of a data flow diagram is used to produce program code and database tables?
a. context level
b. elementary level
c. intermediate level
d. prototype level
ANS: B
7. An advantage of the Computer Aided Software Engineering (CASE) model tool, which transforms the
structure diagram into machine language, is
a. it facilitates the auditors review of the system
b. it ensures that firm will use a specific CASE tool and vendor
c. it forces all system changes to be made through the data flow diagrams
d. it reduces the analysis required in designing the system
ANS: C
8. When maintaining a system that was developed using Computer Aided Software Engineering (CASE)
tools,
a. the programmer must thoroughly review the program code
b. changes should be made directly to the structure diagram
c. significantly less time is required compared to maintenance activities for a system
developed without using Computer Aided Software Engineering (CASE) tools
d. the need for testing the modified application is eliminated
ANS: C
9. Which of the following is an advantage of the Computer Aided Software Engineering (CASE) approach?
a. the ability to easily revise the model during the development stage
b. the requirement that all program code and documentation be regenerated for each module
c. the cost of software engineering programs
d. user involvement is restricted to final stages of development
ANS: A
10. Which of the following is a disadvantage of the Computer Aided Software Engineering (CASE)
approach?
a. source code produced by CASE tools is less efficient than code written by a skilled
programmer
b. alternative designs cannot be reviewed prior to implementation
c. system users are reluctant to become involved with the CASE approach
d. maintenance costs are increased
ANS: A
12. The benefits of the object-oriented approach to systems design include all of the following except
a. this approach does not require input from accountants and auditors
b. development time is reduced
c. a standard module once tested does not have to be retested until changes are made
d. system maintenance activities are simplified
ANS: A
13. In the object-oriented systems design approach, the employee pay rate is an example of
a. an object
b. an attribute
c. an operation
d. a class
ANS: B
14. Ms. Andrews is a customer of the Edsell Company. In the object-oriented design approach
a. Ms. Andrews is an instance in the object class accounts receivable
b. the amount Ms. Andrews owes the Edsell Company is an operation
c. determining the amount past due is an attribute
d. the object class accounts receivable inherits all the attributes of Ms. Andrews
ANS: A
18. A commercial software system that is completely finished, tested, and ready for implementation is
called a
a. backbone system
b. vendor-supported system
c. benchmark system
d. turnkey system
ANS: D
19. Which of the following is not an advantage of commercial software? Commercial software
a. can be installed faster than a custom system
b. can be easily modified to the users exact specifications
c. is significantly less expensive than a system developed in-house
d. is less likely to have errors than an equivalent system developed in-house
ANS: B
20. Which step is least likely to occur when choosing a commercial software package?
a. a detailed review of the source code
b. contact with user groups
c. preparation of a request for proposal
d. comparison of the results of a benchmark problem
ANS: A
21. The output of the detailed design phase of the Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC) is a
a. fully documented system report
b. systems selection report
c. detailed system design report
d. systems analysis report
ANS: C
22. The detailed design report contains all of the following except
a. input screen formats
b. alternative conceptual designs
c. report layouts
d. process logic
ANS: B
23. When each element of information supports the users decision or task, the output is said to possess
a. completeness
b. summarization
c. conciseness
d. relevance
ANS: D
25. A report of accounts that are past due has many information attributes. The most important attribute is
a. summarization
b. timeliness
c. conciseness
d. exception orientation
ANS: D
26. When hardcopy forms are used as the source for electronic data input,
a. a paper audit trail is maintained
b. economies of scale in data collection are avoided
c. input errors are reduced
d. a point-of-sale terminal is required
ANS: A
27. The most important design element for a hardcopy form that is used for electronic data input is that
a. the form is a standard size
b. the source document and the input screen are identical
c. instructions use active voice
d. sufficient copies of the form are prepared
ANS: B
32. System documentation is designed for all of the following groups except
a. systems designers and programmers
b. end users
c. accountants
d. all of the above require systems documentation
ANS: D
33. Which type of documentation shows the detailed relationship of input files, programs, and output files?
a. structure diagrams
b. overview diagram
c. system flowchart
d. program flowchart
ANS: C
34. Typical contents of a run manual include all of the following except
a. run schedule
b. logic flowchart
c. file requirements
d. explanation of error messages
ANS: B
35. Computer operators should have access to all of the following types of documentation except
a. a list of users who receive output
b. a program code listing
c. a list of all master files used in the system
d. a list of required hardware devices
ANS: B
37. When converting to a new system, which cutover method is the most conservative?
a. cold turkey cutover
b. phased cutover
c. parallel operation cutover
d. data coupling cutover
ANS: C
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. Which of the following is NOT an implication of section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act?
a. Auditors must determine, whether changes in internal control has, or is likely to,
materially affect internal control over financial reporting.
b. Auditors must interview management regarding significant changes in the design or
operation of internal control that occurred since the last audit.
c. Corporate management (including the CEO) must certify monthly and annually their
organizations internal controls over financial reporting.
d. Management must disclose any material changes in the companys internal controls that
have occurred during the most recent fiscal quarter.
ANS: C
2. Which of the following is NOT a requirement in managements report on the effectiveness of internal
controls over financial reporting?
a. A statement of managements responsibility for establishing and maintaining adequate
internal control user satisfaction.
b. A statement that the organizations internal auditors has issued an attestation report on
managements assessment of the companies internal controls.
c. A statement identifying the framework used by management to conduct their assessment
of internal controls.
d. An explicit written conclusion as to the effectiveness of internal control over financial
reporting.
ANS: B
4. Supervision in a computerized environment is more complex than in a manual environment for all of the
following reasons except
a. rapid turnover of systems professionals complicates management's task of assessing the
competence and honesty of prospective employees
b. many systems professionals have direct and unrestricted access to the organization's
programs and data
c. rapid changes in technology make staffing the systems environment challenging
d. systems professionals and their supervisors work at the same physical location
ANS: D
6. Which is the most critical segregation of duties in the centralized computer services function?
a. systems development from data processing
b. data operations from data librarian
c. data preparation from data control
d. data control from data librarian
ANS: A
9. All of the following are control risks associated with the distributed data processing structure except
a. lack of separation of duties
b. system incompatibilities
c. system interdependency
d. lack of documentation standards
ANS: C
10. Which of the following is not an essential feature of a disaster recovery plan?
a. off-site storage of backups
b. computer services function
c. second site backup
d. critical applications identified
ANS: B
11. A second site backup agreement between two or more firms with compatible computer facilities to assist
each other with data processing needs in an emergency is called
a. internally provided backup
b. recovery operations center
c. empty shell
d. mutual aid pact
ANS: D
12. The major disadvantage of an empty shell solution as a second site backup is
a. the host site may be unwilling to disrupt its processing needs to process the critical
applications of the disaster stricken company
b. intense competition for shell resources during a widespread disaster
c. maintenance of excess hardware capacity
d. the control of the shell site is an administrative drain on the company
ANS: B
14. For most companies, which of the following is the least critical application for disaster recovery
purposes?
a. month-end adjustments
b. accounts receivable
c. accounts payable
d. order entry/billing
ANS: A
16. Some companies separate systems analysis from programming/program maintenance. All of the following
are control weaknesses that may occur with this organizational structure except
a. systems documentation is inadequate because of pressures to begin coding a new program
before documenting the current program
b. illegal lines of code are hidden among legitimate code and a fraud is covered up for a long
period of time
c. a new systems analyst has difficulty in understanding the logic of the program
d. inadequate systems documentation is prepared because this provides a sense of job
security to the programmer
ANS: C
17. All of the following are recommended features of a fire protection system for a computer center except
a. clearly marked exits
b. an elaborate water sprinkler system
c. manual fire extinguishers in strategic locations
d. automatic and manual alarms in strategic locations
ANS: B
20. Typically, internal auditors perform all of the following tasks except
a. IT audits
b. evaluation of operational efficiency
c. review of compliance with legal obligations
d. internal auditors perform all of the above tasks
ANS: D
21. The fundamental difference between internal and external auditing is that
a. internal auditors represent the interests of management and external auditors represent
outsiders
b. internal auditors perform IT audits and external auditors perform financial statement audits
c. internal auditors focus on financial statement audits and external auditors focus on
operational audits and financial statement audits
d. external auditors assist internal auditors but internal auditors cannot assist external
auditors
ANS: A
25. When planning the audit, information is gathered by all of the following methods except
a. completing questionnaires
b. interviewing management
c. observing activities
d. confirming accounts receivable
ANS: D
31. All of the following tests of controls will provide evidence about the adequacy of the disaster recovery
plan except
a. inspection of the second site backup
b. analysis of the fire detection system at the primary site
c. review of the critical applications list
d. composition of the disaster recovery team
ANS: B
35. The financial statement of an organization reflects a set of management assertions about the financial
health of the business. All of the following described types of assertions except
a. that all of the assets and equities on the balance sheet exist
b. that all employees are properly trained to carry out their assigned duties
c. that all transactions on the income statement actually occurred
d. that all allocated amounts such as depreciation are calculated on a systematic and rational
basis
ANS: B
MULTIPLE CHOICE
2. Which of the following is considered an unintentional threat to the integrity of the operating system?
a. a hacker gaining access to the system because of a security flaw
b. a hardware flaw that causes the system to crash
c. a virus that formats the hard drive
d. the systems programmer accessing individual user files
ANS: B
3. A software program that replicates itself in areas of idle memory until the system fails is called a
a. Trojan horse
b. worm
c. logic bomb
d. none of the above
ANS: B
4. A software program that allows access to a system without going through the normal logon procedures is
called a
a. logic bomb
b. Trojan horse
c. worm
d. back door
ANS: D
5. All of the following will reduce the exposure to computer viruses except
a. install antivirus software
b. install factory-sealed application software
c. assign and control user passwords
d. install public-domain software from reputable bulletin boards
ANS: D
8. Hackers can disguise their message packets to look as if they came from an authorized user and gain
access to the hosts network using a technique called
a. spoofing.
b. spooling.
c. dual-homed.
d. screening.
ANS: A
12. Which of the following is not a basic database backup and recovery feature?
a. checkpoint
b. backup database
c. transaction log
d. database authority table
ANS: D
13. All of the following are objectives of operating system control except
a. protecting the OS from users
b. protesting users from each other
c. protecting users from themselves
d. protecting the environment from users
ANS: D
14. Passwords are secret codes that users enter to gain access to systems. Security can be compromised by all
of the following except
a. failure to change passwords on a regular basis
b. using obscure passwords unknown to others
c. recording passwords in obvious places
d. selecting passwords that can be easily detected by computer criminals
ANS: B
16. Which control will not reduce the likelihood of data loss due to a line error?
a. echo check
b. encryption
c. vertical parity bit
d. horizontal parity bit
ANS: B
17. Which method will render useless data captured by unauthorized receivers?
a. echo check
b. parity bit
c. public key encryption
d. message sequencing
ANS: C
18. Which method is most likely to detect unauthorized access to the system?
a. message transaction log
b. data encryption standard
c. vertical parity check
d. request-response technique
ANS: A
19. All of the following techniques are used to validate electronic data interchange transactions except
a. value added networks can compare passwords to a valid customer file before message
transmission
b. prior to converting the message, the translation software of the receiving company can
compare the password against a validation file in the firm's database
c. the recipient's application software can validate the password prior to processing
d. the recipient's application software can validate the password after the transaction has been
processed
ANS: D
21. All of the following tests of controls will provide evidence that adequate computer virus control
techniques are in place and functioning except
a. verifying that only authorized software is used on company computers
b. reviewing system maintenance records
c. confirming that antivirus software is in use
d. examining the password policy including a review of the authority table
ANS: B
22. Audit objectives for the database management include all of the following except
a. verifying that the security group monitors and reports on fault tolerance violations
b. confirming that backup procedures are adequate
c. ensuring that authorized users access only those files they need to perform their duties
d. verifying that unauthorized users cannot access data files
ANS: A
23. All of the following tests of controls will provide evidence that access to the data files is limited except
a. inspecting biometric controls
b. reconciling program version numbers
c. comparing job descriptions with access privileges stored in the authority table
d. attempting to retrieve unauthorized data via inference queries
ANS: B
24. Audit objectives for communications controls include all of the following except
a. detection and correction of message loss due to equipment failure
b. prevention and detection of illegal access to communication channels
c. procedures that render intercepted messages useless
d. all of the above
ANS: D
25. When auditors examine and test the call-back feature, they are testing which audit objective?
a. incompatible functions have been segregated
b. application programs are protected from unauthorized access
c. physical security measures are adequate to protect the organization from natural disaster
d. illegal access to the system is prevented and detected
ANS: D
26. In an Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) environment, when the auditor compares the terms of the trading
partner agreement against the access privileges stated in the database authority table, the auditor is testing
which audit objective?
a. all EDI transactions are authorized
b. unauthorized trading partners cannot gain access to database records
c. authorized trading partners have access only to approved data
d. a complete audit trail is maintained
ANS: C
27. Audit objectives in the Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) environment include all of the following except
a. all EDI transactions are authorized
b. unauthorized trading partners cannot gain access to database records
c. a complete audit trail of EDI transactions is maintained
d. backup procedures are in place and functioning properly
ANS: D
28. In determining whether a system is adequately protected from attacks by computer viruses, all of the
following policies are relevant except
a. the policy on the purchase of software only from reputable vendors
b. the policy that all software upgrades are checked for viruses before they are implemented
c. the policy that current versions of antivirus software should be available to all users
d. the policy that permits users to take files home to work on them
ANS: D
32. All of the following are designed to control exposures from subversive threats except
a. firewalls
b. one-time passwords
c. field interrogation
d. data encryption
ANS: C
33. Many techniques exist to reduce the likelihood and effects of data communication hardware failure. One
of these is
a. hardware access procedures
b. antivirus software
c. parity checks
d. data encryption
ANS: C
36. The database attributes that individual users have permission to access are defined in
a. operating system.
b. user manual.
c. database schema.
d. user view.
e. application listing.
ANS: D
37. An integrated group of programs that supports the applications and facilitates their access to specified
resources is called a (an)
a. operating system.
b. database management system.
c. utility system
d. facility system.
e. object system.
ANS: A
Chapter 17IT Controls Part III: Systems Development, Program Changes, and
Application Controls
MULTIPLE CHOICE
5. Which control is not a part of the source program library management system?
a. using passwords to limit access to application programs
b. assigning a test name to all programs undergoing maintenance
c. combining access to the development and maintenance test libraries
d. assigning version numbers to programs to record program modifications
ANS: C
6. Which control ensures that production files cannot be accessed without specific permission?
a. Database Management System
b. Recovery Operations Function
c. Source Program Library Management System
d. Computer Services Function
ANS: C
7. Program testing
a. involves individual modules only, not the full system
b. requires creation of meaningful test data
c. need not be repeated once the system is implemented
d. is primarily concerned with usability
ANS: B
8. The correct purchase order number, 123456, was incorrectly recorded as shown in the solutions. All of
the following are transcription errors except
a. 1234567
b. 12345
c. 124356
d. 123454
ANS: C
10. Which statement is not correct? The goal of batch controls is to ensure that during processing
a. transactions are not omitted
b. transactions are not added
c. transactions are free from clerical errors
d. an audit trail is created
ANS: C
15. Which input control check would detect a payment made to a nonexistent vendor?
a. missing data check
b. numeric/alphabetic check
c. range check
d. validity check
ANS: D
16. The employee entered "40" in the "hours worked per day" field. Which check would detect this
unintentional error?
a. numeric/alphabetic data check
b. sign check
c. limit check
d. missing data check
ANS: C
17. An inventory record indicates that 12 items of a specific product are on hand. A customer purchased two
of the items, but when recording the order, the data entry clerk mistakenly entered 20 items sold. Which
check could detect this error?
a. numeric/alphabetic data checks
b. limit check
c. range check
d. reasonableness check
ANS: B
20. Run-to-run control totals can be used for all of the following except
a. to ensure that all data input is validated
b. to ensure that only transactions of a similar type are being processed
c. to ensure the records are in sequence and are not missing
d. to ensure that no transaction is omitted
ANS: A
21. Methods used to maintain an audit trail in a computerized environment include all of the following except
a. transaction logs
b. Transaction Listings.
c. data encryption
d. log of automatic transactions
ANS: C
22. Risk exposures associated with creating an output file as an intermediate step in the printing process
(spooling) include all of the following actions by a computer criminal except
a. gaining access to the output file and changing critical data values
b. using a remote printer and incurring operating inefficiencies
c. making a copy of the output file and using the copy to produce illegal output reports
d. printing an extra hardcopy of the output file
ANS: B
26. Which test of controls will provide evidence that the system as originally implemented was free from
material errors and free from fraud? Review of the documentation indicates that
a. a cost-benefit analysis was conducted
b. the detailed design was an appropriate solution to the user's problem
c. tests were conducted at the individual module and total system levels prior to
implementation
d. problems detected during the conversion period were corrected in the maintenance phase
ANS: C
28. When the auditor reconciles the program version numbers, which audit objective is being tested?
a. protect applications from unauthorized changes
b. ensure applications are free from error
c. protect production libraries from unauthorized access
d. ensure incompatible functions have been identified and segregated
ANS: A
29. When auditors do not rely on a detailed knowledge of the application's internal logic, they are performing
a. black box tests of program controls
b. white box tests of program controls
c. substantive testing
d. intuitive testing
ANS: A
30. All of the following concepts are associated with the black box approach to auditing computer
applications except
a. the application need not be removed from service and tested directly
b. auditors do not rely on a detailed knowledge of the application's internal logic
c. the auditor reconciles previously produced output results with production input
transactions
d. this approach is used for complex transactions that receive input from many sources
ANS: D
31. Which test is not an example of a white box test?
a. determining the fair value of inventory
b. ensuring that passwords are valid
c. verifying that all pay rates are within a specified range
d. reconciling control totals
ANS: A
32. When analyzing the results of the test data method, the auditor would spend the least amount of time
reviewing
a. the test transactions
b. error reports
c. updated master files
d. output reports
ANS: A
33. All of the following are advantages of the test data technique except
a. auditors need minimal computer expertise to use this method
b. this method causes minimal disruption to the firm's operations
c. the test data is easily compiled
d. the auditor obtains explicit evidence concerning application functions
ANS: C
34. All of the following are disadvantages of the test data technique except
a. the test data technique requires extensive computer expertise on the part of the auditor
b. the auditor cannot be sure that the application being tested is a copy of the current
application used by computer services personnel
c. the auditor cannot be sure that the application being tested is the same application used
throughout the entire year
d. preparation of the test data is time-consuming
ANS: A
35. All of the following statements are true about the integrated test facility (ITF) except
a. production reports are affected by ITF transactions
b. ITF databases contain "dummy" records integrated with legitimate records
c. ITF permits ongoing application auditing
d. ITF does not disrupt operations or require the intervention of computer services personnel
ANS: A
37. Generalized audit software packages perform all of the following tasks except
a. recalculate data fields
b. compare files and identify differences
c. stratify statistical samples
d. analyze results and form opinions
ANS: D