Overview
This unit introduces you to the role of accounting in business and to key financial and management accounting concepts. You will be given a different listed company and are introduced to the actual financial statements of your firm, completing simple analyses of your firm's financial statements using Excel. You will also be supported to develop your skills to learn more effectively and to communicate and collaborate online.
Details
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites
There are no requisites for this unit.
Important note: Students enrolled in a subsequent unit who failed their pre-requisite unit, should drop the subsequent unit before the census date or within 10 working days of Fail grade notification. Students who do not drop the unit in this timeframe cannot later drop the unit without academic and financial liability. See details in the Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework).
Offerings For Term 3 - 2026
Attendance Requirements
All on-campus students are expected to attend scheduled classes - in some units, these classes are identified as a mandatory (pass/fail) component and attendance is compulsory. International students, on a student visa, must maintain a full time study load and meet both attendance and academic progress requirements in each study period (satisfactory attendance for International students is defined as maintaining at least an 80% attendance record).
Recommended Student Time Commitment
Each 6-credit Undergraduate unit at CQUniversity requires an overall time commitment of an average of 12.5 hours of study per week, making a total of 150 hours for the unit.
Class Timetable
Assessment Overview
| Assessment Task | Part Weighting (% of assessment) |
Assessment Security Level | Gen AI Guidance Levels |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. ASSESSMENT 1 (40% of unit ) | |||
| Assessment 1 (Written Assessment) | 100% of 40% | Low | AI-Assisted (Guided Collaboration) |
| 2. ASSESSMENT 2 (60% of unit ) | |||
| Assessment 2 (Written Assessment) | 100% of 60% | Low | AI-Assisted (Guided Collaboration) |
Assessment Grading
This is a graded unit: your overall grade will be calculated from the marks or grades for each assessment task, based on the relative weightings shown in the table above. You must obtain an overall mark for the unit of at least 50%, or an overall grade of 'pass' in order to pass the unit. If any 'pass/fail' tasks are shown in the table above they must also be completed successfully ('pass' grade). You must also meet any minimum mark requirements specified for a particular assessment task, as detailed in the 'assessment task' section (note that in some instances, the minimum mark for a task may be greater than 50%). Consult the University's Grades and Results Policy for more details of interim results and final grades.
All University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
You may wish to view these policies:
- Grades and Results Policy
- Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework)
- Review of Grade Procedure
- Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure
- Academic Progression Policy and Procedure
- Student Refund and Credit Balance Policy and Procedure
- Complaints Policy and Procedure
- Information and Communications Technology Acceptable Use Policy and Procedure
This list is not an exhaustive list of all University policies. The full list of University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
Feedback, Recommendations and Responses
Every unit is reviewed for enhancement each year. At the most recent review, the following staff and student feedback items were identified and recommendations were made.
Feedback from Student feedback
Students suggested some incremental improvements to the Company Spreadsheet template used in the unit to make it more user-friendly.
The UC will make some adjustments to the Company Spreadsheet to assist with its use by students.
Feedback from Student feedback
Some students requested that recordings of the workshops be made available as soon as possible each week after the online classes.
The UC will seek to edit and load video recordings of the workshops by the morning of the day after each week's workshop in Term 1. These recordings for all weeks will then be provided in Terms 2 and 3 at the beginning of term.
- Explain the main types of financial statements
- Discuss the usefulness of accounting information to management
- Use accounting information to analyse the performance of a business
- Use Excel to perform simple manipulation and analysis of accounting-related information
- Develop skills to learn more effectively and better communicate and collaborate online.
N/A
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
| Assessment Tasks | Learning Outcomes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
|
1.
Assessment 1
(40% of unit )
Written Assessment
|
|||||
|
2.
Assessment 2
(60% of unit )
Written Assessment
|
|||||
Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes
| Graduate Attributes | Learning Outcomes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
| 1 - Communication | |||||
| 2 - Problem Solving | |||||
| 3 - Critical Thinking | |||||
| 4 - Information Literacy | |||||
| 5 - Team Work | |||||
| 6 - Information Technology Competence | |||||
| 7 - Cross Cultural Competence | |||||
| 8 - Ethical practice | |||||
| 9 - Social Innovation | |||||
| 10 - First Nations Knowledges | |||||
| 11 - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultures | |||||
Textbooks
There are no required textbooks.
IT Resources
- CQUniversity Student Email
- Internet
- Unit Website (Moodle)
- Word
- Excel
All submissions for this unit must use the referencing style: American Psychological Association 7th Edition (APA 7th edition)
For further information, see the Assessment Tasks.
m.tyler@cqu.edu.au
Week 1
Begin Date: 09 Nov 2026Module/Topic
A Way of Viewing Business/Accounting Rules
Chapter
Study Guide Chapters: Introduction
(You can find the Study Guide in the Unit Introduction tile in Moodle, scroll about half way down until you see the heading Study Guide and Videos, click there and then click on Study Guide Chapters - or Podcasts, if you prefer.)
Events and Submissions/Topic
Ensure you are familiar with the Moodle site.
Find Assessment 1 and read through it.
Find your Company: Companies will be assigned to students by Friday Week 1, 5:00 PM AEST. You can find your company by clicking the Excel spreadsheet under the Assessment tile in Moodle.
Week 2
Begin Date: 16 Nov 2026Module/Topic
A Way of Viewing Business/Accounting Rules
Chapter
Study Guide Chapters: 1,2
Events and Submissions/Topic
Complete your Assessment 1 - Step 1
Online classes begin this week - ensure that you attend! Join the zoom link in the Classes and Recordings tile in Moodle.
Week 3
Begin Date: 23 Nov 2026Module/Topic
Introducing Financial Statements
Chapter
Study Guide Chapter: 3
Events and Submissions/Topic
Complete your Assessment 1 - Step 2 and begin your Step 3
In class this week, we will be covering what annual reports are, the Income Statements and the Balance Sheet. Bring along your questions and company reports.
Week 4
Begin Date: 30 Nov 2026Module/Topic
Introducing Financial Statements
Chapter
Study Guide Chapters: 3 and 4
Events and Submissions/Topic
Complete your Assessment 1 - Steps 3 and 4
In class this week, we will be covering the remainder of the financial statements. Bring along your questions and company reports.
Week 5
Begin Date: 07 Dec 2026Module/Topic
Finalising Assessment 1 and Ratio Analysis
Chapter
Study Guide Chapter: 5
Events and Submissions/Topic
Complete your Assessment 1 - Steps 5 and 6
In class this week, we will be finalising your assessment 1. Bring along your questions and spreadsheets.
We will also be covering Ratio Analysis, which is part of your second assessment.
Week 6
Begin Date: 14 Dec 2026Module/Topic
Understanding Key Cost Relationships
Chapter
Study Guide Chapter: 6
Events and Submissions/Topic
Complete your Assessment 2 - Steps 1 and 2
In class this week, we will be covering ASS2 Steps 1 and 2. Bring along your questions and company documents.
Mid-Term Break
Begin Date: 21 Dec 2026Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Complete your Assessment 2 - Steps 1 and 2
Assessment 1 Due: Mid-Term Break Monday (21 Dec 2026) 11:00 am AEST
Week 7
Begin Date: 04 Jan 2027Module/Topic
Understanding Key Cost Relationships
Chapter
Study Guide Chapter: 6
Events and Submissions/Topic
Complete your Assessment 2 - Step 3
In class this week, we will be covering ASS2 Step 3. Bring along your questions and company documents.
Week 8
Begin Date: 11 Jan 2027Module/Topic
Budgeting
Chapter
Study Guide Chapter: 7
Events and Submissions/Topic
Complete your Assessment 2 - Step 4
In class this week, we will be covering ASS2 Steps 1 and 2. Bring along your questions and company documents.
Week 9
Begin Date: 18 Jan 2027Module/Topic
Capital Expenditure Decisions
Chapter
Study Guide Chapter: 8
Events and Submissions/Topic
Complete your Assessment 2 - Step 5
In class this week, we will be covering ASS2 Step 5. Bring along your questions and company documents.
Week 10
Begin Date: 25 Jan 2027Module/Topic
Revision Week
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Complete your Assessment 2 - Steps 6 and 7
In class this week, we will be finalising your second assessment. Bring along your questions and company documents.
Week 11
Begin Date: 01 Feb 2027Module/Topic
Revision
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Finalise your Assessment 2
In class, we will have a drop in session for finalising your assessment 2.
Week 12
Begin Date: 08 Feb 2027Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Exam Week
Begin Date: 15 Feb 2027Module/Topic
No Exam in this unit
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 12
Begin Date: 07 Feb 2028Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
1. ASSESSMENT 1 ( 40% of unit )
Written Assessment
This assignment is made up of six steps. This assignment will give you the opportunity to explore what your own company does and what your firm’s financial statements may have to tell you about your firm. The key things to achieve in your Assessment 1 is to find your company’s latest annual report and to have a look at it; to get a feel for what your firm does; and to see what you can understand about your firm from your first look at its financial statements.
Mid-Term Break Monday (21 Dec 2026) 11:00 am AEST
Please submit through the Assessment link in Moodle
Week 8 Monday (11 Jan 2027)
Individual Feedback will be provided in Moodle
Your Assessment 1 will be marked as follows:
- Explain the main types of financial statements
- Use accounting information to analyse the performance of a business
- Use Excel to perform simple manipulation and analysis of accounting-related information
- Develop skills to learn more effectively and better communicate and collaborate online.
2. ASSESSMENT 2 ( 60% of unit )
Written Assessment
The second assignment is your major assignment for this unit. It is made up of 7 steps. Step 1 involves you writing down some of your ideas, reflections, and reactions to reading Chapter 6 ‘Understanding Key Cost Relationships’ in the Study Guide. Step 2 involves you classifying your firm’s financial statements into Operating and Financial items. This will help you understand the items in your firm’s financial statements. Step 3 involves you identifying three products or services of your firm and estimating/guessing their selling price and variable cost. You will also comment on the contribution margins you calculate as well as identify constraints and comment on them. Step 4 involves you calculating some ratios for your firm and assessing its business performance. Step 5 involves you developing a capital investment decision for your firm and completing a simple analysis of this decision using Payback Period, NPV and IRR. It also involves you providing a brief reflection on your experience of learning in our unit. Step 6 involves you writing down some of your ideas, reflections, and reactions to reading Chapter 8 ‘We Have Got to Make Some Decisions’ in the Study Guide. Step 7 involves you providing (and receiving) feedback to three other students in our unit on their draft ASS#2. If you wish, these can be the same students you provided feedback to on their draft ASS#1.
Week 12 Monday (8 Feb 2027) 11:00 am AEST
Submission is via the link in Moodle
Exam Week Friday (19 Feb 2027)
Individual marks provided back in Moodle
Your second assessment will be marked as follows:
- Discuss the usefulness of accounting information to management
- Use accounting information to analyse the performance of a business
- Use Excel to perform simple manipulation and analysis of accounting-related information
- Develop skills to learn more effectively and better communicate and collaborate online.
As a CQUniversity student you are expected to act honestly in all aspects of your academic work.
Any assessable work undertaken or submitted for review or assessment must be your own work. Assessable work is any type of work you do to meet the assessment requirements in the unit, including draft work submitted for review and feedback and final work to be assessed.
When you use the ideas, words or data of others in your assessment, you must thoroughly and clearly acknowledge the source of this information by using the correct referencing style for your unit. Using others’ work without proper acknowledgement may be considered a form of intellectual dishonesty.
Participating honestly, respectfully, responsibly, and fairly in your university study ensures the CQUniversity qualification you earn will be valued as a true indication of your individual academic achievement and will continue to receive the respect and recognition it deserves.
As a student, you are responsible for reading and following CQUniversity’s policies, including the Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure. This policy sets out CQUniversity’s expectations of you to act with integrity, examples of academic integrity breaches to avoid, the processes used to address alleged breaches of academic integrity, and potential penalties.
What is a breach of academic integrity?
A breach of academic integrity includes but is not limited to plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, cheating, contract cheating, and academic misconduct. The Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure defines what these terms mean and gives examples.
Why is academic integrity important?
A breach of academic integrity may result in one or more penalties, including suspension or even expulsion from the University. It can also have negative implications for student visas and future enrolment at CQUniversity or elsewhere. Students who engage in contract cheating also risk being blackmailed by contract cheating services.
Where can I get assistance?
For academic advice and guidance, the Academic Learning Centre (ALC) can support you in becoming confident in completing assessments with integrity and of high standard.
What can you do to act with integrity?
