Cost Accounting Variance Formulas

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CPA Business Environment and Concepts (BEC) › Cost Accounting Variance Formulas

Questions 1 - 6
1

The differences between standard hours at standard wage rates and actual hours at standard wage rates is referred to as which of the following types of variances

Direct labor spending

Indirect labor spending

Labor rate

Labor usage

Explanation

The difference between standard hours at standard wage rates and actual hours at standard rates is the labor usage/efficiency variance.

2

Which of the following types of variances would a purchasing manager most likely influence?

Direct labor rate

Direct materials quantity

Direct labor efficiency

Direct materials price

Explanation

The direct materials price variance could be used to monitor purchasing manager performance.

3

Which of the following standard costing variances would be least controllable by a production supervisor?

Overhead volume

Labor efficiency

Overhead efficiency

Material usage

Explanation

The overhead volume variance is a function of the budgeted amount of overhead based on standard hours. The production supervisor has little control over established standard and budgeted amounts.

4

The only sales variance listed below that does not use contribution margin to compute results is:

Market size variance

Sales price variance

Sales volume variance

Market share variance

Explanation

The sales price variance does not use contribution margin.

5

The production volume variance is due to:

Efficient or inefficient use of variable overhead

A significant shift in the mix and yield of direct labor relative to the static budget

Difference from the planned level of the base used for overhead allocation and the actual level achieved

\]Inefficient or efficient use of direct labor hours

Explanation

The production volume variance is due to the difference from the planned level of the based used for overhead allocation and the actual level achieved.

6

The cost of goods manufactured would generally not include which of the following?

Selling costs

Direct labor

Direct materials

Overhead

Explanation

Selling costs are not relevant for the goods a firm manufactures, rather this would be relevant for the cost of goods sold.

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