Conceptual Framework Notes
Conceptual Framework Notes
This technical article has been based on a previous version of the Paper F7 exam
that did not use multiple-choice questions – to confirm the format of the Paper F7
exam from December 2014 onwards, please access the specimen exam (see
'Related links'). Despite this, it is still considered to be useful to students and you
are encouraged to read it.
This topic forms most of Section A (and has an influence on Section B) of the syllabus
for Paper F7, Financial Reporting. A conceptual framework is important to the
understanding of the many principles and concepts that underpin International Financial
Reporting Standards (IFRS) and is an often-neglected part of candidates’ studies.
Questions from these areas regularly appear in Paper F7 exams – usually as Question
4 – and I often comment in my examiner’s report that they are the least well-answered
question in the exam paper; the questions also have a high incidence of candidates not
attempting them at all.
This article is intended to illustrate the relevance and importance of this topic.
Conceptual frameworks can apply to many disciplines, but when specific ally related to
financial reporting, a conceptual framework can be seen as a statement of generally
accepted accounting principles (GAAP) that form a frame of reference for the evaluation
of existing practices and the development of new ones. As the purpose of financial
reporting is to provide useful information as a basis for economic decision making, a
conceptual framework will form a theoretical basis for determining how transactions
should be measured (historical value or current value) and reported – ie how they are
presented or communicated to users.
It could be argued that the lack of a conceptual framework led to a proliferation of ‘rules-
based’ accounting systems whose main objective is that the treatment of all accounting
transactions should be dealt with by detailed specific rules or requirements. Such a
system is very prescriptive and inflexible, but has the attraction of financial statements
being more comparable and consistent.
The Framework is also of value to auditors, and the users of financial statements, and
more generally help interested parties to understand the IASB’s approach to the
formulation of an accounting standard.
The development of t he Framework over the years has led to the IASB producing a
body of world-class standards that have the following advantages for those companies
that adopt them:
IFRS are widely accepted as a set of high-quality and transparent global
standards that are in tended to achieve consistency and comparability across the world.
They have been produced in cooperation with other internationally renowned
standard setters, with the aspiration of achieving consensus and global convergence.
Companies that use IFRS and have their financial statements audited in
accordance with International Standards on Auditing (ISA) will have an enhanced status
and reputation.
The International Organisation of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) recognise
IFRS for listing purposes – thus, companies that use IFRS need produce only one set of
financial statements for any securities listing for countries that are members of IOSCO.
This makes it easier and cheaper to raise finance in international markets.
Companies that own foreign subsidiaries will find the process of consolidation
simplified if all their subsidiaries use IFRS.
Companies that use IFRS will find their results are more easily compared with
those of other companies that use IFRS. This should obviate the need for any
reconciliation from local GAAP to IFRS when analysts assess comparative
performance.
It is not the purpose of this article to go through the detailed content of the Framework;
this is well documented in many text books.
At this point I would stress that it is important t o think about what the content of the
Framework really means; it is not enough merely to rote learn the principles/definitions.
This is because an understanding and application of these topics will be tested in exam
questions and it is on these aspects that candidates perform rather poorly.
Required
Briefly explain the meaning of each of the above concepts/assumptions.
(5 marks)
(b) For most entities, applying the appropriate concepts/assumptions in for inventories is
an important element in preparing their financial statements.
Required
Illustrate with an example how each of the concepts/assumptions in (a) may be applied
to accounting for inventory.
(10 marks)
(15 marks)
Observations
This question illustrates the progression of the topic from Paper F3 to F7. Part (a) is not
much more than expected knowledge from F3, however Part (b) progresses this
knowledge. It requires the application of each of the concepts, not to just any situation,
but specifically to inventory thus illustrating how a single transaction (inventory in this
case) can be subject to many different accounting concepts.
Required
Explain why it is important that financial statements should reflect the substance of the
underlying transactions and describe the features that may indicate that the substance
of a transaction may be different from its legal form.
Observations
Part (a) is based on the important topic of substance over form. Note the question does
not ask for a definition of the concept (this would be more for Paper F3); instead it asks
why the concept is important and w hat features may indicate that the substance of a
transaction may be different to its legal form. In other words, how do we identify such
transactions?
Most answers to this question merely gave a definition of substance and an example
(inevitably leasing) of its use in financial statements.
Part (b) consisted of a numerical example related to a sale and re-purchase agreement
to illustrate the difference that the application of substance has on financial statements
(compared to the legal form).
Required
By the use of specific examples, provide an explanation to your assistant of how IFRS
presentation and disclosure requirement s can assist the predictive role of historically
prepared financial statements.
(6 marks)
Observations
Again Part (a) is themed on the Framework: the important characteristic of relevance.
This is such an import characteristic that the Framework says (implicitly) that if
information is not relevant, it is of no use. This question focuses on a particular aspect
of relevance; that of predictability. Predictability recognises that users of financial
statements are very interested the future performance of an entity. The core of this
question was about how historical information can be presented, such that it enhances
the predictive value of financial statements.
From memory I would say that this (section) question had the highest number of
candidates that did not give any answer; and of those that did, very few scored more
than half of the available marks.
Part (a) was followed by a section on continuing and discontinued operations, and a
calculation of diluted earnings per share. If these topics had been mentioned in Part (a)
alone, it would have gained two of the six marks available.
Conclusion
Simply look out for more of this type of question – it is an important area and should not
be neglected.