Prepared by D.

El-Hoss

IGCSE
Accounting
Ratios
www.igcseaccounts.com

All questions are the copyright of Cambridge International Examination Board.

1
 1 Joda Limited provided the following information at 31 January 2015.
$
Inventory 18 150
Bank overdraft 7 150
Trade receivables 15 300
Trade payables 10 960
Petty cash 120

REQUIRED
(a) Calculate the current ratio. The calculation should be correct to two decimal places.

Answer: (18 150 + 15 300 + 120) : (10 960 + 7 150)

= 33 570 : 18 110 (whole formula)
= 1.85 : 1

(b) Comment on your answer to (d).

Answer: Current assets almost twice the current liabilities

Can meet the current liabilities from the current assets
Slightly lower than the “benchmark” of 2:1
Appears to be adequate
Comments to be based on answer to (a)

(c) Calculate the quick ratio. The calculation should be correct to two decimal places.

Answer: (15 300 + 120) : (10 960 + 7 150)

= 15 420 : 18 110 (whole formula)
= 0.85: 1

(d) Suggest one reason why the quick ratio is lower than it was in the previous financial years.

2
Answer: Increase in bank overdraft/change from debit to credit bank balance Purchase of non-current
assets
Repayment of long-term loan
Increase in inventory
Increase in dividends paid

3
Answer:

4
Answer: Ratio has fallen
Current assets only just cover the current liabilities
May have problems in meeting debts when they fall due Is below the generally-accepted
“benchmark”
Or other suitable comments based on answer to (b)

Answer: Change from positive bank balance to overdraft/increase in overdraft/reduction in bank

balance
Increased expenditure on inventory/increase in inventory
Purchase of non-current assets
Repayment of long-term loan Increase in current liabilities
Decrease in trade receivables

Answer: Increase the profit

Reduce the capital employed

REQUIRED

(a) Explain why the partners calculated the quick (acid test) ratio as well as the current ratio.

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

5
Answer: Inventory is not included in the calculation of the quick ratio.
Either The quick ratio shows whether the business would have any surplus liquid funds if all
the current liabilities were paid immediately from the liquid assets.
OR Shows the ability of the business to pay immediate / current liabilities from immediate/
liquid assets.

(b) Suggest two reasons for the change in the current ratio.

1 ................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

2 ................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

Answer: Change from positive bank balance to overdraft

Increased level of inventory
Purchases of non-current assets
Repayment of long-term loan
Increase in current liabilities/increase in trade payables/increase in bank overdraft
Decrease in trade receivables
Increase in drawings

The partners later discovered that no entry had been made for a cheque received from a credit
customer for $1800.

REQUIRED

(c) Calculate the current ratio after this transaction had been recorded in the accounting records.
The calculation should be correct to two decimal places.

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

Answer: (19 400 + 15 100) : (17 350 + 2300 + 100)

34 500 : 19 750
1.75 : 1

6
 (d) Suggest two possible problems the partners may encounter if the working capital is
inadequate.

1 ................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

2 ................................................................................................................................................

...............................................................................................................................................

Answer: Cannot meet debts when they fall due

Cannot take advantage of cash discounts
Cannot take advantage of business opportunities as they arise
May have difficulty in obtaining further supplies on credit/cannot replace inventory
Cannot meet day-to-day expenses
May not be able to take cash drawings

(e) Suggest two ways in which the partners could increase the working capital.

1 ................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

2 ................................................................................................................................................

...............................................................................................................................................

Answer: Introduce more cash as capital/admit another partner

Reduce drawings
Obtain long-term loan
Sell surplus non-current assets
Increase profit

REQUIRED

(a) Suggest two reasons for the change in the current ratio.

1 ................................................................................................................................................

7
 ...................................................................................................................................................

2 ................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................

Answer: Decrease in inventory

Decrease in bank/cash balance or increase in overdraft
Increase in trade payables
Increase in short term loans
Increase in other payables
Decrease in other receivables
Purchase of non-current assets
Increase in drawings
Repayment of long term liabilities

(b) Suggest two problems Shiromi may encounter because her working capital is inadequate.

1 ................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

2 ................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

Answer: May not be able to pay debts when they fall due
May not be able to take advantage of cash discounts
May not be able to take advantage of business opportunities as they arise
May have difficulty in obtaining further supplies
May not be able to take drawings
May not have sufficient funds to pay for day to day expenses

5 The accountant calculated the following ratios for Vinita’s business on 31 December 2016.

Current ratio 3.62 : 1

Quick ratio 0.59 : 1

REQUIRED

(a) Comment on Vinita’s current ratio.

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

8
Answer: The current assets are more than three times the current liabilities/it is much higher than the
“benchmark” of 2 : 1
The current liabilities can easily be paid from the current assets
Funds are not being used very effectively

(b) Explain why the quick ratio is a better measure of liquidity than the current ratio.

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

Answer: Inventory is excluded from the calculation of the quick ratio.

Inventory is not regarded as a liquid asset.
The ratio shows whether the business would have surplus liquid funds if the current liabilities
were paid immediately from the liquid assets.

(c) Suggest two actions Vinita could take to increase her quick ratio.

1 ................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

2 ................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

Answer: Introduce more cash as capital

Obtain long term loans
Sell surplus non-current assets
Reduce drawings
Reduce inventory level

6 Tyler had the following assets and liabilities on 31 July 2017.

Tyler was concerned about his working capital position.

9
 REQUIRED

(a) State how working capital is calculated.

...............................................................................................................................................

Answer: Current assets minus current liabilities

(b) Calculate (to two decimal places) the current ratio on 31 July 2017.

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................

Answer: 5600 : 4400 = 1.27 : 1

(c) Name one other ratio which would help Tyler to assess his liquidity position.

..................................................................................................................................................

Answer: Quick ratio/acid test/liquid ratio

Trade receivables collection period
Trade payables payment period
(Rate of) inventory turnover

(d) Explain two reasons why Tyler is right to be concerned about his working capital position.

1 ................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

2 ................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

Answer: He may not be able to meet liabilities as they fall due.

He may not be able to pay day to day running expenses.
He may not be able to take advantage of discounts.
He has a lot of cash tied up in inventory.
10
 Inventory makes up more than half of his current assets.
His trade payables are greater than his trade receivables.
He has a bank overdraft.

7 Hanif’s financial year ends on 31 July. He provided the following information on 31 July 2017.

REQUIRED

(a) Calculate the current ratio. The calculation should be correct to two decimal places.

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...............................................................................................................................................…

Answer: (87 500 + 56 200 + 100) : (81 500 + 17 100)

= 143 800 : 98 600 whole formula
= 1.46 : 1

(b) Comment on your answer to (a).

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................

Answer: Current assets only approximately 1½ times the current liabilities

Lower than the “benchmark” of 2:1
Can meet the current liabilities from the current assets
Do not have a lot of surplus current assets available after paying current
liabilities
Seems to be a little inadequate (depending on the type of business)

(c) Calculate the quick ratio. The calculation should be correct to two decimal places.

...................................................................................................................................................
11
 ...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................

Answer: (56 200 + 100) : (81 500 + 17 100)

= 56 300 : 98 600 whole formula
= 0.57 : 1

(d) Suggest two reasons why the quick ratio is lower than it was at the end of the previous
financial year.

1 ................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

2 ................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................

Answer: Increased expenditure on inventory

Increase in bank overdraft/change from positive bank balance to overdraft
Purchase of non-current assets
Repayment of long-term loan
Increase in current liabilities/increase in trade payables
Decrease in trade receivables
Decrease in cash
Increase in drawings

(e) Suggest two problems Hanif may encounter if his working capital is inadequate.

1 ................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

2 ................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................

Answer: Unable to pay debts when they fall due

Unable to take advantage of cash discounts
Unable to take advantage of business opportunities when they arise
May have difficulty in obtaining further supplies
May not be able to take drawings

12
 (f) Complete the table by placing a tick ( ) in the correct column to show how each of the
following transactions would affect the current ratio and the quick ratio.

The first one has been completed as an example.

current ratio quick ratio

increase decrease no effect increase decrease no effect

introduce $20 000

 
additional capital

obtain short-term
bank loan $10 000

sell half the

inventory at cost
price

Answer:

8 Nikita’s brother, Sunil, provided the following information about his business at 31 January 2018.

13
 REQUIRED

(a) State what is measured by the current ratio.

...................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................

Answer: It measures the excess of current assets over current liabilities /measures liquidity.
It measures the margin of safety between current assets and current liabilities.

(b) Calculate the current ratio for Sunil’s business at 31 January 2018. The calculation should be
correct to two decimal places.

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................

Answer: (6800 + 12 500 +1010) /15 200 = 1.34:1

(c) Suggest two reasons why Nikita cannot compare her current ratio with that of Sunil.

1 ................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

2 ................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................

Answer: different accounting policies

different size of business
different type of business
different locations
different capital structures
different type of goods sold
non-monetary items
other reasonable answer

(d) Suggest two ways in which Nikita might improve her working capital position.

1 ................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

2 ................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................

14
Answer: Introduce additional capital
Sell surplus non-current assets
Reduce cash drawings
Obtain long-term loan

The current ratio of CD Limited on 30 April 2018 was 1.55 : 1.

The company is anxious to increase this ratio and several proposals are being considered.

REQUIRED

(a) State the formula for the calculation of the current ratio.

...............................................................................................................................................

Answer: Current assets : current liabilities

(b)
current ratio of each proposal.

The first one has been completed as an example. See next page.

15
 Increase Decrease No effect

Sell surplus non-current assets for


cash

Sell goods on cash terms only

Obtain a further long-term loan

Buy additional non-current assets on

credit rather than paying immediately

Persuade trade receivables to pay

half of their debts immediately in
return for 3% cash discount

Pay trade payables after 2 months

instead of after 1 month

Answer:

10 Aretta opened a clothes store on 1 April 2018.

She invested $12 800 as capital. Her father gave her a loan of $7200, repayable on 1 October
2018. Interest of 5% per annum was to be paid on the loan at the end of each month.

The credit side of Aretta’s cash book for April 2018 was as follows.

$
April 1 Shop fixtures and fittings 9 500
Credit suppliers 15 000
Rent of premises for 6 months 2 400
Insurance for 12 months 3 600
April 30 Operating expenses 980
16
 Wages 1 900
Drawings 1 500

Additional information

1 All purchases were made on credit terms and all sales were made for cash.

2 Aretta’s gross profit margin was 25%.

3 No record was made of cash sales.

4 Aretta decided to depreciate the shop fixtures and fittings at 12% per annum using the
straight line (equal instalment) method.

5 On 30 April 2018 inventory was valued at $4080 and $810 was owed to credit suppliers.

On 30 April 2018 Aretta was concerned that her quick (acid test) ratio was very low. She
considered six proposals to improve the ratio.

REQUIRED

(a) State the formula for the calculation of the quick (acid test) ratio.

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

Answer: Current assets – inventory : current liabilities

(b) Complete the following table by placing a tick (3) in the correct column to indicate the effect
of each proposal on Aretta’s quick (acid test) ratio.

The first one has been completed as an example. See next page.

17
 effect on quick ratio

proposal
increase decrease no effect

1 purchase a motor vehicle on credit 3

pay credit suppliers early to receive cash

2
discount

obtain a bank overdraft and repay the loan

3
immediately

4 arrange for the loan to be extended to 2 years

5 sell on credit terms rather than on cash terms

6 reduce inventory by selling half at cost price

Answer:

18
 (c) State which proposal would affect the quick (acid test) ratio but not affect the current ratio.
Explain the reason for your answer.

Proposal number .............................

Reason .....................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

Answer: Proposal number 6

Current Ratio
Total of current assets remains unchanged
OR inventory decreases and cash/bank increases by same amount

Quick (acid test) Ratio

Total of current assets excluding inventory increases
OR Inventory is excluded from the calculation but cash/bank increases

11 Annie is a wholesaler of ladies’ clothing, selling to retail stores on credit terms. She provided the
following information at the end of her second year of trading on 31 December 2015.

Annie decided to compare her results with those of her two brothers, Mark and Tony, who formed
a partnership six years ago to operate a wholesale food business.

REQUIRED

(a) Complete the table on the opposite page to show the ratios for Annie’s business for the year
ended 31 December 2015.

You may use the space below for your workings. See next page.

19
Workings

20
Answer:

(b) Explain one reason for the difference between the percentages of gross profit to revenue of
Annie and her brothers.

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................

Answer: Different type of goods

EITHER
Food has a lower gross profit margin than clothing
OR The food store is cutting prices to sell more goods

(c) Comment on the possible effects of Annie increasing the selling price of her goods.

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................
21
Answer: Total revenue from sales may increase so profit may increase
Customers may look for cheaper suppliers, so profits may actually fall

(d) State whose business had better control over its expenses. Give a reason for your answer.

Business ...............................................................

Reason .....................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................

Answer: Mark and Tony

Annie’s expenses/revenue is 14.25%: Mark and Tony’s ratio is 5.15%

(e) Explain one reason for the difference in the rate of inventory turnover.

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................

Answer: Different type of goods

EITHER Food sells more quickly than clothing
OR Food is in greater demand than clothing
OR Food store will probably have a lower value of inventory
OR Food is cheaper than clothing
Annie has a bank overdraft but believes that her current ratio could be improved. She is
considering four courses of action.

REQUIRED

(f) Complete the following table by placing a tick (✓) in the correct column to show how each of
the courses of action would affect Annie’s current ratio.

22
Answer:

12

Answer: B. 1 and 4

13 Malorie provided the following information.

23
 REQUIRED

Calculate:

(i) Malorie’s current ratio at 30 June 2015 (to one decimal place)

...........................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................

..........................................................................................................................................

Answer: 135 480 9.51times

14250

(ii) Malorie’s inventory at 30 June 2016

...........................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................

..........................................................................................................................................

Answer: [(1300 + 700) × 1.2] – 1400 = 1000

14 Joey is a trader. His financial year ends on 30 September. He provided the following information
for the year ended 30 September 2016.

24
 You may use the space below for your workings.

Answer:

25