ACCA的考试难度怎么样？

正确答案：
(ii) The summary analysis in (a)(i) shows that using overall points gained, Michaelangelotown has achieved the best
performance with 12 points. Donatellotown and Leonardotown have achieved a reasonable level of performance with
eight points each. Raphaeltown has under performed, however, gaining only four out of the available 12 points.
Michaelangelotown is the only depot to have achieved both an increase in revenue over budget and an increased
profit:revenue percentage.
In the customer care and service delivery statistics, Michaelangelotown has achieved all six of the target standards,
Donatellotown four; Leonardotown three. The Raphaeltown statistic of achieving only one out of six targets indicates the
need for investigation.
With regard to the credit control and administrative efficiency statistics, Leonardotown and Michaelangelotown achieved
all four standards and Donatellotown achieved three of the four standards. Once again, Raphaeltown is the ‘poor
performer’ achieving only two of the four standards.

正确答案：
(c) The benefits of an activity-based system as the basis for product cost/profit estimation may not be straightforward. A number
of problems may be identified.
The selection of relevant activities and cost drivers may be complicated where there are many activities and cost drivers in
complex business situations.
There may be difficulty in the collection of data to enable accurate cost driver rates to be calculated. This is also likely to
require an extensive data collection and analysis system.
The problem of ‘cost driver denominator level’ may also prove difficult. This is similar to the problem in a traditional volume
related system. This is linked to the problem of fixed/variable cost analysis. For example the cost per batch may be fixed. Its
impact may be reduced, however, where the batch size can be increased without a proportionate increase in cost.
The achievement of the required level of management skill and commitment to change may also detract from the
implementation of the new system. Management may feel that the activity based approach contains too many assumptions
and estimates about activities and cost drivers. There may be doubt as to the degree of increased accuracy which it provides.
(alternative relevant examples and discussion would be acceptable)

正确答案：
(c) The external reporting requirements (from the Sarbanes-Oxley section 404) being ‘too ambitious’ for small and medium
companies
There are several arguments to support Professor Leroi’s remark.
Fewer spare resources to carry out internal control. SMEs tend to operate with lower levels of spare resource than larger
businesses and conducting internal reviews would be more of a challenge for them.
The extra attestation fee (over and above normal audit fee) for the attestation of the internal control report could be a constraint
for many SMEs.
Lack of expertise from within existing employees (to internally audit/police as well as carry out internal activities) would be a
likely constraint.
SMEs will have fewer activities and less complexity, hence less need for shareholders to require the information (less to go
wrong).

正确答案：
(b) Franchising is typically seen as a quick and cost effective way of growing the business but Ramon should be aware of both
the advantages and disadvantages of using it as the preferred method of growth. Franchised chains are argued to benefit from
the sort of brand recognition and economies of scale not enjoyed by independent owner/managers. When combined with the
high levels of motivation normally associated with owner/managed businesses, franchises can be argued to get the best of
both worlds.
Franchising is defined as ‘a contractual agreement between two legally independent companies whereby the franchisor grants
the right to the franchisee to sell the franchisor’s product or do business under its trademarks in a given location for a specified
period of time. In return, the franchisee agrees to pay the franchisor a combination of fees, usually including an up-front
franchise fee, royalties calculated as a percentage of unit revenues, and an advertising conbribution that is also usually a
percentage of unit sales.’
Ramon is considering a type of franchising called ‘business-format franchising’, where the franchisor sells a way of doing
business to its franchisees. Business-format franchising is a model frequently found in the fast food and restaurant industry,
hotels and motels, construction and maintenance, and non-food retailing. Often these franchises are labour intensive and
relatively small-scale operations.
Franchising is seen as a safer alternative to growing the business organically, so while this may be true of well established
global franchises, failure rates among franchised small businesses were greater than those of independent businesses (in one
US study a 34·7% failure rate for franchises as opposed to 28·0% for independents over a six or seven year period). Often
it is the failure of the franchisor that brings down its franchisees. Failure stems from the franchisee not only having to rely on
their own skills and enthusiasm but also the capacity of the franchisor and other franchisees to make the overall operation
work.
The advantages to the franchisee are through gaining access to a well-regarded brand name that will generate a higher level
of demand and use of a tried and tested business model that should reduce the franchisee’s operating costs. Both of these
benefits stem from being a member of a well-established franchised system. Yet La Familia Amable along with many other
franchises will be new and small. These smaller franchises tend to be regional in scope, and fairly unknown outside their
regional market. This has a significant effect on what the franchisees can expect to gain from their franchisors and their
prospects of success. Both parties need to carefully assess the strengths and weaknesses of the system. Companies growing
via franchises need to take the time to understand their business model thoroughly and determine how franchising fits with
their long-term strategy. Care must be taken with the franchise agreement that creates a genuine partnership with the rightbalance between freedom and control over the franchisees.