Syllabus aims

The aims of the Cambridge IGCSE Accounting syllabus are to enable students to develop:

• knowledge and understanding of the principles and purposes of accounting for individuals, businesses, non-trading organisations and society as a whole
• an understanding of accounting principles, policies, techniques, procedures and terminology
• improved skills of numeracy, literacy, communication, enquiry, presentation and interpretation
• improved accuracy, orderliness and the ability to think logically
• an excellent foundation for advanced study.

Syllabus content at a glance

1 The fundamentals of accounting

1.1 The purpose of accounting

• understand and explain the difference between book-keeping and accounting
• state the purposes of measuring business profit and loss
• explain the role of accounting in providing information for monitoring progress and decision-making.

1.2 The accounting equation

• explain the meaning of assets, liabilities and owner’s equity
• explain and apply the accounting equation.

2 Sources and recording of data

2.1 The double entry system of book-keeping

• outline the double entry system of book-keeping
• process accounting data using the double entry system
• prepare ledger accounts
• post transactions to the ledger accounts
• balance ledger accounts as required and make transfers to financial statements
• interpret ledger accounts and their balances
• recognise the division of the ledger into the sales ledger, the purchases ledger and the nominal (general) ledger.

Candidates do not need to explain or use folio columns. Candidates do not need to explain or use three-column running-balance accounts.

2.2 Business documents

• recognise and understand the following business documents: invoice, debit note, credit note, statement of account, cheque, receipt
• complete pro-forma business documents
• understand the use of business documents as sources of information: invoice, credit note, cheque counterfoil, paying-in slip, receipt, bank statement.

Accounting procedures

• Capital and revenue expenditure and receipts
• Accounting for depreciation and disposal of non-current assets
• Other payables and other receivables
• Bad debts and provision for doubtful debts
• Valuation of inventory

Principles of financial statements

• Income statements
• Statements of financial position

Preparation of financial statements

• Sole traders
• Partnerships
• Limited liability companies
• Clubs and societies
• Manufacturing accounts
• Incomplete records

Analysis and interpretation

• Summary of commonly used ratios
• Interpretation of accounting ratios
• Inter-firm comparison
• Interested parties
• Limitations of accounting statements

Accounting principles and policies

• Accounting principles
• Accounting policies

Assessment at a glance

Syllabus Accounting (Code 0452)

You can get more information about IGCSE Accounting by visitingCambridge Assessent website.

For your convenience, here are online versions of the syllabuses shown from the CIE website via the Google Docs viewer (pick the one that relates to the year that you will sit your IGCSE exam):

Download 2023-25 Syllabus

Past Exam Papers

Past Papers (IGCSE Accounting Code 0452)

We cannot provide past papers for you through this site since CIE owns the copyright to these documents.
However, some past exam papers (theory and practical) along with mark schemes can be downloaded from the CIE open site.
At the moment the following papers and mark schemes are available from the CIE website (clicking a link will open the document up from the CIE website in an online Google Docs viewer):

• June 2014 Question Paper 11
• June 2014 Mark scheme 11 
• June 2014 Question Paper 21 
• June 2014 Mark scheme 21 
• June 2016 Question Paper 11
• June 2016 Mark Scheme Paper 11
• June 2016 Question Paper 21
• June 2016 Mark Scheme