Interview Questions for AAT3 Apprentice

[Berics Accounting]

Hi All

Does anybody have any suggestions for interview questions, (to test competency & understanding,) for apprentices just starting out on level 3 AAT. I have a few in mind, would be good to hear other opinions.

Thanks

Jon

 

[Mike Conroy]

What i normally do is produce a profit and loss and balance sheet with some obvious errors and ask them to point them out.

 

[Fred_the_frog]

Hi All

Does anybody have any suggestions for interview questions, (to test competency & understanding,) for apprentices just starting out on level 3 AAT. I have a few in mind, would be good to hear other opinions.

Thanks

Jon

I have just completed level 3 AAT as an apprentice. Are your apprentices new to accountancy (did they study level 2)?

 

[Berics Accounting]

This is my concern. They have been accepted onto level 3 by the training providor however, none have done level 2, rather an intensive 4 day course. I appreciate its 'on the job' training however, it would be good to have an idea of their basic understandings

 

[Mike Conroy]

1. a few basic double entry questions (level 2)
2 the balance sheet and its purpose
3. the profit and loss a/c
4 bank rec
5 casboook
that sort of thing

 

[Fred_the_frog]

This is my concern. They have been accepted onto level 3 by the training providor however, none have done level 2, rather an intensive 4 day course. I appreciate its 'on the job' training however, it would be good to have an idea of their basic understandings

If they work in an accountancy practice then they'll have no problem starting at level 3. I skipped level 2 and found level 3 on the easy side.

When I started I did a basic bookkeeping course at work (took about a week) and it just taught me the basics of double entry, what a TB was, what T accounts were etc. Then I moved on to jobs. (Kinda like that intense 4 day course I guess)

I had to do a bit of revision, but pretty much everything we were taught in the first module (accounts prep 1) was what I had learnt at work (prepayments, accruals, balance sheets, P&Ls etc).

For your interview questions, I think you need to find out how good the people are academically. I had a short maths test (simple maths) which I think was a good idea. How about 10-15 questions with 20 mins or so to do them. Give them a calculator too.

Find out their grades. You want good grades- likelihood is if they didn't get good grades at school / college, what's going to motivate them to get good grades now?

I would avoid asking accountancy questions - they don't know anything yet so don't test them on it! That's why they are starting an apprenticeship.

Maybe if you can, get a little informal chat going about something. They'll relax and you can see what their personality is like (but be careful how you do it- I'd be a bit confused if you asked me how my summer was in the middle of an interview!)

You could also ask what they learnt on the 4 day course. See how enthusiastic they seem about it.

 

[Mike Conroy]

If they can jump in at level 3 indeed they should be able to answer some basic Accounting questions, otherwise they are going to struggle. At the very least they should understand double entry and the trial balance.

 

[Fred_the_frog]

If they can jump in at level 3 indeed they should be able to answer some basic Accounting questions, otherwise they are going to struggle. At the very least they should understand double entry and the trial balance.

I didn't. All I knew is what a profit and loss was, what a balance sheet was, that the balance sheet should balance and that's about it. If I was given a list of balances then I would just about have been able to put them into a P&L and balance sheet, but it would take me ages to balance it. So that's kind of a trial balance, but if you gave me a list of numbers and told me to make a trial balance, I'd be stumped. I didn't even know how a balance sheet would balance!

 

[Mike Conroy]

that is the exam at level 2. double entry, Accounts prep upto a basic trial balance and how to deal with a suspense Account plus balance sheet items and P&L items. If they cannot do this how on earth are they going to start at level 3. You would be better off getting a kid half way through level 2 and taking them on as your apprentice.

 

[Fred_the_frog]

that is the exam at level 2. double entry, Accounts prep upto a basic trial balance and how to deal with a suspense Account plus balance sheet items and P&L items. If they cannot do this how on earth are they going to start at level 3. You would be better off getting a kid half way through level 2 and taking them on as your apprentice.

That four day intensive course would have covered everything they needed to know. It's really not difficult to start at level 3.

 

[Mike Conroy]

Maybe AAT should cover level 2 in four days then. if you can send me a trainee after 4 days and do the above from the word go i would be happy. i have taken the odd trainee and if they have applied their selves at level 2 they can do quite a bit once they get use to the software i use.

 

[Fred_the_frog]

Maybe AAT should cover level 2 in four days then. if you can send me a trainee after 4 days and do the above from the word go i would be happy. i have taken the odd trainee and if they have applied their selves at level 2 they can do quite a bit once they get use to the software i use.

I don't really understand what you're saying. I was employed by my firm with 3 other people. We all started on AAT at level 3 and out of 24 exams between all 4 of us, only 1 exam was failed. And two of the four had never even seen a set of accounts when they started.

 

[Mike Conroy]

Because if you start at level 3 it expects you to know how to take Accounts upto trial balance.Dont get me wrong i know you can learn a lot on the job.

 

[Fred_the_frog]

Because if you start at level 3 it expects you to know how to take Accounts upto trial balance.Dont get me wrong i know you can learn a lot on the job.

Ah yes it expects you to know it, but it's not hard to pick up especially if you are working in an accountancy practice. It's entirely doable and I wouldn't worry about it in the interview stage. If someone really struggles starting with level 3 whilst working in an accountancy practice, I'd question if they've made the right decision!