Role-specific Accountant Interview Questions & Answers:

1. What is CPA (Certified Public Accountant)?

CPA stands for Certified Public Accountant. To become a CPA, one should have to do many other qualifications as well. It is a qualification with 150 hour requirement; it means that one should complete 150 credit hours at any accredited university.

2. Can you please explain the difference between revenues and receipts?

A company's revenues are amounts it has earned as the result of business activities such as selling merchandise or performing services. Under the accrual method of accounting, revenues are reported on the income statement in the period in which they are earned even when a dependable customer is allowed to pay 60 days later. In this example, when the revenues are earned the company will credit a revenues account and will debit the asset account Accounts Receivable.

3. Why you want to become accountant?

This fairly standard interview question is a typical warm-up, since it's an opening that breaks the ice and allows the hiring manager to get to know you better. That doesn't mean, however, that it's a throwaway question. You should answer thoughtfully by giving examples of things that happened in your life that led you to the accounting field. Were you the fifth grade class treasurer? Did you save for months to buy your first car? Whatever the scenario, give the interviewer some background about yourself and your studies.

4. What knowledge of accounting standards you possess?

Even if you've never had a job in the field before, you should be prepared to answer this question with some knowledge of international accounting standards (IAS). While there are so many facets of IAS that it would be possible to be up to speed on all of them, prior to an interview you should do some research on the most recent changes to these standards and be prepared to discuss.

5. Who is accountant?

An accountant is a practitioner of accounting or accountancy, which is the measurement, disclosure or provision of assurance about financial information that helps managers, investors, tax authorities and others make decisions about allocating resources.

6. What are the accountant working areas?

In many jurisdictions, professional accounting bodies maintain standards of practice and evaluations for professionals. Accountants who have demonstrated competency through their professional associations' certification exams are certified to use titles such as Chartered Accountant, Chartered Certified Accountant or Certified Public Accountant. Such professionals are granted certain responsibilities by statute, such as the ability to certify an organization's financial statements, and may be held liable for professional misconduct. Non-qualified accountants may be employed by a qualified accountant, or may work independently without statutory privileges and obligations.

7. What is the mean of inactive and dormant accounts?

Yes, both are different terms in accounting. Inactive accounts means that accounts have been closed and will not be used in future as well. While, dormant accounts are those that are not functional today but may be used in future.

8. What knowledge about accounting standards you have?

Yes, as per my knowledge there are total 33 accounting standards published so far by ICAI. The purpose of these standards is to implement same policies and practices in any country.

9. How is it possible to show positive net income but go bankrupt?

Two examples include deterioration of working capital (i.e. increasing accounts receivable, lowering accounts payable), and financial shenanigans.

10. Can a company show positive cash flows but be in grave trouble?

Absolutely. Two examples involve unsustainable improvements in working capital (a company is selling off inventory and delaying payables), and another example involves lack of revenues going forward.in the pipeline.