Accounting Information Systems, 13e (Romney/Steinbart)

Chapter 3 Systems Documentation Techniques

3.1 Prepare and use data flow diagrams to understand, evaluate, and document information
systems.
1) Graphical representations of information are often supplemented by
A) narrative descriptions.
B) relevant e-mail communications.
C) logic charts.
D) oral descriptions from management.
Answer: A
Objective: Learning Objective 1
Difficulty: Easy
AACSB: Analytic
2) All of the following are guidelines for preparing data flow diagrams except
A) show the most detail in the highest-level DFD.
B) include all storage files, even if they are only temporary.
C) uniquely name all data flows.
D) sequentially number process bubbles.
Answer: A
Objective: Learning Objective 1
Difficulty: Moderate
AACSB: Analytic
3) The Sarbanes-Oxley Act requires independent auditors to
A) create flowcharts to document business processes.
B) understand a client's system of internal controls.
C) establish effective internal controls.
D) prepare and understand all types of system documentation.
Answer: B
Objective: Learning Objective 1
Difficulty: Moderate
AACSB: Analytic
4) The passage of the Sarbanes Oxley Act
A) made documentation skills even more important.
B) requires public companies to prepare an annual internal control report.
C) mandates that auditors must be able to prepare, evaluate and read documentation tools such as
flowcharts.
D) all of the above
Answer: D
Objective: Learning Objective 1
Difficulty: Easy
AACSB: Analytic
1
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5) Which of the following is not a true statement?

A) Documentation tools save an organization both time and money.
B) Documentation tools are used extensively in the systems development process.
C) Data flow diagrams and flowcharts are the two most frequently used systems development
documentation tools.
D) Data flow diagrams and flowcharts are difficult to prepare and revise using software
packages.
Answer: D
Objective: Learning Objective 1
Difficulty: Easy
AACSB: Analytic
6) A data flow diagram
A) is a graphical description of the source and destination of data that shows how data flow
within an organization.
B) is a graphical description of the flow of documents and information between departments or
areas of responsibility.
C) is a graphical description of the relationship among the input, processing, and output in an
information system.
D) is a graphical description of the sequence of logical operations that a computer performs as it
executes a program.
Answer: A
Objective: Learning Objective 1
Difficulty: Easy
AACSB: Analytic
7) In a DFD, a "data sink" is also known as a
A) data store.
B) transformation process.
C) data flow.
D) data destination.
Answer: D
Objective: Learning Objective 1
Difficulty: Easy
AACSB: Analytic
8) In preparing a DFD, when data are transformed through a process, the symbol used should be
A) a circle.
B) an arrow.
C) a square.
D) two horizontal lines.
Answer: A
Objective: Learning Objective 1
Difficulty: Easy
AACSB: Analytic

2
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9) In general, a data destination will be shown by

A) an arrow pointing away.
B) an arrow pointing in.
C) arrows pointing both ways.
D) no arrows, only two horizontal lines.
Answer: B
Objective: Learning Objective 1
Difficulty: Easy
AACSB: Analytic
10) In a data flow diagram of the customer payment process, "update receivables" will appear
above or in
A) a square.
B) a circle.
C) two horizontal lines.
D) none of the above
Answer: B
Objective: Learning Objective 1
Difficulty: Easy
AACSB: Analytic
11) In a data flow diagram of the customer payment process, "Customer" will appear above or in
A) a square.
B) a circle.
C) two horizontal lines.
D) none of the above
Answer: A
Objective: Learning Objective 1
Difficulty: Easy
AACSB: Analytic
12) In a data flow diagram of the customer payment process, "Customer payment" will appear
above or in
A) a square.
B) a circle.
C) two horizontal lines.
D) an arrow.
Answer: D
Objective: Learning Objective 1
Difficulty: Easy
AACSB: Analytic

3
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13) Most processes on a DFD can be identified by

A) data in-flows only.
B) data out-flows only.
C) data flows both into or out of a process.
D) always being followed by a data store.
Answer: C
Objective: Learning Objective 1
Difficulty: Easy
AACSB: Analytic
14) More than one arrow is needed between symbols on a DFD if
A) data elements always flow together.
B) data elements flow at different times.
C) data elements flow to different locations.
D) there is no guideline on use of single or multiple arrows.
Answer: B
Objective: Learning Objective 1
Difficulty: Easy
AACSB: Analytic
15) A DFD created at the highest-level or summary view is referred to as a
A) process diagram.
B) overview diagram.
C) content diagram.
D) context diagram.
Answer: D
Objective: Learning Objective 1
Difficulty: Easy
AACSB: Analytic
16) In a payroll processing DFD, the "prepare reports" activity will be represented by ________,
the "employee payroll file" will be represented by ________, and the "management" will be
represented by ________.
A) a circle; two horizontal lines; a square
B) a circle; two horizontal lines; two horizontal lines
C) a rectangle; a square; a circle
D) a square; two horizontal lines; a circle
Answer: A
Objective: Learning Objective 1
Difficulty: Moderate
AACSB: Analytic

4
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17) The American Bread Company is a small restaurant that collects, stores, prepares and
provides meals to customers in Miami, Florida. When food is received, it is recorded in a
database and a receiving ticket is provided to the vendor. When food is used, the database is
updated so that it always reflects the amount and type of food available to customers. In a data
flow diagram, which type of symbol would be used to represent vendors?
A)
B)

C)
D)
Answer: A
Objective: Learning Objective 1
Difficulty: Easy
AACSB: Analytic
18) The American Bread Company is a small restaurant that collects, stores, prepares and
provides meals to customers in Miami, Florida. When food is received, it is recorded in a
database and a receiving ticket is provided to the vendor. When food is used, the database is
updated so that it always reflects the amount and type of food available to customers. In a data
flow diagram, which type of symbol would be used to represent the system processing food
received from the vendor?
A)
B)

C)
D)
Answer: B
Objective: Learning Objective 1
Difficulty: Easy
AACSB: Analytic

5
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19) The American Bread Company is a small restaurant that collects, stores, prepares and
provides meals to customers in Miami, Florida. When food is received, it is recorded in a
database and a receiving ticket is provided to the vendor. When food is used, the database is
updated so that it always reflects the amount and type of food available to customers. In a data
flow diagram, which type of symbol would be used to represent the storage location of data in
the system?
A)
B)

C)
D)
Answer: D
Objective: Learning Objective 1
Difficulty: Easy
AACSB: Analytic
20) The American Bread Company is a small restaurant that collects, stores, prepares and
provides meals to customers in Miami, Florida. When food is received, it is recorded in a
database and a receiving ticket is provided to the vendor. When food is used, the database is
updated so that it always reflects the amount and type of food available to customers. In a data
flow diagram, which type of symbol would be used to represent the process of updating the
company's inventory records in the system?
A)
B)

C)
D)
Answer: B
Objective: Learning Objective 1
Difficulty: Easy
AACSB: Analytic

6
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21) The American Bread Company is a small restaurant that collects, stores, prepares and
provides meals to customers in Miami, Florida. When food is received, it is recorded in a
database and a receiving ticket is provided to the vendor. When food is used, the database is
updated so that it always reflects the amount and type of food available to customers. In a data
flow diagram, which type of symbol would be used to represent the flow of data provided by the
vendors into the system?
A)
B)

C)
D)
Answer: C
Objective: Learning Objective 1
Difficulty: Easy
AACSB: Analytic
22) Terrell and Monique Anderson run an antique store in their hometown of Dayton, Ohio. To
find items to sell in their shop, they travel around the United States and Europe buying unique
artifacts. Within an hour of making a purchase, they use their smartphone to take a picture of the
item and post a short tweet about the item on Twitter. Then, they ship the item back to Dayton for
sale in their shop. Which symbol should be used to represent Twitter in a context diagram of this
process?
A)
B)

C)
D)
Answer: A
Objective: Learning Objective 1
Difficulty: Moderate
AACSB: Analytic

7
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23) Terrell and Monique Anderson run an antique store in their hometown of Dayton, Ohio. To
find items to sell in their shop, they travel around the United States and Europe buying unique
artifacts. Within an hour of making a purchase, they use their smartphone to take a picture of the
item and post a short tweet about the item on Twitter. Which symbol should be used to represent
the preparation of data for their tweet in a context diagram of this process?
A)
B)

C)
D)
Answer: B
Objective: Learning Objective 1
Difficulty: Moderate
AACSB: Analytic
24) Terrell and Monique Anderson run an antique store in their hometown of Dayton, Ohio. To
find items to sell in their shop, they travel around the United States and Europe buying unique
artifacts. Within an hour of making a purchase, they use their smartphone to take a picture of the
item and post a short tweet about the item on Twitter. Which symbol should be used to represent
the transfer of data to Twitter in a context diagram of this process?
A)
B)

C)
D)
Answer: C
Objective: Learning Objective 1
Difficulty: Easy
AACSB: Analytic

8
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25) Terrell and Monique Anderson run an antique store in their hometown of Dayton, Ohio. To
find items to sell in their shop, they travel around the United States and Europe buying unique
artifacts. Within an hour of making a purchase, they use their smartphone to take a picture of the
item and post a short tweet about the item on Twitter. Which symbol should be used to represent
the remote server that stores the tweets (i.e., the Twitter posts) data?
A)
B)

C)
D)
Answer: D
Objective: Learning Objective 1
Difficulty: Easy
AACSB: Analytic
26) Chas Mulligan has been hired by Yardley Security as an assistant to the internal auditor. He
has been asked to document the existing accounting information system, and focus on the
activities and flow of data between activities. He decides to begin with a summary description of
the sources and uses of data in the organization and how they are processed by the system. The
documentation tool that he should employ for this purpose is a
A) data flow diagram.
B) document flowchart.
C) system flowchart.
D) program flowchart.
Answer: A
Objective: Learning Objective 1
Difficulty: Moderate
AACSB: Reflective Thinking
27) A well-planned and drawn level 0 data flow diagram for the expenditure cycle would show
which of the following processes?
A) 1.0 Order Goods; 2.0 Receive and Store Goods; 3.0 Pay for Goods
B) 1.0 Order Goods; 1.1 Receive and Store Goods; 1.2 Pay for Goods
C) 0.1 Order Goods; 0.2 Receive and Store Goods; 0.3 Pay for Goods
D) 0.1 Order Goods; 0.12 Receive and Store Goods; 0.13 Pay for Goods
Answer: A
Objective: Learning Objective 1
Difficulty: Moderate
AACSB: Reflective Thinking
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28) A well-planned and drawn context data flow diagram will include how many processes?
A) one
B) between 5 and 7
C) between 2 and 7, but no more than 7
D) as many as are needed to accurately depict the process being documented
Answer: A
Objective: Learning Objective 1
Difficulty: Moderate
AACSB: Analytic
29) Data flow diagrams depict
A) processes, but not who is performing the processes.
B) processes, but not the data that flows between processes.
C) who is performing processes, but not how they perform the process.
D) who is performing processes, but not the data that flows between processes.
Answer: A
Objective: Learning Objective 1
Difficulty: Difficult
AACSB: Reflective Thinking

10
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30) Which is the correct label for the blank transformation process circle in the data flow
diagram below?

A) 1.2 Check Credit

B) 1.2 Enter Order in Sales Journal
C) 1.2 Does Customer Have Credit?
D) 1.2 Salesperson Approves
Answer: A
Objective: Learning Objective 1
Difficulty: Moderate
AACSB: Analytic

11
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31) In the data flow diagram below, inventory is a

A) data store.
B) data source.
C) data flow.
D) data source and destination.
Answer: A
Objective: Learning Objective 1
Difficulty: Moderate
AACSB: Analytic
32) Discuss the ways in which information professionals interact with documentation tools and
the various levels of understanding necessary.
Answer: At a minimum, a professional should be able to read documentation. A professional
may also be called upon to evaluate internal control system documentation in order to identify
control strengths and weaknesses or recommend improvements. A professional may be engaged
to prepare documentation, which requires the greatest amount of skill and understanding of a
particular system.
Objective: Learning Objective 1
Difficulty: Moderate
AACSB: Analytic

12
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33) Explain two reasons why it is important to have a working knowledge of DFDs and
flowcharting.
Answer: First, SOX requires auditors to evaluate internal control systems. Data flow diagrams
and flowcharts are the two most frequently used development and documentation tools used in
practice. Second, since systems development is extremely complex, DFDs and flowcharts are
tools that are used to create order from chaos and complexity. Third, documentation tools and
concepts are covered on the CPA exam.
Objective: Learning Objective 1
Difficulty: Moderate
AACSB: Analytic
34) What does the Sarbanes-Oxley Act require that is relevant to documentation tools?
Answer: The Sarbanes-Oxley Act requires that independent auditors understand the automated
and manual procedures an entity uses. One of the best ways to gain this understanding is to use
the flowcharts to document the internal control system, as weaknesses and strengths are more
easily spotted from such graphic portrayals.
Objective: Learning Objective 1
Difficulty: Easy
AACSB: Analytic
35) Describe a situation in which data flow should be shown with two data flow lines instead of
one.
Answer: A data flow may consist of one or more pieces of datum. The determining factor is
whether the data elements always flow together at the same time. For example, "customer
payment" have both payment and remittance data. Since these elements always flow together,
only one data flow line is required. However, data flows between the customer and the payment
processes have customer inquiries and cash receipts; these data items do not always flow
together at the same time. In such a case, two data flow lines will be shown.
Objective: Learning Objective 1
Difficulty: Moderate
AACSB: Reflective Thinking
36) Describe the different levels of DFDs.
Answer: The highest-level or summary view DFD, which shows major inputs/outputs and a
single process is called a context diagram. The DFD itself shows inputs, major processes, and
outputs; each process in the DFD can be "exploded" or shown in greater level of detail with the
sub-processes and related data flows.
Objective: Learning Objective 1
Difficulty: Moderate
AACSB: Analytic

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37) How is a DFD different from a flowchart?

Answer: The purpose of a DFD is to diagram the origins, flow, transformation, storage, and
destination of data. The purpose a flowchart is to present a graphical description of the flow of
documents, relationships among input, processing, and output, or the sequence of logical
operations in an information system or program. A DFD is limited to basic symbols and lines,
and focuses on the flow and use of data. A flowchart will generally be more complex, and more
focused on the managerial, AIS, or IS aspects of the organization.
Objective: Learning Objective 1
Difficulty: Difficult
AACSB: Reflective Thinking
38) Explain the relevance of the Sarbanes Oxley Act to the documentation tools presented in this
chapter.
Answer: The Sarbanes Oxley Act of 2002 requires executives of public companies to document
and evaluate internal controls. External auditors must evaluate management's assessment of
internal control and attest to its accuracy. Therefore, company executives and the auditors must
document and test the internal controls documentation tools, such as flowcharts, are used to
do this.
Objective: Learning Objective 1
Difficulty: Easy
AACSB: Analytic
39) Discuss the idea of a data flow.
Answer: A data flow is a graphic representation of the flow of data between processes, data
stores, and data sources and destinations. A data flow is really a form of communication. When
the analyst draws a curved or straight line with an arrow at one end, what is represented is a form
of communication among the other elements of the data flow process. Consider for example a
data source being depicted by a box. The box represents a data source. Data then is sent from the
source to a circle, which represents a transformation process. The source of data sends the flow
to the transformation process, which will process the data and somehow use the data or turn it
into useful information. Note that data flows can represent one or more pieces of datum. Because
data flows may have more than one data element, the analyst must determine whether to show
one or more lines. Good DFDs and data flow lines in such diagrams eliminate the need for users
and analysts to "infer" what type of information is flowing.
Objective: Learning Objective 1
Difficulty: Moderate
AACSB: Analytic

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40) What is the value of using a context diagram when working with DFDs?
Answer: In order to create a useful DFD, the analyst must determine system boundarieswhat
is to be included or excluded from the system. A context diagram will help to achieve this goal,
since it is a good way to depict the boundaries of the system. The analyst first creates a context
diagram by placing a circle in the middle of the diagram. The circle represents the system under
consideration. On either side of the circle, boxes are created which represent outside entities the
system interacts with directly. Data flow lines are drawn to show the direction of the flow of
data. After this pictorial representation has been completed, the analyst can then better assess the
boundaries of the system and amount of interaction between the system and outside entities.
Objective: Learning Objective 1
Difficulty: Moderate
AACSB: Reflective Thinking
41) Identify five important guidelines for drawing a DFD. Select one from your list and describe
why it could be the most important one to consider when preparing a DFD. Support your choice
with an example.
Answer: Understand the system. Ignore certain aspects of the system (such as control processes
and control actions). Determine system boundaries. Develop a context diagram. Identify data
flows. Group data flows. Identify transformation processes. Group transformation processes.
Identify all files or data stores. Identify all data sources and destinations. All DFD elements are
named. Subdivide the DFD. Give each process a sequential number. Repeat the process. Prepare
a final copy. (Student answers will vary depending on the items chosen and the quality of their
argument. The text provides various items that could be used to answer this question.)
Objective: Learning Objective 1
Difficulty: Moderate
AACSB: Reflective Thinking

15
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42) Following is a context diagram for a current Payroll Processing System. a) Identify the data
sources and destinations, data flows, and transformation process marked by question marks. b)
What would you need to do to explode this diagram?

Answer: 1 - Human resources, 2 - Time cards, 3 - Payroll processing system, 4 - Employee

paychecks or pay-stubs, 5- Payroll report, 6 - Government agencies, 7- Banks. To explode this
diagram, additional information is needed to identify detailed procedures within the payroll
processing activity as well as additional inputs and outputs. It would be useful to obtain a
comprehensive narrative of the payroll processing procedures for review and identification of
these items. If there is no narrative available, interviews are another source of information.
Objective: Learning Objective 1
Difficulty: Difficult
AACSB: Reflective Thinking
43) True or False: The Sarbanes-Oxley Act requires auditors to create flowcharts to document
business processes.
Answer: FALSE
Objective: Learning Objective 1
Difficulty: Moderate
AACSB: Reflective Thinking

16
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44) In the data flow diagram below, Shipping is a

A) data store.
B) data flow.
C) data source.
D) data destination.
Answer: D
Objective: Learning Objective 1
Difficulty: Moderate
AACSB: Analytic

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45) In the data flow diagram below, which process happens first?

A) Respond to customer inquiries

B) Take order
C) Check inventory availability
D) Approve order
Answer: B
Objective: Learning Objective 1
Difficulty: Moderate
AACSB: Analytic

18
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46) True or False: In the data flow diagram below, a customer order must be approved before the
company checks to make sure the inventory is available.

Answer: FALSE
Objective: Learning Objective 1
Difficulty: Moderate
AACSB: Analytic
47) In a data flow diagram of the vendor payment process, what symbol would most
appropriately reflect an update of the payables account?
A) a square
B) a circle
C) two horizontal lines
D) none of the above
Answer: B
Objective: Learning Objective 1
Difficulty: Easy
AACSB: Analytic

19
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48) In a data flow diagram of the vendor payment process, "Vendor" will appear above or in
A) a square.
B) a circle.
C) two horizontal lines.
D) none of the above
Answer: A
Objective: Learning Objective 1
Difficulty: Easy
AACSB: Analytic
49) In a data flow diagram, an inverted triangle represents
A) an internal control.
B) document filing.
C) on page connection.
D) document processing.
Answer: A
Objective: Learning Objective 1
Difficulty: Easy
AACSB: Analytic
50) In a data flow diagram that depicts a company's internal controls, where is each internal
control typically explained in detail?
A) in an annotation on the same page as the internal control
B) inside the symbol used to represent the internal control
C) on a table that accompanies the internal control data flow diagram
D) Internal controls are not typically explained in detail in an internal control data flow diagram.
Answer: C
Objective: Learning Objective 1
Difficulty: Moderate
AACSB: Analytic
51) Which documentation technique would not depict the type of storage medium used (such as a
flash drive or a hard drive) to physically store data?
A) system flowchart
B) data flow diagram
C) business process diagram
D) internal control flowchart
Answer: B
Objective: Learning Objective 1
Difficulty: Moderate
AACSB: Analytic

20
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52) In a data flow diagram of the order shipping process, what symbol would most appropriately
denote a "Bill of Lading" used in the process?
A) a square
B) a circle
C) two horizontal lines
D) an arrow
Answer: D
Objective: Learning Objective 1
Difficulty: Easy
AACSB: Analytic

21
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3.2 Prepare and use flow diagrams to understand, evaluate, and document information systems.
1) The correct label for Shape 1 in the flowchart below is

A) Purchase Order 3
B) Purchase Requisition 1
C) Accounts Payable Trial Balance
D) Purchase Order 2
Answer: D
Objective: Learning Objective 2
Difficulty: Easy
AACSB: Analytic

22
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2) The correct label for Shape 2 in the flowchart below is

A) 1
B) Purchase Requisition 1
C) Receiving Report 1
D) 2
Answer: A
Objective: Learning Objective 2
Difficulty: Easy
AACSB: Analytic

23
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3) The correct label for Shape 3 in the flowchart below is

A) Purchase Order 1.
B) Purchase Requisition 1.
C) Receiving Report 1.
D) 4.
Answer: B
Objective: Learning Objective 2
Difficulty: Difficult
AACSB: Analytic

24
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4) The correct shape for the triangle labeled "Supplier" in the flowchart below should be a

A) magnetic disk.
B) terminal.
C) manual process.
D) off-page connector.
Answer: B
Objective: Learning Objective 2
Difficulty: Moderate
AACSB: Analytic

25
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5) When preparing a document flowchart, the names of organizational departments or job

functions should appear in the
A) column headings.
B) right-hand margin.
C) written narrative accompanying the flowchart.
D) title of the flowchart.
Answer: A
Objective: Learning Objective 2
Difficulty: Easy
AACSB: Analytic
6) Flowchart symbols
A) are divided into four categories.
B) are unique to the organization creating the flowchart.
C) are normally drawn using a flowcharting template.
D) eliminate the need for narrative descriptions or explanations.
Answer: A
Objective: Learning Objective 2
Difficulty: Easy
AACSB: Analytic
7) Which is a true statement regarding the use of the manual processing symbol in a flowchart?
A) If a document is moved from one column to another, show the document only in the last
column.
B) Each manual processing symbol should have an input and an output.
C) Do not connect two documents when moving from one column to another.
D) Use a manual processing symbol to indicate a document being filed.
Answer: B
Objective: Learning Objective 2
Difficulty: Easy
AACSB: Analytic
8) Which is a true statement regarding a document flowchart?
A) A document flowchart illustrates the sequence of logical operations performed by a computer.
B) A document flowchart is particularly useful in analyzing the adequacy of internal control
procedures.
C) A document flowchart is more useful than a data flow diagram.
D) A document flowchart is not normally used in evaluating internal control procedures.
Answer: B
Objective: Learning Objective 2
Difficulty: Easy
AACSB: Analytic

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Use the chart below to answer the following questions regarding flow chart symbols.

9) Which symbol would be used in a flowchart to represent a computer process?

A) #1
B) #2
C) #5
D) #15
Answer: C
Objective: Learning Objective 2
Difficulty: Easy
AACSB: Analytic
10) Which symbol would be used in a flowchart to represent a decision?
A) #10
B) #16
C) #9
D) #6
Answer: A
Objective: Learning Objective 2
Difficulty: Easy
AACSB: Analytic
11) Which symbol would be used in a flowchart to represent an invoice sent to a customer?
A) #2
B) #6
C) #1
D) #15
Answer: C
Objective: Learning Objective 2
Difficulty: Easy
AACSB: Analytic

27
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12) Which symbol would be used in a flowchart to represent a general ledger?

A) #2
B) #1
C) #3
D) #5
Answer: A
Objective: Learning Objective 2
Difficulty: Easy
AACSB: Analytic
13) Which symbol would be used in a flowchart to represent a manual process?
A) #5
B) #6
C) #10
D) #11
Answer: B
Objective: Learning Objective 2
Difficulty: Easy
AACSB: Analytic
14) Which symbol would be used in a flowchart to represent a connection to another part of the
flowchart on the same page?
A) #4
B) #13
C) #14
D) #15
Answer: C
Objective: Learning Objective 2
Difficulty: Easy
AACSB: Analytic
15) Which symbol would be used in a flowchart to represent a connection to another part of the
flowchart on a different page?
A) #4
B) #13
C) #14
D) #15
Answer: D
Objective: Learning Objective 2
Difficulty: Easy
AACSB: Analytic

28
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16) Which symbol would be used in a flowchart to represent a file of paper documents?
A) #7
B) #8
C) #9
D) #15
Answer: C
Objective: Learning Objective 2
Difficulty: Easy
AACSB: Analytic
17) Which symbol would be used in a flowchart to represent a general ledger master file kept on
magnetic disk?
A) #2
B) #5
C) #7
D) #8
Answer: C
Objective: Learning Objective 2
Difficulty: Easy
AACSB: Analytic
18) Which symbol would be used in a flowchart to represent employee time cards sent by
department managers to the payroll department?
A) #1
B) #4
C) #11
D) #16
Answer: A
Objective: Learning Objective 2
Difficulty: Easy
AACSB: Analytic
19) Which symbol would be used in a flowchart to represent the display of a report on a
computer screen?
A) #1
B) #2
C) #3
D) #11
Answer: C
Objective: Learning Objective 2
Difficulty: Easy
AACSB: Analytic

29
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20) Which symbol would be used in a flowchart to represent the addition of information about a
step represented in another symbol on the flowchart?
A) #1
B) #5
C) #11
D) #15
Answer: C
Objective: Learning Objective 2
Difficulty: Easy
AACSB: Analytic
21) Which symbol would be used in a flowchart to represent a payroll master file kept on
magnetic tape?
A) #4
B) #7
C) #8
D) #9
Answer: C
Objective: Learning Objective 2
Difficulty: Easy
AACSB: Analytic
22) Which symbol would be used in a flowchart to represent a beginning, an ending, or a
connection to another procedure?
A) #9
B) #14
C) #15
D) #16
Answer: D
Objective: Learning Objective 2
Difficulty: Moderate
AACSB: Analytic
23) Which symbol would be used in a flowchart to represent a flow of data or documents?
A) #12
B) #13
C) #14
D) #15
Answer: A
Objective: Learning Objective 2
Difficulty: Easy
AACSB: Analytic

30
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24) Which symbol would be used in a flowchart to represent a communication link?

A) #12
B) #13
C) #14
D) #15
Answer: B
Objective: Learning Objective 2
Difficulty: Easy
AACSB: Analytic
25) In a document flowchart of a manual payroll processing system, "update customer file" will
be shown by a(n) ________ symbol, and "prepare vendor check" will be shown by a(n)
________ symbol.
A) input; output
B) input; manual operation
C) manual operation; output
D) manual operation; manual operation
Answer: D
Objective: Learning Objective 2
Difficulty: Easy
AACSB: Analytic
26) A flowchart that depicts the relationships among the input, processing, and output of an AIS
is
A) an internal control flowchart.
B) a document flowchart.
C) a system flowchart.
D) a program flowchart.
Answer: C
Objective: Learning Objective 2
Difficulty: Easy
AACSB: Analytic
27) In a program flowchart, branching to alternative paths is represented by
A) a terminal.
B) data/information flow.
C) computer operation.
D) decision diamond.
Answer: D
Objective: Learning Objective 2
Difficulty: Easy
AACSB: Analytic

31
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28) Nishant Kumar has been hired by American Manufacturing as a staff accountant in the
internal audit department. He has been asked to thoroughly document the existing accounting
information system in preparation for making recommendations for improvements to internal
controls. He decides to begin with a description of the information stored in paper records, their
sources, and their destinations. The documentation tool that he should employ for this purpose is
a
A) data flow diagram.
B) document flowchart.
C) system flowchart.
D) program flowchart.
Answer: B
Objective: Learning Objective 2
Difficulty: Moderate
AACSB: Reflective Thinking
29) Nishant Kumar has been hired by American Manufacturing as a staff accountant in the
internal audit department. He has been asked to thoroughly document the existing accounting
information system in preparation for making recommendations for improvements. He decides to
begin by meeting with the information technology staff in order to develop an understanding of
the computer programs used by the system. The documentation tool that he should employ for
this purpose is a
A) data flow diagram.
B) document flowchart.
C) system flowchart.
D) program flowchart.
Answer: D
Objective: Learning Objective 2
Difficulty: Easy
AACSB: Reflective Thinking
30) Nishant Kumar has been hired by American Manufacturing as a staff accountant in the
internal audit department. He has been asked to thoroughly document the existing accounting
information system in preparation for making recommendations for improvements. He decides to
begin by meeting with the information technology staff in order to develop an understanding of
the overall operation of the AIS, including data entry, storage, and output. The documentation
tool that he should employ for this purpose is a
A) data flow diagram.
B) document flowchart.
C) system flowchart.
D) program flowchart.
Answer: C
Objective: Learning Objective 2
Difficulty: Moderate
AACSB: Reflective Thinking

32
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31) A materials requisition order document is prepared from the inventory file and the materials
file, both of which are stored on a hard drive. Which one of the following diagrams represents
this activity?
A)

B)

C)

D)

Answer: D
Objective: Learning Objective 2
Difficulty: Moderate
AACSB: Reflective Thinking

33
Copyright 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.

32) A customer's check is returned for insufficient funds and Which of the following is an example of
a strategic planning decisioWhich of the following is an example of a strategic planning decisioWhich of
the following is an example of a strategic planning decisioWhich of the following transactions is
represented by the diagram below?

file, stored on a hard drive, is updated. Which one of the following diagrams represents this
activity?
A)

B)

C)

D)

Answer: C
Objective: Learning Objective 2
Difficulty: Moderate
AACSB: Reflective Thinking

34
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33) A business simulation game that is used by colleges and universities all over the world has
students submit decisions over the Internet. Decisions are stored online, processed on the server,
and then the results are stored online. They are then downloaded by students in preparation for
the next round. Which one of the following diagrams represents this activity?
A)

B)

C)

D)

Answer: C
Objective: Learning Objective 2
Difficulty: Moderate
AACSB: Reflective Thinking

35
Copyright 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.

34) A report is generated from data stored on a hard drive. Which one of the following diagrams
represents this activity?
A)

B)

C)

D)

Answer: C
Objective: Learning Objective 2
Difficulty: Moderate
AACSB: Reflective Thinking
35) An employee receives a paycheck prepared in the payroll process. Which one of the
following diagrams represents this activity?
A)

B)

C)

D)

Answer: B
Objective: Learning Objective 2
Difficulty: Moderate
AACSB: Reflective Thinking
36
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36) A student manually prepares a homework assignment and then turns it in to her teacher.
Which one of the following diagrams represents this activity?
A)

B)

C)

D)

Answer: A
Objective: Learning Objective 2
Difficulty: Moderate
AACSB: Reflective Thinking
37) Which of the following is not true about program flowcharts?
A) Program flowcharts are a high-level overview of all business processes.
B) Program flowcharts document the processing logic of computer programs.
C) A program flowchart will exist for every computer process symbol on a system flowchart.
D) Program flowcharts increase computer programmer productivity.
Answer: A
Objective: Learning Objective 2
Difficulty: Moderate
AACSB: Reflective Thinking
38) Describe a system flowchart. Describe a program flowchart. How are the two interrelated?
Answer: Systems flowcharts depict the relationships among the input, processing, and output of
an AIS. The program flowchart illustrates the sequence of logical operations performed by a
computer in executing a program. System flowcharts identify processing areas but do not show
how the processing is done. The detailed logic used by the computer to perform the processing is
shown on a separate program flowchart.
Objective: Learning Objective 2
Difficulty: Moderate
AACSB: Reflective Thinking

37
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39) Identify five important guidelines for drawing a flowchart. Select one from your list and
describe why it could be the most important one to consider when preparing a flowchart. Support
your choice with an example.
Answer: Use interviews, questionnaires, or narrative descriptions to understand the system
before flowcharting it. Identify the different entities to be flowcharted such as departments, job
functions, or external parties. Also identify documents and information flows along with the
activities or processes performed on the data. Organize the flowchart using columns when
several entities are involved in the process. Focus on the normal operations and include all
relevant procedures and processes. Flowcharts should flow from top to bottom and from left to
right. The origin and disposition of documents should be clearly identified by a clear beginning
and end in the flowcharts. Use standard flowchart symbols. Multiple documents should be
identified by numbers shown in the top right-hand corner of the document symbol. Documents
do not directly connect with each other, except when moving from one column to another. Use
on-page and off-page connectors to organize flowcharts. Use arrowheads to direct the flow of
documents. Clearly label the pages, such as 1 of 3, 2 of 3, and 3 of 3. Documents or reports
should be first shown in the column in which they originate and then moved to other columns.
Use computer processing symbols to show movement of data in and out of the computer system.
Filing operations can be directly shown with one line, no manual processing symbol required.
Flowcharting is an iterative process. The first attempt should be a rough draft that is refined with
each successive pass. Do not clutter flowcharts; redesign the flowchart as necessary. Review the
flowchart for accuracy. On the final copy of the flowchart, the name of the flowchart, date, and
the preparer's name should be shown. (Student answers will vary depending on the items chosen
and the quality of their argument. The text provides various items that could be used to answer
this question.)
Objective: Learning Objective 2
Difficulty: Moderate
AACSB: Analytic

38
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40) Identify the mistake(s) in each flowchart segment.

Answer:
a. Figure a - the sort symbol should be a manual operation symbol.
b. Figure b - the file update symbol should be a computer operation symbol, and the arrow from
transaction file should flow into file update.
c. Figure c - the arrows should point from left to right and a computer operation symbol is
needed between the source data and the master file symbols.
d. Figure d - the symbol for Endorsed should be a manual operation symbol, and endorsed
checks are sent to the bank, so the file symbol should be replaced with a terminal symbol.
Objective: Learning Objective 2
Difficulty: Difficult
AACSB: Reflective Thinking

39
Copyright 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.

Use the chart below to answer the following questions regarding flow chart symbols.

41) Which symbol would be used in a flowchart to represent the symbol for a file?
A) #9
B) #5
C) #6
D) #11
Answer: A
Objective: Learning Objective 2
Difficulty: Easy
AACSB: Analytic
42) Which symbol would be used in a flowchart to represent manually prepared control totals?
A) #9
B) #8
C) #4
D) #7
Answer: C
Objective: Learning Objective 2
Difficulty: Easy
AACSB: Analytic
43) Which symbol would be used in a flowchart to represent a customer sales order?
A) #2
B) #1
C) #5
D) #15
Answer: B
Objective: Learning Objective 2
Difficulty: Easy
AACSB: Analytic

40
Copyright 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.

44) Which symbol would be used in a flowchart to note that every sales order contains the
customer name, address, product number, quantity ordered, item cost, and credit terms?
A) #5
B) #8
C) #11
D) #16
Answer: C
Objective: Learning Objective 2
Difficulty: Easy
AACSB: Analytic
45) Which symbol would be used in a flowchart to indicate a wireless connection between a
laptop and the mainframe?
A) #13
B) #12
C) #11
D) #14
Answer: A
Objective: Learning Objective 2
Difficulty: Easy
AACSB: Analytic
46) Which symbol would be used in a flowchart to indicate flight information was displayed to
customers via a large electronic screen in the airport terminal?
A) #1
B) #2
C) #3
D) #4
Answer: C
Objective: Learning Objective 2
Difficulty: Easy
AACSB: Analytic
47) Which symbol would be used in a flowchart to indicate the process started with the Human
Resources department?
A) #1
B) #10
C) #12
D) #16
Answer: D
Objective: Learning Objective 2
Difficulty: Easy
AACSB: Analytic

41
Copyright 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.

48) Carly Jackson is a staff auditor for KPMG. She has been asked to document the client's
existing accounting information system so the engagement team can assess the client's adequacy
of controls around financial reporting. She decides to begin by creating a flowchart to describe,
analyze, and evaluate internal controls. What documentation tool should she use for this
purpose?
A) internal control flowchart
B) document flowchart
C) system flowchart
D) dataflow diagram
Answer: A
Objective: Learning Objective 2
Difficulty: Difficult
AACSB: Reflective Thinking
49) Carly Jackson is a staff auditor for KPMG. She has been asked to document the client's
existing accounting information system so the engagement team can assess the client's adequacy
of controls around financial reporting. She decides to begin by examining the client's key
software applications, examining a flowchart that illustrates the sequence of logical operations
performed by the system in executing the application. To do this, Carly should ask the client for
what type of flowchart?
A) internal control flowchart
B) document flowchart
C) system flowchart
D) program flowchart
Answer: D
Objective: Learning Objective 2
Difficulty: Difficult
AACSB: Reflective Thinking
50) To create a good business process flowchart, one should emphasize ________ and put less
emphasis on ________.
A) meeting with top management; meeting with staff employees
B) following rigid rules on how to prepare a business process flowchart; clearly communicating
the activities involved in the process
C) clearly communicating the activities involved in the process; following rigid rules on how to
prepare a business process flowchart
D) meeting with staff employees; meeting with top management
Answer: C
Objective: Learning Objective 2
Difficulty: Difficult
AACSB: Reflective Thinking

42
Copyright 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.