Medium2 marksMultiple Choice

ACCA · Question 28 · Planning and Operational Variances

Section B - Case 3: UrbanTransit

UrbanTransit operates a fleet of municipal buses. The company uses a standard costing system to monitor fuel costs.

At the start of the year, the original standard price for diesel was set at $2.00 per liter.
Mid-year, due to a global geopolitical shock, the market price of diesel surged. Management revised the standard price to $2.50 per liter to reflect uncontrollable market conditions.

During the last quarter, UrbanTransit purchased and used 100,000 liters of diesel at an actual total cost of $260,000.

What is the material price operational variance?

Answer options:

A.

$10,000 Adverse

B.

$10,000 Favorable

C.

$50,000 Adverse

D.

$60,000 Adverse

How to approach this question

Operational Variance = (Revised Standard Price - Actual Price) * Actual Quantity. First, find the actual price per liter ($260,000 / 100,000).

Full Answer

A.$10,000 Adverse✓ Correct
The operational variance measures the efficiency of operations against the revised, realistic standard. Actual price per liter = $260,000 / 100,000 = $2.60. Operational Variance = (Revised Standard Price - Actual Price) × Actual Quantity = ($2.50 - $2.60) × 100,000 liters = $10,000 Adverse.

Common mistakes

Using the original standard price ($2.00) instead of the revised standard price ($2.50).

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