Accounts payable Test

This skill assesses how effectively candidates manage PO-based and non-PO invoices using 2-way and 3-way matching principles. It includes handling quantity and price variances, missing goods receipts, unauthorized charges, freight or fee mismatches, and approval gaps. The focus is on enforcing matching controls while enabling timely processing through proper blocking, escalation, or correction. Candidates must demonstrate sound judgment in deciding when to post, hold, or reject invoices, ensuring liabilities are accurate without bypassing procurement or receiving controls.

This skill covers the end-to-end handling of supplier credits arising from returns, pricing corrections, rebates, short shipments, or duplicate billings. It evaluates how candidates verify credit validity, link credits to original invoices or POs, and apply them correctly in the ERP. Proper credit handling ensures vendor balances remain accurate and prevents reconciliation issues or overpayments. Candidates must understand when credits can be posted, how approvals are obtained, and how credits are applied or cleared while maintaining a clean audit trail.

This skill focuses on safeguarding vendor master data and preventing payment fraud. It includes managing vendor creation, preventing duplicates, validating bank detail changes, handling failed payments, and enforcing maker-checker controls. Candidates are expected to recognize red flags such as email-based bank change requests, domain spoofing, and missing approvals. Strong performance in this area reduces fraud risk, misdirected payments, and compliance breaches. The skill reflects an AP professional’s responsibility in protecting cash while maintaining controlled, auditable master data processes.

This skill evaluates how candidates manage payment execution while balancing compliance, cash flow, and discount optimization. It covers early payment discounts, disputed charges, partial deliveries, credit application, and timing constraints. Candidates must understand when invoices are eligible for payment, how discounts interact with approvals and matching controls, and when payments must be blocked despite financial incentives. This skill demonstrates an AP professional’s ability to support working capital objectives without compromising internal controls or vendor accuracy.

This skill assesses the ability to reconcile vendor statements against AP subledger balances, identify missing invoices or credits, and resolve discrepancies systematically. It includes handling disputed balances, unapplied credits, duplicate entries, and timing differences. Effective reconciliation ensures accurate liabilities, clean vendor accounts, and smoother period closes. Candidates are expected to document reconciliation outcomes, communicate with vendors professionally, and avoid shortcuts such as on-account payments or informal netting that weaken controls.

This skill focuses on accurate AP postings beyond standard invoice entry, including advances, accrual reversals, finance charges, deposits, and adjustments. It tests whether candidates understand how and when AP interacts with the general ledger without bypassing subledger controls. Proper transaction posting ensures liabilities, expenses, and timing are correct while supporting audit requirements. Candidates should demonstrate awareness of approvals, documentation, and correct clearing of advances or accruals once final invoices are received.

This skill evaluates how AP supports financial close activities without compromising controls. It includes handling late invoices, missing GRNs, GR/IR aging, credit memos received after close, and coordination with accounting for accruals. Candidates must understand what AP can and cannot post at cut-off, how to provide evidence for accruals, and how to avoid backdating or period manipulation. Strong performance here ensures accurate financial reporting while maintaining subledger integrity and audit readiness.

This skill measures how well candidates use ERP systems to maintain traceable, audit-ready AP records. It covers document attachments, approval evidence, workflow usage, duplicate prevention, and responding to audit requests. Candidates are expected to know how to strengthen audit trails without altering historical postings, ensuring that invoices, approvals, receipts, and communications are properly linked. This skill reflects professional discipline in maintaining systems that support compliance, transparency, and efficient audits.