CAT Accounting Technician Software & Technology 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A company migrates from a desktop accounting package to a cloud ERP. What is the MOST important step before going live?
- Immediately archive all old data without testing
- Run parallel processing to verify outputs match between old and new systems (Correct answer)
- Delete all old records once migration is complete
- Skip user training to save time
Correct answer: Run parallel processing to verify outputs match between old and new systems
Parallel processing runs both systems simultaneously so outputs can be compared, catching data errors or mapping issues before the old system is decommissioned.
Question 2: In a spreadsheet, the formula =VLOOKUP(A2, Customers!$A:$C, 3, FALSE) returns an error #N/A. What is the MOST likely cause?
- The lookup table has too many columns
- The value in A2 does not exist in the first column of the lookup range (Correct answer)
- The formula uses the wrong worksheet name
- Column 3 does not contain numeric data
Correct answer: The value in A2 does not exist in the first column of the lookup range
#N/A in VLOOKUP means the lookup value was not found in the first column of the specified range, indicating a missing or mismatched entry.
Question 3: What does the term 'drill-down' mean in the context of accounting software dashboards?
- Exporting summarized data to a CSV file
- Clicking on a summary figure to see the underlying detailed transactions (Correct answer)
- Running a full database backup
- Scrolling through a long report
Correct answer: Clicking on a summary figure to see the underlying detailed transactions
Drill-down lets users click on a summarized figure (e.g., total sales) to navigate to the individual transactions that make up that total.
Question 4: Which module in an ERP system would an accounting technician use to record the purchase of raw materials from a supplier?
- Accounts Receivable
- Accounts Payable / Purchase Order module (Correct answer)
- Human Resources
- Fixed Asset Register
Correct answer: Accounts Payable / Purchase Order module
The Accounts Payable or Purchase Order module handles supplier invoices, purchase orders, and payments for goods and services received.
Question 5: An accounting technician exports a report to PDF and notices figures differ from the on-screen view. What should be checked FIRST?
- Reinstall the PDF software
- Verify the report date range and filter settings used for the export (Correct answer)
- Change the font size in the software settings
- Contact the software vendor immediately
Correct answer: Verify the report date range and filter settings used for the export
Discrepancies between on-screen and exported reports are most commonly caused by different date ranges or filters being applied at export time.
Question 6: In cloud accounting software, what does 'real-time collaboration' primarily allow accounting teams to do?
- Store files locally on one machine only
- Multiple users to view and edit the same data simultaneously from different locations (Correct answer)
- Encrypt files automatically before sharing
- Limit data access to one user at a time
Correct answer: Multiple users to view and edit the same data simultaneously from different locations
Real-time collaboration in cloud software means multiple authorized users can access, enter, and review the same financial data concurrently without version conflicts.
Question 7: What is the purpose of audit trail functionality in accounting software?
- To automatically correct data entry errors
- To record a log of who made changes, what was changed, and when (Correct answer)
- To generate tax returns automatically
- To back up the database to an external drive
Correct answer: To record a log of who made changes, what was changed, and when
An audit trail logs every data change with user, timestamp, and before/after values, supporting accountability and fraud detection.
CAT Accounting Technician Software & Technology 3
A company migrates from a desktop accounting package to a cloud ERP.
What is the MOST important step before going live?