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Principles of Accounting · Coursework learning support

Teacher feedback versus work that is your own

Your teacher commented on your draft, and you are unsure how much to change.

Feedback points at something to check, and you decide the change. Keep a short change record so that every edit in your project traces back to your own reasoning.

This lesson is part of SPM Accounting. For a wider view of useful help, see getting help on accounting coursework without someone doing it for you.

Whose rules decide what is permitted?

Your school and subject teacher decide what help and feedback are allowed on an assignment. Use their written instructions, and ask your teacher when a rule is unclear.

This page cannot replace those instructions. It shows a habit, the change record, that helps you keep your own work clearly your own.

Worked example: acting on a comment

An invented student’s draft shows stall rent of RM600 for a four-week month. The teacher’s comment reads: “Check your rent figure against your plan.”

Check. Her plan says rent is RM60 a week. Four weeks gives 4 × 60 = RM240, not RM600. She had added a zero.

Change. She corrects the ledger figure to RM240 and updates the statement, which raises profit by RM360.

Comment What I checked What I changed Why
Check rent against plan Plan: RM60 a week, four weeks Rent RM600 to RM240 Typing error, plan figure is 4 × 60

The record shows her own reasoning. The teacher only pointed to the place to look.

The mistake that pastes the answer in

The other route is to ask a friend what the rent should be and type in the friend’s number. The figure may be right, but nothing in the work shows the student understood why.

If the friend’s project used different rent, the figure could also be wrong for her scenario. Using your own plan as the source keeps the answer tied to your own business.

Check yourself

A comment says, “Your trial balance does not agree, look at the credit side.” You find the credit total is RM300 lower than the debit total, and a RM300 receipt has no credit entry. Write one line for a change record.

Answer

A model line: “Comment: trial balance does not agree, look at credit side. Checked: credits RM300 lower than debits. Found: RM300 receipt not credited to Sales. Changed: added the credit entry to the ledger so the totals agree.”

Your own wording is fine, as long as it shows check, finding and change.

What to study next

Return to planning an original accounting project to review your plan, and use the claim, evidence and explanation revision desk to check your reasoning.

If you want a teacher to practise the method on different figures, see online one-to-one Accounting tuition.

Common questions

How do I know what help is allowed on my project?

Your school and subject teacher decide what help is permitted, and the rules are in the written instructions you were given. If anything is unclear, ask your teacher before you rely on help from anyone.

Can a tutor or friend correct my project?

Follow your school's rules. A safe approach is to learn the method on different figures and then apply it yourself. Copying a corrected figure or sentence into your work makes it no longer your own.

What is a change record?

A short note listing the comment you received, what you checked, and what you changed and why. It shows your reasoning and keeps the line between feedback and your own decisions.

What if I do not understand the comment?

Ask your teacher what the comment means, and write the answer in your own words in the record. Understanding the comment comes first, then the change.

If you are unsure how to use feedback without losing ownership of the work, a one-to-one Accounting teacher can practise the method on different figures while your own assignment stays your work.

  • Online one-to-one lessons for your child with an experienced teacher.
  • Your first class is a one-hour trial, from RM50. The fee is agreed before you book.
  • Happy with the teacher? Continue with lessons of about 1.5 hours. If not, ask for another teacher.