ROLE-SPECIFIC SKILLS

Accounting terminology test for hiring

Check how candidates apply US accounting terms to transactions, balances, statements, and business records.

10 minutes
15 questions
Intermediate
Multiple choice
Questions in English
Phone and desktop

Use this test free See the question formats

The short answer

The Accounting Terminology (US) test is a 10-minute, multiple-choice check of practical US accounting vocabulary. It measures working knowledge of the balance sheet, income, equity and cash flow statements, and books of accounts. Use the accounting terminology test when hiring bookkeepers, accounting clerks, accountants, auditors, or other people who handle financial records or read reports.

What it measures

Working knowledge of US accounting terms for the main financial statements and the books of accounts.

Balance sheet

Questions check how candidates interpret balance sheet terms in the context of a balance or transaction.

Income, equity and cash flow statements

Candidates apply terms for the income statement, statement of owner's equity, and cash flow statement to business situations.

Financial statements and books of accounts

Questions cover financial statements and records a business keeps, from the journal and ledger to the trial balance.

Question formats

Multiple choice

The candidate: Reads a short situation, table or statement and picks the right answer, or every right answer.

You see: Whether the candidate knows the material well enough to apply it, not just recognize it.

15 questions in 10 minutes, served one at a time.

Roles this test fits

People who handle financial records or read financial reports day to day: bookkeepers, accounting clerks, staff and senior accountants, auditors, controllers, financial and business analysts, and accounts payable or receivable specialists.

What this test can show

Applied vocabulary
See whether a candidate can choose the accounting term that fits a transaction, balance, or small table, beyond what a resume lists.
Relevant statement knowledge
Check working knowledge of balance sheets, income, equity and cash flow statements, and business records in one short test.
A focused hiring step
Use 10 minutes to gather job-related evidence before spending interview time exploring a candidate's experience.

What you get for each candidate

Example report (fictional data)Accounting Terminology (US)

77%Percentile 59. Benchmark: HireValid candidates, n = 2,308

Balance sheet73%

Income, equity and cash flow statements70%

Financial statements and books of accounts87%

Integrity ScoreHigh confidence

Stayed on the test tab throughout
No pasted answers
Answered at a steady pace

Scores, profiles and integrity signals are evidence for you to review alongside an interview, never an automatic decision.

Use this test free

Test integrity signals

Each candidate receives a different set of questions from large question pools. Questions appear in a different order for each attempt, and answer options are shuffled. The browser receives one question at a time, and answer keys stay on HireValid's servers. Timing runs on the server. If the page reloads, the same question returns with only the time left; candidates cannot go back to earlier questions. HireValid records signals such as time away from the test tab, pastes into answers, and answers faster than a question can be read. An Integrity Score and evidence timeline are provided for employer review. The score never decides on its own. With candidate consent, an employer can add webcam photos at random moments.

How we prevent AI cheating · Integrity signals

Review the evidence in context

Use the score as evidence for a person to review, not as a pass mark or a hiring decision. Pair it with a work sample that asks candidates to work through a transaction or interpret a small table, then use a structured interview to explore their reasoning. For a related skills check, see Accounting Fundamentals or Financial Math. If you are hiring for a bookkeeping role, see the Bookkeeper role page.

Structured interview questions

A transaction appears in the journal, but the related balance looks unexpected. How would you trace what happened?
Listen for a clear process connecting the journal, ledger, trial balance, and source information.
You are reviewing a small business's financial statements. What would you look at first to understand a change in cash?
Listen for a reasoned approach to the cash flow statement and how it relates to the other statements.
A colleague asks where an owner's contribution should appear in the records. How would you work through the question?
Listen for relevant terminology and a practical explanation of how the records and statement of owner's equity connect.

Understand scoring and benchmarks

Fairness and accommodations

Questions use the terms common in US practice, which the role needs, and nothing else from local knowledge: no tax rules, no idioms, sports or holidays. Amounts are round figures that can be worked on scratch paper, so no calculator is needed. Businesses vary across trades and sizes, and names come from many backgrounds. Sentences are short and plain, so the test measures accounting knowledge rather than reading speed.

You can give any candidate extra time as an accommodation. Results are evidence for a person to review, never an automatic decision.

Provisional: reliability is reported once 200 candidates have completed it.

Read our fairness approach

Test details

A short, timed check of how well a candidate knows the vocabulary of US accounting and can apply it to everyday business situations. Questions cover the balance sheet, the income statement, the statement of owner's equity, the cash flow statement, and the records a business keeps, from the journal and ledger to the trial balance. Most questions describe a transaction, a balance or a small table and ask which term fits it, so knowing what a term means in practice matters more than reciting a definition.

Questions are in English.
Aids allowed: Scratch paper.
Each question is answered once, in order, with no going back.
4 practice questions, 3 minutes, before the timed test.

Frequently asked questions

What does the Accounting Terminology (US) test measure?+

It checks working knowledge of US accounting terms for the balance sheet, income statement, statement of owner's equity, cash flow statement, and business records such as the journal, ledger, and trial balance. Questions ask candidates to apply terms to transactions, balances, or small tables.

Who is the Accounting Terminology (US) test for?+

It is intended for people who handle financial records or read financial reports day to day. Relevant roles include bookkeepers, accounting clerks, staff and senior accountants, auditors, controllers, financial and business analysts, and accounts payable or receivable specialists.

How long is the Accounting Terminology (US) test?+

The test has 15 multiple-choice questions and takes 10 minutes. Candidates may use scratch paper. A separate practice set has 4 questions and takes 3 minutes.

Does the Accounting Terminology (US) test need tax knowledge or a calculator?+

No. Questions use the terms common in US accounting practice and nothing else from local knowledge, so there are no tax rules, idioms, sports or holidays. Amounts are round figures that can be worked on scratch paper, so no calculator is needed, and sentences are kept short so the test measures accounting knowledge rather than reading speed.