Accounts Payable Officer interview questions

Basic questions

1. What is the difference between debit and credit?
2. What are the main financial statements of a company?
3. What is a bank reconciliation?
4. Which accounting software have you used?
5. What is the difference between accounts payable and accounts receivable?
6. What is a trial balance and why do we prepare it?
7. Which Excel functions do you use most in your work?
8. What is the difference between an asset and a liability?

Practical questions

1. How do you prepare a month-end closing?
2. The ledger does not match the bank statement. How do you find the difference?
3. Explain depreciation and one way to calculate it.
4. How do you record sales tax or VAT in your entries?
5. How would you control petty cash in a small office?
6. A supplier says they were not paid, but your records show the payment. How do you sort it out?
7. How do you follow up with customers who pay late?
8. As an Accounts Payable Officer, how do you check your own work for mistakes before you submit it?

What interviewers want to hear

Strong answers usually touch on:

• Answer with a real example: the situation, what you did, and the result, ideally with a number.
• Keep each answer to about a minute; make your main point in the first two sentences.
• Expect follow-ups. Good interviewers dig into what you just said.