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A Level · Cambridge (CIE) · 9706

Calculate ARR from project profit

Find average annual accounting profit from the stated project life, then apply ARR.

Cambridge International AS & A Level Accounting 9706 · Topic 4.4 · 2026–2028 · 4.4
Exam scope and assessment notes

Cambridge International AS & A Level Accounting 9706, 2026–2028 syllabus, Version 2. This topic covers future net cash flows, payback, ARR, NPV, IRR and supported investment decisions. Discounted payback and questions involving a residual value at the end of a project are excluded by Cambridge. Practice is self-checked, not an official Cambridge grade. Full timed Papers 1–4 and human subject-teacher review remain outstanding.

Before you begin

  • Use AS Topics 1.5–1.6 for profit, depreciation and financial analysis, and Topic 2.1 for contribution. Keep accounting profit, project cash flow and the time value of money distinct.

Work on paper. Try each question before revealing help, and explain why your method works.

Quick readiness check

A 5-year project earns total accounting profit $50,000. What is average annual profit?

What you will learn

  • Calculate average profit over the project life
  • Apply the ARR formula
  • Check percentage presentation

Average the stated accounting profit

If total accounting profit over the project life is supplied, average annual profit = total profit ÷ number of years when the question uses equal yearly averaging. Then ARR = (average profit ÷ average investment) × 100.

For different annual profits, total the stated amounts first. Do not replace profit with total cash inflows.

Interpret the assumptions

ARR compares typical accounting return with average investment. It does not show when cash is received, and an average can hide changes across years.

Compare with the stated target or alternatives. Use the supplied average-investment basis and do not introduce an excluded residual amount.

Pause and explain

Average profit is $10,000 and average investment $50,000. What is ARR?

Put the idea to work

Worked example

A 4-year project has total accounting profit $96,000 and average investment $80,000. Calculate average profit and ARR.

Show the worked solution
  1. Average profit = 96,000 ÷ 4 = $24,000.
  2. ARR = (24,000 ÷ 80,000) × 100.
  3. ARR = 30%.

Answer Average annual profit is $24,000 and ARR is 30%.

Try a topic test

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From guided practice to a new situation

Write your answer and reasoning first. Use a hint only if you are stuck. The model solution is for self-checking; your written work is not automatically marked.

1 · Guided

Over 6 years, total profit is $90,000 and average investment is $75,000. Calculate ARR.

Give me a hint

Find average profit first.

Compare my reasoning
  1. Average profit = 90,000 ÷ 6 = $15,000.
  2. ARR = (15,000 ÷ 75,000) × 100.
  3. ARR = 20%.

ARR is 20%.

Look for these in your work

  • Average profit correct
  • Average investment used
  • Percentage correct
2 · Independent

Annual profits are $8,000, $14,000, $18,000 and $20,000 over 4 years. Average investment is $60,000. Find total profit, average profit and ARR.

Give me a hint

Add profits, divide by four, then apply the formula.

Compare my reasoning
  1. Total = $60,000.
  2. Average profit = 60,000 ÷ 4 = $15,000.
  3. ARR = (15,000 ÷ 60,000) × 100 = 25%.

Total profit is $60,000, average profit $15,000 and ARR 25%.

Look for these in your work

  • Profits totalled
  • Average calculated
  • ARR correct
3 · Transfer

Two projects have equal average profit, but one needs twice the average investment. What does ARR show?

Give me a hint

Compare profit relative to capital invested.

Compare my reasoning
  1. Calculate each using average profit ÷ average investment × 100.
  2. With equal profit, the project needing twice as much investment has half the ARR.
  3. Consider NPV, risk and scale before the final choice.

ARR expresses profit relative to investment, so the larger investment has lower ARR when profit is equal.

Look for these in your work

  • Relative return identified
  • Formula applied
  • Other evidence retained

Common mistakes

  • Dividing by the wrong number of years
  • Using cash inflows as profit
  • Reporting 0.30 as 0.30%
Recall without your notes

What can you explain now?

Total profit is $72,000 over 3 years. What is average annual profit?

Compare with the explanation

$24,000

Average profit = 72,000 ÷ 3 = $24,000.

After trying it yourself, choose your next review. This is your self-assessment.

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Make it stick

How do you move from total project profit to ARR?

If you needed the solution, close it and solve the problem again from a blank page. A correct answer is stronger when you can explain the reason for each step.

Keep learning Accounting

Course scope and assessment

197 original lessons teach Topics 1.1–1.6 and 2.1–2.2, plus Topics 3.1–3.5 and 4.1–4.4, with explained, staged practice mapped to the listed syllabus objectives, including all four Topic 1.5 objectives. Topic 3.1 covers partnership changes, clubs and societies, manufacturing accounts and the limited-company statement set. Topic 3.2 covers all nine named IAS at Cambridge's stated main-provisions level, ethical principles, audit and stewardship. Topic 3.3 covers business mergers and acquisitions, goodwill, consideration, ledger entries, post-acquisition statements and evaluation. Topic 3.4 covers controlled accounting-data conversion and integrity checks. Topic 3.5 covers all nine appendix ratios, exact prescribed formulae, interrelationships, limitations and justified stakeholder recommendations. Topic 4.1 covers cost pools, cost drivers, ABC overhead allocation, unit costs, selling prices, comparisons, uses, limitations and business decisions. Topic 4.2 covers standard costing, all listed cost and sales variances, their causes and relationships, budget improvement and non-financial decision factors. Topic 4.3 covers linked master-budget schedules, all nine listed budgets, limiting factors, flexible-budget statements and reconciliations, target behaviour and supported decisions. Topic 4.4 covers future project cash flows, payback, ARR, NPV, IRR, method limits and balanced recommendations; Cambridge excludes discounted payback and residual-value questions. All 17 topics have full mapped sequences. The separately published 2029 syllabus is not covered. Practice is self-checked and does not award Cambridge grades. Full timed Papers 1–4 and human subject-teacher review remain outstanding.

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