Trial Balance Questions with Solutions for B.Com Students

For Calcutta University B.Com Students | Financial Accounting Practice

The Trial Balance is one of the first numerical topics every B.Com student meets in Financial Accounting. It looks simple — two columns that must agree — but examiners often test whether you know which balance goes on which side, and what to do when the totals do not match.

For hands-on practice on real data, a practical tally course in Kolkata can help you apply these concepts at work.

This guide explains the rules, walks through solved trial balance questions, and gives you practice problems so you can check your understanding before the exam.

1. What Is a Trial Balance?

A Trial Balance is a statement that lists the closing balances of all ledger accounts on a particular date, arranged in two columns — debit balances and credit balances.

Its main purposes are:

• To check the arithmetical accuracy of ledger posting.
• To provide a summary of balances for preparing final accounts.
• To help locate certain types of errors.

If the debit total equals the credit total, the Trial Balance “agrees”. Remember: agreement only shows arithmetical accuracy, not that the books are error-free.

2. Which Balances Go on Which Side?

A simple rule: assets, expenses and losses normally have debit balances; liabilities, capital, incomes and gains normally have credit balances.

A common trap: closing stock usually does not appear in the Trial Balance when it is given as an adjustment, because it is introduced through a closing entry. If closing stock is already adjusted against purchases, it may appear in the Trial Balance — read the question carefully.

3. Solved Question 1 — Basic Trial Balance

Question: Prepare a Trial Balance as on 31 March from the following balances:

Capital ₹1,00,000; Cash ₹15,000; Bank ₹35,000; Furniture ₹20,000; Purchases ₹60,000; Sales ₹90,000; Salaries ₹12,000; Rent ₹6,000; Debtors ₹25,000; Creditors ₹18,000; Drawings ₹5,000; Commission Received ₹2,000; Opening Stock ₹32,000.

Solution:

Both sides total ₹2,10,000, so the Trial Balance agrees.

4. Solved Question 2 — Finding the Missing Capital

Question: From the balances below, find the capital (the only missing figure):

Machinery ₹80,000; Stock (opening) ₹20,000; Purchases ₹50,000; Sales ₹1,10,000; Wages ₹10,000; Debtors ₹30,000; Creditors ₹25,000; Cash ₹8,000; Loan from Bank ₹40,000; Interest on Loan ₹4,000; Carriage Inwards ₹3,000.

Solution:

Debit side: 80,000 + 20,000 + 50,000 + 10,000 + 30,000 + 8,000 + 4,000 + 3,000 = ₹2,05,000

Credit side (without capital): 1,10,000 + 25,000 + 40,000 = ₹1,75,000

Capital = ₹2,05,000 − ₹1,75,000 = ₹30,000 (credit).

This “balancing figure” method is a very common exam pattern.

5. Solved Question 3 — Correcting a Wrong Trial Balance

Question: A student prepared the following Trial Balance. Redraft it correctly.

Mistakes: Capital, Purchase Returns and Bills Payable should be on the credit side. Sales Returns and Discount Allowed should be on the debit side.

Corrected Trial Balance:

The totals still differ by ₹1,14,000. In a real question, this tells you some balances are missing (for example, debtors, stock or assets). If the difference cannot be traced immediately, it is temporarily placed in a Suspense Account until the errors are located.

6. Errors a Trial Balance Cannot Detect

Students often lose marks here. An agreeing Trial Balance can still hide:

Errors that do affect the Trial Balance include one-sided posting, wrong totalling of one account, and posting the wrong amount to only one side.

7. Suspense Account — A Short Example

Suppose the debit side totals ₹1,50,400 and the credit side ₹1,50,000. The difference of ₹400 is placed on the credit side as a Suspense Account so the Trial Balance can be completed.

Later, you find that Rent of ₹400 was not posted to the Rent Account. The rectification entry is:

Rent A/c Dr. ₹400
To Suspense A/c ₹400

Once all errors are rectified, the Suspense Account closes with a nil balance.

8. Step-by-Step Method for Any Trial Balance Question

1. Read every balance and decide whether it is an asset, liability, capital, income or expense.
2. Place it on the debit or credit side using the rules above.
3. Watch for traps: closing stock, bank overdraft, provisions, returns and discounts.
4. Total both columns carefully.
5. If a figure is missing, find it as a balancing figure.
6. If totals do not agree, check for wrongly placed items before using a Suspense Account.

9. Practice Questions

Try these on your own before checking answers in class:

1. Prepare a Trial Balance from: Capital ₹60,000; Cash ₹10,000; Purchases ₹45,000; Sales ₹70,000; Salaries ₹9,000; Furniture ₹25,000; Creditors ₹14,000; Debtors ₹55,000.
2. Find the missing Opening Stock if the debit side (excluding stock) totals ₹1,80,000 and the credit side totals ₹2,05,000.
3. Classify these as debit or credit balances: Bank Overdraft, Bad Debts, Reserve for Doubtful Debts, Carriage Outwards, Interest Received.
4. Give two examples of errors not disclosed by a Trial Balance.
5. Explain the role of a Suspense Account.

Hint for Q1: debit total ₹1,44,000 and credit total ₹1,44,000. Hint for Q2: Opening Stock = ₹25,000.

To build confidence with ledgers first, revise our 50 Journal Entries with Examples and the CU B.Com Sem 1 Financial Accounting Notes. You can also read Trial Balance vs Balance Sheet to avoid mixing the two statements.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a Trial Balance part of final accounts?

No. It is a working statement prepared before final accounts. It helps you prepare the Trading Account, Profit and Loss Account and Balance Sheet.

Does closing stock appear in the Trial Balance?

Usually not, when it is given as an adjustment. It appears in the Trading Account and Balance Sheet through a closing entry. If it has already been adjusted against purchases, it may appear in the Trial Balance.

What if my Trial Balance does not tally in the exam?

First check for items on the wrong side and totalling mistakes. If the question demands it, show the difference as a Suspense Account.

Can I practise trial balances in software?

Yes. Tools like Tally Prime generate a Trial Balance automatically from vouchers. Practising in the Tally Prime Practice Lab helps you see how ledger balances flow into reports.

Final Thoughts

Trial balance questions reward careful classification more than complex calculation. Practise ten balances a day, learn the common traps, and you will rarely lose marks on this topic. Test yourself with the free Accounting Skill Test.