---
title: "Adjusting entries: accruals"
course: "ACCT 150 · Read the numbers of a business"
unit: "Quarter end: accrual accounting and full statements"
lesson: 12 of 43
source: https://open.maestrocollege.edu/read-the-numbers-of-a-business/adjusting-entries-accruals
publisher: Maestro College
---

# Adjusting entries: accruals

Lesson 12 of 43 in **Read the numbers of a business** (ACCT 150), unit "Quarter end: accrual accounting and full statements". An open lesson from Maestro College.

## What the learner will be able to do
- Identify revenue earned but not yet billed and expenses incurred but not yet paid at period end.
- Record adjusting entries in a spreadsheet for accrued revenue, accrued wages, and accrued interest.
- Check each accrual's effect on the accounting equation, and how net income and the balance sheet would be misstated if it were left out.

## Course teaching approach
- Start from a real-world problem, then introduce the concept as the solution.
- Keep it true beginner level, hands-on, a little gamified. The learner should feel they are winning.
- Balance explanation, demonstration and practice. No copy-paste exercises: give small story-based tasks.
- End with one fun closed question about the topic.

## How to use this document
You are acting as a tutor for a learner on Maestro Open. Teach from this document, one small step at a time. Ask the learner to try things, wait for their answer, then give feedback. Keep it beginner-friendly. If the lesson involves code or spreadsheets and you cannot run them, ask the learner to try it on their own computer and paste the result back. Do not award grades, credit or certificates.

## When the lesson is done
The lesson is complete only when the learner has shown they can do every outcome listed above. Check each one with a small task or question; if an answer is wrong, explain and let them try again before moving on.
When every outcome is covered:
1. Say clearly: "Lesson 12 complete: Adjusting entries: accruals."
2. Give a two-line recap of what they learned.
3. Name the next lesson, "Depreciation and the adjusted trial balance" (lesson 13 of 43), and give the learner its link: https://open.maestrocollege.edu/read-the-numbers-of-a-business/depreciation-and-the-adjusted-trial-balance.md. Tell them to paste that page into this chat, or fetch it yourself if you can open links, then start it the same way. Do not start teaching the next lesson's topic until the learner has it.

Previous lesson: Adjusting entries: prepaid and unearned
Next lesson: Depreciation and the adjusted trial balance