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For the CPA Program • Core subject

Ethics and Governance notes

Ethics and Governance for the CPA Program, cut to 45 pages of notes, 64 flashcards, a two-page cheat sheet and a 100-mark practice exam, so you study what carries the marks. Packs $45 to $120 AUD, instant PDF download.

45 pages of notes100 mark practice exam64 flashcards2 page cheat sheet

Instant PDF download after checkout. Study on any device. Summo Notes is an independent study resource and is not affiliated with or endorsed by any professional body.

Ethics and Governance study notes, flashcards and cheat sheet on a desk.2026 edition

About the subject

What Ethics and Governance covers

Ethics and Governance is a core subject of the CPA Program. This study guide covers everything the exam tests: how accountants act in the public interest, the ethics rules they work under, and how companies are run and held to account.

The exam mixes multiple choice with extended response, and most questions are built around a business scenario. Recall alone is not enough. You have to take a principle and apply it to a company you have never seen before, which is where most marks are won or lost. The notes are built for that: the ideas and the wording first, then how to use them in the exam.

The subject splits into five modules. The notes match the exam, so the parts worth the most marks get the most of your time.

What's inside

Everything tested, nothing padded

Three parts that work together. Learn it in the notes, drill it with the exam, lock it in with the cards.

Condensed notes

45 pages across five modules

The whole subject rewritten in plain English, the way a colleague who passed last year would explain it.

  • Every examinable topic, in order
  • Must-know callouts flag what to memorise
  • Tables and worked examples, not walls of text
Practice exam

A full 100-mark paper

Fifty multiple choice and five extended-response questions, built around real scenarios and written for an open-book exam.

  • Worked solutions explain right and wrong
  • Model answers and marking guides
  • Sit it timed, then check your working
Recall tools

64 flashcards and a cheat sheet

The last-week toolkit. Quick recall on the go, and one quick reference sheet for the open-book exam.

  • 64 print-and-cut flashcards
  • Two-page cheat sheet, the core of what's examined
  • Sized for phone or paper

A look inside

Real pages, not a promise

This is the actual work, not a description of it. Genuine pieces from the notes, flashcards, cheat sheet and exam, so you can see the quality before you spend a cent. It is a taste. The full pack goes a lot deeper.

From the notes

Every definition, done properly

Must know

Corporate governance is the system by which entities are directed and controlled. Learn that definition word for word. It anchors most governance answers.

The exact line to memorise, pulled out so you cannot miss it.

From the cheat sheet

The whole toolkit, three pages to scan

Consequentialism. Judge by outcomes, the greatest good.
Deontology (Kant). Act on a binding duty, whatever the outcome.
Virtue ethics (Aristotle). Do what a person of good character would do.

The core of what's examined, laid out for fast lookup in the open-book exam.

From the notes

The five principles, named in full

  • Integrity be honest and straightforward
  • Objectivity let no bias or pressure distort judgement
  • Professional competence and due care
  • Confidentiality
  • Professional behaviour

Drop or rename one and you lose the mark, so the notes drill all five by name.

From the flashcards

64 cards that make recall automatic

Front

What is the public interest, and why must professional accountants act in it?

Back

The collective wellbeing of those the profession serves: investors, creditors, employers, governments and the public. Accountants must put it ahead of their own or a client's interest, because the value of their work and society's trust depend on it.

Print double-sided, cut, and drill them anywhere.

From the notes

The syllabus, turned into tables you can use

ThreatWhat creates it
Self-interestA financial or other interest that could sway judgement
Self-reviewEvaluating work the member or firm did before
AdvocacyPromoting a client's position so far that objectivity suffers

Plus familiarity and intimidation. Five threats, one table, learned in a minute.

From the notes

Governance in practice, boiled down to eight

  • Lay solid foundations for management and oversight
  • Structure the board to add value
  • Act lawfully, ethically and responsibly
  • Safeguard the integrity of corporate reports
  • Make timely and balanced disclosure
  • Respect the rights of security holders
  • Recognise and manage risk
  • Remunerate fairly and responsibly

The eight principles and the "if not, why not" basis, the most tested part.

From the notes

The traps that cost marks, flagged in advance

Common trap

"If not, why not" is the Australian phrase. "Comply or explain" is the United Kingdom one. The trap is attaching the wrong phrase to the wrong country, or reading either as "obey or be fined".

Tips and traps sit right where people slip, so you learn the mistake before you make it.

From the practice exam

A full mock, marked like the real exam

Question 2 • Module 1

Priya is the management accountant at Marrabel Freight. The CFO asks her to present the monthly result to the board and the company's lender using a classification that, while not a clear breach of any rule, would leave both with a more favourable impression of the cash position than the figures support. Which course best reflects her obligation?

  • A. Follow the instruction, because as an employee her first loyalty is to the company that pays her
  • B. Decline to present figures she knows would mislead, because the public interest overrides the employer's preferenceAnswer

Fifty multiple choice and five extended response, every one worked through.

Worked solution

Every answer explained, right and wrong

Why B is correct

An accountant in business is still bound by the code and must not be knowingly associated with misleading information. The public-interest obligation sits above loyalty to an employer, so Priya refuses the misleading presentation and raises it through the proper channels. The duty is to the integrity of the information, not to the impression the CFO wants to create.

Why the others are wrong

Employment does not displace the professional duty. A private note to file does not cure the breach, because she would still be associated with the misleading figures. And the directors' responsibility for the statements does not remove her own obligation not to be party to them.

Every question is marked up like this. The five extended-response questions come with a model answer and the marking guide, so you can see exactly where the marks sit.

See the packs

And this is a sample. The full pack has all 45 pages, 64 cards, the cheat sheet, and the complete 100-mark exam with worked solutions.

Made for studying after work

Built for the hours you actually have

You are fitting this around a full-time job. The notes are cut down so your study time goes to the parts that earn marks, not to re-reading the textbook.

1

We read the whole syllabus so you don't

Five modules of material sorted into what gets tested and what does not.

2

Weighted to the exam

The modules that carry the most marks get the most space. The rest is kept short.

3

Built to apply, not just recall

Worked solutions show how to take a principle and answer a scenario you have not seen.

Choose your pack

One subject, three ways to buy

Prices in Australian dollars. Every pack is an instant PDF download.

Exam pack
$45
 

For revision when you know the theory and want to practise under exam conditions.

  • Full 100-mark practice exam
  • Multiple choice and extended response
  • Worked solutions for every question
Get the exam pack (opens in a new tab)
Best value • saves $20
Full pack
$120
Buy both together and save $20

Everything for the subject, from first read to the final open-book exam.

  • 45 pages of condensed notes
  • 64 flashcards and the cheat sheet
  • Full 100-mark exam with solutions
  • One instant download
Get the full pack (opens in a new tab)
Study pack
$95
 

For learning the subject from scratch and building recall.

  • 45 pages of condensed notes
  • 64 flashcards
  • two-page cheat sheet
Get the study pack (opens in a new tab)

How it works

From payment to studying in about a minute

1

Choose your pack

Pick the pack that fits where you are in the subject.

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Pay securely by card

Checkout is handled by Lemon Squeezy. No account needed.

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Your PDFs land in your inbox and on the confirmation page.

Good to know

Common questions

What is in each pack?
The study pack has the 45-page notes, 64 flashcards and the two-page cheat sheet. The exam pack has the full 100-mark practice exam and its worked-solutions booklet. The full pack is both, and saves you $20.
How many practice exams are there?
One full paper that mirrors the real exam. Fifty multiple choice and five extended-response questions, built around real scenarios and written for an open-book exam. Every question comes with a worked solution, and the extended-response questions include a model answer and marking guide.
What format are the files in?
Everything is a PDF. The notes and exam read well on a laptop, tablet or printed out. The flashcards are built to print double-sided and cut, and the cheat sheet is made for fast lookup in the open-book exam.
How current is the material?
This is the 2026 edition, aligned to the current subject outline. Standards and legislation change, so the notes tell you to verify any point against the current source before you rely on it.
Do I get updates if the subject changes?
If we update a pack you have bought within the same exam period, we send you the new version at no extra cost.
What is your refund policy?
These are digital files you download straight after buying, so we usually cannot offer a refund for change of mind once they are delivered. This does not affect your rights under the Australian Consumer Law, which cannot be excluded. If a product is faulty or is significantly different from what we described, you are entitled to a remedy, so email us and we will sort it out.
Is Summo Notes affiliated with the certification?
No. Summo Notes is an independent study resource and is not affiliated with or endorsed by any professional body. We name the program and subject only so you can find the right materials.

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