Set Up Journal Entry Tests

The Transaction Testing tab allows you to run a series of automated tests on your imported General Ledger (GL) data to identify anomalies, patterns, and potential risks.

Overview of Tests

There are 25 standard tests available, grouped into the following categories:

  1. Outliers, Unusual Amounts, Timing, Manual, and Other Indicators

  2. Suspicious Descriptions and People

  3. Account Combination Tests

  4. Reversals and Erroneous Entries

You can enable or disable individual tests based on your analysis needs.

Note: Some tests may be disabled (greyed out) if the required data fields are missing from the imported GL file.

Example: The Approved by Poster test will be disabled if the GL file does not include an Approved By column.

This table lists each journal entry test, the required fields from the General Ledger (GL) to enable the test, and the input parameters (if any) that users must configure.

Test Name Required fields to enable test Input
Credits to cash accounts GL Account Number, Amount

Define cash accounts by selecting:

  • Level: Group or Sub-Group

  • Group: Choose from Chart of Accounts

Rarely used accounts GL Account Number Threshold for low-frequency accounts
Accounts prone to error in the past GL Account Number, Amount

Define error-prone accounts by selecting:

  • Level: Group or Sub-Group

  • Group: Choose from Chart of Accounts

High-risk accounts GL Account Number, Amount

Define high-risk accounts by selecting:

  • Level: Group or Sub-Group

  • Group: Choose from Chart of Accounts
Unusual revenue postings GL Account Number, Amount

To determine the unusual revenue postings define the revenue accounts and expected debit accounts by selecting:

  • Level: Group or Sub-Group

  • Group: Select the Group or Sub Group from your Chart of Accounts
Unusual account combination GL Account Number, Amount Threshold of postings below which it is an unusual account combination
Amount over threshold Amount Amount threshold
Total debits over threshold Amount Amount threshold
High value Amount Top value percentage
Backdated Entry Date, Effective Date No input required
Forward posted Entry Date, Effective Date Forward posted days threshold
Rounded amounts Amount Rounding base
Approved by poster Entry Date, Approved By No input required
Non-balancing Amount, Journal ID No input required
Manual postings Entry Date or Journal Entry Type or Document Type Define manual postings by setting the criteria by choosing one of Entry date or Journal Entry type or Document type.
Outlier amounts GL Account Number, Amount Standard deviation threshold
Reversed GL Account Number, Amount No input required
Reversal GL Account Number, Amount No input required
Duplicate postings GL Account Number, Amount, Period (only required if look within the same period option is selected) Select criteria of looking for duplicates across periods or within period
Suspicious keywords Journal Entry Line Description Select suspicious keywords from a standard list or add new words
No description Journal Entry Line Description No input required
Leaving users Entered By Select posters to identify leaving users
Unexpected posters Entered By Select posters to identify unexpected posters
Rare posters Entered By Threshold for low-frequency postings
Related parties Journal Entry Line Description Add keywords/related parties that will be searched in the description

Configure Test Parameters and Weighting

Each test may have its own input parameters and a weighting that determines its impact on the overall risk score.

Click the Parameters option in the Actions column to:

  • Set input values (if required)

  • Adjust the test’s weighting

    Tip: Hover over any test name to view a description of its logic and purpose.

    Note: Some tests do not require input parameters and will run automatically if enabled.

Customize Weighting and Risk Thresholds

You can set Weighting Scores for weighting ranging from None to Very High. This score will be used for determining a risk score for each transaction.

Example: If Manual Postings test has a HIGH weighting assigned and Outlier amounts have LOW weighting assigned, then a transaction meeting the criteria for both the tests will have a higher risk score than the transaction meeting the criteria for only Manual Postings test.

You can modify Risk Thresholds ranges are used for translating the risk scores for each transaction into a Risk Category of Low-Moderate-High.

Thresholds are calculated as a percentage of the maximum score that can be received for a transaction based on the tests selected and the weightings of each test.

Example:

Consider the following:

  • Risk Threshold for HIGH is set as 50% to 100%.

  • A transaction has a Risk Score of 500 based on the number of tests it has met the criteria (and considering the test weighting score for each of those tests) as 500

  • Maximum Score (Sum of weighting score of all the journal entry tests run) is 800.

Then, the risk score is falling within the threshold of 50% to 100%, so the transaction will be categorized as HIGH risk.

Tip: If you do not wish to see Risk Categorization of transactions, you can make each of the journal test weighting as None in the parameters.

Run Analytics

Once you have:

  • Selected the required tests

  • Provided input parameters (where needed)

  • Adjusted the weightings

Click Run Analytics to execute the tests.

Tip: If any required inputs are missing, a warning icon will appear next to the affected tests. Use this to quickly identify and resolve issues.

Note: When you run Analytics again, any changes made to the Trial Balance or Chart of Accounts—such as updates to account balances or group/sub-group assignments—since the previous run will be included. The new results will overwrite the previous ones.