{"id":"acct-trial-balance-transposition-hunt","audience":"accounting","category":"finance-work","track":"finance","technique":"verification","level":"intermediate","title":"Test whether a trial balance gap fits a transposition","free":false,"task":"You're helping a bookkeeper find why a trial balance is out of balance. Write a prompt for plain text with lines starting \"Difference:\", \"Divisible by 9:\", \"Candidate:\" and \"Status:\". Show the math. A digit transposition produces a difference divisible by 9. Name only an entry whose recorded and correct amounts differ by exactly the gap. The Status line is exactly \"Candidate only; confirm to the source document before any correction\". Don't suggest a plug. Under 80 words. No bullets or numbering.","materialLabel":"Trial balance totals and recent entries (attached to your prompt automatically)","material":"TRIAL BALANCE CHECK - Oct 31, 2026, Maple Row Hardware\n\nTotal debits: $128,450\nTotal credits: $128,360\n\nRecent manual entries the bookkeeper wants checked (amount recorded vs amount on the source document):\nE1. Check #2036 to Tallis Freight: recorded $450, source document (check copy) says $540.\nE2. Rent payment: recorded $1,020, bank statement says $1,200.\nE3. Utilities bill: recorded $301, bill says $310.\nE4. Deposit of Oct 29: recorded $2,200, deposit slip says $2,200.\n\nNotes: the owner suggested putting the gap in 'miscellaneous' so the balance sheet balances. The bookkeeper should find the cause instead.","rules":[{"type":"plainText"},{"type":"maxWords","max":80},{"type":"maxBullets","max":0}],"promptHints":[{"label":"Names the four lines","patterns":["difference:","divisible by 9","candidate:","status:"]},{"label":"Defines the candidate rule","patterns":["exactly the gap","differ by exactly"]},{"label":"Quotes the status line","patterns":["confirm to the source document","exactly"]},{"label":"Bans a plug","patterns":["(do not|don'?t).*(plug|miscellaneous)"]},{"label":"Caps length","patterns":["\\d+\\s*words","plain"]}],"mistakes":[{"title":"Naming several candidates","why":"The AI lists E1, E2 and E3 because all are transpositions.","fix":"Say: \"Name only the entry whose amounts differ by exactly the gap.\"","checks":["r1"]},{"title":"Suggesting a plug","why":"The AI agrees to book $90 to miscellaneous.","fix":"Add: \"Do not suggest a plug or miscellaneous.\"","checks":["r2"]},{"title":"Missing the status line","why":"The AI states the cause as found.","fix":"Quote the Status line exactly.","checks":["r2"]},{"title":"Markdown extras","why":"The AI adds bold labels, headings and a closing note.","fix":"Say: \"Plain text, no bold. Output only the lines asked for.\"","checks":["plainText","maxBullets","r0"]},{"title":"Trusting the AI to count words","why":"AI is bad at counting and runs past word limits.","fix":"Ask for fewer words than the real cap and keep each line short.","checks":["maxWords"]}],"hint":"Several entries look like transpositions, but only one matches the gap. Give the rule, the line labels and the status text.","rubricLabels":["The line starting \"Difference:\" shows $128,450 - $128,360 = $90 and the line starting \"Divisible by 9:\" shows $90 / 9 = 10, so yes","The line starting \"Candidate:\" names E1 (check #2036, $450 recorded vs $540 on the check copy, a $90 difference) and not E2 ($180 difference) or E3 ($9 difference)","The line starting \"Status:\" is exactly \"Candidate only; confirm to the source document before any correction\" and the output never suggests miscellaneous or a plug"]}