Q.State any five essential features of a good time-keeping system.

A good time-keeping system must record attendance accurately while remaining simple, tamper-resistant, and acceptable to workers.

A time-keeping system exists to produce reliable wage-computation data, so it must be accurate and resistant to tampering (e.g. one worker punching another's card). It must also be simple to operate, quick enough that payroll is never delayed, and reasonably acceptable to the workforce so it does not create resentment.

A good time-keeping system should possess the following essential features:

1. Accuracy — it must record the true, exact time of arrival and departure, without scope for manual recording error.
2. Simplicity — it should be easy for both the worker and the timekeeper to operate, without confusion or delay at the point of entry/exit.
3. Minimal scope for proxy attendance — the system should make it genuinely difficult for one worker to mark another worker present in their absence (commonly called 'buddy punching').
4. Promptness — attendance data should be available quickly enough to feed directly into payroll processing without holding up wage payment.
5. Acceptability to workers — the system should not feel excessively intrusive or create resentment; workers should see it as fair.
6. Reasonable cost — the expense of installing and running the system should be proportionate to the benefit (accuracy, control) it delivers.
7. Reliability — the system should be difficult to tamper with or falsify, whether manual or mechanical.

Any five of the above, explained briefly, constitute a complete answer.

A frequent gap is listing only 'accuracy' and 'simplicity' without mentioning the equally important social/behavioural features — acceptability to workers and resistance to proxy attendance — which examiners specifically look for, since these are the features that distinguish a genuinely 'good' system from a merely functional one.