Material planning price variance

If you calculate them the way that the current examiner prefers, then the sum of the two does equal the material price variance.

As I explain in my free lecture, there are two ways of calculating planning and operational variance that give different answers but are both sensible.
The previous examiner did it one way, but the current examiner prefers it a different way (which is easier!). However, the examiner has made it clear that either way is acceptable in the exam.

I don’t know which books you are using, but you should be using current editions of material produced by one of the ACCA approved publishers – they will be doing it the way that the current examiner prefers.

I do suggest you watch my free lectures – they do it the current way (which again is the easier way – and they do sum to the total). The lectures are a complete free course for Paper F5 and cover everything needed to be able to pass the exam well.