Final answer:
A system that records costs based on what managers think they should be rather than using actual costs is a standard costing system.
Step-by-step explanation:
The system that records costs based on what managers think they should be rather than using actual costs is a standard costing system.
This system relies on predefined budgeted costs and compares them to the actual costs incurred in production.
For example, if a manager estimates that the cost of producing a product should be $10, but the actual cost is $12, the standard costing system would record the cost as $10.