or, how to improve your answers
Recognising
Command Words
These test
lower order
skills
these answers need
less detail
compared to ….
Discuss
Compare
Justify
Consequences
Implications
Identify
State
Outline
Suggest
Describe
These test the
higher order skills
and require a much
greater depth of
answer
first, the lower order skills
‘Identify’ and ‘State’ Questions
These questions don’t require any detail
and can be answered by naming, listing or
using bullet points
Normally one mark is allocated per item named
An example of an ‘identify’ question:
Identify 3 essential qualities a senior administrative
assistant must have to be effective in the workplace
(3 marks)
• be well organised/1
• be able to work without supervision/1
• be discreet/1
3/
3
‘Outline’ Questions
Require more than just listing, so it is important
to answer in sentences in this type of question.
Detailed descriptions are not necessary here.
Normally one mark is allocated per point
When answering ‘outline’ questions:
• answer in sentences
• one word items will gain no marks
• but don’t go into great detail
an ‘outline
drawing’
has no
detail
An example of a good ‘outline’ answer
Outline 4 features of an effective team.
(4 marks)
The ideal size of an effective team is between 4 and
6 members.
/1 It has well defined roles
FEATURE 1
for the team members.
leadership
FEATURE 3
FEATURE 2
/1 It has strong
/1 and a clearly defined
purpose that is shared by all team members.
4/
4
FEATURE 4
/1
An example of a bad ‘outline’ answer
Outline 4 features of an effective team.
The right number, roles, strong leadership and
purpose.
Why?
- because even though
the features are
correct, they have been
listed, not outlined as
asked.
0/
4
(4 marks)
‘Suggest’ Questions
These require more than just stating points, so
use sentences to convey your ideas or proposals.
Verbs must be used to show the course of
action you are recommending. Suggestions are
usually things to be done. Each suggestion can
stand on its own – suggestions don’t have to be
linked, so One mark is awarded for each valid suggestion
When answering ‘suggest’ questions:
• the suggestions must be realistic
• the suggestions must state actions taken so
use a verb when making each suggestion
An example of a good ‘suggest’ answer
Suggest 4 ways of monitoring targets. (4 marks)
Targets can be monitored by doing random checks rather
than checking everything
SUGGESTION 1
/1 and the same task
repeated by a line manager as a double check to see if
can be repeated
results match.
SUGGESTION 2
/1 Team
Team up
up a junior employee
with a more experienced member of staff to act as a mentor.
SUGGESTION 3
/1 Use
Use a Gantt chart to display the progress
of a longer term project.
SUGGESTION 4
/1
4/
4
‘Suggest and justify’ answers
Exam questions often ask you to give reasons for your
suggestions ie justify your answers.
A justification is a
good reason so, each suggestion must be linked to a good
reason for doing it. Each justification must be different
if it is to gain another mark.
One mark is awarded for the suggestion, one for
the justification
When answering ‘suggest and justify’ questions:
• make an appropriate suggestion, then –
• give a good reason for suggesting it
• give a different reason each time
An example of a good ‘suggest and justify’ answer
Suggest and justify 2 ways of monitoring targets.
(4 marks)
Targets can be monitored by carrying
carrying out
out random
checks. SUGGESTION 1 /1 This allows a supervisor to
confirm that certain procedures are being followed
eg that a report is entered in the accident log after
an employee is injured at work. JUSTIFICATION 1 /1
A Gantt chart can be used to monitor longer term
projects SUGGESTION 2 /1 as it shows at a glance the
progress made to date. JUSTIFICATION 2 /1
4/
4
A poor ‘suggest and justify’ answer
Suggest and justify 2 ways of monitoring targets.
(4 marks)
Targets can be monitored by carrying out random
checks. SUGGESTION 1 /1
A Gantt chart is another useful method.
Why?
- there are no reasons why
these suggestions are good
ones
2/
4
SUGGESTION 2
/1
A terrible ‘suggest and justify’ answer
Suggest and justify 2 ways of monitoring targets.
(4 marks)
The buddy system and mentoring.
0/
4
Why?
- these are 2 methods of
monitoring but there are no
verbs to indicate the action to
take and no reasons given as to
why these methods work
‘Describe’ Questions
This type of question tests the depth of your
knowledge so your answers must show expansion
or an example of any points made
If you simply make points, you have not described
Marks will normally be allocated in 2s –
1 for the point and 1 for the expansion
When answering ‘describe’ questions:
• assume you are describing to someone who has
no knowledge of the subject
• expand on each point made
An example of a good ‘describe’ answer
6/
6
Describe the skills required to manage tasks effectively.
(6 marks)
Good organisational skills are required to manage tasks
effectively. POINT By entering all deadlines in an electronic
diary, reminders can signal how much time remains for
completion. In this way deadlines are more likely to be
achieved. EXPANSION //2
The ability to prioritise helps with task management POINT
as the tasks with the shortest deadline should be carried out
first and less urgent tasks left till later. EXPANSION //2
It is also necessary to be a skilled negotiator POINT
because an unrealistic workload or short deadlines may need
to be renegotiated with the line manager to ensure that
standards and quality are maintained. EXPANSION //2
An example of a bad ‘describe’ answer
Describe the skills required to manage tasks effectively.
(6 marks)
Good organisational skills, being able to prioritise and
being a skilled negotiator are required to manage tasks
effectively.
Why?
0/
6
3 appropriate task management skills
have been listed, they have not been
described, as asked - so can gain no
marks.
now for the higher order skills
‘Discuss’ Questions
You can only get full marks if you demonstrate
a well-organised, well-argued, convincing answer
When answering ‘discuss’ questions:
• clearly communicate relevant information
• arrange your answer in a logical sequence
• use examples or expand on points for clarification
• if appropriate, debate both sides of a situation
• draw conclusions based on your arguments
An example of a ‘discuss’ answer
6/
6
Discuss the importance of setting SMART targets. (6 marks)
An example of a SMART target is “By next October
total sales are to increase by 15%”. It is SMART because:
It is specific and well defined (“total sales to increase”) so
no-one can disagree about what the target actually is. /1
It is measurable in quantity (“15%”) so that judgements can
be made at any time about the extent of achievement./1
It should be discussed with the staff concerned and agreed
so that all are clear about what needs to be done to achieve
it./1
It must be realistic but still challenging, that is to say
possible of achievement, otherwise staff morale can be
badly affected/1 and is timed (“by next October”), in other
words there is an agreed deadline by which it is to be
achieved./1
+1 for a well-structured answer
An example of a terrible ‘discuss’ answer
Discuss the importance of setting SMART targets.
(6 marks)
It is very important that targets are SMART and
they should be specific, measurable, agreed, realistic
and timed.
0/
6
Why?
- despite accurately listing
what ‘SMART’ stands for,
its importance has not been
discussed therefore can
gain no marks
‘Compare’ Questions
Also ‘compare and contrast’. This type of question
requires you to describe the similarities and/or
differences between alternatives.
When answering ‘compare’ questions:
• decide on the aspects by which to compare
• structure your answer to show the comparison or
difference on each aspect
• use the words ‘whereas’, ‘while’, ‘on the other hand’
4/
An example of a good ‘compare’ answer
4
Compare the duties and responsibilities of a senior admin
assistant with those of a junior admin assistant. (4 marks)
Generally the senior post involves decision-making while the
junior post involves carry out instructions. COMPARISON 1 /1
A senior admin assistant has responsibility for supervising
others, including the junior whereas the junior only has
responsibility for her/his own work. COMPARISON 2 /1
With respect to meetings, the senior admin assistant has
responsibility for all preparations beforehand and takes the
minutes while
while the junior may type up the paperwork under
instruction from the senior admin assistant. COMPARISON 3 /1
The senior admin assistant has to decide where and when to
order resources and how to allocate them. On the other hand
the junior admin assistant might be asked to make sure the
stationery drawers are kept topped up. COMPARISON 4 /1
Other Terminology Used in Assessment Questions
Feature means a point of distinction
One feature of an Action Plan is that it has deadlines for
the completion of tasks.
Effective means successful, productive
An effective method of monitoring targets is by taking
random samples to check progress.
Consequences are the initial effects or immediate result
The consequences of changing from a manual storage system
to an electronic system is the need for staff training.
Implications are the long term, far-reaching effects
The implications of changing from a manual storage system
to an electronic system is a reduction in the number of staff
required to manage the information.