Page 348 - Cambridge IGCSE Business Studies

Cambridge IGCSE Business Studies 27: Exam technique
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Remember you don’t have to
agree with the question. Just
make sure you can support your
point of view.
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Focus on the command words
used in the question. This is the
best guide to help you answer
the question. It will tell you which
skills are being tested in each
question.
For example: ‘Using the information in Appendix 2, and other case material, do
you think XXX was right to choose option A. Justify your answer.’
Remember, the more you practise all these skills, the more confident you will
become at answering whatever question is asked.
Command words
Command words can help you work out what is required in a particular question.
This should give you a clue as to which skills you should focus on in that question.
This is because certain command words are associated with a particular assessment
objective. By identifying the command word, it can tell you how to approach the
question. For example, if the command word is ‘explain’, a list of points is not
acceptable as this will only show knowledge. Table 27.1 highlights some of the
common command words used.
Assessment objective Key words to look for include
AO1 Knowledge and ‘Identify’
understanding ‘What is meant by?’
AO2 Application ‘Calculate’
‘Using the information in Appendix 1’
‘Identify two fixed costs of B’s business’
AO3 Analysis ‘Identify and explain’
‘Explain why’
‘Explain how’
AO4 Evaluation ‘Justify your answer/choice’
‘Recommend’
‘Do you think?’
‘Which do think are the most important factors?’
‘Do you agree?’
Table 27.1 Assessment objectives and their command words
Another way to help you work out which skills are being assessed is to look at
the number of marks available for each question. The more marks available for a
question means a wider range of skills is likely to be assessed.
Exam technique
Doing well in your examinations requires you to do more than just learn facts. You
need to be able to understand concepts and become confident enough to use what
you know to answer a range of questions in a number of unfamiliar situations.
You must practise answering questions to develop your application, analysis and
evaluation skills.
When you answer examination questions you also need to know how to make
the best use of all the knowledge and skills you have managed to learn during
your Business Studies course. This is called ‘examination technique’. Your exam
technique can make a difference to your fi nal mark.
■ Your teacher will almost certainly give you past exam questions to try out. Read the
feedback you are given, and act on it the next time you answer an exam question.