or, how to improve your answers Recognising Command Words

Identify State Outline Suggest Describe These test lower order skills Discuss Compare Justify Consequences Implications These test the higher order skills and require a much greater depth of answer these answers need less detail compared to ….

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 potatoes eggs utter cheese milk bread 3/33/3

‘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. When answering ‘outline’ questions: answer in sentences one word items will gain no marks but don’t go into great detail Normally one mark is allocated per point 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. FEATURE 1 It has well defined roles for the team members. FEATURE 2 It has strong leadership FEATURE 3 and a clearly defined purpose that is shared by all team members. FEATURE 4 4/44/4 /1

An example of a bad ‘outline’ answer Outline 4 features of an effective team. (4 marks) The right number, roles, strong leadership and purpose. 0/40/4 - because even though the features are correct, they have been listed, not outlined as asked. Why?

‘Suggest’ Questions These require more than just stating points, so use sentences to convey your ideas or proposals. When answering ‘suggest’ questions: the suggestions must be realistic the suggestions must state actions taken so use a verb when making each suggestion One mark is awarded for each valid suggestion 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 -

Targets can be monitored by doing random checks rather than checking everything Team up a junior employee with a more experienced member of staff to act as a mentor. Suggest 4 ways of monitoring targets. (4 marks) An example of a good ‘suggest’ answer SUGGESTION 1 SUGGESTION 2 Use a Gantt chart to display the progress of a longer term project. SUGGESTION 3 SUGGESTION 4 4/44/4 /1 doing /1 and the same task can be repeated by a line manager as a double check to see if results match. repeated Team up Use

Exam questions often ask you to give reasons for your suggestions ie justify your answers. ‘Suggest and justify’ answers 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 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.

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. 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 out random checks. SUGGESTION 1 JUSTIFICATION 1 SUGGESTION 2 JUSTIFICATION 2 A Gantt chart can be used to monitor longer term projects as it shows at a glance the progress made to date. 4/44/4 /1 carrying out used

Suggest and justify 2 ways of monitoring targets. (4 marks) Targets can be monitored by carrying out random checks. A Gantt chart is another useful method. SUGGESTION 1 SUGGESTION 2 2/42/4 A poor ‘suggest and justify’ answer - there are no reasons why these suggestions are good ones Why? /1

Suggest and justify 2 ways of monitoring targets. (4 marks) The buddy system and mentoring. A terrible ‘suggest and justify’ answer 0/40/4 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 When answering ‘describe’ questions: assume you are describing to someone who has no knowledge of the subject expand on each point made Marks will normally be allocated in 2s – 1 for the point and 1 for the expansion

An example of a good ‘describe’ answer 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 POINT The ability to prioritise helps with task management as the tasks with the shortest deadline should be carried out first and less urgent tasks left till later. EXPANSION 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 6/66/6 //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. 0/60/6 3 appropriate task management skills have been listed, they have not been described, as asked - so can gain no marks. Why?

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 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 6/66/6

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. 0/60/6 - despite accurately listing what ‘SMART’ stands for, its importance has not been discussed therefore can gain no marks Why?

‘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’

An example of a good ‘compare’ answer Compare the duties and responsibilities of a senior admin assistant with those of a junior admin assistant. (4 marks) A senior admin assistant has responsibility for supervising others, including the junior whereas the junior only has responsibility for her/his own work. With respect to meetings, the senior admin assistant has responsibility for all preparations beforehand and takes the minutes while the junior may type up the paperwork under instruction from the senior admin assistant. 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. Generally the senior post involves decision-making while the junior post involves carry out instructions. COMPARISON 1 COMPARISON 2 COMPARISON 3 COMPARISON 4 while whereas while On the other hand 4/44/4 /1

Other Terminology Used in Assessment Questions Consequences Implications Feature Effective are the initial effects or immediate result are the long term, far-reaching effects means a point of distinction means successful, productive One feature of an Action Plan is that it has deadlines for the completion of tasks. An effective method of monitoring targets is by taking random samples to check progress. The consequences of changing from a manual storage system to an electronic system is the need for staff training. 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.