When it comes to Advanced Performance Management, the answers are in the question, says Geoff Cordwell.
The ACCA APM exam is an application paper, and so everything you say must be relevant to the business in the scenario. For some this seems scary, but actually, if you know how, it makes the hurdle much easier to clear.
Clearly, no one can be expected to know about all business types and so if the examiner wants application, then he has to provide relevant business background and situation specifics to help you understand and answer the question. This is always in two places, an initial business background exhibit and a more focussed exhibit for each requirement.
This means most of what you need to answer are in the exhibit where you found the embedded requirement. Yes really – the answers are in the question!
Maddy
(extract from actual exam in December 2022)
The embedded requirement asked you to:
1 Explain the difficulties in interpreting the cleanliness data already gathered, and…
2 Advise it on the problems that there may be with that data.
Exhibit 3 showed:
Maddy has only recently started to collect data relating to cleanliness of the franchise restaurants. Cleanliness is one measure subject to minimum performance levels and is measured using customer surveys.
Customers fill out a paper form giving just one overall score, between 1 and 5, for cleanliness and some other aspects of the quality of service and place these in a box in exchange for a chance to win a free meal.
The franchisee collates these responses onto a spreadsheet at the end of each quarter and sends a summary of the results to Maddy for inclusion in the next performance report.
How many helpful specifics can you see in this extract?
You need only to be able read carefully and identify the points. I think there are eight fairly obvious issues above. Can you see them?
Points from the exhibit?
| Interpretations | Problems |
| Recent Data Only – No Trend Data | Paper Form – Bias and Alteration |
| Customer Servey – Subjectivity | Enticement – Bias |
| Single Score Only – Meaning? | Spreadsheet Collation by Franchisee – Bias, Exclusion |
| Summary Only – Missing Details | Quarterly – Too Infrequent / Late |
The mark allocation here was 10 marks, so eight well-argued points, scores 80% of the marks and that is prize-winner territory!
And don’t worry about allocation between interpretation and problems, the markers will credit you if you have identified and explained the issue.
Of course this is the next step, each point needs a justification and must answer the question set. You must explain what the problem is with the data or why is there an interpretation issue.
How much to write per point?
This is so important. Too little and you will not properly explain. Too much and you won’t finish enough of the exam to pass.
Most students produce around 2,500 – 3,500 words in a professional stage written exam such as APM. You need 50 marks. This means you must score every 50 to 70 words to pass.
My advice is to aim at writing a scoring point within three lines of typing on the exam software. That will be around 50 words.
The published answers are way too long in my view, with paragraphs of 10 or more lines. Don’t do that. The markers will hate it, and you will waffle, repeat yourself or wander off the point you are trying to make. I produce my own answers for my courses, which follow the 50 words per point suggestion.
Here are extracts from my own answers to this question. Note the subheading use (the markers will love you).
Problems with the data
Frequency of report
The cleanliness data is only collated quarterly, and this is not frequent enough to be useful. If a restaurant was dirty for 3 months, it could be very damaging to brand and the management would not be aware until the subsequent reporting point. 43 words – 1 mark
This is a classic ‘what – so what?’ approach. It also has a justification for my assertion that quarterly reporting is not enough.
Data interpretation
Subjectivity
Cleanliness is a subjective matter. One customer will see a problem with a smear on a knife whereas another may not even notice or might not be used to anything better. In this way answering the question – “is the restaurant clean”, might remain difficult. 45 words – 1 mark
Note again the explanation as a justification of my assertion that cleanliness is a subjective matter. If you do not justify you do not score.
Each point must be clear, answer the question and use a specific from the question. If it does it will score. Do that 50 times and you pass.
Just think you are only 50 short paragraphs away for a pass!
- Geoff Cordwell, FMELearnonline.com
