Nasheen Wuisman has some advice on how to approach the structure and format of a case study answer.
“How do I approach the structure and format of a case study answer?” This is a common student query our 1-2-1 support team has been hearing recently.
Our students are following guidance from a variety of resources, including tuition providers – all of which makes perfect sense. But when they put pen to paper the reality often ends up looking different.
Answers can feel long-winded, possibly off on a tangent, with candidates writing too much or not enough. Should you write in paragraphs or in bullet points? What about the tone? And then there’s the theory – does the examiner want a ‘brain dump’? How much theory is enough?
Let’s start by standing back and looking at what case study examiners are looking for.
CIMA’s CGMA case study exams test students’ ability to apply syllabus material to practical situations, identifying the issues to a business problem and developing a response that meets the requirement, communicated in a plausible manner. This mirrors the expectation placed on a finance professional responding to a manager’s request in the workplace. The response needs to be sufficiently detailed to provide an adequate explanation of what was required.
Demonstrate your skills
Structure is the framework of your explanation; it’s your answer plot. Without it your answer can lose meaning, flow and clarity and you risk contradicting yourself or lacking cohesion. The following will help achieve a sound structure to your answer:
- Identify the issue(s): This is the core to the task. It could be an event, a choice that needs to be made, or a risk faced. This is the crux of what is being asked and the foundation of your answer.
- Answer the question: Carefully read and interpret the question to ensure you address the requirement. There are often multiple elements. Examiner reports frequently note that some students failed to answer the question set. Make some brief notes whilst reading the requirement, as this will help ensure that you identify each area to cover. This is a skill that improves with practice prior to sitting your exam.
- Plan your answer: Time pressure can tempt you to start writing a detailed answer immediately, but this can lead to a variety of problems. Spending a few minutes planning, before starting to write your answer, can go a long way. Allocating time for each task and sub-tasks, jotting possible headings, noting relevant theory, writing down brief discussion ideas, linking these intentions to the pre-seen, are all part of planning. This is a key step to enable you to prepare to write your answer, so keep planning time to minimal – but always remember how crucial this stage is.
Format is how your answer plot will be presented to the examiner. Your communication must be relevant, applied to the scenario and supported by a sensible argument. - How much should you write? Very short answers often lack sufficient content and have too few relevant points to score well. Equally, overly long answers that ramble and fail to address the requirements tend to score badly.
Some students pick up on a key word and write everything they know, regardless of relevance – this does not earn credit. Referencing the pre-seen and unseen materials appropriately can demonstrate understanding and commercial awareness and will gain marks where relevant. Blindly copying chunks of text from the pre-seen or unseen materials will not earn credit. - Stick to the point: Pay attention to how you are communicating and use the right language for your stated audience. Avoid including non-mark- earning material such as long introductory or concluding paragraphs.
- Headings: When planning your answer, you will have identified key words from the requirements that you needed to address. Use these as your headings to improve clarity, help you to keep track of how much of the requirement you have addressed, and give you a better chance of being awarded marks.
- Paragraphs and bullet points: Keep paragraphs short – three to four relevant sentences focused on a single idea is easier to follow and to mark. Don’t use bullet points unless you are listing per the requirement or if you are running out of time.
- Tone: Use the format suggested in the requirement to maintain a professional tone throughout.
- Conclusion: Ending with a short, justified conclusion strengthens your answer and helps demonstrate your decision-making skills – something examiners value.
- Nasheen Wuisman, Senior Manager – Global Academic Progression, CIMA
