50 in BM, shoot me your questions!

[Mafioso]

BTW Mafioso, how were your SAC marks and exam mark during the year?

Lost around 8-10 marks throughout the year. Difficult SACs, medium cohort, was not rank 1.

I know people who had 100% SAC average and ended up 39-42 scores.

High SACS marks are good, but a high exam mark is much more important in my opinion.

[Geetee]

Hi,well done on sensational marks, just wondering how much of the case study you actually incorporated into your response, and what you think about underlining words, or i know some people highlight. Also how did you approach the justify action/command word as this sparks confusion sometimes. Thanks

[Mafioso]

just wondering how much of the case study you actually incorporated into your response, and what you think about underlining words, or i know some people highlight. Also how did you approach the justify action/command word as this sparks confusion sometimes. Thanks

In regards to the case study, it really depends on the question. There's no secret ratio which says for every two lines of response you need one line of case study or something. The case study is there to back up the theory you've provided in your answer. As long as your reference to the case study helps support what you've just said and gives it some authority, then its all good.

e.g. If you say something like - 'The just in time inventory system (JIT) reduces raw material levels in the operations process. This allows organisations to reduce inventory costs while simultaneously preventing stock from becoming obsolete'

You'd want to back it up by saying something like:
'Given that JuicyPies&Pastries's inputs is fresh produce such as fruits and vegetables with generally low shelf lives, storing these items for an extended period of time may result in a decrease in the quality of the final products. Implementing the JIT system gives the business an opportunity to preserve the quality of its stock and decrease the likely hood of the produce perishing.

I always approached the 'justify' questions by emphasising the advantages of what I was discussing and how relevant it was to the case study or example if given one. It basically involves convincing the marker why your choice of answer is appropriate - and this requires you to play up the benefits/advantages etc.

 

[J.C.R]

Hello Mafioso, i have done about 4 practice exams so far and also 2 others in school and everyone i have done i have still had questions to answer when the 2 hours was up (about 10-12 marks left average), what did you do to make sure you finished in time or with time left. Thank you, congrats on the 50.

[Mafioso]

Hello Mafioso, i have done about 4 practice exams so far and also 2 others in school and everyone i have done i have still had questions to answer when the 2 hours was up (about 10-12 marks left average), what did you do to make sure you finished in time or with time left. Thank you, congrats on the 50.

I don't know EXACTLY why you struggle to finish on time but these are a few ways to overcome it:

1. Don't spend too long on one question if you can't remember the content - A lot of time is usually wasted by staring at the paper or the wall trying to recall information. Generally, the more prepared you are, the less time it takes to remember content so practice recalling theory instantaneously when you're at home. If you have a mental blank and you're halfway through the question and you realise that you've spent too much time on it, just move on to a question that you're comfortable with.
The worst way to lose marks is by leaving out easy questions and losing 8 easy marks because you wasted time on one hard incomplete 6 marker for which you would've only got 3 or 4 marks.

2. Write faster - I treated the real exam like a speed writing contest. Not only did this allow me to finish on time, it gave me extra time at the end to go back and review my answers. Obviously we can't do this all the time with the 6 or 10 markers but its definitely possible with the easier questions. The easier ones are generally the first few ones as you would've noticed so try to get them out of the way as fast as you can. Its important to keep your handwriting legible even though you're writing quick. Speed up your writing when doing practice exams and aim to finish in a little less than 2 hours. Don't give yourself the whole 2 hours and see how you go.

3. Plan ahead during reading time - Identify the questions that you are 100% confident with and as soon as writing time starts, smash them out quickly. Allocate a suitable time for each question during reading time and try to stick to it. Formulate a structure for the more difficult questions during reading time so when you go to attempt it, the groundwork has already been done. How you use reading time is very important. 

4. Keep your answers concise - You might be losing time because you're waffling or adding irrelevant information to your answers. As I've said before, break it down in terms of marks and when you feel you've satisfied the marks, move on to the other questions.

There are probably more methods/reasons but these are the ones that helped me get all the marks in ample time.

[George_D]

Hey all,
I would just like to say that I agree so much with your technique Mafioso,

At my school currently, everyone is told to do heaps of practice papers, however I encourage others to use the method of thinking it out/picturing out the question in your head and checking the examiner reports from previous reports, more efficient, more effective (in my opinion) and ensures that knowledge in your head is stronger, rather than just being able to recognize questions from overloading on practice papers. That being said, i would recommend 4-5 papers (which is what I am aiming for) to get the confidence in knowing you can correctly complete each exam within the time period.

PS.
I was also wondering Mafioso whether you have any electronic copies of information/notes for the subject, I think I can speak for all in saying if you have any information you are willing to share it would be appreciated    

[Mafioso]

Hey all,
I would just like to say that I agree so much with your technique Mafioso,

At my school currently, everyone is told to do heaps of practice papers, however I encourage others to use the method of thinking it out/picturing out the question in your head and checking the examiner reports from previous reports, more efficient, more effective (in my opinion) and ensures that knowledge in your head is stronger, rather than just being able to recognize questions from overloading on practice papers. That being said, i would recommend 4-5 papers (which is what I am aiming for) to get the confidence in knowing you can correctly complete each exam within the time period.

PS.
I was also wondering Mafioso whether you have any electronic copies of information/notes for the subject, I think I can speak for all in saying if you have any information you are willing to share it would be appreciated

Thanks George. The technique I used worked really well for me but everyone studies differently. With just over a week to go until the exam, its all about finding a technique that suits you well so you get more out of the limited time.

As for my notes, I tutor the subject on a regular basis and my students pay me for my notes and teaching.
By uploading it on here, I feel that I would be doing a disservice to them - making something free after they've paid for it. I hope you understand.

[George_D]

That's okay, no worries

I thought I may as well ask, as there is no harm in asking

[Jawnle]

There has been many debates on the task word 'analyse'. Does it mean to break down the question bit by bit? Or is it more of a strengths and weaknesses?
My teacher has contacted a few assessors and she told me that not one of them have an exact defined answer. However, she told me to make the judgement based on the context of the question. For example with the 2012 paper, it was analysing the social responsibility and ethical of using state of the art equipment or training employees.
The high scoring answer in the assessor's report adopted the strength/weakness approach.
What would your take on this be?

[LiquidPaperz]

There has been many debates on the task word 'analyse'. Does it mean to break down the question bit by bit? Or is it more of a strengths and weaknesses?
My teacher has contacted a few assessors and she told me that not one of them have an exact defined answer. However, she told me to make the judgement based on the context of the question. For example with the 2012 paper, it was analysing the social responsibility and ethical of using state of the art equipment or training employees.
The high scoring answer in the assessor's report adopted the strength/weakness approach.
What would your take on this be?

Id say break it down bit by bit and implementing strengths and weaknesses into you response, interweaving between both. Defiantly not just strengths and weaknesses as this would lend itself to discuss.

[LiquidPaperz]

While were on this topic. I was wondering exactly how you answer discuss questions, some responses don't have advantages disadvantaged and rather describe, or "discuss" the answer

[Mafioso]

While were on this topic. I was wondering exactly how you answer discuss questions, some responses don't have advantages disadvantaged and rather describe, or "discuss" the answer.

Depends on the question. I never approached every 'discuss' question as simply an advantages/disadvantages question. In fact, I used to 'describe' the theory in my answer most of the time. This sometimes demanded the inclusion of advantages and disadvantages but it wasn't restricted to that. It also involved making general statements about the theory and discussing the characteristics. In my opinion, approaching a discuss question by just talking about strengths/weaknesses may work sometimes but it would generally restrict the holistic discussion that is expected in the answer.

[24bauer12]

Hi Mafioso,
Did you use any study guides for Business Management?

[dyii22]

Hey Mafioso,

Just wondering what would your response be if you were asked for the link between employee relations, business strategy and business objectives? I've seen answers which are basically the same as you would explain for HR (maintaining a strong employee-employer relationship, harmonious work place, positive and productive environment), while VTextbook's video mentioned linking it with the implementation of objectives in employee contracts, e.g. productivity targets which would be rewarded.

Cheers

[huss48]

good stuff    Mafioso on providing valuable help .