Hi Francesca,

You may find the answers in this "Ask a Tutor" session (May 2011) useful:

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Question:

E3: I have sat E3 three times and have only managed to get mid -high 30's. I feel that I have a good understanding of all areas of the paper and dont understand why I am getting low marks. I use a combination of Cima and other notes and do a lot of past exam questions. Can you please tell me what my mark means in terms of my understanding of the sallybus, what I need to improve on and how I can pass E3 in May.

Response from tutor:

It seems to me that the basis of your approach is at fault. I suspect your main problem is in ‘Understanding what is required’ in terms of the skills being tested. You must understand the cause and effects underlying the theory to write appropriate answers in this paper and apply the theories to deal with the business situation presented in the case[s].
A proportion of the answer is in fact in the scenario – you just have to identify it and then discuss, or evaluate the situation or problem the organisation is facing. My overall guess is you are not considering the verbs used in the requirements carefully enough – look through some past questions and note the verbs used. Practise developing the quality of your arguments and be prepared to put all sides of the argument particularly where the examiner uses the verb ‘discuss’. I would also strongly recommend that you plan your answers carefully as this brings a structure and logical flow to your argument

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Question:

Hi I am resiting this paper in May and is the final paper for me at this level so am trying my best to pass.One of the areas i struggle with is question interpretation. Is there any techniques or clues to look out for when I do questions which enable me to plan my answer in order to answer the question required and gain maximum marks?

The problem I have is thinking about a question too long, and then trying to write it with me overunning on time for other questions.

Response from tutor:

The technique I recommend to ALL students is to paraphrase the question requirements onto an answer plan. Paraphrasing helps you to consider and understand exactly what the examiner is asking. Examiners for these types of paper always recommend producing an answer plan and I agree wholeheartedly with this approach.

This exam requires you to provide relevant examples from the scenario where possible. I would recommend therefore that on your answer plan you write the word ‘examples’ in another colour to remind you. General answers, unrelated to the specific circumstances in the question achieve very low marks in this exam. I use a columnar planning approach as follows.

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Other "Ask a Tutor" questions and answers can be found here.

The most recent issue of the Financial Management Magazine also has a study notes on P3.  It uses a question in March 2011 exam to illustrate the ASAP technique for preparing you answer.  Although it is using a P3 question, the technique is applicable for all strategic papers.

Good luck and best regards,

Sam

CIMAsphere Moderator