You know the concept, and you can write its definition. The case question still gives low marks because it asks how the concept applies to this business.
This page is for students who revise well but see the same comment on marked answers: “apply to the case”. It uses a fictional case and then a method you can use alone.
What does it look like when this happens?
You learn the definition of an external factor and write it out in full. The marker has written “not applied” beside it, and you think, “But that is correct.”
It is correct and it is incomplete. The question gave you a business, and the answer never mentions it. The cause is usually a habit of revising to recall, not to use.
An example of the difference
Here is an original case. Kedai Dobi Cepat is a small laundry. A new student hostel opened nearby, and orders rose from 160 to 220 each month. The owner has only two machines.
Copied definition. “An external factor is something outside the business that it cannot control.”
Applied answer. “The new hostel is an external factor, because the owner cannot control it. It raised orders from 160 to 220, but with only two machines the laundry may struggle to finish on time.”
The second answer uses the hostel, the numbers and the machines. It also says what happens next.
A three-part method
- Name. State the concept in a few words.
- Quote. Point to a detail in the case, ideally a number or a fact.
- Effect. Say what it means for this business, using so or which means.
If any part is missing, the answer is probably still generic. Checking the three parts takes ten seconds after writing.
Things you can do alone
Take one case a day from a past exercise your school gave you, or write a three-sentence case yourself. Apply one concept using the three parts.
Keep a short list of the details you ignored. Numbers, locations, time periods and stated limits are the ones students skip most. The case-answer planner takes you through the parts, and the mistake log helps you see repeats.
You can also read when a business answer repeats the question, which covers a related habit.
When might one-to-one tuition help?
If you have used the method for a few weeks and the comment still appears, the gap may be in how you read the case. A teacher can read your answer beside the case, ask what you noticed, and show the detail you passed over.
That is a practical use of online one-to-one Business tuition and of the one-hour trial class (from RM50), which is a real taught lesson. Self-practice is enough for some students, so decide after you have tried the method.