A recommendation with missing facts still needs a choice. State what the case gives, say what you assume, make the choice, and name the condition that would change it.
This page is part of SPM Business. The habit links closely to the finance work in business finance.
Why do recommendation questions feel unfair?
Real decisions are made without complete information, and the case mirrors that. The marker is not checking that you found a hidden right answer. The marker checks that your choice follows from the facts given.
Students freeze because they think one missing figure makes the question impossible. It does not. It makes a condition necessary.
What does a worked recommendation look like?
An invented case: Kak Ros runs an ice kacang stall on weekdays. Weekday sales are RM300 a day. Opening on Sunday would need a helper at RM120 for the day, and ingredients cost 40% of sales. The case does not say what Sunday sales would be.
Known: ingredients cost 40% × RM300 = RM120 if Sunday sales match weekdays. Helper RM120. Total cost RM240.
Surplus: RM300 − RM240 = RM60 for the day, if the assumption holds.
A strong answer: “Kak Ros should open on Sundays on a trial basis. If Sunday sales match weekday sales of RM300, she keeps RM60 after costs of RM240. The case does not give Sunday sales, so she should record the first few Sundays and continue only if sales stay above RM240.”
The figure RM240 is the level Sunday sales must pass before she earns anything. Notice that the answer uses it as the condition.
What sentence frame keeps the answer honest?
Use four short sentences in this order.
- “I recommend X.”
- “Because the case shows A and B.”
- “This assumes C, which the case does not state.”
- “I would change my advice if D.”
The frame keeps the choice clear while showing the limit of your evidence.
Which mistakes cost marks?
- Listing pros and cons and never choosing.
- Inventing a figure and treating it as a case fact.
- Writing “it depends” with no condition that says what it depends on.
If you assume a figure, label it as an assumption, as in the Sunday sales example above.
What can you practise alone?
Pick any case from your textbook and cover one number with paper. Write the recommendation using the four sentences. Then uncover the number and check whether your condition was sensible.
The business case answer planner has a box for assumptions. For extra cases, try applying business concepts to a case.
When might one-to-one lessons help?
They help when you know the content but hesitate to commit to a choice. A teacher can change one fact in a case and ask you to defend or revise your advice aloud. See online one-to-one Business tuition.