Developing Exam Skills: It depends on how you use “it depends”

“It depends on”. Three little words that allow students to reach higher levels of evaluation. However, the extent to which the use of these 3 words allows a student to achieve higher levels of evaluation really depends on how they use it.

Take this question from the recent AQA GCE BUSS3 exam in January 2012:

Do you think that the shareholders of Scott Electronics plc will be pleased with the company’s financial performance in 2011? You are encouraged to use calculations to support your answer.

Here, students could have calculated that the businesses dividend per share and dividend yield were both increasing. Yet, the dividend yield was still below the industry average.

So, in answering the question, do you think shareholders will be pleased with this? Well, it depends!

Students who simply say, well, it would depend on shareholders expectations would (in my opinion) not receive much (if any) credit for this. Why? Well, they have failed to explain why it depends on shareholders expecations.

A far better response would be:

‘It depends on shareholders expecations. For example, shareholders who are interested in a quick return may be disappointed about the fact that the dividend yield is still below the industry average. However, shareholders who take a more long term view’..

Here, we can see that they use of ‘it depends on’ is followed by an explanation of why. It is this why which attracts the marks, not simply the use of those 3 little words.

When using it depends on, think about why it depends on this…..