One of the clearest messages across recent VCAA Business Management Examiner’s Reports is that many students lose marks not because they lack knowledge, but because they misunderstand what common command terms are asking them to do.
These terms look familiar. That is precisely why they cause problems. Students often answer them using habits from other subjects or from classroom discussion, rather than responding to the precise task implied by the wording.
Below are the command terms that most consistently limit marks in Unit 3 and Unit 4, and how the VCAA expects students to handle them.
Analyse
This is the most frequently misunderstood command term.
Students often treat analyse as a cue to list advantages and disadvantages. That approach almost always caps marks.
In Business Management, analyse requires students to:
- break a strategy or concept into parts
- explain how those parts interact
- show cause-and-effect relationships
An analysed response explains how and why a strategy influences performance. It does not simply describe what the strategy is or whether it is good or bad.
When students list points without explaining connections, examiners consistently describe responses as descriptive rather than analytical.
Justify
Justify requires commitment. This is where many otherwise strong students hesitate.
A justified response must:
- make a clear decision
- support that decision with evidence
- explain why that option is appropriate in context
Students often explain a strategy accurately but never state why it should be chosen over alternatives. These responses demonstrate understanding but fall short of justification.
High-mark responses make their position clear early and then defend it using business objectives, stakeholder considerations and case study evidence.
Discuss
Students often assume discuss means “write everything you know”.
In Business Management, discuss requires:
- consideration of multiple perspectives
- explanation of different viewpoints or impacts
- some level of judgement or conclusion
Responses that remain neutral throughout, or that present points without synthesis, tend to plateau. Strong responses organise discussion around a clear focus and demonstrate control over the material.
Evaluate
This term is commonly confused with analyse.
Evaluate requires:
- a judgement about effectiveness
- criteria for that judgement (for example, objectives or performance indicators)
- evidence to support the conclusion
Students often explain strategies well but avoid judgement. Examiner reports repeatedly note that evaluation questions are capped when responses stop at explanation.
High-scoring evaluation responses explain how effective a strategy is, in what circumstances, and with what limitations.
Explain
This term seems straightforward, but many students under-answer it.
An explain response must:
- show cause and effect
- answer “why” or “how”, not just “what”
Students often define terms or restate information without explaining impact or purpose. Definitions alone rarely earn marks unless they directly support explanation.
Propose
This term appears less frequently but is often mishandled.
To propose means to:
- recommend a strategy
- ensure it is appropriate for the business context
- justify why it would address the issue
Students sometimes suggest strategies without linking them to objectives, constraints or stakeholder considerations. These proposals lack credibility and lose marks.
To what extent
This phrasing appears most often in higher-mark questions.
Students often respond by writing balanced explanations without ever reaching a conclusion.
A strong response must:
- take a position
- acknowledge limitations or conditions
- weigh effectiveness rather than equalise perspectives
Responses that avoid judgement are consistently capped, even when they show good understanding.
Why this matters more in Business Management than students expect
Business Management rewards decision-making logic. Command terms signal the type of thinking required, and examiners mark with those expectations firmly in mind.
Two students can use the same case study and the same theory, yet receive very different marks depending on how accurately they respond to the command term.
Once students learn to decode these terms properly, their marks often improve without any additional content revision.
Working with ATAR STAR
ATAR STAR explicitly trains students to recognise and respond to command terms the way the VCAA intends. We focus on building exam habits that align with assessment criteria, not generic writing advice.
This benefits students who are already strong and want to tighten execution, as well as students who feel their answers “say the right things” but still lose marks.
If you want Business Management responses that match the thinking tasks examiners are actually marking, ATAR STAR provides structured, VCAA-aligned support.