How should you react after receiving an exam mark that’s close to the pass mark (70%)?
Some students feel very disappointed and may look for others to blame, rather than identifying the root cause of their performance. I know of students who have failed a single module four or five times, yet still don’t fully understand why.
In my opinion, it’s important to equip yourself with problem-solving skills. By doing so, you’ll be able to pinpoint the root cause and develop an appropriate solution. For example, in the L4M2 module, CIPS introduces tools that can help with root cause analysis, such as the 5 Whys, Mind Mapping, and the Fishbone Diagram.
5 Whys Tool
When you fail an exam, it’s important to keep asking yourself “Why?” until the real cause is uncovered.
Why did I fail the exam? → I spent too little time reviewing the material and ended up cramming just one week before the exam.
Why did I fail the exam? → I might not have understood the exam question properly. I couldn’t identify what the question was really asking.
Why did I fail the exam? → I struggled with time management and couldn’t allocate enough time to each exam question. I spent too long on some lengthy scenario questions, which caused me to lose marks on simpler ones.
Why did I fail the exam? → I felt very nervous—my heart was racing, and I couldn’t focus.
Why did I feel anxious and worried in the exam room? → I hadn’t practiced enough questions beforehand and felt overwhelmed by diiferent kinds of exam questions.
The process of asking many questions will help you dig deep into a problem. The root cause will be found out gradually, then the suitable solution will be developed. How about you? Have you known your causes?
Mind Mapping
A mind map is a diagram with many branches. You write your problem at the local point of a sheet of paper, then you build branches out from that point. Each branch can go with a potential cause or a solution until you can exactly identify your root cause. In order to help you apply the tool, you can see an example below
Fishbone Diagram
Fishbone Diagram was created by Kaoru Ishikawa, a Japanese quality management expert. As the tool’s name, the diagram is a like a bone structure of a fish which include its spine and fin bones. It is a wonderful tool for digging into a root cause. If you want to get better understanding on how the tool works, I can share with you an example in the picture below. For instance, you often get wrong in understading the exam question. This is your problem that you need to solve. At the head of a fish, you will write your problem and you will identify potential causes at the branching bones.
As you know, we encounter many challenges in our studies, work, and personal lives. If we’re unable to solve our problems, life can quickly become overwhelming. We may often feel depressed and anxious so it is crucial to learn how to use these tools in identifying the root causes of our problems. Faith is unavoidable, but standing up from the failure will determine your future success.
We provide CIPS practice questions with answers and detailed explanation, besides they are updated regularly to reflect the actual exam. If you want to consolidate your knowledge before the exam, you can check the links below
L4M1: https://www.udemy.com/course/cips-l4m1-practice-test-short-learning-guide/?couponCode=MIDJUNE25
L4M2: https://www.udemy.com/course/cips-diploma-l4m2-practice-test/?couponCode=MIDJUNE25
L4M3: https://www.udemy.com/course/cips-diploma-practice-test-commercial-contracting/?couponCode=MIDJUNE25
L4M5: https://www.udemy.com/course/cips-practice-test-commercial-negotiation/?couponCode=MIDJUNE25
L4M6: https://www.udemy.com/course/cips-diploma-practice-test-supplier-relationships/?couponCode=MIDJUNE25
L4M7: https://www.udemy.com/course/level-4-diploma-whole-life-asset-management-l4m7/?couponCode=MIDJUNE25
L4M8: https://www.udemy.com/course/cips-l4m8-practice-in-procurement-and-supply/?couponCode=MIDJUNE25
L5M2: https://www.udemy.com/course/cips-l5m2-daniel-do/?couponCode=MIDJUNE25
L5M3: https://www.udemy.com/course/l5m3-daniel/?couponCode=MIDJUNE25
L5M4: https://www.udemy.com/course/l5m4-advanced-contract-and-finance/?couponCode=MIDJUNE25
L5M5: https://www.udemy.com/course/l5m5-daniel/?couponCode=MIDJUNE25