A relevant fact is one that would change your answer if it were different. In a case question you choose two or three such facts and use them with a reason. You do not retell the case.
This skill is the first step in case analysis and evaluation and it appears in every longer question, whatever the topic.
Why does copying the case earn so little?
Application marks reward using a fact to support a point. Retelling the case shows that you read it, not that you understood what it means for the decision.
A copied sentence also leaves the reader to do the thinking. The examiner wants to see you do it.
How do you choose the facts?
- Find the decision and the objective. Underline what the question asks and what the business wants to achieve.
- Sort each fact as one that changes the answer, background, or a distractor.
- Keep the facts linked to the decision, especially those with a figure or a stated cause.
- Write each one in your own words and say what it means for the decision.
A quick test is to ask: “If this fact were different, would my advice change?”
Worked example
Dapur Kampung Sdn Bhd in Kuantan delivers office lunch boxes. The case says:
- It was founded in 2015 and has 12 staff.
- It makes 200 boxes a day, delivered by one van.
- On a typical day 30 boxes arrive after 12:30.
- Two offices have warned they may switch caterers.
- A second-hand van costs RM38,000.
- The kitchen was repainted last year.
- The owner’s objective is to keep its office customers.
Question: Should Dapur Kampung buy a second van?
Step 1, decision and objective: buy a van or not; keep office customers.
Step 2, sort: the late boxes, the one van, the two warnings and the van’s cost change the answer. The founding year, staff number and repainting are background.
Step 3, calculate: 30 ÷ 200 = 0.15, so 15% of boxes are late.
Step 4, write with a reason:
“Fifteen percent of boxes (30 of 200) arrive late and two offices have warned they may leave. One van carries every delivery, so a second van addresses the likely cause. Because the objective is to keep office customers, this matters more than the van’s price of RM38,000, although the owner should compare that cost with the sales the two offices bring.”
Compare that with the copied version: “Dapur Kampung was founded in 2015 and has 12 staff. It makes 200 boxes a day with one van.” That version contains true facts but no decision.
The mistake to watch for
A different slip is to choose a true fact that has no link to the question.
Mistaken answer: “Dapur Kampung has 12 staff, so it can afford a second van.”
The number of staff says nothing about the cost of a van or the income to pay for it.
The correction is to choose facts that connect to the decision, such as the van’s cost against the sales that are at risk. Then state the link in a sentence.
Check yourself
Try these on paper, then open each answer.
1. A bicycle shop wants to raise profit by stocking helmets. The case says: (a) the shop opened eight years ago, (b) helmets cost RM30 and sell for RM55, (c) 20 customers a month ask for helmets, (d) the owner sponsors a local football team. Which two facts are most relevant, and what extra monthly contribution do they suggest?
Show answer
Facts (b) and (c) are most relevant. The contribution per helmet is 55 − 30 = RM25. For 20 helmets: 20 × 25 = RM500 a month. Facts (a) and (d) are background.
2. A case says 9 of 150 orders were late. Write the percentage and one sentence using it.
Show answer
9 ÷ 150 = 0.06, so 6%. For example: “Six percent of orders (9 of 150) were late, which suggests delivery is a small but real problem.”
3. True or false: every fact in the case must appear in a strong answer.
Show answer
False. A strong answer uses the facts that connect to the decision and objective. Facts that do not change the answer can be left out.
Where this leads next
Once you can choose facts, learn to connect them to a result in building a causal chain. Then test yourself with the mixed practice set. The business case-answer planner can help you sort facts before writing, and the cash versus profit bridge is handy when a fact is about the timing of money.
Many students understand the idea here but still copy under time pressure. Our teachers look for that pattern in online one-to-one Business tuition.