For some assessment questions, you will be given a situation, scenario or problem that you need to answer. This is called a 'hypothetical' situation where you need to imagine how you would act, what advice you would give, or decide what is causing a problem. On this page, you will learn some strategies for understanding and answering these questions.
Scenarios
Scenario-based questions often have two parts. For example:
you are presented with the scenario AND what would you do?
you are presented with the scenario AND what is the cause of the problem?
In these types of questions, you will often see language like:
Imagine that you are...
What decisions would you make?
If you could change one thing about... what would it be?
What would happen if...?
How would you solve this problem?
What actions/steps would you take if...?
If you had to..., what would you do?
To successfully answer these questions, show how you'd use what you've learned from your course in the situation. It's helpful to explain your thinking; don't just say what you'd do or what's wrong—make sure to say why you think that, too.
Here is an example of a scenario question:
Imagine you are at work and a colleague cuts their hand on machinery. What actions would you take to provide assistance and ensure their safety?
Here are some steps that you can use to answer this question effectively:
Read the question carefully. Read it more than once.
Identify what you are being asked to do by highlighting the keywords. Pay attention to details. For example, in this question, you need to mention the 'actions' you would take. This means that if you only mention one action, you are not answering the question properly.
Think about what you have learned in your course. Have you done any exercises or reading that could be applied to this situation?
Think about how much you should write. Sometimes you are given a word limit. When there is no word limit, write your answer with enough explanation that others will be able to understand it clearly.
Write your answer simply and clearly. Avoid using complex words where possible and avoid long, complicated sentences.
Go back to the question and check that your answer covers everything you have been asked to do.
Another example
Juan is studying youth work and he receives this question in an assessment. It says:
"Sylvia, a teenager in your youth group, has recently become more withdrawn during activities. She often arrives late and seems distracted when participating. You've noticed she hasn't been engaging with her usual group of friends. What steps would you take to support Sylvia in re-engaging with the group?"
Sample answer
To answer this question successfully, outline the steps you would take and explain why they would be effective. Here's an example of an effective answer:
"To re-engage Sylvia with her youth support group, I would talk to her privately to understand her situation and offer support. This would help to build trust. I would encourage peer support by suggesting activities and groups she might try, that could help her make supportive friendships. If these steps don’t work, I would recommend she seeks guidance from a counsellor to address her issues and learn management strategies."
Quiz
Take this quiz to test what you have learnt about scenario questions.
