Both are asked as benefit/cost pairs, then judged.
The answer skeleton that fits every (i)/(ii)/(iii)
(i) BENEFIT: name the factor → the mechanism → the measure it improves (market share, brand, profit, economic sustainability).
(ii) COST/NEGATIVE: name who bears it — the business, the staff, or the customers — and how.
(iii) JUDGEMENT: state likely/unlikely, weigh the strongest point each way, and conclude with the reason that decides it.
Exam-style "How likely is it that a top-down change approach will be effective?" A justified judgement, not a description. POSITION: unlikely to be effective for a lasting culture change, though effective for an urgent one. FOR: it is fast and decisive, and in a crisis there is no time to consult — the change happens. AGAINST: staff had no input, so they resist, comply minimally, and drift back once attention moves on; the business also loses the frontline knowledge that would have improved the plan. DECIDE: because this change asks staff to work differently every day, ownership matters more than speed — so an inclusive approach would be more likely to succeed. ✓ Position → for → against → what decides it. The last sentence is where the Excellence mark sits. ✕
A one-sided "how likely is it" answer is capped
However well-argued, an answer that only gives reasons FOR (or only reasons AGAINST) cannot reach the top band — the judgement explicitly requires weighing something against something. State a position, give the strongest point each way, then say which outweighs the other and WHY. The "why" is what the mark is actually for; restating both sides with no decision between them is the most common way to lose it.
Factor
Typical benefit measure
Typical cost/negative bearer
Innovation
Market share, brand, first-mover advantage
The business (R&D cost, risk of failure)
Change management
Market share, staff productivity
Staff (stress, resistance) or the business (cost, disruption)
Quality management
Brand, customer loyalty, economic sustainability
The business (cost) or customers (price, delay)
A fast check on a benefit/cost/judgement answer
Have I named the measure the benefit improves, not just "it helps the business"?
Have I named WHO bears the cost, not just that there is one?
Does my judgement decide between the two, with a stated reason?