What 'walk me through the 3 statements' answer does a well-prepared IB junior give?

The standard answer (60–75 sec) in two steps — first introduce the three statements individually, then explain the links.

• P&L (income statement): shows revenue, costs, and net income for a period (e.g. a quarter or a fiscal year).
• Balance sheet: a point-in-time snapshot of assets and liabilities + equity. It holds that: `Equity = Assets − Liabilities`.
• Cash flow statement: shows the movement of cash in three categories — operating, investing, financing.

• Net income from the P&L flows into operating cash flow, together with the D&A add-back and working-capital changes.
• Net income also runs into retained earnings on the balance sheet (the equity side).
• `Beginning cash + net change in cash = ending cash` on the balance sheet.
• D&A appears on the P&L as an expense and in the cash flow statement as an add-back.
• Capex is an investing outflow in the cash flow statement, builds PP&E on the balance sheet, and thereby creates future D&A.