The command words, and what each one is really asking for
| Command word | What it means | What that looks like in an exam answer |
|---|---|---|
| Calculate | Work out from given facts, figures or information. | Show the working. A bare number with no method can lose the mark. |
| Compare | Identify and comment on similarities and/or differences. | You must give both sides - describing only one caps your marks. |
| Define | Give precise meaning. | One precise sentence. Do not describe or give examples instead. |
| Describe | State the points of a topic, give characteristics and main features. | What it is and what it involves. No reasons required. |
| Determine | Establish an answer using the information available. | Use the data or information given, not recall. |
| Discuss | Write about the issue or topic in depth in a structured way. | Both sides, organised, with a conclusion. |
| Evaluate | Judge the quality, importance, amount or value of something. | Weigh it up and reach a supported judgement. No judgement, no top mark. |
| Explain | Set out purposes or reasons, make relationships clear, say why and/or how, and support with relevant evidence. | Every point needs a reason or consequence. This is where most marks are lost. |
| Give | Produce an answer from a given source, or recall from memory. | Short and direct. |
| Identify | Name, select or recognise. | Just the answer - no explanation needed. |
| Outline | Set out the main points. | Brief points, no development. |
| Predict | Suggest what may happen based on the information available. | Use the information given, not guesswork. |
| Sketch | Make a simple freehand drawing showing the key features, taking care over proportions. | Label it. Proportions matter more than artistic quality. |
| State | Express in clear terms. | One clear fact per mark. Do not waste time developing it. |
| Suggest | Apply knowledge and understanding to situations where there are a range of valid responses, in order to make proposals or put forward considerations. | Apply it to the situation given - that is what is being tested. |
Cambridge publishes these command words in the 0697 syllabus. Notice what is missing: there is no analyse and no justify at IGCSE, so the marks come from precise description, a reason, or a comparison - and determine wants a value worked out from the data given.
The difference that matters most
Look at the same knowledge asked three ways. Same topic, three different answers, three different marks.
| Command | Question | Answer that scores full marks |
|---|---|---|
| State (1) | State one gas dissolved in sea water that marine plants use in photosynthesis. | Carbon dioxide. |
| Describe (2) | Describe how the concentration of dissolved oxygen changes as depth increases. | It decreases (1) because there is less photosynthesis at depth where light does not penetrate, while respiration by animals and decomposers continues (1). |
| Explain (3) | Explain why coral reefs are found only in shallow tropical water. | Reef-building corals have a symbiotic relationship with zooxanthellae, algae that need light for photosynthesis (1); light is absorbed quickly by water, so the coral must live in shallow water for the algae to photosynthesise (1); and the algae supply the coral with most of its food, so warm, clear, shallow water is essential (1). |
Learn this pattern. Fact. Then consequence. Then the context. Almost every lost mark is a missing middle step.
Command-word trainer
Read the question, decide what the command word demands, write the answer, then compare it with the model answer.