Here is a small experiment. Take any past-paper question that begins with "Explain" and read a few student answers to it. You will usually find that some students describe, some list facts and a few actually explain. All of them knew the topic. What separated them was a single word at the start of the question, and whether they did what it asked.
That word is the command word, and it is one of the cheapest sources of marks in any A Level exam. This guide explains what the most common command words generally ask for, shows short examples from different subjects and describes what a suitable response tends to include. It also explains why you shouldn't treat any single recipe as universal. Exam boards define these words in their own syllabuses, and the wording differs between subjects. For worked comparisons of three of the most confused words, see our guide on how to answer explain, describe and discuss questions. To learn from what examiners say about real answers, see how to use A Level examiner reports. For questions built around supplied data, see how to answer data-response questions.
For Cambridge International A Levels, the official syllabus for each subject lists its command words and their meanings, and the syllabuses, past papers and mark schemes are published on the exam board's website, Cambridge International. Use the definitions in your own syllabus as the authority, and treat this guide as a way to understand and practise them.
Why Command Words Matter
Examiners mark against a scheme written for a particular kind of answer. If a question asks you to evaluate and you describe, you may write something perfectly accurate that scores very little, because the marks are for judgement and you haven't made one. The reverse also happens: a student writes three paragraphs of discussion on a question that wanted a single-line statement, and spends minutes they needed elsewhere.
Reading the command word properly protects you against both mistakes. It tells you how much to write, which skill you are being asked to show and what the examiner will be looking for in your answer.
A Useful Way to Group Them
Command words can be thought of as asking for increasing amounts of thinking. This is a rough guide rather than an official ranking, but it helps you see the pattern.
| Kind of demand | Typical command words | What you're mainly doing |
|---|---|---|
| Recall | State, identify, name, define | Producing a fact or term accurately |
| Present information | Describe, outline, calculate | Setting out features, points or a result |
| Show understanding | Explain, compare, suggest | Giving reasons, links or applying knowledge |
| Make a judgement | Analyse, assess, discuss, evaluate, justify | Weighing evidence and reaching a supported view |
As you move down the table, you usually need more development and the marks available tend to be higher. A one-mark question seldom wants a judgement, and a twelve-mark question seldom wants a bare statement.
Common Command Words and What They Generally Ask For
The meanings below are paraphrased from the way exam boards commonly use these words. Your syllabus may phrase them differently or add its own, so check it.
| Command word | Generally asks you to | A suitable response usually |
|---|---|---|
| State | Give a short, clear answer | Is brief, with no explanation |
| Define | Give the precise meaning of a term | Uses accurate terminology, often in one sentence |
| Describe | Say what something is like, or what a trend or process involves | Gives features or steps, with data quoted where there is any |
| Explain | Give reasons or show how or why | Links a cause to an effect, often using "because" or "so" |
| Compare | Point out similarities and differences | Refers to both items, linking them point by point |
| Analyse | Examine in detail, showing elements and how they relate | Breaks the issue into parts and links them, often with evidence |
| Assess | Make an informed judgement | Weighs relevant points and reaches a justified view |
| Discuss | Write about an issue or topic in depth, in a structured way | Covers different points or sides, supported by evidence |
| Evaluate | Judge the quality, importance or value of something | Weighs strengths and limitations and ends with a judgement |
| Suggest | Apply your knowledge to a situation where several answers may be valid | Offers a sensible proposal and gives a reason |
Notice that none of these descriptions is a template. They tell you what the answer must do, not a fixed sentence pattern.
One Topic, Four Command Words
The clearest way to see the difference is to keep the topic constant and change the command word. Take the effect of temperature on an enzyme-catalysed reaction in Biology.
| Question | What the answer needs |
|---|---|
| State the name given to the temperature at which an enzyme works fastest. | "The optimum temperature." One term, nothing more. |
| Describe how the rate of reaction changes as temperature increases to well above the optimum. | The pattern, with values if shown: the rate rises to a peak, then falls steeply. |
| Explain why the rate falls above the optimum temperature. | Reasons linked to the effect: bonds break, the tertiary structure changes, the active site no longer fits the substrate, so fewer enzyme-substrate complexes form. |
| Suggest why an enzyme from a hot-spring organism might have a higher optimum temperature. | A reasoned proposal using knowledge in a new situation: its structure may be stable at higher temperatures, so it denatures later. |
The topic is identical, but each answer has a different shape and length. A student who writes the full explanation in answer to "State" wastes time, and one who writes one word in answer to "Explain" loses most of the marks.
Short Examples From Different Subjects
Physics, State. "State Newton's second law of motion." A correct, concise statement is enough. Adding a worked example doesn't earn extra marks.
Chemistry, Define. "Define the standard enthalpy change of formation." Precise terms matter here, so a loose description may lose the mark.
Mathematics, Calculate. "Calculate the gradient of the curve at x = 2." Show the method, since marks are often given for working as well as the answer.
Economics, Analyse. "Analyse the likely effect of a rise in the price of oil on a transport firm." Build a chain: costs rise, so prices or profit change, with a reason at each link.
Business, Assess. "Assess whether a business should expand into a new market." Weigh points for and against and finish with a justified judgement.
Sociology or English, Discuss. "Discuss the view that..." Cover more than one perspective, support each with evidence or examples and reach a considered conclusion.
These are illustrations, not marking guidance for any particular paper. How a mark scheme rewards each word depends on the subject and the question.
The Judgement Words: Analyse, Assess, Discuss and Evaluate
These four cause the most confusion, because students treat them as interchangeable. Boards define them separately, and good answers usually reflect the difference, although the exact boundaries vary by subject.
- Analyse is about structure. Break the situation into its parts and show how they connect, usually with a chain of cause and effect.
- Assess and evaluate both ask for a judgement. Make points on more than one side, weigh their importance and reach a conclusion that follows from what you wrote.
- Discuss asks for breadth. Cover the relevant issues or viewpoints in a structured way. A conclusion is often valuable, even if the word doesn't demand one.
A common failing across all four is to list points without weighing them. A list of advantages and disadvantages is not yet a judgement. The step that earns the top marks is usually the one that says which point matters most, and why. Our guide on how to answer explain, describe and discuss questions shows weak and improved answers side by side, and how to use A Level examiner reports explains how to learn from what examiners say about real candidates. Data-response questions have their own skills, covered in how to answer data-response questions.
How to Read a Question Properly
- 1
Find the command word. Underline it before you do anything else.
- 2
Find the topic and any limits. Circle key terms and phrases such as "in this experiment", "using the data" or "for this business".
- 3
Check the marks. They show roughly how many distinct points or how much development is expected.
- 4
Plan the shape. Decide whether you need a fact, a pattern, a chain of reasons or a judgement.
- 5
Write, then check. Read the question again and ask whether your answer actually does what it asked.
This takes ten seconds and prevents the most avoidable losses of marks in the exam.
Matching Length to Command Word and Marks
The number of marks tells you how much to write, and the command word tells you what to write. A two-mark "state" question wants two short points. A two-mark "explain" question usually wants one reason linked to its effect. A six-mark "evaluate" question expects several developed points and a conclusion.
If you find yourself writing a lot for few marks, you may be answering a different command word from the one you were given. If you've written one line for a six-mark question, you probably haven't developed it enough.
Learning Command Words From Mark Schemes
The best way to see what a command word really demands is to read mark schemes. Take a question that began with "explain" and look at how the marks were awarded: you'll often see that each mark was given for a linked step in the reasoning, not for a separate fact. Do the same for "evaluate" and you'll see marks for weighing and for a supported conclusion.
- Pick five questions with the same command word from past papers and read their mark schemes together.
- Note what the high-scoring answers have in common.
- Rewrite one of your own weaker answers using what you found.
- Add the command words you lose marks on to your mistake log.
You can find real papers on our A Level past papers pages, and you can try questions by subject on our A Level practice and A Level questions pages. Exam Questions is an optional practice resource, as described on our AI exam preparation page. Whatever you use, check its wording against your syllabus and the official mark schemes.
Common Command-Word Mistakes
- Describing when asked to explain. You say what happens but not why.
- Explaining when asked to state. You spend effort on a one-mark question that earns nothing extra.
- Listing when asked to evaluate. You give points without weighing them or reaching a conclusion.
- Ignoring the limits in the question. You answer in general terms when the question points to a specific context or data set.
- Assuming every subject uses a word the same way. Check your own syllabus.
- Memorising a formula for every word. A fixed template can lead you to write the shape instead of the substance.
A Word of Caution About Formulas
Many students are taught fixed structures, such as a certain paragraph pattern for every essay or sentence frame for every explanation. These can be useful starting points, but no single formula fits every subject, question or mark scheme. A frame that works well for an economics chain of analysis would be awkward in a physics calculation or a literature discussion.
Use structures as scaffolding while you learn what each command word asks for, then let the question and the marks guide you. Your teachers can tell you which approaches match how your subject is marked.
Final Thoughts
Command words are small, but they steer the whole answer. Learn what the common ones ask for, check the definitions in your own syllabus, read the question properly before you write and use mark schemes to see how credit is really awarded. You'll lose fewer marks to knowing the right material and presenting it in the wrong shape.
Start with one subject. Open its syllabus, find the command-word table and pick five past-paper questions that use a word you tend to get wrong. Mark them strictly and rewrite the weakest answer.
Practise the subjects you choose
Work through topic questions and past papers for your A Level subjects, and get your answers marked with the reasoning behind each mark.
