Decoding the Exam: Why Command Words are the Secret to GCSE Success
You’ve done the revision, you know the biology, and you’ve mastered the physics equations. But when you open the exam paper, there is one final hurdle: The Command Word.
Command words are the specific instructions that tell you how to answer a question. Missing the nuance of these words is the most common way students lose “easy” marks. Here is your guide to decoding the AQA command words and giving the examiners exactly what they’re looking for.
1. The “Quick-Fire” Words
These require brief, direct answers. Don’t waste time writing paragraphs here or trying to justify your answer.
- State / Name / Identify: Short answer (usually one or two words) required. In Physics, state could mean give a value.
- Choose: Select from a range of alternatives.
- Give: Provide a short answer without an explanation. A single word or a short sentence is usually enough.
- Define: Give the exact technical meaning of a term.
2. The “Show Me Your Skills” Words
These usually involve data, diagrams, or calculations.
- Calculate / Work out / Determine: Use the numbers provided in the question to arrive at a final answer. Always show your working—you can get marks for the right process even if the final number is wrong!
- Plot / Draw / Sketch: Use a pencil! Plot means marking exact points on a graph; Draw means a precise diagram; Sketch means a rougher version that shows the general shape or trend.
- Estimate: Give an approximate value. You don’t need to be exact, but your answer must be “in the right ballpark.”
3. The “Deep Dive” Words
This is where the big marks are found. These require more detail and “connective” language (like because, therefore, or on the other hand).
- Describe: Recall facts or processes accurately. Tell the examiner what is happening.
- Explain: This is the big one. Don’t just say what happened; say why or how it happened. Use the word “because.”
- Compare: Don’t just describe one thing. You must look for similarities and differences between two or more items.
- Evaluate: Look at the evidence for and against. You need to provide a balanced argument and usually reach a conclusion.
- Justify: Use evidence or data from the question to support your answer. Prove why you are right.
4. The “Think Outside the Box” Words
- Suggest: This is often the word that panics students. It means the answer isn’t something you’ve memorised from a textbook. Instead, you need to apply your knowledge to a brand-new situation. If you see “Suggest,” stay calm—use what you know to make a logical “best guess.”
- Predict: Give a plausible outcome of what might happen next based on the data you have.
Top Tip: Highlight the Command!
When you start a question, circle the command word. If the paper says “Describe and explain,” and you only describe, you’ve automatically capped your marks at 50%.
Master the language of the exam, and the science will follow. Happy revising!
/