Cambridge Command Words: How to Answer What the Question Actually Asks

A question can look familiar and still cost marks if you answer the wrong command word. This is one of the quietest exam problems: you know the topic, lekin you explain when the question asks you to calculate, or list when it asks you to compare. Before writing, circle the command word and decide what kind of evidence it needs.

Cambridge publishes command-word guidance, but your exact subject paper and mark scheme remain the best place to see how a word is used in context. Do not memorise this article as a replacement for your syllabus or teacher's instructions. Use it as a practical answering routine.

First, separate the topic from the task

Every question has two jobs. The topic tells you what knowledge to use. The command word tells you what to do with that knowledge. In “Explain why increasing temperature increases the rate”, the topic is rate of reaction; the task is an explanation with a chain of reasoning. In “State two effects of increasing temperature”, the task is short, direct points.

Try this 15-second routine before an extended answer:

• Underline the command word.
• Box the number of marks or number of responses requested.
• Highlight any condition: “using the data”, “for this experiment”, “in the passage”.
• Say the answer shape silently: definition, steps, comparison, calculation, or judgement.

That tiny pause stops the common panic habit of writing everything you remember.

Know the common answer shapes

“State”, “name” and “identify” usually ask for a precise fact, term or feature. Give the requested number of separate answers and avoid a paragraph. If a Biology question says “State the organ where most absorption occurs”, writing “the small intestine” is stronger than a story about digestion.

“Describe” asks what happens, what is shown, or what the pattern is. It does not automatically ask why. For a graph, describe the direction, size and any exceptions: “From 10 to 30 °C, the rate increases; above 30 °C it decreases.” Quote figures if they support the observation, but do not invent a cause unless asked.

“Explain” asks for a reasoned link. A useful frame is point → because → result. For example: “Higher temperature gives particles more kinetic energy, so collisions happen more often and more collisions have enough energy to react.” One reason with its consequence is better than three loose keywords.

“Compare” requires both sides. Use paired language: whereas, however, higher/lower than, both. “Sample A has a higher initial rate than B, whereas B reaches a lower maximum.” Do not write two independent descriptions and hope the examiner joins them.

“Calculate” needs a method as well as a final number. Write the equation, substitute values with units, calculate, then round only as instructed. If the answer is negative when the quantity cannot be negative, pause. Your calculator may be fine; the copied value, unit conversion or operation may not be.

“Determine” often means use the information given to obtain an answer. It may involve a calculation, graph reading or logical selection. Show where your answer came from. “Determine the gradient” is not an invitation to discuss gradients; choose two well-separated points on the line, show the change in y divided by the change in x, and include units.

“Suggest” asks for a sensible scientific or logical possibility, often in an unfamiliar setting. Stay anchored to the scenario. A valid suggestion needs to be plausible, relevant and specific enough to test. “Use a more accurate instrument” is weak; “use a burette to measure the volume because it has finer scale divisions” gives an action and a reason.

“Evaluate” or “assess” asks for judgement using evidence. Give a balanced answer, then make a conclusion. For a method, mention a strength, a limitation and an improvement where relevant. Avoid “it is good” or “it is bad”; name what makes the evidence reliable, limited, fair or uncertain.

Use marks as a length guide, not a word target

Marks are a clue to the number of creditworthy ideas, not an order to produce a certain number of sentences. A two-mark explanation often needs two linked points. A six-mark judgement needs organised development, not six random facts. Check what a previous mark scheme accepts, then practise writing only enough to make each point clear.

Here is a simple before-and-after example.

Question: “Explain why a metal conducts electricity.”

Weak answer: “Because metals are good conductors and have electrons.”

Stronger answer: “Metals contain delocalised electrons. These electrons can move through the structure and carry charge.”

The stronger version names the feature and explains its role. No fancy vocabulary is required; the connection is what earns its place.

Build a command-word notebook from real questions

Make one page for each command word, but fill it only with real past-paper examples. For each entry write:

• the exact question,
• the command word and mark allocation,
• the answer shape you chose,
• the marking point you missed,
• one improved answer in your own words.

After ten papers, patterns become obvious. Maybe you lose marks because “describe” answers include causes, or because your “compare” answers mention only one item. That is useful feedback, yaar; “I am bad at Science” is not.

A final 60-second check

Before leaving a page, ask: Did I answer the verb? Did I use the data or diagram named in the question? Did I give the number of answers requested? Did I show units and working where needed? Did I make a conclusion only if the command word asked for one?

Command words are not tricks. They are instructions. Once you treat them as the blueprint for your answer, your revision knowledge has a much better chance of appearing on the script in a markable form.