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IGCSE Command Words Explained: What Examiners Really Want
PapaMarks Team · July 17, 2026 · 5 min read
Here's a mark-scheme secret hiding in plain sight: most "wrong" IGCSE answers aren't wrong — they're answers to a different question. The examiner asked you to explain and you described; they asked you to evaluate and you listed. Every command word is an instruction with a specific marking behaviour behind it, and learning the code is one of the fastest grade upgrades available. Here's every major IGCSE command word, what the examiner actually wants, and the trap inside each one.
⚡ The 60-second version
- Command words tell you the type of thinking being marked: recall (state, define), understanding (describe, outline), reasoning (explain, suggest), maths (calculate, determine) or judgement (discuss, evaluate, justify).
- The classic mark-killer: describing when asked to explain — saying what happens instead of why.
- Marks scale with the verb: "state" earns in words, "explain" earns in because-chains, "evaluate" earns in both sides + a verdict.
- Train it deliberately: in every practice answer, underline the command word first — then check the mark scheme rewarded that exact behaviour.
The recall words — quick marks, no decoration
| Command word | What it wants | The trap |
|---|---|---|
| State / Give / Name | A short, factual answer — often one word or phrase | Writing three sentences for one mark; wasting exam time |
| Define | The precise meaning of a term, in accepted wording | Vague paraphrase — "diffusion is when stuff spreads" loses the mark that "movement of particles from high to low concentration" earns |
| List | Several brief items, no elaboration | Listing more than asked — examiners often mark only the first N given |
| Identify | Pick out the relevant thing from data/a diagram | Answering from memory instead of from the material given |
The understanding words — say what, fully
| Command word | What it wants | The trap |
|---|---|---|
| Describe | The main features or sequence — what happens / what it looks like | Drifting into reasons — you're not being marked for "why" here |
| Outline | A short version of describe — key points only | Writing the full essay the word "outline" was sparing you from |
| Compare | Similarities and differences, explicitly linked ("whereas", "both") | Two separate descriptions with no linking — that's not comparing, and schemes withhold marks for it |
| Sketch / Draw / Label | A clear diagram with the conventions (labels, axes, units) | Unlabelled axes and missing units — free marks thrown away |
The reasoning words — this is where grades separate
| Command word | What it wants | The trap |
|---|---|---|
| Explain | Reasons and mechanisms — why/how, as a chain: cause → step → consequence | The #1 trap in all of IGCSE: describing. If your answer has no "because/therefore/which means", it isn't an explanation yet |
| Suggest | Apply your knowledge to something unfamiliar — a plausible, reasoned idea | Panicking because "we never learned this" — that's the point; the scheme accepts any sensible reasoned answer |
| Predict / Deduce | A conclusion drawn from given information, with the logic visible | Right answer, no working shown from the data — deduction marks want the trail |
The maths words — show the journey
| Command word | What it wants | The trap |
|---|---|---|
| Calculate | A numerical answer with working — method marks are real marks | Answer-only responses: one slip and you lose everything, working shown and you lose one |
| Determine / Find | Get the value — sometimes from a graph or data first | Ignoring the given data and calculating from scratch |
| Show that | Arrive at the stated result with every step visible | Working backwards from the answer — examiners are specifically watching for it |
| Estimate | A rounded, justified approximation | Grinding out an exact answer the question deliberately didn't want |
The judgement words — the top-grade separators
| Command word | What it wants | The trap |
|---|---|---|
| Discuss | More than one side, developed — points and counterpoints | A one-sided list of advantages; "discuss" marks live in the tension |
| Evaluate / Assess | Weigh both sides and reach a verdict with a reason | Sitting on the fence — the judgement mark requires actually judging |
| Justify | Defend a choice with evidence — why this and not the alternative | Restating the choice louder instead of supporting it |
| To what extent | An evaluation with a calibrated answer: "largely, because… although…" | Answering yes/no — the marks are in the "extent" |
✍️
The 5-second habit that fixes this permanently: underline the command word before writing anything, and let it pick your sentence pattern — state → one line; explain → "…because… which means…"; evaluate → "on one hand… on the other… overall, X because Y." Do it on every practice question with instant marking and the mark scheme starts agreeing with you within a week.
Train it where it counts
- Mark your own answers by command wordWhen you drop marks in practice, diagnose which verb you disobeyed — most students discover one repeat offender ("explain", usually).
- Study mark schemes like a translatorNotice how schemes for "explain" award linked points, while "describe" schemes award features. The verbs literally shape the mark allocation.
- Practise the judgement verbs in your essay subjectsBusiness, Economics, History and Geography load their top marks onto discuss/evaluate/justify — the most-tested topics are where those verbs will meet you.
FAQ
What are command words in IGCSE exams?
Command words are the instruction verbs that begin exam questions — state, describe, explain, calculate, evaluate and so on. Each one specifies the type of answer the mark scheme rewards: recall, description, reasoned explanation, calculation with working, or weighed judgement. Exam boards publish their command-word definitions with each syllabus.
What's the difference between "describe" and "explain"?
"Describe" asks what happens — features, appearance, sequence. "Explain" asks why or how — causes and mechanisms, linked with "because/therefore" chains. Answering a describe when asked to explain is the single most common way IGCSE students lose marks they think they earned.
What does "evaluate" want in IGCSE answers?
Three things: points on one side, points on the other, and a justified verdict. The final judgement is usually a specific mark — an answer that presents both sides but never concludes leaves it on the table.
Do command words differ between Cambridge and Edexcel?
The core verbs behave the same way across boards, though each publishes its own official definition list with slightly different wording. Check the command-word glossary in your specific syllabus — and more importantly, watch how your board's mark schemes actually reward each verb in past papers.
Command words are the exam's user manual, printed in the first word of every question. Learn the code once, underline it every time, and practise against real mark schemes until the right answer-shape is automatic — it's the cheapest grade boost in the whole syllabus.
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