Command Words (Cambridge (CIE) IGCSE Biology): Revision Note

Command words & their meanings

• A command word is the instruction word in a question, e.g. state, describe, explain

  • It tells you what kind of answer is needed

• Cambridge lists 14 command words in the IGCSE Biology specification, and each one has a fixed meaning

• Some command words are more demanding than others; the higher the demand, the more thinking your answer needs to show

  • Lower-demand words, such as state and identify, ask you to recall a fact

  • Higher-demand words, such as predict, evaluate and suggest, often ask you to apply what you know to something new

• Even if the biology in your answer is correct, it is still possible to score zero if you have not responded correctly to the command word in the question

The 14 command words

• The command words from the Cambridge IGCSE Biology specification are listed below

  • Words have been divided into lower-, medium- and higher-demand

  • Each definition is Cambridge's own wording, followed by what your answer needs

Lower-demand command words

• Lower-demand command words ask you to recall a fact or pick something out

• The answers are generally short, often one word or one line

• Identify

  • Name/select/recognise

  • Your answer will usually be a name, a letter or a label

• State

  • Express in clear terms

  • Your answer should be short, often one word or one line, with no explanation

• Give

  • Produce an answer from a given source or recall/memory

  • Your answer should be short and focused

• Define

  • Give precise meaning

  • Your answer should give the exact definition, including every important key word

Medium-demand command words

• Medium-demand command words may require you to recall content in more detail, or ask you to apply knowledge or skills

• You are expected to set out what happens, give the reasons behind it or work something out

• Describe

  • State the points of a topic / give characteristics and main features

  • Your answer should focus on detailing what happens or what a feature/trend looks like, without giving the underlying scientific reasons

  • When describing a graph or table, mention both variables and quote data

• Outline

  • Set out the main points

  • Your answer should give the main points only, and should be brief

• Explain

  • Set out purposes or reasons / make the relationships between things clear / say why and/or how and support with relevant evidence

  • Your answer should give the reason for, or the biology behind, something; the word 'because' often appears

• Sketch

  • Make a simple freehand drawing showing the key features, taking care over proportions

  • Your answer should be a freehand graph or diagram with the right shape and sensible proportions

  • Note that this differs from 'plot' which requires precise use of data points, and to 'draw' which requires biological drawing

• Calculate

  • Work out from given facts, figures or information

  • Your answer should show your working and give the unit where relevant

• Determine

  • Establish an answer using the information available

  • Your answer should be worked out from the information given; this may or may not need a calculation

Higher-demand command words

• Higher-demand command words ask you to apply your knowledge and understanding to new information or a new situation, or to make a judgement

• Compare

  • Identify/comment on similarities and/or differences

  • Always link the two items using comparative language such as whereas, while, both, higher than or lower than

  • Simply stating a feature about one item is not enough to gain credit

• Predict

  • Suggest what may happen based on available information

  • Your answer should say what will happen, based on data provided and/or your scientific understanding

• Evaluate

  • Judge or calculate the quality, importance, amount, or value of something

  • Your answer should weigh up the points for and against, then make a judgement

  • This may also involve providing evidence from data, or suggesting improvements to experiments

• Suggest

  • Apply knowledge and understanding to situations where there are a range of valid responses in order to make proposals / put forward considerations

  • Your answer should apply your biological understanding to an unfamiliar situation

How to answer each command word

• Exam questions usually assess a piece of biology content using a range of different command words

  • Each command word needs a different answer, even when the biological context is the same

  • The number of marks tells you how many points to make