Exam skills
IB command terms
The verb in the question decides what your answer has to do. Most marks are lost by writing less than the verb asks — describing when the paper said explain, listing when it said discuss.
Analyse
Break something down to bring out its essential parts.
- Separate the parts or factors.
- Show how each contributes.
- Show how they interact.
Trap: Summarising the whole instead of taking it apart.
Annotate
Add brief notes to a diagram or graph.
- Short notes, not sentences.
- Attach each to the feature it explains.
Trap: Writing prose beside the diagram instead of on it.
Apply
Use a principle, theory or equation in a new situation.
- Name the principle.
- Connect it to the specifics of this case.
- State what follows.
Trap: Reciting the theory without touching the scenario in front of you.
Calculate
Obtain a numerical answer, showing the stages of working.
- Write the formula.
- Substitute the values.
- Give the answer with unit and sensible precision.
Trap: The answer alone. Method marks are lost even when the number is right.
Comment
Give a judgement on a statement or a result you are given.
- Say what the statement or result means.
- Judge it.
- Support the judgement.
Trap: Paraphrasing the statement without judging it.
Compare
Give an account of similarities, referring to both throughout.
- One point of similarity per paragraph.
- Both items in every paragraph.
Trap: Half the answer on one item, half on the other. That is two descriptions, not a comparison.
Compare and contrast
Give both similarities and differences, referring to both throughout.
- Similarities first, then differences, or alternate by theme.
- Never leave one item out of a paragraph.
Trap: Doing only half the verb. Both halves carry marks.
Construct and apply
Build a model, structure or representation, then use it to solve the problem.
- Construct the required structure correctly.
- Apply it to the given case.
- Show the outcome.
Trap: Constructing it but stopping there, or applying without a correct construction.
Contrast
Give an account of differences, referring to both throughout.
- One point of difference at a time.
- Both items in every paragraph.
Trap: Writing about them one after the other rather than against each other.
Deduce
Reach a conclusion from the information given.
- Point to the evidence given.
- Reason from it.
- State the conclusion it forces.
Trap: Bringing in outside knowledge instead of reasoning from what is in front of you.
Define
Give the exact meaning of a term, and nothing more.
- One sentence.
- Use the subject’s own wording.
- No example needed unless asked.
Trap: Explaining why it matters. That earns nothing here and eats time.
Derive
Manipulate a relationship to reach a new one.
- Start from the stated relationship.
- Show every algebraic step.
- Arrive at the required form.
Trap: Skipping steps. The steps are the marks.
Describe
Give a detailed account of what happens, without reasons.
- Say what happens, in order.
- Include the detail that distinguishes this case.
Trap: Slipping into why it happens. That is "explain", and it wins no extra marks here.
Determine
Obtain the only possible answer.
- Set out the method.
- Work to the single answer.
- Show it is the only one.
Trap: Offering a range when the question admits one answer.
Discuss
Give a balanced review of the arguments, then a supported conclusion.
- Put the strongest case for.
- Put the strongest case against.
- Judge, and say what your judgement rests on.
Trap: A one-sided case. Balance is the verb’s whole demand.
Distinguish
Make clear the differences between two or more things.
- Take one point of difference at a time.
- Say how each item stands on it.
Trap: Describing each item separately and leaving the reader to spot the difference.
Draw
Produce an accurate labelled diagram or graph.
- Rule the axes or outline.
- Label every part that carries a mark.
- Keep proportions honest.
Trap: Unlabelled sketches. The labels are usually where the marks sit.
Estimate
Obtain an approximate value, reasonably.
- Say what you are approximating and why it is fair.
- Do the rough arithmetic.
- Give the order of magnitude.
Trap: Pretending to precision. An estimate should show its assumption.
Evaluate
Weigh strengths against limitations and reach an appraisal.
- Strengths, with evidence.
- Limitations, with evidence.
- A weighted verdict: which side wins, and why.
Trap: Listing pros and cons and stopping. No verdict, no top band.
Explain
Give a detailed account including reasons or causes.
- State what happens.
- Give the mechanism: because…, which causes…
- Follow the chain to the outcome.
Trap: Describing. If the word "because" never appears, it is not an explanation.
Identify
Pick the right answer out of several possibilities.
- Name it.
- Say, in a few words, what makes it that one.
Trap: Listing every possibility and hoping one is right. Examiners mark the first answer.
Interpret
Say what the data or source actually shows.
- State the pattern or trend.
- Quote the figures that show it.
- Note anything that breaks the pattern.
Trap: Describing the axes instead of the message in the data.
Justify
Give valid reasons or evidence to support an answer.
- State the position.
- Give the reasons that support it.
- Say why the obvious objection does not overturn it.
Trap: Restating the claim more loudly instead of evidencing it.
Label
Add the correct names to a diagram you are given.
- Point clearly to each part.
- Use the subject’s exact terms.
Trap: Vague lines that could point at two structures.
List
Give a sequence of brief answers, one after another.
- Number or bullet them.
- Give as many as the marks ask for.
Trap: Explaining each item. The marks are for the items, not the reasoning.
Measure
Obtain a value for a quantity.
- Read the instrument or scale.
- Give the unit.
- Match the precision of the instrument.
Trap: Dropping the unit, or inventing precision the instrument cannot give.
Outline
Give a brief account, the main points only.
- Two or three sentences.
- Main points, no development.
Trap: Writing a full description. Outline is deliberately short.
Predict
Give the expected result.
- State what will happen.
- Name the principle it follows from.
Trap: Hedging. A prediction has to commit.
Show that
Give the steps that lead to a stated result.
- Start from what you are given.
- Work forward, step by step.
- Land exactly on the printed result.
Trap: Working backwards from the answer, or jumping to it.
Sketch
Show the shape or trend on labelled but unscaled axes.
- Label both axes.
- Get the general shape right.
- Mark intercepts, turning points or asymptotes.
Trap: Plotting precisely. Sketch asks for the shape, but the key features still have to be there.
State
Give a brief answer with no explanation or working.
- Name the thing, value or fact.
- Stop.
Trap: Writing a paragraph. "State" answers are one line.
Suggest
Propose a solution, hypothesis or possible answer.
- Propose one clear idea.
- Say why it is plausible here.
Trap: Listing five vague possibilities instead of one defensible one.
To what extent
Judge how far something holds, and say what limits it.
- Argue the extent to which it holds.
- Argue where it breaks down.
- Answer with a degree, not a yes or no.
Trap: Answering "yes" or "no". The verb asks how far, so the conclusion must be measured.
Trace
Work through an algorithm or process step by step, recording how the values change.
- Set up a trace table with a column per variable.
- Apply each step in order.
- Write the output at the end.
Trap: Jumping to the final answer without showing each step. The marks are for the working.
Use
Apply a given method, tool or piece of knowledge to reach an answer.
- Name what you are applying.
- Apply it to the specifics of the question.
- State the result.
Trap: Describing the method instead of actually using it on the problem.