Command Words — What the Question Is Really Asking

Every GCSE exam question contains a command word — a specific verb that tells you exactly what the examiner wants you to do. Misunderstanding the command word is one of the fastest ways to throw marks away, because you can know the content perfectly and still score zero if you do the wrong thing with it.

A student who describes when asked to explain, or who states when asked to evaluate, is not answering the question — no matter how accurate their knowledge is.

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Why Command Words Matter So Much

Exam boards — AQA, Edexcel, OCR, and WJEC — all publish official lists of command words and their definitions. These are not suggestions. They are precise instructions. When a question says "Evaluate," it is telling you to weigh up evidence and reach a judgement. If you simply describe the topic, you have not done what was asked.

Examiners are specifically trained to check whether the student has responded to the command word. A beautifully written answer that does not match the command word will be capped at the lower levels.