OCR Command Words: State, Describe, Explain, Discuss, Evaluate, Compare

Command words tell you exactly what the examiner expects in your answer. Misunderstanding a command word is one of the most common reasons students lose marks. This lesson covers every command word used in OCR J277 exams and shows you how to structure your answers correctly.

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Why Command Words Matter

The command word determines the depth and style of your answer. Writing a one-word answer when the question says "explain" will lose you marks, even if the content is correct. Similarly, writing an essay when the question says "state" wastes time.

OCR Exam Tip: Before writing anything, underline the command word in the question. This forces you to think about what type of answer is required.

The decision tree below maps each common command word to the answer style the examiner expects:

flowchart TD
    A[Identify command word] --> B{Which command word?}
    B -->|State / Name / Give| C[Brief factual answer, 1 sentence]
    B -->|Define| D[Precise meaning of the term]
    B -->|Describe| E[Say what and what it does]
    B -->|Explain| F[Say what AND why/how, use because/therefore]
    B -->|Compare| G[Use whereas/in contrast, both items]
    B -->|Discuss| H[Both sides + concluding judgement]
    B -->|Evaluate| I[Weigh evidence + clear judgement]
    B -->|Justify| J[Give reasons supporting choice]
    B -->|Calculate| K[Show formula, working, units]

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The Command Words

State / Give / Name / Identify (1-2 marks)

What it means: Provide a brief, factual answer. No explanation needed.

Example question: "State two types of secondary storage." (2 marks)

Good answer:

• Solid-state drive (SSD)
• Hard disk drive (HDD)

Bad answer: "A solid-state drive, also known as an SSD, is a type of secondary storage that uses flash memory and has no moving parts, making it faster and more durable than traditional hard disk drives..." (too much detail for "state")

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Describe (2-4 marks)

What it means: Give a detailed account of something. Say what it is and what it does, but you do not need to explain why or how it works internally.

Example question: "Describe the fetch-decode-execute cycle." (3 marks)

Good answer:

• The program counter (PC) holds the address of the next instruction to be fetched (1 mark)
• The instruction is fetched from RAM and stored in the instruction register (1 mark)
• The instruction is decoded by the control unit and then executed by the relevant component (1 mark)

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Explain (3-6 marks)

What it means: Give reasons or causes. Say what and why or how. You need to show your understanding, not just recall facts. Link cause to effect.

Example question: "Explain why a solid-state drive is faster than a hard disk drive." (3 marks)

Good answer:

• An SSD uses electronic circuits (flash memory) to read and write data, with no moving parts (1 mark)
• An HDD uses a spinning magnetic platter and a read/write head that must physically move to the correct position (1 mark)
• Because the SSD has no moving parts, data can be accessed almost instantly, whereas the HDD must wait for the platter to spin and the head to move, which takes longer (1 mark)

OCR Exam Tip: For "explain" questions, use connective words like "because", "therefore", "this means that", and "as a result" to link your points together. This shows the examiner you understand the reasoning.

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Discuss (4-8 marks)

What it means: Consider different sides of an argument or issue. Present advantages and disadvantages, or different viewpoints, and come to a conclusion.

Example question: "Discuss the use of cloud storage compared to local storage." (6 marks)

Structure:

1. Advantages of cloud storage (2-3 points)
2. Disadvantages of cloud storage (2-3 points)
3. A concluding judgement

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Evaluate (4-8 marks)

What it means: Weigh up the evidence, consider different factors, and make a judgement. Similar to discuss, but with a stronger emphasis on reaching a conclusion.

Example question: "Evaluate the suitability of a star topology for a school network." (6 marks)

Structure:

1. Advantages of a star topology for this context
2. Disadvantages of a star topology for this context
3. A clear conclusion with justification

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Compare (2-4 marks)

What it means: Identify similarities and/or differences between two or more things. You must refer to both items being compared.

Example question: "Compare RAM and ROM." (4 marks)

Feature	RAM	ROM
Volatile?	Yes — loses data when power is off	No — retains data when power is off
Read/write?	Can be read from and written to	Read-only (generally)
Purpose	Stores currently running programs and data	Stores boot-up instructions (BIOS/UEFI)
Size	Typically 4-32 GB	Typically much smaller

OCR Exam Tip: For compare questions, use a table format or use phrases like "whereas", "on the other hand", "in contrast to", and "similarly". This makes the comparison clear.

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Other Command Words

Command word	Meaning	Depth required
Define	Give the precise meaning of a term	Brief (1-2 marks)
List	Write a number of items, no explanation	Brief (1-2 marks)
Calculate	Work out a numerical answer, showing working	Medium (2-4 marks)
Draw / Complete	Produce a diagram, truth table, or trace table	Medium (2-4 marks)
Suggest	Apply your knowledge to an unfamiliar context	Medium-high (2-4 marks)
Justify	Give reasons to support a choice or decision	Medium-high (3-4 marks)
Analyse	Break down into components and examine in detail	High (4-6 marks)

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Extended Response Questions (6-8 marks)

Extended response questions use the mark scheme differently. Instead of awarding marks for individual points, they use a levels of response mark scheme:

Level	Marks	Description
Level 3	5-6	Detailed, well-structured, accurate, with clear reasoning
Level 2	3-4	Some detail and structure, mostly accurate
Level 1	1-2	Basic, limited detail, may contain errors
Level 0	0	No creditworthy content

Tips for extended response:

• Plan your answer before writing (spend 1-2 minutes planning)
• Use paragraphs to structure your response
• Include specific technical vocabulary
• Make sure you address all parts of the question
• Write a conclusion if the question asks for evaluation or discussion

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Summary