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Command words guide
What 22 common exam instruction words actually require in your answer -- straight from Cambridge's own official glossary. A "Describe" answer and an "Evaluate" answer for the same topic should never look the same.
22 command words
- Analyse
- examine in detail to show meaning, and identify elements and the relationship between them
- Assess
- make an informed judgement
- Calculate
- work out from given facts, figures or information
- Comment
- give an informed opinion
- Compare
- identify/comment on similarities and/or differences
- Consider
- review and respond to given information
- Contrast
- identify/comment on differences
- Define
- give a precise meaning
- Describe
- state the points of a topic / give characteristics and main features
- Develop
- take forward to a more advanced stage or build upon given information
- Discuss
- write about issue(s) or topic(s) in depth in a structured way
- Evaluate
- judge or calculate the quality, importance, amount or value of something
- Explain
- set out purposes or reasons / make the relationships between things clear / say why and/or how and support with relevant evidence
- Give
- produce an answer from a given source or recall/memory
- Identify
- name/select/recognise
- Justify
- support a case with evidence/argument
- Outline
- set out the main points
- Predict
- suggest what may happen based on available information
- Sketch
- make a simple freehand drawing showing the key features, taking care over proportions
- State
- express in clear terms
- Suggest
- apply knowledge and understanding to situations where there are a range of valid responses to make proposals/put forward considerations
- Summarise
- select and present the main points, without detail
Why command words matter
Examiners use command words deliberately, and marking schemes are built around them. A "State" question wants a brief, direct answer with no justification needed; a "Discuss" question on the exact same topic wants a structured answer weighing more than one side. Writing a "State"-length answer to a "Discuss" question loses marks for missing depth the mark scheme expects — and writing a long, structured answer to a "State" question wastes time the exam doesn't reward. Before answering any exam question, it's worth spending a few seconds confirming which command word is being used and what it specifically requires.
Where this list comes from
This is Cambridge's own official command-word glossary, sourced directly from cambridgeinternational.org, verified 2026-08-29. Cambridge states it applies to syllabuses published from 2019 onwards, across IGCSE, O Level and AS & A Level — but subject-specific command words (used in only one or two subjects) are listed in that subject's own syllabus and are not duplicated here.
If you're studying under a different board
Command words genuinely differ by board — and, unlike Cambridge, most other boards don't publish a single list covering every subject; they publish one per subject instead, since a word's exact meaning can vary by qualification. Rather than blend those into one list that doesn't actually exist at any of these boards, here's each board's own official starting point:
- AQA — published per subject; for example its GCSE Science command words or A-level Geography command words pages.
- OCR — also published per subject; for example its GCSE Geography command words guide.
- OxfordAQA — also published per subject; for example its International A-level Geography command words guide.
- Pearson Edexcel — does not appear to publish one consolidated official glossary at a stable public address; your subject's own specification document is the reliable source.
We haven't yet built a verified, subject-by-subject command-word tool for these boards the way we have for Cambridge — sourcing that properly, subject by subject, is a genuinely larger job we'd rather do carefully than rush. If your subject and board aren't covered by the links above, your specification document (linked from your programme page) will list its own command words directly.
Knowing the command word is one thing -- writing the answer it needs is another. A teacher can mark your practice against real exam standards.
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