IGCSE Geography / Exam technique
Command words
Edexcel International GCSE Geography (4GE1), chapter 12: Exam technique, specification point CW. Free lesson.
Read the revision notes · IGCSE Geography past papers
A command word is the verb in a question that tells you what to do. Find it first so you give the kind of answer that earns the marks.
What the command words ask you to do
There are seventeen command words, but they do six jobs. Grouping them helps you choose the right kind of answer. Recall: identify, state and name ask for a fact; define asks for a meaning. On the paper: calculate asks for a number; label, draw and plot ask you to add something to a figure. Say what: describe and compare ask what something is like, not why. Say why: explain and suggest ask for reasons linked in a chain. Break down: examine asks you to split a topic into parts and show what each contributes. Judge: analyse, assess, evaluate and discuss ask you to…
How to answer the short commands
These commands are usually worth one or two marks. Give the answer the command asks for, and watch for its particular trap. Identify, state and name: give one specific word or phrase. If asked for one, only your first answer counts. Define: give the exact meaning. A vague meaning does not score. Calculate: show working, include the unit and round as instructed, for example to 1 decimal place. Label, draw and plot: put your answer on the figure. Use a ruler and do not leave it blank. Compare: each statement must mention both things and include data. Use a link such as…
How describe differs from explain
Describe says what happens, not why. Give the pattern and support it with data. Explain asks why, so give a reason and develop it by showing what that reason leads to.
What suggest and examine require
Suggest asks for a reason for something you have not studied, often a place or pattern in a figure. Any sensible reason can be accepted, but include development and evidence from the figure. Examine asks you to split a topic into parts, say what each contributes and show how the parts work together.
How to handle questions that need a judgement
Analyse, assess, evaluate and discuss are marked in levels. The whole answer is judged as one piece, so a list of facts stays in the bottom level. Link ideas and evidence, then make the judgement the command asks for. Analyse (8 marks): break an issue into parts, link them using evidence, then say which part matters most. Assess (6 marks): weigh how much each factor matters and rank the factors, giving a reason. A factor is one of the causes. Evaluate (8 marks): consider strengths and weaknesses to measure how well something worked, then give a conclusion. **Discuss (12…
What the examples show
For the river description, the velocity increases downstream: it rises from 0.3 m/s at 1 km to 0.9 m/s at 8 km, three times as fast. The change and data earn two marks. No reasons are needed. For the explanation, the wider, deeper channel means less water touches the bed and banks, so less friction slows it down. The reason and its development earn two marks. Reversing their order scores nothing. In the town comparison, Town B is wetter than Town A: its 1,800 mm of annual rain is three times Town A's 600 mm.