IB Command Terms Explained: What Every Exam Instruction Really Means

IB command terms are the specific instruction words like “evaluate,” “discuss,” or “define” that appear in every IB exam question and coursework prompt to tell students exactly what kind of response is expected. Misreading a command term is one of the most common and most avoidable ways students lose marks: writing a describe answer when the question asked you to evaluate means you've answered a different, easier question than the one actually being asked.

Why Command Terms Matter

Every IB subject guide publishes an official glossary of command terms, and examiners are trained to mark strictly against what the term requires not just whether the content is accurate. A technically correct answer can still score poorly if it doesn't match the cognitive demand of the term used. That's why command terms are worth learning deliberately, not just picking up by instinct.

Command Terms by Level of Demand

The IB groups command terms roughly into three tiers of increasing complexity, often mapped to its objectives:

Lower-order terms (Knowledge and Understanding)

• Define, give the precise meaning of a term
• State / Identify, give a brief, specific answer with no explanation needed
• Describe, give a detailed account of something
• Outline, give a brief account or summary

Middle-order terms application

• Explain, give a detailed account including reasons or causes
• Calculate / Determine, obtain a numerical answer, showing working
• Compare, give an account of similarities between two or more items
• Distinguish, make clear the differences between two or more items

Higher-order terms (Analysis, Synthesis and Evaluation)

• Analyze, break down in order to reveal underlying elements and relationships
• Discuss, offer a considered, balanced review of an issue, including different arguments
• Evaluate, make an appraisal by weighing strengths and limitations
• To what extent, weigh evidence and arguments to reach a reasoned, supported judgment
• Justify, give valid reasons or evidence to support an answer or conclusion

Common Command Terms Across Subjects

How Command Terms Vary by Subject

While many command terms are shared IB-wide, some subjects use them slightly differently, and Groups 3 and 4 (Individuals & Societies and Sciences) in particular publish their own detailed glossaries with subject-specific examples. It's worth checking your own subject guide's command term list rather than assuming a term means exactly the same thing in Biology as it does in History.

Tips for Using Command Terms Effectively

• Underline or circle the command term in every exam question before you start answering
• Match your answer structure to the term, a “discuss” needs multiple perspectives, not just one argument
• For higher-order terms (evaluate, to what extent, discuss), always include a reasoned conclusion, not just a list of points
• Practice past-paper questions specifically to build instinct for what each term expects in your subject

Frequently Asked Questions

Are command terms the same across all IB subjects?

Many overlap, but each subject guide publishes its own official glossary, and a handful of terms are used somewhat differently between subjects, always check your specific subject's list.

What's the difference between “describe” and “explain”?

“Describe” asks for details or features of something; “explain” asks for the reasons or mechanisms behind it, explain answers need a “because,” description answers don't.

Why did I lose marks even though my answer was correct?

If your answer didn't match the cognitive demand of the command term, for example, describing when the question asked you to evaluate, examiners can only award marks for the level actually demonstrated, regardless of accuracy.

Want to practice applying command terms? Baccalytics has free mock exams and practice questions by subject, so you can build command-term instinct on real exam-style prompts, explore our Mock Exams page.