Command words
Command words are the words and phrases used in exams and other assessment tasks that tell students how they should answer the question.
The following command words are taken from Ofqual's official list of command words and their meanings that are relevant to this subject. In addition, where necessary, we have included our own command words and their meanings to complement Ofqual's list.
Assess
Make an informed judgement.
Comment
Present an informed opinion.
Complete
Finish a task by adding to given information.
Describe
Set out characteristics.
Draw
Produce a diagram.
Estimate
Assign an approximate value.
Factorise
Take out the common factor or factorise into two brackets if a quadratic.
Give
Produce an answer from recall.
Measure
Use a mathematical instrument, such as a ruler or protractor, to establish the size of a length or angle.
Multiply
Add to itself a specified number of times.
Plot
Mark on a graph.
Prove
Demonstrate validity on the basis of evidence.
Rotate
Turn around a fixed point.
Shade
Darken an area of a diagram.
Show
Provide structured evidence to reach a conclusion
Simplify
Collect terms together or cancel down.
Simplify fully
Collect terms together and factorise the answer, or cancel terms completely.
Solve
Arrive at answer using a numerical or algebraic method.
Translate
Move laterally without rotating or flipping.
Work out
Perform one or a set of steps or calculations to arrive at an answer.