Command Words in Questions

2. This requires candidates to provide both similarities and differences between things or concepts.
3. This is a general term that may variously imply calculate, measure, determine, etc.
5. This may imply reasoning or some reference to theory, depending on the context. Use details from question context wherever possible.
7. This requires candidates to give a critical account of the points involved in the topic.
10. This often implies that the quantity concerned cannot be measured directly but is obtained by calculation, substituting measured or known values of other quantities into a standard formula.
11. This implies a concise answer with little or no supporting argument, e.g. a numerical answer that can be obtained ‘by inspection’.
12. When applied to diagrams, this implies that a simple, freehand drawing is acceptable, as long as it clearly shows important details, and care is taken over proportions.

1. This requires a number of points, generally each of one word, with no elaboration. Where a given number of points is specified, this should not be exceeded.
2. This requires a numerical answer. In general, working should be shown, especially where two or more steps are involved.
4. This requires a formal statement or equivalent paraphrase to define a term.
6. This requires candidate to state in words (using diagrams where appropriate) the main points of the topic. Often used with reference either to particular phenomena or to particular experiments.
8. This is used in two main contexts, either to imply that there is no unique answer, or to imply that candidates are expected to apply their general knowledge to a novel situation, one that may not formally be in the syllabus’.
9. This implies that the candidate is not expected to produce the required answer by recall, but by making a logical connection between other pieces of information. Such information may be wholly given in the question or may depend on answers extracted from an earlier part of the question.