Physics exams do not only test what you know; they also test whether you recognise what the question is asking you to do. That is why command words matter. If you can tell the difference between describe, explain, calculate, compare and evaluate, your answers become more accurate, more complete and easier for an examiner to reward. This guide is designed as a practical reference for GCSE physics revision and A-level physics exam technique, with clear examples, common mistakes and a simple review routine you can return to throughout the year.
Overview
The quickest way to lose marks in physics is to answer a different question from the one on the page. Many students know the content well enough, but still drop marks because they treat every written question as if it were asking for a general explanation. In reality, command words set the task. They tell you whether the examiner wants a numerical method, a pattern from data, a reason using physics ideas, a judgement based on evidence, or a short factual identification.
In both GCSE physics command words and longer A-level questions, the same broad rule applies: match your answer structure to the command word first, then add the physics. This sounds simple, but it changes how you plan your response.
Below are the command words that matter most in physics past papers and classroom tests.
Calculate
What it means: Work out a numerical answer, usually showing method.
What to include: relevant formula, substitution, unit, and sensible rounding where needed.
Good approach:
- Write the equation.
- Substitute values carefully with units.
- Rearrange if needed.
- Give the final answer with the correct unit.
Common mistake: Writing only the final number. In physics worked solutions and mark schemes, method marks are often available even if the final answer is wrong.
Mini-example: “Calculate the current in a 12 V circuit with resistance 4 Ω.” A strong answer shows I = V/R, then I = 12/4 = 3 A.
Determine
What it means: Find an answer from given information, often from data, a graph or a formula.
What to include: the step used to obtain the answer, especially if you had to read from a graph, estimate a gradient or combine data.
Common mistake: Treating it as a guess. If you determined a value from evidence, show where it came from.
State
What it means: Give a brief, direct answer without extra discussion.
What to include: one fact, one law, one value, one definition, depending on the question.
Common mistake: Overwriting. If a question says state, long explanations can waste time and sometimes introduce incorrect material.
Describe
What it means: Say what happens, what you see, or what the pattern is.
What to include: observable changes, trends, relationships or steps in a method, without necessarily giving the reason why.
Useful prompt: “What is happening?” rather than “Why is it happening?”
Common mistake: Slipping into explanation. If the question asks you to describe a graph, talk about increase, decrease, constant sections, peaks, anomalies and proportionality.
Mini-example: “Describe the relationship between force and extension.” A description might say that extension increases as force increases, and may be directly proportional up to a limit.
Explain
What it means: Give reasons using physics ideas.
What to include: a clear because-chain: point, physics reason, consequence.
Useful prompt: “Why does this happen?”
Common mistake: Repeating the question in different words. Examiners reward the physics behind the event, not a paraphrase.
Mini-example: “Explain why a metal feels colder than wood at the same temperature.” A stronger answer refers to thermal conductivity and rate of energy transfer from the hand, not simply “metal is cold.”
Compare
What it means: Identify similarities and differences.
What to include: both sides of the comparison. Use comparative words such as whereas, both, higher than, lower than.
Common mistake: Writing about only one item. A comparison needs at least two linked points.
Discuss
What it means: Consider the issue from more than one angle.
What to include: relevant physics, possible advantages and limitations, and sometimes a brief conclusion if the question leads that way.
Common mistake: Giving a one-sided answer. Discussion usually needs balance.
Evaluate
What it means: Make a judgement based on evidence.
What to include: strengths, weaknesses, data or scientific reasoning, then a supported conclusion.
Useful prompt: “How good, valid, reliable or convincing is this, and why?”
Common mistake: Listing pros and cons with no final judgement. For evaluate physics questions, your conclusion often earns part of the credit.
Mini-example: In a practical question, evaluation may involve judging whether results are reliable, whether the method controlled variables properly, and which improvement would make the biggest difference.
Suggest
What it means: Use your physics knowledge to propose a plausible answer not stated directly.
What to include: a reasonable scientific idea based on the context.
Common mistake: Thinking there is no structure because the word is suggest. The answer still needs to be consistent with physics.
Deduce
What it means: Reach a conclusion from evidence or information given.
What to include: a logical step from the data, diagram or statement provided.
Common mistake: Bringing in unrelated memorised facts instead of using the evidence in front of you.
Outline / Summarise
What it means: Give the main points only.
What to include: core steps or main ideas, not every detail.
Common mistake: Writing everything you know and losing focus.
One useful revision habit is to build your own command-word bank from physics past papers. Keep one page where each command word has a short definition, a sentence starter and an example question. That turns exam language into something familiar instead of something you decode under pressure.
Maintenance cycle
This is the part students often skip: command words are not learned once and finished. They need revisiting because your course content changes, question style becomes harder, and longer written answers become more demanding as exams approach. A simple maintenance cycle keeps your understanding current.
1. Learn the core meanings early
At the start of a revision block, make sure you can define the main command words in plain English. Do not memorise overly formal wording. What matters is that you know the task each word sets.
For example:
- Describe = say what happens.
- Explain = say why it happens.
- Calculate = work it out and show method.
- Evaluate = judge using evidence.
2. Attach each command word to a physics topic
Command words are easier to remember when tied to real content. Use one example from electricity, forces, particles, waves and required practicals. For instance, calculate may link to current or kinetic energy, while evaluate may link to an investigation of resistance or radiation safety.
If you are revising equations, pair this article with GCSE Physics Equations List: Required Formulae, Units and When to Use Them or A-Level Physics Equations Sheet Explained: Formulae, Symbols and Common Rearrangements.
3. Review through past-paper practice
Once a week, take five to ten questions from mixed topics and label the command words before answering. This improves physics exam technique because it forces you to identify the task before you start writing.
A good routine is:
- Circle the command word.
- Underline what the question is about.
- Note the number of marks.
- Write an answer plan in one line.
- Answer using the structure that fits the command word.
4. Check against mark schemes and examiner style
Mark schemes are useful not because they contain magical phrases, but because they show what counted as creditworthy physics. After each practice set, ask:
- Did I answer the right task?
- Did I give enough detail for the mark count?
- Did I include evidence or a conclusion when the command word needed it?
This is especially important for physics 6 mark questions and practical evaluation. If practicals are a weak point, revisit GCSE Physics Required Practicals: Methods, Variables and Common Exam Questions or A-Level Physics Required Practicals Revision Guide by Exam Board.
5. Refresh examples each term
This article works best as a repeat-use guide. At least once each term, update your own examples. Replace simple textbook prompts with real exam questions. That way, your understanding of command words develops alongside your GCSE physics revision or A level physics revision.
Signals that require updates
If you use a command-word guide across the year, you will need to refresh it when your revision needs change. Here are the main signs that your notes or habits need updating.
You are still losing marks on familiar topics
If you understand the physics content but your written marks remain lower than expected, the issue may be command-word response rather than knowledge. For example, many students know the particle model well but still miss marks by describing when they were asked to explain.
Your answers are either too short or far too long
A common exam-technique problem is poor calibration. State and identify questions need brief precision. Discuss and evaluate need development. If your answer length does not match the task, revise your command-word notes.
You struggle most on required practical questions
Practical questions often mix command words: describe the method, explain a pattern, evaluate reliability, suggest an improvement. If these blended tasks feel messy, that is a sign your command-word understanding needs more practice in context.
You rely too heavily on memorised sentence patterns
Sentence starters can help, but they should not become a script. If all your explanations begin the same way, or all evaluations end with a weak generic conclusion, refresh your examples using varied question types.
You have moved from topic revision to full-paper practice
As soon as you shift from isolated questions to full papers, command words become more important. Under time pressure, students often stop reading carefully. That is the point when this guide should be revisited.
Search intent and exam emphasis shift
This article is designed as a maintenance resource, so it should also be reviewed when the style of questions students are practising changes. That does not mean the meanings of command words are reinvented every year. It means examples, emphasis and common pitfalls may change, especially when more students are looking for help with practical evaluation, extended writing or mixed data interpretation.
Common issues
Even students with strong physics revision notes can fall into the same answer habits. These are the most frequent problems, with fixes that are simple enough to use immediately.
Confusing describe with explain
This is probably the biggest one. A quick fix is to ask yourself one question before writing: Does this question want a pattern or a reason? If it wants a pattern, describe. If it wants a reason, explain.
Ignoring the mark count
The number of marks tells you how much development is needed. A one-mark state question usually needs one clear point. A four-mark explain question usually needs several linked steps. Build the habit of checking marks before you write.
Forgetting units in calculate questions
In numerical physics questions, method and units matter. This is one reason formula revision should go alongside command-word revision. If rearranging equations is a weak area, see GCSE Physics Formula Triangle Alternatives: When They Help and When They Hurt.
Giving an opinion instead of an evaluation
An evaluation is not just what you think. It is a judgement supported by data, method quality, physics reasoning or limitations in the evidence. If you write “this experiment was bad” without saying why, the answer is unlikely to score well.
Writing vague practical improvements
“Use better equipment” is usually too vague. A stronger suggestion names the change and explains how it improves the result, for example increasing the number of readings, reducing reaction time, improving resolution, or controlling a specific variable more carefully.
Missing comparative language
In compare questions, students often produce two separate descriptions instead of a direct comparison. Use linked wording: Sample A has a greater resistance than sample B because...
Not using the evidence given
Questions with graphs, tables or experimental observations often expect you to refer to those details directly. When the command word is determine, deduce or evaluate, the evidence in the question is part of the answer.
When to revisit
Use this guide as a working reference, not a one-off read. The most effective time to revisit command words is just before your revision changes gear.
Revisit this topic:
- at the start of each school term
- before beginning serious physics past papers
- when moving from topic questions to full papers
- after any test where written answers underperformed
- when revising required practicals and evaluation questions
- in the final weeks before exams, when precision matters most
Here is a practical five-minute routine you can use before any physics paper:
- Read three command words from your notes: for example calculate, explain, evaluate.
- Say aloud what each one requires.
- Write one sentence starter for each.
- Answer one past-paper question for each command word.
- Check whether your structure matched the task.
If you are a teacher or tutor, this also works as a quick diagnostic tool. Ask a student to sort past-paper questions by command word before answering them. Misclassification often reveals why marks are being lost.
The long-term goal is not to memorise a list for its own sake. It is to make your answers fit the examiner’s task automatically. Once that happens, your physics knowledge has a much better chance of turning into marks.
Keep this page bookmarked, add your own examples from recent practice, and refresh it on a regular cycle. In physics exam technique, small adjustments in reading and response style can make a noticeable difference over time.
