IB Command Terms Explained | How to Answer discuss, evaluate, analyse & More
Misreading a command term is one of the most common reasons IB students drop marks. Understanding exactly what each verb demands can transform the same knowledge into a significantly higher score.
Command terms in IB exams are officially defined by the IBO and signal exactly what kind of thinking your response must demonstrate. Choosing the right approach isn't guesswork—each term carries a specific cognitive demand, and examiners mark accordingly. This guide breaks down the most common command terms by level, explains what distinguishes them from each other, and shows you how to structure responses that actually reach the top mark bands.
Always cross-check definitions in the latest Subject Guide for your specific course. The IBO's official definitions are the authoritative source, and nuances can vary by subject.
Why Do Command Terms Matter So Much in IB?
Most students read a question and jump straight to content. The command term, however, tells you how to use that content—and a technically accurate response that misreads the command term will consistently fall short of the highest mark bands.
Think of command terms as the examiner's instructions to you. They define:
- Depth: How far must you go beyond stating a fact?
- Scope: Should you cover one angle or multiple perspectives?
- Judgement: Are you expected to reach a conclusion, or just present information?
- Evidence: Do you need to support claims explicitly, or is description sufficient?
Getting this right matters not just in written exams but in Internal Assessments(IA) as well. Many IA rubrics use the same command terms as exam questions, and understanding the distinction between, say, analyse and evaluate can be the difference between a satisfactory and an excellent piece of work. For a broader look at how IA criteria work, see our guide on IB Internal Assessment (IA) の書き方｜高得点を取る型と進め方.
What Are the Lower-Order Command Terms, and When Should You Use Them?
Lower-order command terms appear most often in short-answer questions and the opening parts of structured responses. They test whether you have accurate, well-organised knowledge—not whether you can argue or judge.
| Command Term | What It Requires | Common Mistake |
|---|---|---|
| Define | Give the precise meaning of a concept | Writing a vague paraphrase instead of a formal definition |
| State | Give a brief, factual answer without explanation | Over-explaining or hedging with opinion |
| List | Provide a series of items, usually without elaboration | Adding unnecessary commentary |
| Describe | Give a detailed account of characteristics, features, or processes | Explaining why rather than what |
| Identify | Name or recognise something specific | Describing instead of simply naming |
| Outline | Give a brief overview of the main points | Going into too much depth—this is intentionally concise |
The key habit here is discipline—answer what is asked and stop. Many students lose marks on lower-order questions not because they lack knowledge, but because they add unrequested analysis or personal opinion.
How Are Mid-Level Terms Like Analyse, Examine, and Discuss Different?
This is where many IB students get confused, because these terms feel similar but demand meaningfully different responses.
Analyse
To analyse is to break something down into its component parts and examine how those parts relate to each other or to the whole. You are not simply describing—you are showing how and why something works the way it does.
A useful internal check: after every claim, ask yourself "so what does this mean?" If you haven't answered that, you've described rather than analysed.
In a Biology or Chemistry context, this might mean dissecting a graph to explain what the pattern reveals about an underlying mechanism, not just stating what the graph shows. For more on how analytical thinking applies in science subjects, the IB Biology HL 完全ガイド and IB化学 HL 完全ガイド have subject-specific guidance.
Examine
Examine sits close to analyse but typically implies a more thorough, close inspection. You are considering something carefully and in detail, often looking at evidence from more than one angle. It does not, however, require you to come to a final weighted judgement in the way that evaluate does.
Discuss
Discuss is one of the most commonly misused command terms. It requires you to:
- Present more than one perspective, side, or interpretation
- Explore the reasoning and evidence behind each view
- Reach a measured, supported conclusion
The critical point: discuss is not an invitation to simply list arguments for and against. You must engage with those arguments, weigh them against each other, and show where your reasoning leads.
What Makes Evaluate, Assess, and Justify Higher-Order Terms?
Higher-order command terms demand explicit, evidence-based judgement. They are the terms most likely to appear in the extended-response or essay-style sections of exam papers, and they are also common in the IB Extended Essay (EE) and longer IA components.
Evaluate
Evaluate requires you to make an informed judgement about the value, significance, or validity of something, based on evidence and reasoning. A strong evaluate response:
- Considers strengths and limitations, or advantages and disadvantages
- Weighs these against each other with specific evidence
- Arrives at a clear, substantiated conclusion
An unsupported opinion—"I think X is more important because it seems more relevant"—does not constitute evaluation. Your conclusion must follow logically from the evidence you've presented.
Assess
Assess is closely related to evaluate. In most IB subject guides, it asks you to consider the value or implications of something in a balanced way and reach a reasoned judgement. The distinction between assess and evaluate is subtle and can vary slightly by subject, so checking your subject guide is particularly important here.
Justify
Justify is more directive than evaluate. It asks you to support a given statement, decision, or conclusion with appropriate reasoning and evidence. You are essentially building the case for a position, though in most contexts a strong justification also acknowledges and addresses counter-arguments.
| Term | Balanced Perspectives Required? | Explicit Conclusion Required? | Direction of Argument |
|---|---|---|---|
| Analyse | Optional, but adds depth | Not mandatory | Explanatory |
| Discuss | Yes | Yes | Exploratory → conclusion |
| Evaluate | Yes | Yes | Weighing → verdict |
| Assess | Yes | Yes | Weighing → verdict |
| Justify | Partially (address counter-views) | Yes | Primarily one direction |
How Should You Structure Your Response Once You've Identified the Command Term?
Identifying the command term is step one. Structuring your response to match it is step two. Here's a practical framework:
Before you write anything:
- Underline or circle the command term
- Recall its definition—what cognitive level does it demand?
- Decide: does this require description only, analysis, balanced argument, or a final judgement?
- Plan your structure before writing
For lower-order responses: be concise and accurate. Don't pad.
For mid-level responses (analyse, discuss, examine):
- Use clear paragraph structure with a claim, evidence, and explanation for each point
- For discuss, explicitly present multiple perspectives
- End with a conclusion that reflects the balance of the argument
For higher-order responses (evaluate, assess, justify):
- Follow the same paragraph structure as above
- Ensure every strength or advantage is matched with a corresponding limitation or counter-consideration
- Your final paragraph should be a genuine conclusion—not a summary of what you've already said, but a clear statement of your reasoned judgement
Do Command Terms Differ Between IB Subjects?
In broad terms, the cognitive hierarchy is consistent across the Diploma Programme—describe will always sit below evaluate, for example. However, the precise wording and application of command terms can vary between subject groups, and this matters.
In sciences, analyse often applies specifically to data, graphs, or experimental results. In Humanities and Social Sciences, the same term might apply to an argument or a historical source. In Economics, command terms appear explicitly in Paper markschemes and are tied to specific structural expectations for extended responses—see our IB Economics HL 完全ガイド for how this plays out in practice.
In English A and other Language and Literature subjects, terms like analyse and discuss have specific interpretations tied to literary analysis conventions. The approach to evidence (textual quotation and commentary) is different from, say, a Geography response drawing on case studies.
The bottom line: always read the command term definitions in your own subject guide—not a generic list. The IBO publishes these definitions as part of each Subject Guide, and your teacher can clarify any subject-specific expectations.
What's the Most Common Command Term Mistake IB Students Make?
After the discuss trap described above, the second most common error is conflating describe and analyse. A response that accurately describes a process or concept but never explains its significance, underlying mechanism, or relationship to other factors will not reach the upper mark bands for an analyse question, regardless of how detailed the description is.
A useful discipline: if your response would be exactly the same in content and structure whether the command term said describe or analyse, you haven't analysed.
The third common mistake is writing vague or hedge-heavy conclusions for evaluate and assess questions—conclusions like "it depends on the situation" or "there are both pros and cons" without specifying which factors tip the balance and why. A conclusion must be substantiated, not merely present.
Developing consistent habits around command terms pays off not only in exams but throughout your IB journey. For more on how to approach revision and past-paper practice with command terms in mind, take a look at our IB最終試験 直前対策｜過去問とmarkschemeの使い方.
Mastering command terms is one of the most transferable skills you'll build in IB—it shapes how you plan arguments, structure writing, and communicate reasoning under pressure. If you're working through subject-specific questions and finding it difficult to calibrate the right depth and approach, the IB-experienced tutors at Quick IB can help you develop that judgement through targeted, personalised practice.