CSEC Command Words Explained: State, Describe, Explain, Compare and Evaluate
Learn what common CSEC command words require and how to shape a focused answer for each one.
By The CSECReady Team
Two students can know the same topic but earn different marks because one answers the command word more precisely.
Command words are the verbs that tell you what a question expects. Words such as state, describe, explain, compare, and evaluate do not ask for the same kind of response. Recognizing the difference helps you give enough relevant detail without filling the page with information the question did not request.
Always read the complete question, consider the marks available, and follow the current subject syllabus. These explanations are practical starting points, not replacements for subject-specific instructions.
State
What it usually requires: Give the requested fact, point, name, or answer clearly and concisely.
Example question: State one function of red blood cells.
Focused answer: Red blood cells transport oxygen around the body.
Common mistake: Writing everything you remember about blood. Extra information takes time and may introduce errors without improving the answer.
Describe
What it usually requires: Give relevant characteristics, features, stages, or an account of what something is like or what happens.
Example question: Describe what happens to demand when a product's price increases, assuming other factors remain unchanged.
Focused answer: The quantity demanded generally decreases as the price increases, assuming other factors remain unchanged.
Common mistake: Naming the concept without describing the relationship.
Explain
What it usually requires: Make the point and show why or how it happens. A useful explanation often connects a cause to an effect.
Try this structure:
Point + because/how + result
Example question: Explain why regular exercise can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Focused answer: Regular exercise strengthens the heart and can improve circulation, so the heart can pump blood more efficiently and the risk of cardiovascular disease may be reduced.
Common mistake: Giving only the point, such as "Exercise is healthy." That statement does not show the required reason or mechanism.
Compare
What it usually requires: Show relevant similarities, differences, or both, depending on the exact wording and subject context.
The key is to make the relationship visible. Two separate descriptions do not always create a clear comparison.
Weaker structure: A sole trader has one owner. A partnership has two or more owners.
Stronger comparative structure: A sole trader is owned by one person, whereas a partnership is owned by two or more people who agree to operate the business together.
Words such as whereas, while, similarly, and unlike can help, but the comparison comes from the ideas, not merely from inserting a linking word.
Evaluate
What it usually requires: Consider relevant evidence, strengths and weaknesses, advantages and disadvantages, or competing options, then reach a reasoned judgement.
An evaluation is more than a list. It explains the importance of the points and ends with a supported conclusion.
A practical structure is:
- Identify the relevant criteria.
- Consider important advantages or supporting evidence.
- Consider important limitations or opposing evidence.
- Decide which factors carry the most weight in this situation.
- State a justified conclusion.
For a question asking whether a sole trader should form a partnership to expand, you might consider additional capital and shared responsibility, then balance these against shared control, disagreements, and shared profits. Your conclusion should depend on the circumstances in the question.
Other command words to watch
- Define: Give the precise meaning of a term.
- Identify or name: Select or provide the requested item.
- List: Give the required number of points, usually without extended discussion.
- Calculate: Use the relevant values and method to obtain a result. Show working and units where appropriate.
- Justify: Give evidence or reasoning that supports a choice or conclusion.
- Outline: Give the main points without every supporting detail.
A five-second command-word check
Before answering:
- Circle or underline the command word.
- Check how many points or examples the question requests.
- Look at the marks available for a clue about expected depth.
- Plan the response.
- After writing, ask: Did I do what the verb required?
Quick practice
Use one topic, exercise and health, to see how the required response changes:
- State one benefit of regular exercise.
- Describe one change that occurs in the body during exercise.
- Explain how exercise can support cardiovascular health.
- Compare aerobic exercise with strength training.
- Evaluate whether exercising only on weekends is effective for a person described in a question.
During your next practice session, underline the command word in every structured question. Start practising free with CSECReady, and read our guide to how CSEC Paper 2 is marked.
Current subject syllabuses are available from the official CXC syllabus directory.
Command words can carry subject-specific expectations. Always use the current syllabus, teacher guidance, and full question wording. CSECReady is independent and is not affiliated with CXC.