In the middle of an IB Math exam, your brain can do something strange: it solves the hard algebra, then trips over a single word.
Not the numbers. Not the calculus. A word like state, show that, or hence.
That tiny command term is the examiner’s steering wheel. Ignore it, and you can be completely correct--and still lose marks for the wrong shape of answer. Learn it, and suddenly the exam feels less like a guessing game and more like a set of instructions you can follow calmly.
This guide shows you how to decode IB Math command terms quickly, respond with the right level of detail, and build a practice loop using RevisionDojo’s Questionbank, Study Notes, Flashcards, AI Chat, Grading tools, Predicted Papers, Mock Exams, Coursework Library, and Tutors.
The 60-second checklist (before you touch your pen)
Use this every time you practice IB Math questions:
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Circle the command term first (yes, first).
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Look at the mark allocation and predict how many “distinct moves” you need.
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Decide the answer format: one line, a worked method, or a mini-explanation.
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If the question has parts, look for linking terms like hence or deduce.
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After answering, do a 10-second audit: “Did I actually do what the verb asked?”
If you want a structured way to make this routine automatic, pair this article with How to Read Math Questions Carefully (and Avoid Traps).
Why IB Math command terms matter more than you think
Command terms are not decoration. They are the marking rubric in disguise.
In IB Math, examiners award marks for specific visible steps: a substitution, a correct transformation, a justification, a concluding statement that matches the target. A command term tells you which of those steps must be visible.
Two students can know the same content.
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Student A writes the right final answer for a show that question, but skips the chain of reasoning.
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Student B writes slower, shows the logic, and lands the exact required final line.
Student B usually wins the marks.
This is also why practice needs feedback that’s tied to markscheme expectations. RevisionDojo’s Questionbank and AI feedback help you see whether your response matched the verb, not just whether your final number was correct. If you haven’t explored it yet, start at the RevisionDojo homepage.
A practical decoder: what the most common IB Math command terms really ask you to do
You do not need to memorize a poetic definition for each term. You need to recognize the answer shape it demands.
Below are the command terms that show up constantly in IB Math (AA and AI), and what they mean in exam terms.
State / Write down (the “no-story” answers)
What it means: give the result with minimal working (often none).
How to answer: one clean line, correct form, correct units if relevant.
Common mark-loss: students overthink and waste time, or give a vague statement when a precise value is required.
Training tip: do a 10-question sprint where you only practice “state/write down” items to get fast and exact. You can build those sets quickly using RevisionDojo’s topic pages like IB Mathematics AA Resources and then drilling in the Questionbank.
Find / Calculate / Determine (the “show your method” answers)
What it means: there is a method mark pathway. Even if the final answer is simple, the examiner wants to see how you got there.
How to answer: write the method in a readable sequence. Use correct notation and finish with a clear final result.
Common mark-loss: students jump straight to the final value (especially if they used a calculator) and lose method marks.
RevisionDojo workflow: use the Questionbank to practice by topic, then switch to Exam Mode for pacing. For example, if calculus is a weak area, drill from Math AA Calculus Questionbank.
Show that (the “walk me to the given line” answers)
What it means: the final statement is pre-decided. Your job is to build a logical bridge from the given information to that exact result.
How to answer:
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Start from what’s given.
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Make each transformation explicit.
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End by writing the target statement exactly as shown.
Common mark-loss: reaching the right expression but not matching the required final form, or skipping the justification steps.
Time-saving trick in IB Math: if you get stuck, work backwards from the target for insight--but write your final solution forwards.
Explain / Justify (the “because-chain” answers)
What it means: you must connect steps with reasoning. The examiner is marking understanding, not only manipulation.
How to answer: write short sentences around your math:
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Claim
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Because (principle/theorem/definition)
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Therefore (conclusion tied to the question)
Common mark-loss: students show calculations but never state why that calculation answers the question.
This is where RevisionDojo’s AI Chat can help: paste your draft reasoning and ask, “Is this enough to satisfy ‘explain’ in IB Math?” Then refine until it reads like an examiner could tick each point.
Hence / Hence, or otherwise (the “use what you already earned” answers)
What it means: the question is telling you a shortcut exists: use your result from the previous part.
How to answer: explicitly reference the earlier result, then apply it.
Common mark-loss: students ignore the instruction and restart from scratch, burning time and increasing error risk.
In IB Math, “hence” is often the exam quietly saying: “The hard work was part (a). Don’t pay twice.”
Deduce / Verify (the “confirm logically” answers)
Deduce means: use given results to reach a conclusion with a short chain of reasoning. It’s usually compact, but not mindless.
Verify means: check that something is true by substitution or comparison. Show the check clearly, then state that it matches.
Common mark-loss: writing “verified” without actually demonstrating the substitution or equality.
Describe / Interpret (the “math in words” answers)
These terms appear especially often when graphs, statistics, modelling, or technology output are involved (common in IB Math AI, but also present in AA).
Describe means: say what you see (trend, shape, key features) with specifics.
Interpret means: explain what it means in context. Tie the math to the situation.
If you need to strengthen this area, pair your revision with How to Study Effectively for IB Math AI Exams and keep your definitions tight using the IB Math AI Key Definitions.
Match the command term to the marks (a simple rule that works)
In IB Math, marks roughly predict how “wide” your answer must be.
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1 mark: usually a direct result (state, write down).
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2--3 marks: a method with a couple of visible steps (find, calculate, show that short).
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4--6 marks: a structured chain of reasoning, often with interpretation or linkage (explain, hence, deduce, interpret).
You can sharpen this skill by training your answer structure, not just the content. A helpful companion is Structure IB Answers to Maximize Marks.
How to practice IB Math command terms without wasting a week
Most students “practice” command terms by accident: they do lots of questions and hope the verbs sink in.
A faster approach is to isolate the skill.
Build command-term sets (tight, targeted practice)
Use RevisionDojo’s Questionbank to focus on one topic and one common exam verb. Do 12 questions where the content changes but the command term stays consistent.
Then flip it: keep the topic consistent and vary the command term. This teaches you how the required answer changes.
To organize the learning side, keep your quick rules in one place with RevisionDojo Study Notes and reinforce them daily using Flashcards. If your overall plan feels messy, How to Revise IB Math AA and AI Effectively pairs well with this strategy.
Use graded feedback like a mirror
Command terms are about communication, and communication needs response.
After each set:
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run RevisionDojo’s Grading tools (and AI feedback) to see what the markscheme wanted,
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ask AI Chat: “Which line in my solution fails the command term requirement?”
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turn the fix into one Flashcard.
Over time, you are not just learning IB Math. You are learning how IB Math is marked.
Simulate pressure with timed sessions
When you can decode command terms calmly, add time.
Use Mock Exams to practice pacing, then use Predicted Papers near exam season to stress-test whether your command term decoding holds up when you’re tired.
If you’re the kind of student who learns fastest through conversation, RevisionDojo Tutors can also train command term habits by having you explain your reasoning out loud--the exact skill “explain/justify” rewards.
Closing: learn to read the exam like it’s on your side
There’s a quiet comfort in realizing this: most IB Math mistakes are not about intelligence. They’re about translation.
Command terms are the translator.
When you decode IB Math command terms quickly, you stop arguing with the question and start cooperating with it. You spend time where marks live. You write what the examiner can reward. And your confidence becomes less emotional and more mechanical--the best kind.
If you want to make this automatic, build a weekly routine on RevisionDojo: drill command terms in the Questionbank, lock the patterns with Study Notes and Flashcards, pressure-test with Mock Exams and Predicted Papers, and use AI Chat plus Grading tools to close the gap between “I did the math” and “I earned the marks.”