Are IB command terms the same in every subject?

Mostly, yes, and that’s good news for your revision. The IB uses a shared pool of command terms across the Diploma, which means the skill you build in one subject transfers to another. What changes is the criteria for higher-level terms: evaluating in Economics often means weighing policy trade-offs, while evaluating in Biology might mean assessing evidence quality or limitations of a model. That’s why it helps to learn the generic structure first, then adapt the criteria to each subject. If you study on RevisionDojo, you’ll notice this transfer effect quickly because questions across the Questionbank repeat the same command-term patterns. Over time, the verb starts to feel like a familiar template rather than a surprise.

How do I practice IB command terms without rewriting full essays every time?

You don’t need full essays to train command terms; you need repeated, correct deliverables. A fast drill is to pick 10 IB questions and spend 60 seconds on each writing only: the command term, the topic words, and a 3-bullet plan that matches the verb. Then choose 2 of those questions and write the full response under timed conditions. This keeps practice high-frequency while protecting your energy near exams. RevisionDojo makes this easier because you can pull targeted sets from the Questionbank and then convert recurring misses into Flashcards. If you want more structured planning, combine Study Notes for quick clarity with a short practice set immediately after.

What if I misunderstand a command term during the IB exam?

First, don’t spiral; misunderstanding one verb is common under time pressure. Your goal becomes damage control: re-read the question, circle the command term, and translate it into a simpler word you trust (evaluate = judge, discuss = argue both sides, explain = show why/how). Next, look at the marks and build the smallest structure that could still earn them, even if your content is imperfect. If you’ve already written part of an answer, add a visible correction: for evaluate, add criteria and a final judgment; for compare, add a clear similarity and difference. After the exam, don’t just note “I got it wrong” -- identify the exact misread and train it with short, repeated practice. That feedback loop is exactly what RevisionDojo’s AI Chat, Grading tools, and mock-style practice are designed to accelerate.

IB Command Terms: How to Use Them to Score More

RevisionDojo Team

•9/13/2025•9 min read

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IB Command Terms: How to Use Them to Score More

RevisionDojo Team

•9/13/2025•9 min read

Command terms are the quiet voice in every IB exam paper. They don’t shout. They don’t sparkle. But they decide what the examiner is allowed to reward.

Most IB students have had this moment: you walk out of an exam thinking, “I knew that topic.” Then the mark comes back, and it’s not what you expected. Often, the gap isn’t knowledge. It’s instruction. One verb -- evaluate, discuss, compare, explain -- quietly changed the whole task.

In this guide, you’ll learn how to use command terms effectively in IB exams, so your answers match the markscheme logic. And you’ll leave with a simple routine you can repeat in revision and on exam day.

Student uses a Command Terms Detector headlamp

IB command terms, in plain language

IB command terms are instruction words built into questions. They tell you what thinking skill you must show.

A useful way to see it: the content is the topic, but the command term is the deliverable.

If the IB asks you to define, the deliverable is a precise meaning.
If the IB asks you to analyze, the deliverable is a breakdown plus relationships.
If the IB asks you to evaluate, the deliverable is a judgment using criteria.

If you want extra context on why this matters across papers and subjects, pair this with The importance of understanding command terms in IB exams.

A fast checklist to decode any IB question

Before you write, run this 20-second checklist:

Circle the command term (what you must do).
Underline the topic words (what you must talk about).
Check the marks (how deep you must go).
Write a 1-line plan using the command term (your structure).

If you sometimes freeze when a question feels oddly worded, this companion helps: IB exam panic: what to do if you don’t understand a question.

Why IB command terms win or lose marks

Examiners can’t give full credit for an answer that doesn’t match the instruction, even if the information is correct. In IB terms, your response must hit the assessment objective implied by the verb.

Common mark-loss patterns look like this:

Writing a strong explanation when the IB asked you to evaluate (no judgment, so marks cap early).
Listing facts when the IB asked you to compare or discuss (no relationships, no balance).
Giving opinions without criteria when the IB asked you to assess or justify (no evidence path).

This is why high-volume, realistic practice matters. Tools like the RevisionDojo Questionbank are useful because you repeatedly see how IB questions are actually framed, not how textbooks phrase them.

The three levels of command terms (and how to respond)

Most IB command terms fall into three practical levels. Think of them as depth settings.

Knowledge and comprehension terms

These ask for accurate recall and basic understanding.

Examples: state, list, identify, define, outline.

How to respond:

Be precise.
Don’t overwrite.
Match time to marks.

Application and analysis terms

These ask you to use knowledge in context and show relationships.

Examples: explain, compare, distinguish, analyze.

How to respond:

Use linking words (because, therefore, leads to).
Show patterns, contrasts, causes, or mechanisms.

Synthesis and evaluation terms

These ask you to weigh, judge, and conclude.

Examples: evaluate, discuss, to what extent, justify, assess.

How to respond:

Set criteria.
Present both sides.
End with a defended conclusion.

If you want to see command terms applied inside a subject context, this is a strong example: How to understand IB Biology command terms for exam success.

Two students argue about what “compare” means using a sandwich

How to answer the most common IB command terms

Below are compact response “shapes” you can reuse across IB subjects.

Define

What the IB wants: the exact meaning of a term.

How to structure it:

One sentence.
Include essential features only.
Avoid examples unless asked.

Revision habit: build a deck of definition prompts in RevisionDojo Flashcards, so precision becomes automatic.

Explain

What the IB wants: reasons, causes, or a mechanism.

How to structure it:

Claim (what happens)
Mechanism/cause (why it happens)
Consequence (what this leads to)

Compare

What the IB wants: similarities and differences (unless the question restricts one).

How to structure it:

Similarity 1 (A and B both…)
Difference 1 (However, A…, whereas B…)
Similarity/Difference 2

A great self-check: if you can’t find “both” and “whereas” in your answer, your compare is probably a list.

Discuss

What the IB wants: a balanced argument with a conclusion.

How to structure it:

Position/claim
Evidence for
Evidence against (or limitation)
Counterargument
Reasoned conclusion (not a summary)

When you practice discussion questions, use RevisionDojo Study Notes to gather a few high-quality points, then train the structure with questions.

Evaluate

What the IB wants: a judgment using criteria, weighing strengths and weaknesses.

How to structure it:

Set criteria (effectiveness, reliability, ethics, feasibility, accuracy -- depends on subject)
Strength(s) with evidence
Limitation(s) with evidence
Final judgment linked back to criteria

This is also where feedback matters most. RevisionDojo’s AI Chat and Grading tools can help you see whether your conclusion is actually justified in markscheme terms. If you’re building a full exam routine, start here: RevisionDojo app: the smarter way to prep for IB exams.

A “Discuss” box spills pros, cons, counterargument, conclusion

The most common mistakes (and the quick fixes)

Mistake: answering the topic, not the verb.
Fix: write the command term at the top of your answer space (e.g., “EVALUATE = criteria + judgment”).
Mistake: giving too much time to low-mark terms.
Fix: train pacing with timed sets and analytics in the Questionbank, then simulate pressure with Mock Exams and Predicted Papers inside RevisionDojo.
Mistake: no visible structure.
Fix: use mini-headings in your own writing (even in short answers): “Similarity,” “Difference,” “Strength,” “Limitation.”
Mistake: conclusions that don’t conclude.
Fix: force a final sentence that makes a choice: “Overall, X is more valid because…” or “To a large extent, … however ….”

A closing thought (and your next step)

In the IB, the student who scores highest isn’t always the one who knows the most. It’s often the one who knows what the question is really asking them to do.

Command terms are that hidden instruction. Learn them, practice them, and make your answer structures predictable under pressure.

If you want a simple system: use RevisionDojo’s Study Notes to understand, Flashcards to lock in definitions and command term meanings, the Questionbank to practice under real IB phrasing, AI Chat and Grading tools to tighten your responses, and Mock Exams plus Predicted Papers to make exam day feel familiar. That’s how IB command terms stop being a trap and start becoming a tool.

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IB Command Terms: How to Use Them to Score More | RevisionDojo

Command terms are the quiet voice in every IB exam paper. They don’t shout. They don’t sparkle. But they decide what the examiner is allowed to reward.