Do IB Maths AA command terms have fixed mark allocations?

No, command terms do not have fixed mark allocations. State and write down often appear in short questions, but their marks depend on the information requested rather than the verb alone. A find or show that question may involve two steps in one context and a much longer derivation in another. Use the command term to identify the required type of response, then use the mark allocation and mathematical context to judge its likely depth. Every necessary step should be visible, but adding irrelevant explanation wastes time and can obscure your method.

Do I need to show working when the question says state or write down?

Normally, state requires a brief answer without explanation or calculation. Write down similarly expects an answer that can be extracted or recognized with little or no calculation, and the official definition says working does not need to be shown. You should still include essential notation, units, coordinates, or restrictions. If you perform a quick calculation privately, you do not need to copy it unless it helps prevent ambiguity. Showing extra correct work is not usually harmful, but it can consume valuable examination time.

What is the difference between show that and prove in IB Maths AA?

Show that asks you to obtain a supplied result by presenting a valid calculation or derivation. Because the answer is already given, your marks come from the method rather than from restating the target. Prove requires a more formal sequence of logical steps establishing that a statement is always true under the stated conditions. Testing several numerical examples may support a conjecture, but it does not constitute a proof. In either case, avoid assuming the desired conclusion at the beginning of your argument.

What should I write when an IB Maths AA question says explain?

For explain, give the relevant mathematical result and the reason it occurs. A calculation alone is insufficient if it does not communicate the logical or conceptual connection. Useful supporting evidence may include a derivative sign, theorem, graph feature, domain condition, probability principle, or property of a model. Keep the explanation focused on the exact claim in the question rather than describing everything you know about the topic. A strong response often follows the pattern: result, mathematical reason, and conclusion in context.

Is evaluate an official IB Maths AA command term?

Evaluate is not included in the command-term glossary of the current official Mathematics: analysis and approaches guide. It is, however, a familiar IB-wide instruction and may be used informally when discussing a model, method, or mathematical exploration. In such contexts, evaluate means to appraise something using evidence, considering both usefulness and limitations before reaching a judgment. It should not automatically be interpreted as merely substituting values into an expression. If the wording is unusual, read the whole prompt carefully to identify the evidence and conclusion being requested.

What is the best way to revise IB Maths AA command terms?

Begin by learning the official definitions, but do not stop at memorising them. Complete mixed exam-style questions and identify the command term before attempting each one. Then compare your work with a detailed solution, paying attention to how much reasoning, calculation, or explanation is shown. Watching per-question worked video solutions is especially useful because it makes the transition from prompt to examiner-ready response visible. Keep an error log organized by command term so that recurring problems such as weak justification or missing interpretation can be targeted directly.

IB Maths AA Command Terms Explained With Examples

Emma C.

•Last updated: 5 Aug 2026•14 min read

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IB Maths AA Command Terms Explained With Examples | RevisionDojo

IB Maths AA Command Terms Explained With Examples

Emma C.

•Last updated: 5 Aug 2026•14 min read

IB Maths AA command terms are the instruction words that tell you what form your answer must take, how much working to show, and how deeply to reason. A correct numerical result may not earn full credit if the question asks you to explain, justify, prove, or use a previous result and your response does not fulfil that instruction.

The official Mathematics: analysis and approaches guide states that students should know these terms because examination papers use them without explanation. The command term sets the type of response, while the context and mark allocation help indicate its expected length.

Why command terms matter in IB Maths AA

Mathematics is not assessed only through final answers. The course also assesses mathematical communication, interpretation, reasoning, technology use, and the construction of valid arguments, as summarized in the official IB Maths AA subject brief.

This means that two questions involving the same calculation can require different responses:

State the value: give the value briefly.
Calculate the value: show the relevant numerical working.
Show that the value has a given form: establish the supplied result through valid steps.
Explain the result: communicate why it occurs.
Interpret the result: connect it to the mathematical or real-world context.

Do not assume that each command term always corresponds to a fixed number of marks. A command term identifies the required action, but the marks reflect the number and difficulty of the mathematical steps in that particular question.

Quick reference to the main IB Maths AA command terms

Command term	What the response must do	Typical depth
State	Give a specific value, name, or brief answer	Final answer only
Write down	Extract or recognize an answer with little or no calculation	Final answer only
Calculate	Obtain a numerical answer and show relevant stages	Working plus result
Find	Obtain an answer with relevant working	Working plus result
Determine	Obtain the only possible answer	Sufficient method to establish uniqueness
Differentiate / Integrate	Obtain the derivative or integral	Appropriate mathematical steps
Solve	Find all required solutions algebraically, numerically, or graphically	Method, solutions, and restrictions
Show / Show that	Present steps leading to a stated result	Connected derivation
Prove	Establish a result through a formal logical argument	Complete rigorous reasoning
Verify	Give evidence confirming that a supplied result is valid	Direct check or substitution
Explain	Give a detailed account including reasons or causes	Result plus why it is true
Justify	Support an answer or conclusion with valid reasons or evidence	Claim plus mathematical support
Interpret	Recognize a trend or result and draw a contextual conclusion	Mathematics connected to meaning
Comment	Make a judgment based on a statement or calculated result	Concise evidence-based judgment
Sketch	Show the general shape and relevant features	Labelled approximate representation
Draw	Produce an accurate, labelled representation	Precise and normally to scale
Hence	Use preceding work to obtain the next result	Explicit use of the earlier result

The RevisionDojo IB Maths AA glossary can be used as a quick reference while practising questions.

Short-answer command terms

State, write down, identify, and list

State requires a specific name, value, or other brief answer without calculation or explanation. For example, if asked to state the domain of $f(x)=1/x$ , write $x\in\mathbb{R}, x\ne0$ . Extra reasoning is unnecessary unless another instruction asks for it.

Write down usually asks you to extract information directly. For “Write down the gradient of $y=3x+2$ ,” the expected response is simply $3$ . Identify means selecting or recognizing an answer from the available possibilities, while list requires a sequence of brief answers without explanations.

These terms usually call for concise responses, but accuracy still matters. Include units, exact notation, coordinates, or domain restrictions when they are part of the answer.

Outline and describe

Describe is in the official Maths AA glossary and requires a detailed account of relevant features. To describe the transformation from $y=f(x)$ to $y=2f(x-3)$ , you should identify both a translation three units right and a vertical stretch by scale factor two.

Outline is a common IB-wide term meaning to give a brief account or summary, but it is not one of the command terms listed in the current Maths AA guide. The guide nevertheless notes that other wording may be used to direct a response. If a mathematics prompt asks you to outline a method, state the principal stages without carrying out every algebraic detail.

Calculation and solution command terms

Calculate, find, and determine

Calculate specifically requests a numerical answer with relevant stages. For example:

Calculate $\int_0^2(3x^2+1)\,dx$ .

A suitable answer is

\int_0^2(3x^2+1)\,dx=[x^3+x]_0^2=10.

Find also requires relevant working, but the answer need not be numerical. You might be asked to find an equation, an exact expression, or a set of values. Determine means obtaining the only possible answer, so your work must rule out alternatives when necessary.

Solve, differentiate, and integrate

Solve requires all answers satisfying the stated conditions. For a trigonometric equation, check the interval; for a logarithmic equation, reject values outside the domain; and for a polynomial, include every required root.

Differentiate means obtain the derivative, while integrate means obtain the integral. For an indefinite integral, include the constant of integration unless the question or context makes it unnecessary. Clear algebra remains important because method credit may depend on identifiable mathematical steps.

Reasoning and proof command terms

Show and show that

Show asks for the steps in a calculation or derivation. Show that supplies the target and asks you to obtain it, possibly using given information, without requiring the full formality of a proof.

For example, to show that $x+1/x\ge2$ for $x>0$ , begin from a known true statement:

(x-1)^2\ge0 \Rightarrow x^2+1\ge2x.

Because $x>0$ , division by $x$ gives $x+1/x\ge2$ . Merely copying the given result earns no credit, and working backwards from the target without establishing reversible steps can make the argument circular.

Prove, verify, justify, and deduce

Prove demands a formal sequence of logical steps. A proof must cover all cases relevant to the claim rather than confirming it with one example.

Verify is narrower: provide evidence validating a supplied result. To verify that $x=2$ solves $x^3-3x-2=0$ , substitute and show $8 - 6 - 2 =$ .

Justify means support a conclusion with valid mathematical evidence. If you claim that a stationary point is a maximum, you might cite a negative second derivative or show that the first derivative changes from positive to negative. Deduce asks you to reach a conclusion from information already established, so make the logical connection visible.

Students can practise formal reasoning through the Maths AA simple proof questionbank.

Explanation, interpretation, and evaluation

Explain, comment, and interpret

Explain requires reasons, not just a calculation. For $f(x)=-x^2+4x$ , stating that the stationary point occurs at $x=2$ does not explain why it is a maximum. Adding $f^{'}$ , so the curve is concave down there, provides the required reason.

Comment asks for a judgment based on a statement or calculated result. Interpret asks you to use mathematical understanding to identify a trend and draw a conclusion, often in context. If a model gives a negative population, for example, you should explain that the result is not meaningful in the context and may indicate that the model is being used outside its reasonable domain.

What about evaluate?

Evaluate is widely used across IB subjects, but it is not included in the current official Maths AA command-term glossary. Students may still encounter instructions about evaluating the suitability or limitations of a model, particularly in classroom work and mathematical exploration.

In that setting, evaluation means making an evidence-based appraisal. Consider the model’s fit, assumptions, residuals, domain, sensitivity, limitations, and usefulness before reaching a qualified judgment. Do not treat “evaluate” as a synonym for “calculate,” even though some non-IB mathematics resources use the phrase “evaluate an expression” to mean finding its value.

Graphical command terms

Sketch and draw are not interchangeable. A sketch communicates the general shape or relationship and includes relevant features such as intercepts, asymptotes, turning points, endpoints, and labels. It does not need every point plotted accurately.

A draw instruction requires an accurate, labelled diagram or graph. The official definition specifies pencil, a straight edge for straight lines, scale where appropriate, correctly plotted points, and smooth curves or straight joins as required. Plot means marking points in their correct positions, while label means adding the requested labels.

Hence, hence or otherwise, and estimate

Hence directs you to use the preceding result. Starting again with an unrelated method may fail to satisfy the instruction even if the final answer is correct.

Hence or otherwise recommends the previous result but permits another valid approach. This distinction matters in multi-part questions, where an earlier part is often designed to provide an efficient identity, substitution, or intermediate value.

Estimate asks for an approximate value. Your answer should make the approximation method visible when it is not obvious, such as using a tangent, a numerical method, a graph, or sensible rounding.

How to internalise command terms efficiently

Memorising definitions is useful, but the fastest way to internalise command terms is to watch and analyse many worked questions. You need to see how a one-line state response differs from a multi-stage show that solution, and how an interpret response converts a number into a meaningful conclusion.

Use this practice cycle:

Circle the command term before solving.
Predict the required answer form: value, derivation, proof, graph, or explanation.
Solve without looking at the worked response.
Compare the amount of working and reasoning line by line.
Record whether the error was conceptual, procedural, or caused by misreading the command term.
Reattempt a similar question within several days.

RevisionDojo’s Maths AA Questionbank provides targeted question practice with detailed solutions. Use the per-question worked explanations and video walkthroughs where available to observe how each response matches its command term; the Number and Algebra video library and Calculus questionbank are useful starting points. For non-calculator technique, follow a structured IB Maths AA Paper 1 strategy.

Common mistakes to avoid

Giving only a final answer for calculate or find.
Repeating the supplied answer in a show that question.
Providing examples instead of a general argument for prove.
Giving a calculation without reasons for explain or justify.
Treating correlation as proof of causation when asked to interpret.
Ignoring context, units, domains, or rejected solutions.
Drawing an unlabelled curve when asked to sketch.
Solving from scratch when instructed to use hence.
Assuming the command term alone determines the number of marks.

Before moving to the next question, perform a short command-term check: “Did I do exactly what the verb requested?” This takes only a few seconds and catches omissions that checking arithmetic alone will not reveal.

Conclusion

IB Maths AA command terms determine the required form and depth of an examination response. Short terms such as state and write down call for concise answers, while calculate, find, and solve require relevant working; explain, justify, show that, and prove demand progressively clearer reasoning.

Learn the official meanings, but build fluency through repeated worked examples rather than memorisation alone. RevisionDojo’s Questionbank, Jojo AI feedback, and per-question worked or video solutions can help you compare your response with the level of reasoning each term requires.

Sources and referenced URLs

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Emma C.

Emma holds an MMath from the University of Oxford and has taught IB Mathematics for over 20 years, including every year since Analysis & Approaches replaced the old Higher and Standard Level syllabus in 2019. Her focus is IB Mathematics: Analysis & Approaches at SL and HL, developing genuine mathematical intuition from foundational algebra through to the toughest HL topics.