MYP command terms are instruction words that show what kind of thinking, evidence, or performance a task requires. Most have a shared meaning across the programme, but their application changes because subject groups use different objectives, assessment criteria, methods, and forms of evidence.
For example, describe generally means to give a detailed account. In MYP Sciences, you might describe a pattern in experimental data; in Language and Literature, you might describe a character's development using precise textual details. The core meaning remains stable, but the evidence changes.
Do MYP command terms differ by subject group?
The short answer is mostly no in definition, but yes in application. The IB uses common meanings for terms such as identify, explain, analyse, compare, justify, and evaluate. This shared vocabulary helps students transfer thinking skills between subjects.
However, command terms do not operate independently of a subject's objectives. The relevant assessment criterion determines what counts as a convincing answer. Evaluating a scientific method is different from evaluating a historical source, a design solution, or an artistic performance.
The IB explains that command terms refer to thinking skills and processes used within a discipline, and that most terms apply across subject groups. Students should therefore learn both the general definition and the way the term is used in a specific subject task.
How command terms connect to MYP assessment criteria
MYP assessment criteria describe the broad skill being assessed. A command term tells you the immediate action required. The IB's MYP assessment information confirms that teachers assess subject-group objectives through criteria for each subject group.
For instance, Criterion D has a different focus in different subjects. In Individuals and Societies, it may involve thinking critically; in Sciences, it concerns reflecting on the impacts of science; in Design, it focuses on evaluating a solution. The command term evaluate may appear in all three contexts, but the evidence and vocabulary are not identical.
MYP criteria are criterion-related rather than based only on recalling content. A response must show the skill described in the relevant criterion strand, not merely include the command term in the question.
Examples across MYP subject groups
| Command term | General meaning | How the application may change |
|---|---|---|
| Describe | Give a detailed account | Describe data, a mathematical pattern, or a character |
| Explain | Give reasons or causes | Explain a mechanism, historical cause, or design choice |
| Analyse | Show parts and relationships | Analyse data, a text, source, artwork, or performance |
| Evaluate | Make a judgment using criteria | Evaluate an investigation, solution, argument, or source |
| Justify | Support a decision with evidence | Justify a hypothesis, interpretation, or design choice |
In Mathematics, show or calculate usually requires visible mathematical working. In Sciences, design may require a controlled investigation with variables and a method. In Arts, reflect may require discussion of artistic development and choices. In Language and Literature, analyse normally requires close attention to authorial choices, meaning, and effect.
These are disciplinary applications of the same intellectual action, not completely different definitions.
Why subject context matters
Memorizing a command-term glossary does not guarantee a high achievement level. The criterion sets the context, while the command term sets the type of response.
Consider these prompts:
- Explain how temperature affects the rate of a reaction.
- Explain how a writer creates tension in an extract.
- Explain why a proposed product meets a user's needs.
Each asks for reasons or mechanisms, but the evidence differs. The first needs scientific concepts and data, the second needs textual references and analysis of choices, and the third needs links between design features and requirements.
Read the command term together with the noun that follows it. “Evaluate the reliability of a source” requires different evidence from “evaluate the effectiveness of a training plan.” The verb matters, but the object and criterion matter too.
A practical method for students
Before answering an MYP task:
- Circle the command term. Translate it into an action such as “give reasons,” “show relationships,” or “make a supported judgment.”
- Identify the subject criterion and strand. Do not assume that Criterion A or Criterion D means the same thing in every subject.
- List the required evidence. This could be data, calculations, quotations, source details, design specifications, or performance observations.
- Match the structure to the command. An explanation needs linked reasoning; an analysis needs parts and relationships; an evaluation needs criteria, limitations, and a judgment.
- Check the rubric language. Use your current teacher-provided guide because tasks and strands vary during the year.
Common misconceptions
“Every subject has completely different command terms.” Usually false. The IB uses a shared vocabulary, although subject tasks emphasize different terms.
“A longer answer is automatically better.” No. A response should be as developed as the command term and criterion require. Several descriptive paragraphs cannot replace the precision needed for an identification task.
“Explain and analyse mean the same thing.” Explanation focuses on reasons, causes, or mechanisms. Analysis breaks material into elements and shows relationships.
Conclusion
MYP command terms by subject are best understood as a shared language used differently by different disciplines. Their core definitions are generally consistent, but the assessment criterion determines the evidence, method, and vocabulary needed for a strong response. Students should learn the general meaning of each term and practise applying it to real tasks in every subject group. RevisionDojo supports this criteria-first approach through MYP assessment resources, MYP rubric guidance, Questionbank practice, Study Notes, and Jojo AI.
