One of the fastest ways to lose marks in IB Design Technology exams is misunderstanding command terms. Many students know the content but answer questions at the wrong depth because they misread what the question is actually asking.
IB examiners are very precise. Each command term signals how much detail, explanation, and evaluation is required. Learning how to respond correctly to command terms is one of the most effective exam strategies in Design Technology.
Why Command Terms Matter So Much
Command terms tell you:
- How deep your answer should go
- Whether explanation or evaluation is required
- How marks are allocated
If you write a descriptive answer when evaluation is required, your response will be capped, no matter how accurate the content is.
The Most Common IB Design Technology Command Terms
Explain
This is one of the most frequently used command terms.
Explain means:
- Give reasons
- Show cause and effect
- Answer “how” or “why”
A strong explanation:
- Identifies a concept
- Applies it to the context
- Explains its impact
Listing points without reasoning will not earn full marks.
Describe
Describe requires less depth than explain.
It means:
- State characteristics
- Outline features or processes
