How to help students master decoding command words

Understanding and accurately interpreting command words during written assessments is a critical skill for students, particularly in subjects like chemistry. Command words such as describe, explain, compare and evaluate dictate the nature of the response expected. Misunderstanding these words can result in incomplete or poor exam answers which limit a student’s attainment. Therefore, it’s important that we explicitly teach students how to decode these command words. Download the example ‘If … then …’ sheet for an adaptable way to provide learners with the meaning of command words for AQA and scaffolded strategies for answering them correctly.