GCSE Maths and Statistics command words explained

Why command words matter

Marks are given for doing what the command word asks. A correct fact that does not answer the question can score nothing. These are general explanations, so check your exam board's specification for its own list.

Maths command words

• Calculate or work out: use numbers to find an answer. Show your method.
• Write down: give an answer with little or no working, because the step is usually quick.
• Show that: reach a given answer with clear working. Do not just write the answer you were given.
• Estimate: round the numbers, usually to one significant figure, to get an approximate answer.
• Simplify, expand, factorise: use algebra rules to rewrite an expression in the form asked.
• Solve: find the value or values that make an equation true.
• Prove: give a logical argument that works in every case, not just one example.
• Explain or give a reason: write a short sentence using the right mathematical idea.

Statistics command words

• Describe: say what the data or graph shows, using numbers from it.
• Compare: write a point about both sets of data, using a measure of average and a measure of spread, and put them in context.
• Interpret: say what a result means in the situation, not just what it is.
• Comment on or evaluate: give a point for and against, then a conclusion.
• Criticise a method: say what is wrong, such as bias or a sample that is too small, and how to improve it.

A quick habit

Before you start, circle the command word and write what your answer will look like. Then check the answer against that at the end.