Read the command before writing. Many marks are lost not because a student lacks knowledge, but because the answer does not match the verb. “List,” “explain,” “compare,” “assess” and “evaluate” require different depth, structure and evidence.
Add a study image showing command words and answer structures here.
Learning outcomes
- Identify what each common examination command word requires.
- Match answer length and structure to the marks awarded.
- Write clear definitions, explanations, comparisons, procedures, discussions and evaluations.
- Use clinical examples without drifting away from the question.
- Avoid common errors such as listing when asked to explain or describing without linking cause and effect.
1. The command word is the task
Underline the command word, the topic and any conditions. In “Explain the management of severe bleeding in a casualty,” explain tells you to show how and why, while management tells you the content area. If the question says “in an adult with a suspected arterial wound,” keep the answer within that context.
2. Core command words
| Command | What it means | How to answer |
|---|---|---|
| Define | Give the precise meaning of a term. | One accurate sentence; add a key distinction if needed. |
| State / mention | Give a fact without extended explanation. | Short direct points; do not write an essay unless marks demand it. |
| List / enumerate | Provide separate items. | Numbered points; each item should be distinct and relevant. |
| Identify | Name or recognise the correct item. | Label the structure, sign, cause or intervention clearly. |
| Describe | Give characteristics, sequence or appearance. | Say what it is like or what happens, in logical order; do not leave out observable detail. |
| Explain | Show how or why, using linked cause and effect. | Use “because,” “therefore,” mechanisms, rationale and consequences. |
| Outline | Give the main steps or features briefly. | Ordered headings and concise points; avoid unnecessary detail. |
| Discuss | Explore the topic from relevant sides. | Introduction, organised arguments, advantages/limitations or implications, and conclusion. |
| Compare | Show similarities and differences. | Use paired categories or a table; do not describe only one side. |
| Contrast / differentiate | Emphasise differences. | Use a side-by-side table with clear distinguishing features. |
3. Higher-order command words
| Command | Required thinking | Useful structure |
|---|---|---|
| Analyse | Break the topic into parts and show relationships. | Components → mechanisms → consequences → clinical meaning. |
| Assess | Examine significance or severity using evidence. | Findings → interpretation → risk → priority action. |
| Evaluate | Judge value, effectiveness or safety. | Criteria → evidence for and against → justified judgement. |
| Justify | Give defensible reasons for a decision. | Decision → evidence/rationale → risk if not done. |
| Interpret | Make meaning from data, signs, a graph or result. | Describe pattern → explain meaning → state implication. |
| Critically appraise | Judge strengths, limitations, bias and applicability. | Question → evidence quality → limitations → practical conclusion. |
| Calculate | Use a formula or numerical method. | Formula → substitution → units → final answer and interpretation. |
| Demonstrate / perform | Show a safe practical skill. | Preparation → explanation/consent → ordered steps → safety checks → documentation. |
4. Procedure questions
For “Describe the first aid management of…” or “Demonstrate…”, a strong answer usually follows the patient journey:
- Scene safety and personal protective equipment.
- Introduction, consent and rapid primary survey.
- Immediate life-saving action—airway, breathing, circulation or catastrophic bleeding.
- Focused assessment and history.
- Specific first aid and monitoring.
- Communication, referral, documentation and prevention of recurrence.
5. How to answer common health-science questions
| Question type | Recommended format | Example opening |
|---|---|---|
| “Define and state four…” | One precise definition, then four separate points. | “A wound is… The four types are…” |
| “Explain the causes…” | Cause plus mechanism or effect; use linked sentences. | “A sharp object causes an incision because…” |
| “Compare A and B…” | Table with the same categories for both. | “They differ in mechanism, appearance and management…” |
| “Discuss management…” | Priorities, detailed actions, rationale, complications and follow-up. | “Management begins with scene safety and ABCDE…” |
| “Assess this casualty…” | Findings, interpretation, severity and urgent priorities. | “The pale clammy skin and weak rapid pulse suggest…” |
| “Evaluate…” | Benefits, limitations, evidence, risks and a conclusion. | “This intervention is useful when…, but limited by…” |
6. Marks, time and answer planning
- Read the entire paper first and note the marks and compulsory sections.
- Allocate time roughly according to marks; leave a few minutes for checking.
- For a short-answer question, write the requested number of points plus only essential explanation.
- For a long-answer question, use headings, numbered steps, tables and a brief conclusion to help the marker see each point.
- Do not bury the answer in an unrelated introduction. Answer the verb directly.
- If you do not know one point, leave space and continue; do not repeat the same idea using different words.
7. Common mistakes
| Mistake | Why it loses marks | Better approach |
|---|---|---|
| Listing when asked to explain | The cause-and-effect reasoning is missing. | Add a “because/therefore” sentence for each major point. |
| Describing only one side of a comparison | The response does not answer “compare” or “contrast”. | Use parallel columns or paired sentences. |
| Unsafe procedure sequence | Safety and priorities are assessed, not just memorised steps. | Begin with danger/PPE/consent and end with reassessment. |
| Vague words such as “treat accordingly” | The action is not measurable or clinically useful. | Name the specific action, dose only when requested and within protocol, monitoring and escalation. |
| Ignoring the patient context | A generic answer may not fit an infant, pregnancy, trauma or unconscious patient. | Use the conditions stated in the question. |
| Illegible or unlabelled diagrams | Markers cannot award labels or sequence marks. | Use a ruler, clear labels, title and a short explanatory key. |
8. Worked examples
Question: “Outline the management of severe external bleeding.”
Approach: give the ordered essentials—scene safety/PPE, call help, expose and locate the wound, direct pressure, wound packing or tourniquet when indicated, pressure dressing, shock prevention, monitoring, documentation and urgent transport. Because the verb is outline, keep the rationale brief.
Approach: give the ordered essentials—scene safety/PPE, call help, expose and locate the wound, direct pressure, wound packing or tourniquet when indicated, pressure dressing, shock prevention, monitoring, documentation and urgent transport. Because the verb is outline, keep the rationale brief.
Question: “Explain why a person with suspected poisoning should not be made to vomit.”
Approach: state the mechanism: vomiting can re-expose the mouth and oesophagus to corrosive substances, increase aspiration into the lungs and delay expert treatment. Then state the safer action: call poison/emergency services and follow specific advice.
Approach: state the mechanism: vomiting can re-expose the mouth and oesophagus to corrosive substances, increase aspiration into the lungs and delay expert treatment. Then state the safer action: call poison/emergency services and follow specific advice.
9. Revision checklist
- Have I underlined the command word and the topic?
- Does every paragraph answer the question asked?
- Have I included safety, assessment, action, monitoring and referral where appropriate?
- Are my points distinct rather than repeated?
- Have I used a table or headings where comparison or sequence is required?
- Have I checked units, spellings, labels, numbering and the final conclusion?
Exam practice questions
- Define first aid and list five principles of first-aid care.
- Compare heat exhaustion and heat stroke in a table.
- Explain the importance of direct pressure in severe bleeding.
- Discuss the management of an unconscious casualty who is breathing normally.
- Assess a casualty with chest pain, sweating and shortness of breath and justify your priorities.
- Evaluate the advantages and limitations of compression-only CPR.