FREE GCSE Science Command Words Poster

2 pages · 12 command words · A3 display or A4 mat · all boards · print and go

Students lose marks not because they do not know the science, but because they describe when asked to explain, or give one side when asked to evaluate.

This free poster sets out what each command word actually demands, with a worked one-line example for each.

COMMAND WORDS COVERED

State / Give / Name · Describe · Explain · Compare · Suggest · Calculate · Determine · Evaluate · Justify · Predict · Design / Plan · Estimate

WHY IT WORKS

Each entry has three parts: the word, what it demands in plain terms, and a one-line example of an answer that earns the mark. Students can see the difference between a description and an explanation rather than being told there is one.

Includes the single most useful test to give a class: if you can answer without using “because”, “so” or “therefore”, you have described when the question asked you to explain.

HOW TEACHERS USE IT

Print A3 for wall display, or A4 as a revision mat for exam preparation. Works across AQA, Edexcel and OCR, since command words are common to all three boards, and across Biology, Chemistry and Physics.

FORMAT

Two pages. Black-and-white printer friendly. No preparation needed.

Scott’s Classroom — independently authored GCSE resources for ages 14-16. All wording is original. No examination question, official mark-scheme wording or board document is reproduced. Examination-board names are used only to indicate intended curriculum alignment. This resource is not approved, endorsed or sponsored by any examination board.