Top 200 Vocabulary Word List for Cambridge IGCSE | Must Know Words for Common Examination Instructions

The 200-word examination instruction list

Cambridge IGCSE command words tell you what to hand in. In Mathematics, show that asks you to work towards a result already supplied. In Biology, describe a trend asks you to report what the readings do, while explain asks for a reason or mechanism.

This learning bank includes single words and short phrases. It combines question directions with vocabulary you use to interpret evidence, limits and answer formats.

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Mathematics commands and working

No.	Instruction or term	What it asks you to do
1	Show that	Start from the information given and work to the stated result.
2	Write down	Give the answer directly where no substantial working is required.
3	Work out	Find the result from the information or quantities given.
4	Sketch	Draw a rough but recognisable shape with its key features.
5	Construct	Make an accurate drawing using the prescribed method and instruments.
6	Plot	Place each point at its given coordinates.
7	Calculate the percentage change	Divide the change by the starting value and multiply by 100.
8	Give a reason	Connect the answer to a relevant principle or piece of evidence.
9	Hence	Use the result or approach from an earlier part.
10	Hence or otherwise	Use the earlier result or another valid method.
11	Show your working	Make the mathematical steps visible and traceable.
12	To scale	Use the stated relationship between drawing distances and actual distances.
13	Not to scale	Use the stated measurements and relationships when calculating.
14	Exact value	Leave the answer in a form that preserves its full value.
15	Decimal places	Count the required digits to the right of the decimal point.
16	Significant figures	Count from the first non-zero digit when rounding.
17	Nearest whole number	Round to the closest integer.
18	In terms of	Express the result using the named quantity or symbol.
19	Simplify	Rewrite the expression in an equivalent simpler form.
20	Factorise	Write the expression as a product of factors.
21	Expand	Multiply out brackets and combine terms where appropriate.
22	Rearrange	Change the equation to make the required quantity the subject.
23	Solve	Find the values that satisfy the equation or inequality.
24	Substitute	Replace a variable with the given value or expression.
25	Prove	Give a chain of reasoning that establishes the result generally.
26	Verify	Check that a proposed value or result meets the stated conditions.
27	Bearing	Give the direction as an angle measured clockwise from north when that convention applies.
28	Gradient	Find the rate of change in height relative to the horizontal change.
29	Intercept	Find where the graph crosses the axis specified.
30	Axis	Use the correct horizontal or vertical reference line.

Graphs and practical investigations

No.	Instruction or term	What it asks you to do
31	Coordinate	Give the position using the specified ordered values.
32	Origin	Use the point where the coordinate axes meet as the reference.
33	Line of best fit	Draw a line representing the overall pattern of plotted data.
34	Curve of best fit	Draw a smooth curve that follows the overall pattern of the points.
35	Read off	Take the required value directly from the graph or scale.
36	Interpolate	Estimate a value between observed points.
37	Extrapolate	Extend the existing pattern beyond the range of observations.
38	Anomaly	Pick out a reading that departs from the general pattern.
39	Independent variable	Identify what the investigator changes deliberately.
40	Dependent variable	Identify the measured outcome of the investigation.
41	Control variable	Identify what should be kept constant for a fair comparison.
42	Control group	Identify the comparison group used as a baseline.
43	Repeat	Perform the measurement or procedure again.
44	Reliability	Consider whether repeated observations give consistent results.
45	Accuracy	Consider how close the result is to the relevant accepted value.
46	Precision	Consider the closeness of repeated measurements or how finely a reading is reported, depending on context.
47	Fair test	Change the factor being tested while controlling other relevant factors.
48	Method	Set out the practical steps in the order they are to be performed.
49	Apparatus	Name or draw the equipment needed to carry out the procedure.
50	Hazard	Identify a potential source of harm.
51	Precaution	Name an action that reduces the stated risk.
52	Observation	State what was detected or measured in the practical work.
53	Result	Record the reading or outcome that the question asks for.
54	Measurement	Read or calculate a quantity and report the appropriate unit.
55	Estimate from the graph	Use the plotted trend to obtain a sensible approximate value.
56	Use a ruler	Make the requested straight lines with a ruler.
57	Draw a biological diagram	Show the visible features of the specimen with a clear outline.
58	Annotate	Add brief explanatory notes to the relevant features.
59	Magnification	Relate image size to actual size after converting to the same units.
60	Actual size	Find the real dimension of the specimen using the information given.
61	Planning	Propose a workable investigation including the variables and measurements.
62	Qualitative	Describe an observed quality such as colour or texture.
63	Quantitative	Report numerical measurements or results.
64	Limitation	Identify what restricts the strength or scope of a method or result.
65	Improvement	Propose a practical change linked to an identified limitation.
66	Valid conclusion	Draw a conclusion within the scope of the observations.
67	Reason for the trend	Explain the mechanism or relationship behind the pattern.

Written responses and paper directions

No.	Instruction or term	What it asks you to do
68	Account for	Explain why the stated result or difference occurred.
69	Comment	Offer an informed observation or judgment tied to the material.
70	Consider	Review the specified information before responding.
71	Develop	Build on a point or idea with further relevant detail.
72	To what extent	Judge how far the evidence supports the statement.
73	Compare with	Use the named alternative as the basis of comparison.
74	Similarities	Give the features the named items share.
75	Differences	Give ways the named items differ along comparable features.
76	Consequence	Identify an outcome that follows from the event or process.
77	Factor	Give an influence that helps explain the stated result.
78	Cause	Give what brings about or contributes to the outcome.
79	Effect	State the resulting change or consequence.
80	Advantage	Explain a benefit relevant to the stated objective.
81	Disadvantage	Explain a drawback relevant to the stated objective.
82	Source material	Use the extract or figure supplied for the task.
83	Own words	Express the same idea using your own phrasing.
84	Quotation	Use the exact words from the source where the task requests them.
85	Writer’s effect	Explain how a particular choice of language shapes the reader’s impression.
86	Audience	Identify who the writing or speech addresses.
87	Purpose	Identify what the communication is intended to achieve.
88	Register	Match the level of formality and style to the situation.
89	Form	Use the kind of response requested, such as a speech or report.
90	Directed writing	Write for the specified purpose, audience and format using the source material as instructed.
91	Marks	Read the allocation as a clue to response depth and check the mark scheme in practice.
92	Specimen paper	Use the published sample to inspect question style and paper instructions.
93	Syllabus code	Match the assessment documents to the exact subject code.
94	Examination series	Match the documents to the relevant sitting and year.
95	Component	Identify the particular paper or assessment element.
96	Core	Check the syllabus for the route and papers associated with Core content.
97	Extended	Check the syllabus for the route and papers associated with Extended content.
98	Answer all	Attempt every question to which this direction applies.
99	Additional page	Use extra answer space as directed and make the question number clear.
100	Blank page	Check the label before using a page for working or answers.
101	Find	Work out or identify the requested value or result.
102	Draw	Provide the diagram, graph or construction the question requests.

Core command words

No.	Instruction or term	What it asks you to do
103	Recognise	Find a familiar feature in a new example.
104	Identify	Name or pick out the item the question specifies.
105	Select	Choose only the number of options requested.
106	Choose	Commit to the option that fits the stated criteria.
107	Match	Pair each item with the option that corresponds to it.
108	Complete	Fill in what is missing while keeping the supplied structure.
109	Label	Attach the correct name to the indicated part.
110	Locate	Find the specified detail, point or region.
111	Indicate	Make the chosen feature or answer clear.
112	Record	Write the result in the space and form provided.
113	Answer	Respond directly to the question being asked.
114	Give	Supply the requested fact, example or result.
115	State	Express the required point directly and clearly.
116	Name	Supply the correct term, person or item.
117	List	Set out the requested items separately.
118	Define	Give the precise meaning used in the subject or question.
119	Describe	Report the relevant characteristics, events or pattern.
120	Outline	Give the main steps or points in brief.
121	Summarise	Select the central points and leave out minor details.
122	Explain	Connect the result to its cause, mechanism or reasoning.
123	Compare	Identify similarities and/or differences as the Cambridge question directs.
124	Contrast	Show how the items differ on a shared point of comparison.
125	Analyse	Break down the evidence and explain how its parts relate.
126	Interpret	Say what a statement, result or display means in context.
127	Infer	Use clues to reach a conclusion the material implies.
128	Predict	Use available evidence to say what is likely to happen.
129	Suggest	Offer a plausible answer suited to the information given.
130	Justify	Give evidence or reasoning that supports your answer.
131	Evaluate	Weigh relevant evidence or criteria before reaching a judgment.
132	Assess	Judge the extent, value or strength of something using evidence.
133	Discuss	Develop a structured response that considers the relevant issues.
134	Distinguish	Give the feature that lets the reader tell two things apart.
135	Support	Supply evidence that helps establish the claim.
136	Illustrate	Make an idea clear with a relevant example or diagram.

Answer actions and evidence

No.	Instruction or term	What it asks you to do
137	Demonstrate	Show how a fact, process or result can be established.
138	Determine	Work from the given information to establish an answer.
139	Calculate	Use numbers or other given information to work out a result.
140	Estimate	Find an approximate answer using the available clues.
141	Check	Test the answer against the original instruction or condition.
142	Correct	Repair the specific error while preserving the intended meaning or result.
143	Revise	Change a response so it better meets the task.
144	Arrange	Put items into the order or grouping requested.
145	Sequence	Put stages into a meaningful order.
146	Classify	Assign each item to a category using the stated rule.
147	Group	Put items with a shared feature together.
148	Order	Sort items by the criterion given in the prompt.
149	Insert	Place the requested word, symbol or number at the indicated point.
150	Replace	Swap the specified part for a suitable alternative.
151	Omit	Leave out the indicated item or detail.
152	Include	Make sure the requested part appears in the response.
153	Exclude	Keep the named item or category outside your answer.
154	Underline	Draw a line under the exact word or phrase requested where instructed.
155	Circle	Mark the requested choice with a circle when that is the stated format.
156	Refer to	Use the specified passage, figure or notes when responding.
157	Based on	Ground the answer in the material named in the question.
158	According to	Use what the specified source says.
159	In context	Use the meaning that fits this passage or situation.
160	Most likely	Choose the conclusion with the strongest support among the options.
161	Best supported	Prefer the conclusion backed most directly by the evidence.
162	Relevant	Connected to the specific question or criterion.
163	Specific	Precise enough to identify a particular fact or example.
164	Explicit	Stated directly in the source.
165	Implicit	Suggested by the source and recoverable from clues.
166	Evidence	A fact, detail or observation that supports a claim.
167	Claim	An assertion that can be tested against evidence or reasoning.
168	Reason	The basis for a statement, choice or result.
169	Example	A particular case used to make a general idea clear.

Sources, data and limits

No.	Instruction or term	What it asks you to do
170	Conclusion	The result reached after considering the reasoning or evidence.
171	Assumption	A premise taken as given for the purpose of the question.
172	Condition	A requirement that must be satisfied.
173	Constraint	A restriction that shapes the possible answers.
174	Criterion	A standard used to choose or judge an answer.
175	Context	The surrounding information that helps determine meaning.
176	Source	The particular text, figure, notes or data supplied for use.
177	Passage	A stretch of text provided for reading and answering questions.
178	Statement	A complete assertion to examine or respond to.
179	Option	One of the choices the question offers.
180	Response	The answer you produce or select.
181	Prompt	The wording that tells you what to do.
182	Item	A single test question or task.
183	Part	A subdivision of a larger question or task.
184	Section	A group of questions or tasks within a test.
185	Heading	A title that describes the main idea of a text section.
186	Caption	Text that explains what a figure or table shows.
187	Figure	A numbered graph, image or diagram referred to in the task.
188	Table	Information arranged in rows and columns.
189	Graph	A visual display of data or a mathematical relationship.
190	Diagram	A drawing showing features, structure or relationships.
191	Trend	The broad direction or pattern over a range.
192	Pattern	A regularity visible across observations or examples.
193	Scale	The intervals or measurement relationship used in a display.
194	Unit	The standard attached to a measurement, such as minutes or metres.
195	Range	The spread or set of values referred to by the question.
196	Increase	A rise in size, amount or value.
197	Decrease	A fall in size, amount or value.
198	Difference	What sets two things apart, or a gap between values.
199	At least	The stated value or any greater value.
200	At most	The stated value or any smaller value.

What the examination requires

Use your syllabus code and examination year

Cambridge publishes general guidance on command words and lists subject-specific language in the relevant syllabus. Begin with your exact code and examination year, then check your component and tier. This guide uses Cambridge Mathematics 0580 and Biology 0610 as worked routes. An International GCSE run by a different awarding body has its own assessment documents.

Mathematics 0580 for 2025–2027

Core candidates take Papers 1 and 3. Extended candidates take Papers 2 and 4. Papers 1 and 2 are non-calculator, while Papers 3 and 4 require a scientific calculator. The syllabus calls for necessary working in the spaces provided. Check the precision directions on the question and paper before rounding, particularly when an exact form, decimal places or significant figures are specified.

Biology 0610 for 2026–2028

Core candidates take Papers 1 and 3, while Extended candidates take Papers 2 and 4. Both routes also take either Paper 5, the Practical Test, or Paper 6, Alternative to Practical. Paper 6 still tests experimental skills through questions. Practise reading a setup, working with measurements and linking improvements to a specific limitation whichever practical route your school enters you for.

Written subjects and paper front pages

Check the question paper for the response genre, number of tasks, where answers go and any source instructions. A prompt about a writer’s effect usually calls for a language choice, an interpretation and the effect in context. A directed response may instead require you to use source ideas in a voice suitable for a given audience. Match your practice to the syllabus and specimen for your course.

• Find the section, component or delivery mode that applies to you.
• Mark the action, source and answer format before you start.
• Keep the current official instructions with the practice paper.

Worked examples of common examination instructions

The examples below are original practice prompts. Read the instruction, predict what a complete response would contain, then compare it with the sample.

State, describe and explain using one biology result

Imagine a plant investigation in which mean shoot lengths after one week were 4 cm at low light and 7 cm at higher light. State the mean at higher light. The response is 7 cm. Describe the pattern. Mean shoot length was 3 cm greater at higher light. Suggest an explanation. Greater light intensity may have increased the rate of photosynthesis, providing more sugars for growth, if other factors were controlled. Each instruction asks for a different piece of work.

Show that and hence in mathematics

An original practice question asks you to show that the sum of the first five positive odd integers is 25 and hence find the mean. Write 1 + 3 + 5 + 7 + 9 = 25, then use 25 ÷ 5 = 5. The second instruction tells you to reuse the earlier result. If a similar question says hence or otherwise, another sound route can also meet the task.

Exact form, rounding and units

A right-angled triangle has perpendicular sides of 3 cm and 4.5 cm. The hypotenuse is √29.25 cm, or 3√13/2 cm. To one decimal place it is 5.4 cm. Keep the exact expression until you have finished any subsequent calculation. On practice papers, underline the requested accuracy, then check both the digits and the unit at the end.

Evaluate a practical improvement

A student measures how quickly an indicator changes colour and stops the clock when the colour looks pale. The endpoint depends on the observer’s judgment. An improvement could be to define a fixed colour threshold against a reference or use a suitable sensor. Repeating the original procedure can help assess consistency. Defining the endpoint addresses the specific source of variation.

Use the Fencing Method to practise instruction words

Begin with an accurate sentence. Add one piece at a time, such as a measured detail, the comparison it belongs to or the evidence the question asks for. Then use the instruction with different material. On a selected-response test, this sentence is a practice tool that helps you decide which option fits.

1. The length increased.
2. The mean length increased from 4 cm to 7 cm.
3. The mean length increased from 4 cm to 7 cm at higher light intensity.
4. For a suggestion, add a plausible mechanism. More light may have increased photosynthesis and supplied more sugars for growth.

Read the eduKate Fencing Method for Vocabulary.

Practise and check your answers

Make one mini-paper for each route

For Mathematics 0580, choose four questions that use different output forms, such as an exact value, a rounded decimal, a sketch and a derivation. For Biology 0610, choose a short data question, a variable question and a practical improvement. Write the command next to the type of work it needs before starting.

Review with the mark scheme in hand

After marking, circle the part of your answer that earns each method or content point. If nothing on the page matches an expected explanation, add the missing link in a different colour. When an answer is numerically correct, review the working and format separately.

Practice 1. Compare Group A, with a mean height of 4 cm and six plants, with Group B, with a mean height of 7 cm and six plants.

Both groups had six plants. Group B’s mean height was 3 cm greater than Group A’s. Keep the measures paired.

Practice 2. Calculate the percentage increase from 4 cm to 7 cm.

The increase is 3 cm. Divide 3 by the starting value of 4 and multiply by 100, giving 75%.

Practice 3. A sketch of a triangle appears symmetrical but the figure is labelled not to scale. Which side lengths can you use?

Use lengths stated or established by the geometry. The apparent symmetry is not evidence of equality.

Frequently asked questions

Are these all official Cambridge command words?

The bank mixes command words, practical directions and terms that help you interpret prompts. The syllabus for your subject code and examination year provides the authoritative subject-specific definitions.

Does a mark always mean one sentence?

Marks help you judge the amount of work. Your practice mark scheme will show whether marks are attached to separate points, method steps, precision or a fuller explanation.

Do I need to memorise the words in order?

Group the words by answer behaviour. Practise a short direct answer, a mathematical derivation and a reasoned response before moving to less familiar wording.

Official exam sources and next reading

• Cambridge International command words
• Mathematics 0580 syllabus for 2025–2027
• Biology 0610 syllabus for 2026–2028

Explore another way to group and practise vocabulary with eduKateSG’s 200-word vocabulary guide.

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