Exam Tip: Learn how to answer science questions properly.

Do you have problems scoring marks for your science structured papers? Do you have issues not knowing how long your answers should be? Or were you always in a situation where your answers are irrelevant? If you are, you might want to consider reading this blog post. 

You will notice that science questions ( or in fact any questions) will come with certain keywords, such as explain, describe or calculate. These keywords will determine how you should answer your questions. 

Below is a list of keywords that you might want to take note. 

• Calculate

Used when a numerical answer is required.  Working should be shown, especially where two or more steps are involved.

• Classify

Requires students  to group things based on common characteristics.

• Comment

I ntended as an open-ended instruction, inviting students to recall or infer points of interest relevant to the context of the question, taking account of the number of marks available.

• Compare

Requires students to provide both similarities and differences between things or concepts.

• Construct

Often used in relation to chemical equations where a student is expected to write a balanced equation, not by factual recall but by analogy or by using information in the question.

• Define (the term(s)…)

Intended literally. Only a formal statement or equivalent paraphrase being required.
 

• Describe

Requires students to state in words (using diagrams where appropriate) the main points of the topic. It is often used with reference either to particular phenomena or to particular experiments.

In the former instance, the term usually implies that the answer should include reference to (visual) observations associated with the phenomena. In the latter instance, the answer may often follow a standard pattern, e.g. Apparatus, Method, Measurement, Results and Precautions.

In other contexts, describe and give an account of should be interpreted more generally, i.e. the student has greater discretion about the nature and the organisation of the material to be included in the answer.

Note: Describe and explain may be coupled in a similar way to state and explain.

• Determine

Implies that the quantity concerned cannot be measured directly but is obtained by calculation, substituting measured or known values of other quantities into a standard formula.

• Discuss

Requires students to give a critical account of the points involved in the topic.

• Estimate

Implies a reasoned order of magnitude statement or calculation of the quantity concerned, making such simplifying assumptions as may be necessary about the points of principle and about values of quantities not otherwise included in the question.

• Explain

Imply reasoning or some reference to theory, depending on the context.

• Find

May be variously interpreted as calculate, measure, determine etc.

• List

Requires a number of points, generally each of one word, with no elaboration. Where a given number of points is specified, this should not be exceeded.

• Measure

Implies that the quantity concerned can be directly obtained from a suitable measuring instrument, e.g. length, using a rule, or angle, using a protractor.

• Outline

Implies brevity, i.e. restricting the answer to giving essentials.

• Predict or deduce

Implies that the student is not expected to produce the required answer by recall but by making a logical connection between other pieces of information. Such information may be wholly given in the question or may depend on answers extracted from an earlier part of the question. Predict also implies a concise answer with no supporting statement required.

• Sketch

when applied to graph work, implies that the shape and/or position of the curve need only be qualitatively correct, but students should be aware that, depending on the context, some quantitative aspects may be looked for, e.g. passing through the origin, having the intercept, asymptote or discontinuity at a particular value.

In diagrams, sketch implies that a simple, freehand drawing is acceptable; nevertheless, care should be taken over proportions and the clear exposition of important details.

• State
• Implies a concise answer with little or no supporting argument, e.g. a numerical answer that can be obtained ‘by inspection’.

• Suggest

Used in two main contexts, i.e. either to imply that there is no unique answer, or to imply that students are expected to apply their general knowledge to a ‘novel’ situation, one that may be formally ‘not in the syllabus’.

• What do you understand by/What is meant by (the term(s)...)

Implies that a definition should be given, together with some relevant comment on the significance or context of the term(s) concerned, especially where two or more terms are included in the question. The amount of supplementary comment intended should be interpreted in light of the indicated mark value.

I will upload sample questions and answers that illustrates this  during class, so please join our class to get specific details of how you can answer questions containing each of the keywords listed above. 

Study smart, not hard!