In VCE Chemistry, the most important word in a question is often not the chemical term, the equation, or the data provided. It is the command term. Examiner’s Reports across multiple years show that a large proportion of lost marks come from students answering the wrong type of question, even when their chemistry knowledge is sound.
This is why two students can know the same content, perform the same calculation, and receive different marks. One has aligned their response to the command term. The other has not.
Why command terms matter more in Chemistry than students realise
Chemistry questions are deliberately compact. Many are worth only two or three marks, yet require multiple elements to be present. The command term tells you what those elements are.
When students ignore or misinterpret the command term, they often give answers that are scientifically correct but structurally incomplete. Examiner’s Reports repeatedly note that such responses are capped, not because the chemistry is wrong, but because the task has not been fulfilled.
Understanding command terms is therefore not about exam technique. It is about understanding how marks are allocated.
Describe: what changes, not why it changes
When a Chemistry question uses describe, the examiner is asking for an account of what happens.
In the 2024 exam, describe questions commonly required students to refer to trends in data, changes in a variable, or observable outcomes. High-scoring responses identified all relevant changes clearly and specifically.
Where students lost marks was by stopping too early. For example, describing the effect of a change on a system often required reference to more than one variable. Students who mentioned only one were capped.
Another frequent error was slipping into explanation. Explaining why something happens does not earn additional marks in a describe question and often replaces information that was actually required.
Explain: cause and effect must be linked
Explain is the most consistently misunderstood command term in VCE Chemistry.
An explanation must do two things. It must identify what happens, and it must link that change to an underlying chemical principle. Many students do only one of these.
In the 2024 Examiner’s Report, numerous responses were noted as being descriptive rather than explanatory. Students stated observations or trends but did not connect them to collision theory, equilibrium principles, bonding, or energy changes.
An explanation that lacks the causal link is incomplete, even if every statement is true.
Analyse: relationships, not facts
Analyse questions require students to identify patterns or relationships and interpret their significance.
In Chemistry exams, analyse is often used in data-based questions. Students are expected to go beyond stating what the data shows and instead explain what the data reveals about the chemical system.
A common error noted in Examiner’s Reports is students treating analyse as describe. They restate the graph or table without drawing a conclusion from it. These responses earn limited marks because they do not engage with the analytical demand of the question.
High-scoring responses explicitly refer to how one variable affects another and what that relationship indicates chemically.
Calculate: the number is not always the answer
Calculate appears straightforward, but it is often paired with another command term implicitly.
In the 2024 exam, several calculate questions required students to then comment on, explain, or justify the value obtained. Students who provided only the numerical answer lost marks, even when their calculation was correct.
Examiner’s Reports consistently emphasise that when a question requires calculation and interpretation, both must be present. Students who treat calculate as a standalone task often miss this.
Justify: appropriateness, not outcome
Justify questions are deliberately discriminating.
In Chemistry, students frequently justify a choice by saying it produces a better result, a higher yield, or a faster reaction. Examiner’s Reports make it clear that this is insufficient.
A justification must explain why a method, model, or conclusion is appropriate based on chemical reasoning. This may involve accuracy, reliability, sustainability, feasibility, or alignment with chemical principles.
Outcome-based reasoning without principle-based support is capped.
Evaluate: judgement supported by evidence
Evaluate requires students to make a judgement and support it using evidence.
In Chemistry exams, this often appears in questions about experimental design, data quality, or sustainability considerations. Students who list pros and cons without reaching a conclusion lose marks. Students who reach a conclusion without evidence also lose marks.
High-scoring evaluate responses clearly state a judgement and then justify it using specific data or chemical reasoning from the question.
Why students keep misusing command terms
One of the reasons command terms cause so many problems is that students assume chemistry knowledge will compensate for structural misalignment. It does not.
Examiner’s Reports show that markers are instructed to award marks based on the presence of required elements, not overall impression. A response that answers a different command term cannot be awarded full marks, regardless of how well written it is.
How students fix this problem
Students who improve their Chemistry exam performance often make one simple but powerful change. Before answering, they identify the command term and decide what type of response is required.
They ask themselves:
- Do I need to state, describe, explain, analyse, justify, or evaluate
- How many elements are likely required for the marks allocated
- What must be present for full credit
This slows them down slightly, but it prevents systematic mark loss.
An ATAR STAR perspective
ATAR STAR explicitly trains students to read Chemistry questions through command terms. This helps high-achieving students convert understanding into full marks and helps developing students understand why their answers are being capped despite knowing the content.
In VCE Chemistry, success is not just about what you know. It is about responding in the precise way the question demands.