Obviously you have to know your subject content to succeed in any test or exam but there are also some things you can do to avoid common mistakes. Here are five top tips for getting extra marks simply by being more careful in your use of words.
1. Learn the command words and how to respond to each type of question. For example, an “explain” question almost certainly needs the word “because” in its answer as you will need to give a reason for whatever is being observed or stated. For the complete, official (Edexcel) list of command words and their meanings, click here.
2. Avoid general words such as “different” and “changes”. Answers that state “they move in different ways” or “it changes colour” need to be rewritten to describe the ways in which the movement is different or name the starting and final colours.
3. Always use a specific name in place of words such as “it” and “they”. If you look at the first example in Tip 2, you can’t tell what the answer is about because the objects haven’t been named: “they move in different ways” could just as easily refer to different types of waves or particles in different states of matter.
4. Comparisons must include a statement for each item. For example, a question that asks you to state a difference between radio waves and sound waves needs a comment about each type of wave, such as; “radio waves are transverse but sound waves are longitudinal”.
5. Does your answer satisfy the question? When you have finished your answer, read it through then re-read the question to check that what you have written relates directly to the question asked. Remember, if there are two marks then you are expected to give two (and only two) separate pieces of information.
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