You've done your revision and you're now looking at the exam paper. Do you fully understand the instructions you're being given in the questions? The glossary of common NCI exam terms is designed to help you better understand what's required when you see these words in an exam setting.
Advise (on) - Provide specific advice about something
(Critically) Analyse - Discuss the main ideas/components of an idea or theory, explaining why they are important and how they’re related
(Critically) Assess - Determine the value or importance of something; identify strengths and weaknesses and draw your own conclusion
Calculate - Work out and show your workings/calculations
Comment on - State your views and opinions on the topic clearly, backing up your points with evidence and examples
Compare - List similarities (and sometimes differences) in two or more examples, perhaps reaching a conclusion about which is preferable and justifying why
Compute - Reckon or calculate (a figure or amount)
Consider - Identify advantages and disadvantages or strengths and weaknesses in argument and justify your own position and conclusion
Contrast - List points of difference between examples; set in opposition in order to clearly show the differences
Compare and Contrast - Identify different views on a topic/subject and show both similarities and differences
Define - State the precise meaning of a word or phrase as outlined in reliable sources; in some cases it might be necessary or desirable to examine different definitions and outline limitations
Describe - Give in detail the main features or characteristics of the topic
Determine - Work out and show your workings/calculations
Differentiate/Distinguish between - Look for differences between
Discuss - Explain, giving several different views on the issue; explore similarities and differences and draw conclusions on the possible implications as well as giving your own position on the issue
(Critically) Evaluate - Make an appraisal of the importance/usefulness/accuracy of something, stressing both advantages and limitations and back this up with relevant theories or evidence
Examine - Investigate a subject/topic in detail
Explain - Make clear or plain, giving details about how and why something is the way it is, perhaps using a step by step approach
Identify - Pinpoint a fact or a figure or an example or an argument or a theoretical position
Illustrate - Make your points clearer with the use of specific examples, figures, diagrams, graphs etc.
Interpret - Outline what something means in simple terms and give your judgement or comments in relation to the issue
Justify - Present convincing evidence and reasons to support your argument and answer the main objections likely to be made about them
List - Present concise, itemised information in bullet points or table form
Outline - Give an overview of a subject in an organised way, without going into too much detail
Prepare - Make ready for use or consideration
Present - Put forward for consideration; show or display
Provide - Put forward or set down
Set Out - Outline or put in a specific arrangement
Show - Justify each step, providing a convincing argument/explanation
State - Present in a brief, clear form without too much detail or examples
Support - Back up your argument/discussion with evidence and examples
