Guide
TASC assessment verbs: what the verb in the question is asking for
TASC's glossary of terms used in standards — the verbs, the quality words that separate A from C ratings, and how to read both in a Level 3 or 4 exam.
Tasmania's courses are rated criterion by criterion, and each criterion's standards are written with a fixed vocabulary that TASC defines in the course document itself — the Glossary of terms used in standards. It has two kinds of entry: the verbs ('analyse', 'justify') that say what to do, and the quality words ('accurately', 'coherent', 'sustained', 'comprehensive') that say how well it must be done to earn an A rather than a C. External exams for Level 3 and 4 courses use the same words. This guide covers both.
Who writes the definitions
The Office of Tasmanian Assessment, Standards and Certification (TASC), course by course. There is no single system-wide glossary: several course documents carry their own (English Level 3, Modern History Level 3, Psychology Level 3 and Chemistry Level 4 among them), others defer to ACARA's senior secondary Achievement Standards glossary, and Biology Level 3 points to it outright. The verb definitions descend from the NSW list, and TASC adds quality adjectives because its criterion standards use them: a C-standard 'describes' while an A-standard 'describes accurately and comprehensively'. The meanings in this guide are Captivate's paraphrases built on that ACARA base, with TASC's quality words paraphrased beside them; nothing is quoted from the course documents, which are linked below.
The verb ladder, low to high
- Recall — identify, define, select, relate, represent. A name, a meaning, a report of what happened.
- Description — describe, outline, communicates, develop. Features and main points; 'develop' is to begin building an idea.
- Reasoning — explain, demonstrate, apply, interpretation, investigate, explore. Reasoning and application made visible.
- Relationship — analyse, compare, contrast, examine, synthesise. Patterns, similarities, differences, meaning.
- Judgement — evaluate, assess, discuss, justify, defend, challenge, reflect, underpin. A judgement that can be justified with evidence.
- The modifier — critically analyse / critically evaluate. Both go a step further: pull the argument apart and test the assumption it rests on; reach a judgement you can defend with evidence.
The verbs that carry the marks — and the quality words beside them
Captivate's paraphrases: the verbs on the ACARA senior secondary base that TASC courses use, and TASC's quality words in our words. The quality words are what move a response from a C to an A rating on the same criterion. Nothing is quoted from the course documents.
| Term | What it asks for (paraphrased) | What a full answer contains |
|---|---|---|
| explain | Go beyond stating something: add the reasoning behind it, or show how it is applied, so a reader can see that you grasp the how or the why. | Reasoning made visible — the why, in order, with the link to the case in front of you. TASC's digest asks for clarity, precision, completeness and the right order of statements. |
| analyse | Look closely at something to work out what it means and how its parts connect, picking out patterns as well as points of likeness and difference. | Detail, then the pattern or relationship it reveals, then its meaning. This is the top verb in TASC humanities and English criteria. |
| evaluate | Examine something thoroughly and reach a judgement, backed by evidence, on how good, how important or how worthwhile it is. | Criteria, factors, evidence, judgement — and the judgement must be defensible. |
| justify | Give the reasons and evidence that make your argument or conclusion sound. | The conclusion and the evidence that makes it reasonable. The evidence is part of the meaning. |
| describe | Set out the features or qualities of something so a reader can picture it clearly, without saying why it is that way. | Features and characteristics; TASC's course glossaries allow a little comment. |
| discuss | Write about the topic from more than one angle, bringing in the various issues and ideas that bear on it rather than following a single line. | More than one issue or idea, considered — and, for an A, a considered position. |
| identify | Pick out and name the person, thing or feature the question asks about. | The name. |
| compare / contrast | Compare: set two or more things side by side and note where they are alike and where they differ. Contrast: set things against each other so the differences stand out. | Point-by-point, referring to both. |
| accurately / precision | Accurately: free of errors, giving results that are correct. Precision: exact, and said in as few words as the subject matter allows. | Correct, exact, and no longer than it needs to be. These words sit in the A-standard of most criteria. |
| coherent / considered / sustained | Coherent: the parts arranged in an orderly, logical way that hangs together. Considered: arrived at after careful thought. Sustained: kept up consistently from start to finish. | A response whose parts fit together, whose view is thought through, and whose quality does not fall away in the last paragraph. |
| comprehensive / complex | Comprehensive: thorough and detailed, covering everything relevant across the facts, ideas and information involved. Complex: made of several parts or factors that connect with one another. | Everything relevant is covered, and the interconnections are shown. The difference between a B and an A on most standards. |
Traps that cost Tasmanian students
- Reading only the verb and ignoring the quality words. In Tasmania the verb sets the task; 'accurately', 'comprehensively' and 'sustained' set the rating.
- Answering 'critically evaluate' with an 'evaluate'. TASC defines the critical version separately: the judgement must be critical and justifiable.
- 'Explain' without reasoning. TASC's sense of 'explain' is extra information that shows you understand the reasoning — a restatement of the fact shows nothing.
- A 'discuss' with one idea. 'Discuss' means more than one issue or angle — plural.
- 'Develop' read as 'write a lot'. 'Develop' means start building an opinion or idea and extend it in stages — a starting point that must then be justified or evaluated.
- Forgetting that ratings are per criterion. A brilliant analysis on Criterion 4 does not rescue a thin justification on Criterion 6; each verb is marked against its own standard.
Using this in Captivate
- When a question opens with a command term, a small chip appears above it. Tap it for the meaning and the depth typically expected before you start writing.
- In a timed sit, read the verb first and the marks second. Together they tell you the shape of the answer — a one-mark 'identify' is a name; a four-mark 'explain' is a chain of reasons.
- When you mark yourself against the solution, check the verb, not just the content. If the question said 'justify' and you only described, mark it down — that is exactly what the examiner does.
The full glossary (ACARA senior secondary base, as TASC courses use it)
TASC publishes no single glossary; its course documents carry their own or defer to ACARA's senior secondary glossary. These meanings are Captivate's paraphrases on that ACARA base.
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