Guide
WACE key words: what the verb in the question is asking for
SCSA's Glossary of key words used in the formulation of questions — the ladder, the verbs that carry the marks, and the WA-only words like 'illustrate'.
Western Australia's exam authority publishes a Glossary of key words used in the formulation of questions, and links it from every ATAR course page. It grew out of the NSW list, so the core verbs match the national vocabulary — but it is longer, and a few WA-only entries ('illustrate', 'comment on', 'debate', 'correlate', 'label') turn up in WACE papers and nowhere else. This guide teaches you to read the key word before the content.
Who writes the definitions
The School Curriculum and Standards Authority (SCSA). Its glossary was last updated in January 2026, and it carries a warning worth memorising: the definitions 'are generic and applicable across all courses', but 'some terms have a more course specific meaning that derives directly from the content and the language of the course'. Check your course's examination design brief and past marking keys for how your subject uses 'evaluate' or 'discuss'.
The verb ladder, low to high
- Recall — identify, name, list, define, recall, state, label. A name, a fact, a label on a diagram.
- Description — describe, outline, recount, summarise, account of, classify, complete, draw, sketch. Features, main points, records and diagrams.
- Reasoning — explain, illustrate, account for, demonstrate, interpret, deduce, extrapolate, predict, apply, calculate, determine, show. The why and how — 'illustrate' is an explain with examples or a diagram.
- Relationship — compare, contrast, distinguish, analyse, examine, investigate, explore, correlate. Components and the relationships between them.
- Judgement — assess, evaluate, consider, discuss, debate, argue, justify, comment on, advise, recommend, propose, present (an argument), synthesise. A verdict, criteria and evidence.
- The modifier — critically (analyse/evaluate): the same task with more rigour — more precision and depth, sounder logic, more questioning of assumptions. A higher rung.
The verbs that carry the marks
Captivate's paraphrases of SCSA's meanings for the key words that open most WACE short-answer and extended-answer questions. SCSA's glossary is copyright, so it is linked below rather than quoted.
| Key word | What the SCSA key word asks for (paraphrased) | What a full answer contains |
|---|---|---|
| explain | Give the how or the why: link causes to their effects and make the connections between things clear. | A cause tied to an effect. WACE marking keys typically award one mark per correct link. |
| describe | Set out what something is like: its features, qualities or stages. | Specific features, no reasons. The second most common verb in WACE science and humanities papers. |
| identify | Pick out the thing asked for and give its name. | The name. One mark each. |
| outline | Give the main features in broad strokes, without the fine detail. | Main points in brief. |
| illustrate | Explain, but back the explanation with concrete examples or figures, or with a map, graph or sketch where that helps. | An explanation plus the example, statistic or diagram that proves it. WA-specific: an 'illustrate' with no example is an incomplete answer. |
| discuss | Bring out the issues involved and give the points on one side, the other, or both. | The issues, then the points on each side. Top-band answers show both. |
| evaluate | Weigh something carefully to establish its worth, size or effectiveness, and state your judgement. | A careful judgement of worth, with the evidence weighed. In WACE humanities it usually needs a stated conclusion. |
| compare / contrast | Compare: set out the ways two or more things are alike and the ways they differ. Contrast: bring out the differences between things, or the ways they are opposed. | Note that WA's 'compare' is alike AND different — both are expected, referring to both things throughout. |
| justify | Back up your claim or conclusion with the reasons that make it sound. | The conclusion and the reasons that hold it up. |
| calculate / determine | Calculate: work out a value from the numbers or facts supplied. Determine: find out or settle what the answer is. | Working, answer, units. 'Determine' may include a decision (which case applies) before the arithmetic. |
| state | Give the specific details of the idea or topic asked for, plainly and without argument. | WA's 'state' can be a sentence or two, not just a word — read the marks: one mark is a fact, two is a short description. |
| comment on / consider / advise | Comment on: refer to the thing named and then say more about it. Consider: think the matter through and arrive at a judgement about it. Advise: tell someone what they should do, or give them what they need to decide. | Interpretation with a view. 'Consider' is an evaluate in disguise; 'advise' wants a recommendation with reasons. |
Traps that cost WA students
- Answering 'illustrate' with an explanation and no example. The example, statistic or diagram is in the definition.
- Writing one word for a two-mark 'state'. In WA, 'state' can lean towards 'describe' — the mark value tells you which.
- A one-sided 'compare'. SCSA's 'compare' is similar AND different.
- 'Consider' read as 'mention'. SCSA's 'consider' means think the matter through and reach a judgement — it is an evaluate.
- 'Critically evaluate' answered as 'evaluate'. The modifier means more rigour: questioning, depth and logic.
- Trusting the generic definition over the course. SCSA says course-specific meanings override; the examination design brief and past marking keys for your course are the final word.
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 SCSA glossary
Based on the SCSA Glossary of key words © School Curriculum and Standards Authority, Western Australia. Meanings are Captivate's paraphrases; the board's own wording is in the linked document.
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