# IB Computer Science command terms

(22/09/25 this is a draft non complete)

In IB you will find a very specific and consistent way of asking questions.

This is a summary of different terms and what the IB expects from students from them.

## General recommendations

* Try to write full sentences with subject, verb and object if it's extended writing.
* Don't write phrases of empty meaning in an exam. You're wasting your time and is unlikely to get marks on that. Leave that for chatGPT or other LLMs.

## Simple/short ones

These are straight to the point. Except for definitions that need actual phrases with subject, verb and object; these are the ones that you can solve with short concepts.

* **Define** (usually one mark). Be precise, if you need a couple of sentences use a couple of sentences but 3 is too much.
* **State**. Usually one mark for thing that you have to state. Here you need to say something like "O(n)" a noun. You don't need justification on this. Sometimes they use in questions that you need to calculate something. You are not usually expected to give the reasoning for that calculation (like in Math where is very important) but having it there makes easier the correction.
* **Identify**. Tell the exam what is asking you. Again, no need of justification here.
* **Calculate.** If you see any of this, you only need to state the final result. Nevertheless, is always helpful to have the working for giving feedback.
* **List** For this only need to write small elements.

## Intermediate

* Outline (usually 2 marks). Remember that you need to develop more than "state" so write.

:::info

:::
* Sketch
* Describe
* If you have to describe the steps you need to describe EACH step
* Sketch. Usually is the result of something. Values on an array, stack or binary tree. They want clarity more than "beautiful" drawings.

## Extended

When you see any of these write a lot. The exam is asking you to write in detail.

* Explain
* Justify
* Construct. Usually for code or trace tables or truth tables.
* Copy and complete (the trace table).
* Compare and contrast

## Very long

* Evaluate
* Analyze
* Discuss
* To what extend... (usually in case study)

## The case study

This one goes in another segment since some of those questions are a bit more complex and nuanced. There will be some short/extended questions but there will be one _**long**_

The boundaries for that one can be found in the specimen paper and are these ones.

//TO-DO Expand this and comment more and maybe link the Case Study approach in other note.

### The long question (short essay) SL


### The long question (short essay) HL


## Advantadges and disadvantages (pros and cons)

In many cases you will have to talk about different elements