What Do IB Economics Command Terms Mean and How Are Marks Awarded?

Command terms set the ceiling on what marks are available. Lower-order terms like 'define' or 'explain' award knowledge and application marks (AO1/AO2); higher-order terms like 'discuss', 'evaluate' or 'to what extent' unlock analysis and evaluation marks (AO3) — you can't reach top bands without them, however good your diagram is.

'Explain' wants a clear chain of reasoning — cause, effect, consequence, usually with a diagram. 'Discuss' wants both sides presented with reasoned points. 'Evaluate' wants a judgement: which side is stronger, and why, given assumptions, magnitude, time frame or context. Evaluate without a stated judgement caps your mark regardless of content.

'To what extent' is the highest-demand command term in the guide — it asks you to weigh competing factors and reach a supported conclusion about degree, not just yes/no. Markers reward answers that explicitly compare the strength of arguments and state a final position, ideally referencing context given in the question.

Paper 1 is a two-part extended-response essay marked out of 30: part (a), usually 'explain', is worth 10 marks; part (b), usually 'discuss' or 'evaluate', is worth 20 marks. Both parts use levels-of-response mark schemes — examiners judge the whole response against band descriptors rather than ticking individual points.

Paper 2 (SL and HL) uses real-world data extracts with structured sub-questions worth 2 to 15 marks each, rising in demand from 'define' to 'evaluate'. Paper 3 (HL only) is quantitative and qualitative, testing calculations, diagrams and short written analysis — marks for working are awarded even if your final numerical answer is wrong.

AO1 tests knowledge of terms, theories and diagrams. AO2 tests application — using theory correctly with the specific data, context or diagram given. AO3 tests analysis and evaluation — chains of reasoning and reasoned judgement. Command terms map directly onto these: 'define' and 'describe' sit in AO1, 'apply' and 'explain' in AO2, 'discuss' and 'evaluate' in AO3.

SL students sit two papers: Paper 1 (extended response) and Paper 2 (data response). HL students sit those same two papers plus Paper 3, a quantitative and qualitative paper unique to HL. All students also complete an internally assessed portfolio of three commentaries based on published news articles.

HL Economics covers everything SL covers, plus extra HL-only content in each unit and quantitative skills tested on the dedicated Paper 3. HL exams are longer overall and the internal assessment carries a slightly lower weighting because the extra paper makes up the difference. Command terms and mark scheme style are identical across both levels.

Every diagram must have labelled axes, correctly labelled curves, and a clearly marked equilibrium or shift — an unlabelled diagram earns no AO2 marks even if the reasoning around it is perfect. Common ones examined every session include supply and demand shifts, market failure diagrams (externalities), and the Keynesian/monetarist AD-AS models at HL.

IB Economics sits in the middle of the DP difficulty range — the content is less mathematically demanding than Physics or Maths AA, but the mark schemes reward a specific essay-writing skill (structured evaluation) that takes real practice to master, not just content revision. Students who treat it as 'just reading' tend to underperform relative to their effort.

Both qualifications assess similar economic content, but IB Economics uses a 1-7 scale combining exam papers with an internally assessed portfolio, while A-Level Economics is exam-only with grades A*-E. IB's command-term mark schemes place more explicit, structured weight on evaluation across every essay question than most A-Level boards do.

Build a habit of ending every analytical paragraph with a linking evaluative phrase — 'however, this assumes…', 'in the short run… but over time…', 'this depends on the magnitude of…' — rather than saving evaluation for one final paragraph. Mark schemes reward evaluation woven through the answer, not bolted on at the end.

Practising against real past-paper mark schemes — reading the level descriptors before you attempt the question, not after — teaches you what examiners actually reward far faster than re-reading notes. On revisionprep.com, the Economics question bank and Topical Worksheets are built around command-term practice, with Mock Papers to test full timed responses under real conditions.