Core And Extended Tiers, Assessment Objectives And Command Words

Two small things decide a surprising number of marks in this exam: knowing which tier you are sitting and what it allows, and knowing exactly what each instruction word is asking you to do. 'Give' wants something different from 'explain'; 'in your own words' is stricter still; 'complete the notes' and 'write a summary' each have their own rules. Behind every question sit the assessment objectives, the reading, writing, listening and speaking skills the mark schemes actually reward.

This is a reference note to return to whenever you practise. It explains the Core and Extended tiers and the grades each can reach, lists the assessment objectives for all four skills, gives a table of every command and instruction word with what it demands, and shows how the marks are shared across the three components. Once you can read a question for its instruction word and know which objective it targets, you stop losing the easy marks that careless reading throws away.