Glossary of Exam Terms

Glossary of Exam Terms for IAS / UPSC, State PCS Mains Written, College Undergraduate and Postgraduate Exams. These terms will help in understanding what they (examiners) are asking of you. This glossary contains many of the exam terms most often used in essay or question titles: Analyse, Amplify, Assess, Comment, Compare, Contrast, Consider, Criticise, Define, Describe, Diagram, Differentiate, Distinguish, Discuss, Elaborate, Enumerate, Evaluate, Examine, Explain, Formulate, Illustrate, Interpret, Investigate, Justify, List, Outline, Prove, Reason, Review, State, Summarise, Trace.

- Here are the Details -

Analyse: You have to take various facts or parts of a given statement in consideration bringing sunshine to it’s nature or structure.

Amplify: It refers to elaborating the statement.You add details,make it fuller.

Assess: It demands examination and evaluation of the given topic.

Comment: It is opinion based question. You have to give your opinion and you also have to justify it(Give some evidences, arguments, data to justify you answer).

Compare: Examine qualities, or characteristics, to discover resemblances. "Compare" is usually stated as "compare with": you are to emphasise similarities, although differences may be mentioned. 

Contrast: Stress dissimilarities, differences, or unlikeness of things, qualities, events, or problems. 

Consider: You have to form an opinion after careful examination.

Criticise: Express your judgment or correctness or merit. Discuss the limitations and good points or contributions of the plan or work in question.

Critically Analyse: Analyse the nature of each part and interrelate them and at the end you have to give fair judgement.

Critically Assess: You have to analyse and Judge the topic in detailed manner along with it you have to give your comments and opinions.

Critically Comment: This type of questions are opinion based. You need to give your opinion on important points and at the end you have to give fair judgement.

Critically Examine: If you find the word critically examine anywhere in question then you have to look at good or bad of the given topic and at last you have to present sound judgement.

Define: Definitions call for concise, clear, authoritative meanings. Details are not required but limitations of the definition should be briefly cited. You must keep in mind the class to which a thing belongs and whatever differentiates the particular object from all others in the class. 

Describe: You are supposed to write about various aspects of the given statement and also you have to presents both negative and positive points of your arguments. In a descriptive answer you should recount, characterize, sketch or relate in narrative form.

Diagram: For a question which specifies a diagram you should present a drawing, chart, plan, or graphic representation in your answer. Generally you are expected to label the diagram and in some cases add a brief explanation or description. 

Differentiate: Same as distinguish but you have to present detailed comparison with other.

Distinguish: You have to give direct comparison between the topic and others.

Discuss: You are supposed to write about various aspects of the given statement and also you have to presents both negative and positive points of your arguments. The term discuss, which appears often in essay questions, directs you to examine, analyse carefully, and present considerations pro and con regarding the problems or items involved. This type of question calls for a complete and entailed answer. 

Elaborate: You need to give detailed information in well organised way. 

Elucidate: It refers to making statement plain. In fact you have to explain it in such a way that it becomes intelligible.

Enumerate: The word enumerate specifies a list or outline form of reply. In such questions you should recount, one by one, in concise form, the points required. You have to present all necessary points and need to give explanation one by one for each point.

Evaluate: In an evaluation question you are expected to present a careful appraisal of the problem stressing both advantages and limitations. Evaluation implies authoritative and, to a lesser degree, personal appraisal of both contributions and limitations. You just have to check the validity of the statement on the basis of evidences, data etc and at the end you have to give sound judgement.

Examine: It demands you to investigate the topic deeply and bring to light to various aspects of the given topic. It refers to inspecting something closely and bringing out facts.

Explain: In explanatory answers it is imperative that you clarify and interpret the material you present. You have to give detailed information of the topic like you need to answer what, why, where, how etc.You have to present all important points with justification. The aim is to make plain the conditions which give rise to whatever you are examining. 

Formulate: You need to express the topic in well organised and systematic way.

Illustrate: A question which asks you to illustrate usually requires you to explain or clarify your answer to the problem by presenting a figure, picture, diagram, or concrete example. 

Interpret: An interpretation question is similar to one requiring explanation. You are expected to translate, exemplify, solve, or comment upon the subject and usually to give your judgment or reaction to the problem. 

Investigate: You have to examine the topic in well systematic way and need to find out the different aspects of the question like you have to find out motive, causes, some facts.

Justify: You have to prove the validity of the statement. When you are instructed to justify your answer you must prove or show grounds for decisions. In such an answer, evidence should be presented in convincing form. 

List: Listing is similar to enumeration. You are expected in such questions to present an itemised series or tabulation. Such answers should always be given in concise form. 

Outline: An outline answer is organized description. You should give main points and essential supplementary materials, omitting minor details, and present the information in a systematic arrangement or classification. Fairly straightforward, needs an orderly, logical presentation of information.

Prove: A question which requires proof is one which demands confirmation or verification. In such discussions you should establish something with certainty by evaluating and citing experimental evidence or by logical reasoning. 

Reason: You have to find out the best reason for the given topic one by one.

Relate: In a question which asks you to show the relationship or to relate, your answer should emphasise connections and associations in descriptive form. 

Review: A review specifies a critical examination. You should analyse and comment briefly in organised sequence upon the major points of the problem. 

State: In questions which direct you to specify, give, state, or present, you are called upon to express the high points in brief, clear narrative form. Details, and usually illustrations or examples, may be omitted. 

Summarise: When you are asked to summarise or present a summarisation, you should give in condensed form the main points or facts. All details, illustrations and elaboration are to be omitted. 

Trace: When a question asks you to trace a course of events, you are to give a description of progress, historical sequence, or development from the point of origin. Such narratives may call for probing or for deduction.


A Few More Terms in form of Sentences:

What do you understand by this?
In such questions you have to write simply the various aspects of the given statements like definition, good, bad etc.

Give argument in favour of: 
In such questions you have to write  in support of and against a statement and have to give reason to support your argument.

Highlight the salient features: 
In such questions you have to write the most important point related to topic.

List out the salient features: 
It’s straightforward question you simply need to write various important points related to given statement in the question. 

Give your judgement in favour of something: 
In such questions you have to form an opinion or give you decision after careful consideration.You have to give sound decision.