Overview
For Cambridge syllabus 2210, 2210 Computer Science command words split theory recall from algorithm construction. Write and Draw mean produce working pseudocode or logic — not prose paragraphs.
Key verbs
This section covers Key verbs — ranked by what Cambridge examiners return to most often in past papers.
| Verb | What to deliver |
|---|---|
| State / Identify | Short technical answer |
| Explain | How/why a process works — trace tables help |
| Describe | Features of an algorithm or system |
| Write | Pseudocode or program fragment to spec |
| Draw | Flowchart or diagram with correct symbols |
Problem-solving paper
Trace-based Explain questions need line-by-line reasoning — match the mark scheme’s expected depth.
Practise
[2210 past papers](/past-papers/2210) · [2210 command words tool](/tools/command-words/2210) · [9618 A-Level CS guide](/blog/cambridge-9618-computer-science-command-words-guide)
FAQ
This section covers FAQ — ranked by what Cambridge examiners return to most often in past papers.
Can Explain be bullet points?
Sometimes — but algorithm traces often need ordered steps.
Write vs Explain?
Write = code/pseudocode; Explain = prose or trace describing behaviour.