🌟 The Higher-Order Command Words
So you've already got your head around describe, explain, suggest, define and the rest. Now it's time to level up. Discuss, Assess and Evaluate are the command words that appear on the bigger mark questions usually 6, 8 or even 12 marks. These are the questions that separate a grade 5 from a grade 8.
The good news? Once you understand what each word is really asking, they're not as scary as they look. Let's break them down properly.
Key Definitions:
- Discuss: Look at different sides of an issue. Present arguments for and against, or different viewpoints and come to a conclusion.
- Assess: Weigh up the importance or significance of something. Judge how much something matters or how true it is.
- Evaluate: Make a judgement about the value, success or impact of something, using evidence to back up your view.
💡 The Big Difference from Lower-Order Words
With describe or state, you're just reporting facts. With discuss, assess and evaluate, you're being asked to think critically to weigh things up, consider different angles and give a supported judgement. These questions always carry more marks because they require more thinking.
💬 Discuss In Depth
When you see Discuss, think of it like a balanced debate. You need to present more than one point of view. In Travel & Tourism, this often means looking at both the positives and negatives of something, or considering the views of different stakeholders.
📋 What a Discuss Answer Must Include
- At least two different perspectives or sides of the argument
- Specific facts, figures or examples to support each point
- Connective language: "However…", "On the other hand…", "In contrast…"
- A conclusion that draws the discussion together
❌ Weak Discuss Answer
Question: Discuss the impacts of tourism on a destination of your choice.
"Tourism brings money to a country. It also causes pollution. There are good and bad things about tourism."
👎 This is too vague. No examples, no balance, no conclusion. It would score very low.
✅ Strong Discuss Answer
"Tourism in Thailand generates significant economic benefits in 2019, it contributed over 20% of GDP and supported millions of jobs. However, mass tourism has caused serious environmental damage, particularly in areas like Maya Bay, which was closed in 2018 due to coral reef destruction. While local businesses benefit from tourist spending, local communities often face rising living costs and cultural disruption. On balance, the economic gains are significant but must be managed carefully to avoid long-term harm."
👍 Balanced, specific, uses evidence, reaches a conclusion.
🌎 Case Study: Discuss in Action Overtourism in Dubrovnik, Croatia
Dubrovnik is a UNESCO World Heritage city on the Adriatic coast. It receives over 1.5 million visitors per year but only 42,000 people actually live there. This makes it a brilliant case study for a discuss question on tourism impacts.
- 📈 Economic positives: Tourism generates €1 billion+ annually; supports hotels, restaurants and transport
- 🚫 Social negatives: Locals struggle with overcrowded streets, rising rents and noise pollution
- 🌿 Environmental negatives: Cruise ships cause air and water pollution; the old city walls are being worn down by foot traffic
- 🛠 Management response: The city introduced cruise ship limits (max 2 ships per day) and tourist caps in the old town
A discuss answer on Dubrovnik would present both sides the economic benefits AND the social/environmental costs before concluding whether tourism is, overall, beneficial or harmful.
⚖️ Assess In Depth
When you see Assess, you're being asked to judge the importance or significance of something. It's not just about listing points you need to weigh them up and decide which factors matter most and why.
Think of it like being a judge. You're looking at the evidence and deciding: how significant is this? How much does it matter?
📋 What an Assess Answer Must Include
- A clear judgement about the significance or importance of the factor(s)
- Evidence and examples to support your points
- Comparison of different factors which is more important and why?
- A conclusion that states your overall assessment
📝 Assess Worked Example
Question: Assess the importance of climate as a factor affecting tourist destination choice. [8 marks]
Strong approach: "Climate is arguably the most important factor for many tourists, particularly those choosing beach or ski destinations. The Mediterranean climate warm, dry summers drives millions of visitors to Spain, Greece and Italy each year. However, climate alone does not determine destination choice. Safety is also critical: despite a warm climate, some North African destinations saw tourist numbers fall sharply after terrorist incidents in the 2010s. Cost is another key factor budget travellers may choose a less climatically ideal destination if it is significantly cheaper. Overall, while climate is highly important, it works alongside safety, cost and accessibility to shape tourist decisions."
💡 The Assess Formula
Use this structure to build a strong assess answer:
- State your initial judgement on the factor's importance
- Support with specific evidence or examples
- Challenge introduce other factors that also matter
- Compare which factor is most significant overall?
- Conclude give your final assessment clearly
🏆 Case Study: Assessing Tourism Development The Gambia
The Gambia is a small West African country that has developed tourism as a key economic strategy. It's a great case study for assess questions about tourism's role in development.
- Tourism accounts for roughly 20% of GDP and employs thousands directly and indirectly
- The country attracts mainly European winter-sun tourists, especially from the UK and Scandinavia
- However, much of the profit leaks out of the country through foreign-owned hotel chains
- Seasonal tourism means many jobs are only available for part of the year
- Infrastructure improvements (roads, airports) have benefited locals as well as tourists
An assess question might ask: "Assess the extent to which tourism has benefited The Gambia." You'd need to weigh up the genuine benefits against the limitations and reach a clear conclusion about the overall extent of benefit.
⚖️ Evaluate In Depth
Evaluate is very similar to assess, but it often focuses on judging the success, effectiveness or value of something like a strategy, a policy or a management approach. You're asking: Did it work? Was it worth it? How successful was it?
📋 What an Evaluate Answer Must Include
- A judgement on how successful, effective or valuable something is
- Evidence of what worked well and what didn't
- Consideration of different stakeholders who benefited? Who didn't?
- A clear, supported conclusion your overall verdict
❌ Weak Evaluate Answer
Question: Evaluate the success of ecotourism as a strategy for sustainable development.
"Ecotourism is good because it helps the environment. It brings money to local people. Some people think it is not always successful."
👎 No specific examples, no real judgement, no conclusion. This would score Level 1 at best.
✅ Strong Evaluate Answer
"Ecotourism has shown real success in countries like Costa Rica, where it generates over $3 billion annually and has helped protect 25% of the country's land as national parks. Local communities benefit through guiding jobs and homestay income. However, 'greenwashing' is a serious problem some operators use the label without genuine sustainability practices. In remote areas, ecotourism can also disturb fragile ecosystems. Overall, ecotourism is a valuable strategy when properly regulated, but its success depends heavily on strong government oversight and genuine community involvement."
👍 Specific evidence, balanced, considers different angles, clear conclusion.
🌎 Case Study: Evaluate in Action Tourism Management in Machu Picchu, Peru
Machu Picchu is one of the world's most visited heritage sites, attracting over 1.5 million visitors per year. The Peruvian government has introduced several management strategies making it a perfect case study for an evaluate question.
- 📌 Timed entry slots introduced to reduce overcrowding at peak times
- 🚫 Visitor caps limited to around 5,600 visitors per day
- 🛠 Restoration work funded partly by tourism revenue
- 🚫 Ban on drones to protect the atmosphere of the site
Has it worked? Partially. Visitor numbers are better controlled, but illegal trekking routes and unofficial guides remain problems. Local communities near Aguas Calientes benefit economically, but rising costs have displaced some residents. An evaluate answer would judge the overall effectiveness of these strategies, acknowledging both successes and ongoing challenges.
📋 Discuss vs Assess vs Evaluate Side by Side
Students often mix these up in the exam. Here's a clear comparison to help you remember what each one is really asking:
💬 Discuss
Core question: "What are the different sides of this issue?"
Present arguments for and against. Consider multiple viewpoints. Reach a balanced conclusion.
Key phrase: "On the other hand..."
⚖️ Assess
Core question: "How important/significant is this?"
Weigh up factors. Judge which matters most. Give a clear verdict on significance.
Key phrase: "The most significant factor is..."
⭐ Evaluate
Core question: "How successful/effective/valuable is this?"
Judge success or value. Consider what worked and what didn't. Give an overall verdict.
Key phrase: "Overall, this strategy has been..."
📚 Language That Gets You Top Marks
The words and phrases you use signal to the examiner that you're thinking at a higher level. Here are some powerful phrases to use in your answers:
💬 For Discuss
- "On one hand... on the other hand..."
- "While it is true that... it must also be noted that..."
- "Different stakeholders have contrasting views..."
- "Taking everything into account..."
- "The evidence suggests a mixed picture..."
⭐ For Assess & Evaluate
- "The most significant factor is... because..."
- "This strategy has been largely successful in that..."
- "However, its effectiveness is limited by..."
- "Overall, the evidence suggests..."
- "In conclusion, I would argue that..."
⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid
- ❌ Only giving one side all three command words require balance and judgement
- ❌ Forgetting to conclude your final paragraph must state your overall judgement clearly
- ❌ Listing without explaining don't just list points; explain why they matter
- ❌ Being vague always use specific examples, places, figures or case studies
- ❌ Treating evaluate and assess as identical assess focuses on importance/significance; evaluate focuses on success/effectiveness
✍️ Try These Yourself
Use what you've learned to plan or write answers to these exam-style questions. Remember to identify the command word first, then plan your structure before you write.
📝 Question 1 Discuss [6 marks]
"Discuss the impacts of cruise ship tourism on a destination of your choice."
💡 Hint: Think about economic benefits, environmental damage, local community views and management responses. Use a specific destination like Dubrovnik or the Caribbean.
📝 Question 2 Assess [8 marks]
"Assess the importance of transport improvements in the growth of international tourism."
💡 Hint: Consider low-cost airlines, high-speed rail and improved road networks. Compare transport with other factors like rising incomes and changing attitudes. Which is most important?
📝 Question 3 Evaluate [8 marks]
"Evaluate the success of strategies used to manage tourism at a named heritage site."
💡 Hint: Use Machu Picchu, Dubrovnik or another site you know well. Discuss what strategies were used, what worked, what didn't and give an overall verdict.
🚀 Quick Revision Summary Discuss, Assess and Evaluate
- 💬 Discuss = balanced debate, multiple viewpoints, conclusion
- ⚖️ Assess = judge importance/significance, weigh factors, give a verdict
- ⭐ Evaluate = judge success/effectiveness, consider what worked and what didn't, overall verdict
- 📋 All three require specific evidence and a clear conclusion
- 📚 Use case studies Dubrovnik, Machu Picchu, The Gambia, Costa Rica, Thailand
- ✍️ Plan your answer before you write identify command word, structure your points, save time for a conclusion