What examiners actually look for: trigger words in physics mark schemes

Why mark schemes work this way

Thousands of scripts must be marked identically, so examiners are given objective criteria: award the mark if the answer contains this idea, expressed with this precision. Words like 'increases', 'per unit', 'rate of', 'average', and 'resultant' are not decoration — they are frequently the difference between the mark and nothing.

The families of trigger words

Definition questions demand the precise formula in words: density is mass per unit volume — 'how heavy something is for its size' scores zero. Explanation questions demand causal chains with named quantities. Comparison questions demand both sides stated explicitly: not 'copper is better', but 'copper has a lower resistivity than iron, so the current is larger for the same potential difference'.

Students trained this way describe exam questions as familiar before they finish reading them. Ahmed in Dubai called it 'revealing exactly what examiners are looking for in every answer' — which is precisely what studying mark schemes does.

Learn what the scientific terms mean, then use them in the right context.

How to build your own trigger-word bank

Attempt a question before opening its mark scheme. Compare the scientific ideas in your answer with the award criteria and any allowed alternatives. Record useful terms with their meanings and a worked context, then test yourself on another question. Avoid copying an answer into a different situation without checking that it applies.