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Describing instead of explaining — giving observations when reasons are required
“Relatively few candidates scored full marks on the 'explain' questions because they did not give the extra scientific information needed to support their answers or did not differentiate between the command words 'describe' and 'explain'.”— 1SC0 Paper 2BF, June 2024
How to fix: 'Describe' means state what you observe — for graphs, quote specific data values with units. 'Explain' means give the underlying reason: start with the observation, then use 'because' or 'which causes' to add the scientific mechanism. Check the command word before writing a single sentence. In Chemistry, describing volume of gas produced is never enough — you must link it to collision frequency or reactant depletion. In Physics, describing a trend scores Level 1 only; explanations involving forces, energy, or particles reach Level 2 and above.