WSET Level 3 Command Verbs: Describe vs Explain
Learn how command verbs shape WSET Level 3 theory answers, with mark-led structures for describe, explain, compare and assess plus original practice examples.
The command verb is the shortest part of a WSET Level 3 theory prompt and the easiest part to ignore. It determines what earns the mark. “Describe” needs accurate characteristics. “Explain” needs a link from cause to effect. “Compare” needs both subjects held against the same factor. “Assess” needs a supported judgement. Learn that distinction before adding more facts to your notes.
First, Read the Marks
The current WSET Level 3 specification describes a two-hour theory examination with 50 multiple-choice questions and four short-written-answer questions worth 25 marks each. Candidates need at least 55% in both theory parts.
That structure rewards precision. Before writing, underline the command verb, the subject and any boundary such as region, grape or production stage. Then use the mark allocation to estimate how many separate points the examiner can reward.
Describe: Say What Is There
A describe prompt asks for characteristics, not a history lesson. For a wine style, useful categories may include sweetness, acidity, tannin, alcohol, body and flavour. For a climate, temperature, rainfall, sunlight and seasonal risk may matter.
Original practice prompt: Describe a typical cool-climate Chardonnay.
A focused answer might state light to medium body, high acidity, moderate alcohol and citrus or green-apple fruit. Each phrase describes the result. Do not add oak unless the question or style supports it.
Explain: Complete the Chain
An explain prompt needs “because” even if you do not write the word. WSET’s own 2026 theory exam technique article advises linking the named factor to its effect on wine style.
Use this chain:
Condition or decision → mechanism → grape or wine effect → resulting style, quality or price.
For example: a cool growing season slows sugar accumulation, so grapes can reach lower potential alcohol while retaining acidity, producing a lighter, fresher wine. “Cool climate equals high acid” is a fact; the full chain is an explanation.
Compare: Pair Every Point
Do not write one paragraph about A and a second about B. Use shared headings or paired sentences.
| Factor | Wine A | Wine B | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|---|
| Climate | Cooler | Warmer | Ripeness, acidity and alcohol diverge |
| Winemaking | Neutral vessel | New oak | Aroma and texture diverge |
| Result | Leaner and fresher | Fuller and spicier | Directly answers the style difference |
Start with one similarity if relevant, then move through differences using the same variables. The Level 3 theory practice page shows how paired evidence becomes markable prose.
Assess or Evaluate: Make a Judgement
Assessment asks you to weigh evidence, not merely list it. State a defensible conclusion, support it with relevant factors and acknowledge a limitation when it changes the answer.
For quality, use the SAT logic of balance, length, intensity and complexity. For price, consider yield, labour, maturation, land and demand. Avoid absolute claims when vintage or producer style creates meaningful variation.
A 30-Second Planning Grid
Before writing, make four tiny notes:
- Command verb: describe, explain, compare or assess.
- Boundaries: exactly which place, grape, stage or outcome.
- Marks: the number of distinct points required.
- Chain: the order from cause to finished wine.
Then write the points, not an introduction. Cross out any sentence that merely restates the question. The Level 3 cheatsheet supplies the facts and cause-and-effect chains; this page supplies the grammar for turning them into answers.
Practise Under Retrieval Conditions
Read a prompt, close your notes, plan for 30 seconds and write to the marks. Check your response against the learning outcome and your course material, then rewrite only the missing links. Alternate written practice with the free Level 3 mock test so recognition and recall develop together.
Sommo is independent of WSET. Your current specification, official study guide and Approved Programme Provider remain authoritative.
Common questions
Describe states accurate characteristics: what something is like. Explain adds why it happens or what effect it causes. If the prompt says explain, a list of correct facts can still miss marks because the links between them are absent.
Use the mark allocation as your minimum planning guide. A five-mark part normally needs about five distinct, relevant points. One sentence can contain more than one point, but padding and repetition do not create extra marks.
Clear bullet points can express markable content efficiently, but each bullet must answer the command verb. Follow the current instructions from WSET and your Approved Programme Provider for the exact examination format.
Compare requires a relationship between both subjects. Organise the answer by the same factors, such as climate, body and flavour, and state how A differs from B. Two unrelated mini-essays make the comparison harder to see.
No. Sommo is independent. Use the current WSET qualification specification, course materials and provider instructions as the authority; this page is an original practice aid for organising your own answers.
