Commanding the Command Terms: a DP Theatre Student Info Booklet
- Kieran Burgess
- Sep 1
- 2 min read
Updated: Sep 10
100% of the IB DP Theatre grade comes from coursework that the student completes in school, centred on authentic learning journeys that they embark upon independently. The assessment criteria for every one of these 4 tasks (3 if you're Standard Level) includes at least one set, or hierarchy, of command terms. These hierarchies of terms describe different levels of achievement when assessing student inquiry and process reports, performance and evaluation.
Each hierarchy contains four levels, each with their own term. These four levels correspond directly to the marks available for each strand of each criterion in each assessment task. The deeper the detail or the higher the effectiveness of skill demonstrated, the higher the mark awarded. Each criterion strand will use only one hierarchy, with the Command Terms hierarchy being the most used. So, understanding the command terms and differences between levels is key to being able to self-assess whether you've done all you can before submitting.
DP Theatre Command Terms Student Information Booklet
If these free resources have saved you some time and you want to show a gesture of thanks, I'd be so grateful for any small amount you wish to give!
This free student information booklet covers all of the command terms in the DP Theatre assessment criteria, ensuring understanding of the terminology used to differentiate between markbands across all assessment tasks. The deconstructions and self-evaluation prompts in this booklet can be used at the point of need: as students approach the relevant part of each project, both in the taught course and in the final assessment tasks.
For each term, you'll find in the booklet:
The official IB definition.
An example to illustrate what a response or performance at that level might look like.
Self-Evaluation questions to help you think critically about your own work.
We'll explore the three key hierarchies:
Command Terms: These cover the level of detail you give in the stories you tell about your learning and creating, in your written or spoken responses (e.g. your research findings, or the process of creating a performance).
Performance Terms: These cover the quality of practical theatre skills in relation to your artistic intentions (e.g. in performing, directing, or design).
Evaluative Terms: These guide how deeply you reflect on and make judgements about theatre work and learning.
This student info booklet goes hand in hand with the detailed student info booklets available for each of the four assessment tasks. They're free too. Just click below to download your copy of each:
Happy Theatring and good luck!
If these free resources have saved you some time and you want to show a gesture of thanks, I'd be so grateful for any small amount you wish to give!
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