Evaluation is one of the highest-level thinking skills, and a key skill needed by any successful sociology student. You will have noticed that many A-level essay-style exam questions include the ‘command’ word assess—for example, A2 questions often ask you to ‘assess the usefulness’ of a particular theory. Many students initially find these types of questions hard. However, once you understand what is required and work on some basic planning skills and exam technique you will almost certainly raise your mark.
To ‘assess’ means to weigh-up an idea, to consider the pros and cons and then come to a conclusion. In exam questions, the word ‘assess’ is your cue to evaluate — to consider what is good and bad about a particular concept or theory.
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