How do I approach an 'evaluate' essay?

Evaluate is a common command term for IB History exams. It is vital that you are familiar with these terms as meeting the demands of the question is a key part of the rubric and will greatly affect your mark if you don't answer the quest! Evaluate means weighing up strengths and limitations. For instance, if the question asks you to evaluate the significance of the economic factors that contributed to the rise of power of an authoritarian leader, the ideal answer must include a range of factors such as political and social and not solely economic factors, before making a conclusion on the importance of economic factors in the rise to power of an authoritarian leader.