BLOOM'S TAXONOMY
In 1956, Benjamin Bloom
headed a group of
educational psychologists
who developed a
classification of levels of
intellectual behavior
important in learning.
Bloom found that over 95
% of the test questions
students encounter require
them to think only at the
lowest possible level...the
recall of information.
Bloom identified six
levels within the cognitive
domain, from the simple
recall or recognition of
facts, as the lowest level,
through increasingly more
complex and abstract
mental levels, to the
highest order which is
classified as evaluation.
Verb examples that
represent intellectual
activity on each level are
listed here.
1. Knowledge: arrange, define, duplicate, label, list, memorize, name, order, recognize, relate, recall,
repeat, reproduce state.
2. Comprehension: classify, describe, discuss, explain, express, identify, indicate, locate, recognize,
report, restate, review, select, translate,
3. Application: apply, choose, demonstrate, dramatize, employ, illustrate, interpret, operate, practice,
schedule, sketch, solve, use, write.
4. Analysis: analyze, appraise, calculate, categorize, compare, contrast, criticize, differentiate,
discriminate, distinguish, examine, experiment, question, test.
5. Synthesis: arrange, assemble, collect, compose, construct, create, design, develop, formulate,
manage, organize, plan, prepare, propose, set up, write.
6. Evaluation : appraise, argue, assess, attach, choose compare, defend estimate, judge, predict, rate,
core, select, support, value, evaluate.
BLOOM'S TAXONOMY: Sample Questions
As teachers we tend to ask questions in the "knowledge" catagory 80% to 90% of the time. These
questions are not bad, but using them all the time is. Try to utilize higher order level of questions. These
questions require much more "brain power" and a more extensive and elaborate answer. Below are the six
question categories as defined by Bloom.
• KNOWLEDGE
o remembering;
o memorizing;
o recognizing;
o recalling identification and
o recall of information
Who, what, when, where, how ...?
Describe
• COMPREHENSION
o interpreting;
o translating from one medium to another;
o describing in one's own words;
o organization and selection of facts and ideas
Retell...
• APPLICATION
o problem solving;
o applying information to produce some result;
o use of facts, rules and principles
How is...an example of...?
How is...related to...?
Why is...significant?
• ANALYSIS
o subdividing something to show how it is put together;
o finding the underlying structure of a communication;
o identifying motives;
o separation of a whole into component parts
What are the parts or features of...?
Classify...according to...
Outline/diagram...
How does...compare/contrast with...?
What evidence can you list for...?
• SYNTHESIS
o creating a unique, original product that may be in verbal form or a physical object;
o combination of ideas to form a new whole
What would you predict/infer from...?
What ideas can you add to...?
How would you create/design a new...?
What might happen if you combined...?
What solutions would you suggest for...?
• EVALUATION
o making value decisions about issues;
o resolving controversies or differences of opinion;
o development of opinions, judgements or decisions
Do you agree...?
What do you think about...?
What is the most important...?
Place the following in order of priority...
How would you decide about...?
What criteria would you use to assess...?
For further Web-based information on Bloom's taxonomy:
http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/index.php?title=Bloom%27s_Taxonomy
http://oregonstate.edu/instruct/coursedev/models/id/taxonomy/#table
Revised Bloom’s Taxonomy
Table1. Bloom's Taxonomy
The Cognitive Process Dimension
The Knowledge Dimension
Understand
Apply
Analyze
Evaluate
Create
Factual Knowledge
Summarize
Classify
Order
Rank
Combine
Conceptual Knowledge
Interpret
Experiment
Explain
Assess
Plan
Procedural Knowledge
Predict
Calculate
Differentiate
Conclude
Compose
Meta-Cognitive Knowledge
Execute
Construct
Achieve
Action
Actualize