Bloom's Revised Taxonomy
First published in Taxonomy of Educational Objectives: The Classification of Educational Goals (1956), Bloom's Taxonomy provided a framework for categorizing learning objectives into three domains: cognitive, affective, and psychomotor. The framework was revised in 2001 with the current levels in the cognitive domain being:
- Level I: Remembering
- Level II: Understanding
- Level III: Applying
- Level IV: Analyzing
- Level V: Evaluating
- Level VI: Creating
The verbs associated with the cognitive domain are widely used today in education to write measurable learning objecives.
Faculty, consult the verb list when writing learning objectives for your courses.
Bloom's Definition of Remembering
- Exhibit memory of previously learned material by recalling facts, terms, basic concepts, and answers.
Verbs
- Cite
- Define
- Describe
- Draw
- Enumerate
- Identify
- Index
- Indicate
- Label
- List
- Match
- Meet
- Name
- Outline
- Point
- Quote
- Read
- Recall
- Recite
- Recognize
- Record
- Repeat
- Reproduce
- Review
- Select
- State
- Study
- Tabulate
- Trace
- Write
Bloom's Definition of Understanding
- Demonstrate understanding of facts and ideas by organizing, comparing, translating, interpreting, giving descriptions, and stating main ideas.
Verbs
- Add
- Approximate
- Articulate
- Associate
- Characterize
- Clarify
- Classify
- Compare
- Compute
- Contrast
- Convert
- Defend
- Describe
- Detail
- Differentiate
- Discuss
- Distinguish
- Elaborate
- Estimate
- Example
- Explain
- Express
- Extend
- Extrapolate
- Factor
- Generalize
- Give
- Infer
- Interact
- Interpolate
- Interpret
- Observe
- Paraphrase
- Picture graphically
- Predict
- Review
- Rewrite
- Subtract
- Summarize
- Translate
- Visualize
Bloom's Definition of Applying
- Solve problems to new situations by applying acquired knowledge, facts, techniques, and rules in a different way.
Verbs
- Acquire
- Adapt
- Allocate
- Alphabetize
- Apply
- Ascertain
- Assign
- Attain
- Avoid
- Back up
- Calculate
- Capture
- Change
- Classify
- Complete
- Compute
- Construct
- Customize
- Demonstrate
- Depreciate
- Derive
- Determine
- Diminish
- Discover
- Draw
- Employ
- Examine
- Exercise
- Explore
- Expose
- Express
- Factor
- Figure
- Graph
- Handle
- Illustrate
- Interconvert
- Investigate
- Manipulate
- Modify
- Operate
- Personalize
- Plot
- Practice
- Predict
- Prepare
- Price
- Process
- Produce
- Project
- Provide
- Relate
- Round off
- Sequence
- Show
- Simulate
- Sketch
- Solve
- Subscribe
- Tabulate
- Transcribe
- Translate
- Use
Bloom's Definition of Analyzing
- Examine and break information into parts by identifying motives or causes. Make inferences and find evidence to support generalizations
Verbs
- Analyze
- Audit
- Blueprint
- Breadboard
- Break down
- Characterize
- Classify
- Compare
- Confirm
- Contrast
- Correlate
- Detect
- Diagnose
- Diagram
- Differentiate
- Discriminate
- Dissect
- Distinguish
- Document
- Ensure
- Examine
- Explain
- Explore
- Figure out
- File
- Group
- Identify
- Illustrate
- Infer
- Interrupt
- Inventory
- Investigate
- Layout
- Manage
- Maximize
- Minimize
- Optimize
- Order
- Outline
- Point out
- Prioritize
- Proofread
- Query
- Relate
- Select
- Separate
- Subdivide
- Train
- Transform
Bloom's Definition of Evaluating
- Present and defend opinions by making judgements about information, validity of ideas, or quality of work based on a set of criteria.
Verbs
- Appraise
- Assess
- Compare
- Conclude
- Contrast
- Counsel
- Criticize
- Critique
- Defend
- Determine
- Discriminate
- Estimate
- Evaluate
- Explain
- Grade
- Hire
- Interpret
- Judge
- Justify
- Measure
- Predict
- Prescribe
- Rank
- Rate
- Recommend
- Release
- Select
- Summarize
- Support
- Test
- Validate
- Verify
Bloom's Definition of Creating
- Compile information together in a different way by combining elements in a new pattern or proposing alternative solutions.
Verbs
- Abstract
- Animate
- Arrange
- Assemble
- Budget
- Categorize
- Code
- Combine
- Compile
- Compose
- Construct
- Cope
- Correspond
- Create
- Cultivate
- Debug
- Depict
- Design
- Develop
- Devise
- Dictate
- Enhance
- Explain
- Facilitate
- Format
- Formulate
- Generalize
- Generate
- Handle
- Import
- Improve
- Incorporate
- Integrate
- Interface
- Join
- Lecture
- Model
- Modify
- Network
- Organize
- Outline
- Overhaul
- Plan
- Portray
- Prepare
- Prescribe
- Produce
- Program
- Rearrange
- Reconstruct
- Relate
- Reorganize
- Revise
- Rewrite
- Specify
- Summarize
- Anderson, L. W., & Krathwohl, D. R. (2001). A taxonomy for learning, teaching, and assessing: a revision of Bloom’s taxonomy of educational objectives. In P. W. Airasian, K. A. Cruikshank, R. E. Mayer, P. R. Pintrich, J. Raths, & M. C. Wittrock (Eds.), A taxonomy for learning, teaching, and assessing: a revision of Bloom’s taxonomy of educational objectives. New York: Longman.
- Bloom, B. S. (1956). Taxonomy of educational objectives: the classification of educational goals; Handbook I: Cognitive domain. In M. D. Engelhart, E. J. Furst, W. H. Hill, & D. R. Krathwohl (Eds.), Taxonomy of educational objectives: the classification of educational goals; Handbook I: Cognitive domain. New York: David McKay.
- Krathwohl, D. R. (2002). A revision of bloom’s taxonomy: an overview. Theory into Practice, 41(4), 212–218.
- Krathwohl, D. R., Bloom, B. S., & Masia, B. B. (1964). Taxonomy of educational objectives: the classification of educational goals (Affective domain, Vol. Handbook II). New York: David McKay.