The Cognitive Domain
Assessment for Learning · Revised Bloom’s Taxonomy (Anderson and Krathwohl, 2001) · Reading
Note
1. Meaning of the cognitive domain
Meaning. The cognitive domain is the area of learning that deals with thinking and
knowledge: how we remember, understand, use and build ideas.
Benjamin Bloom and his team arranged it into six levels in 1956. In 2001, Lorin Anderson and David
Krathwohl revised it. They changed the level names from nouns to verbs, because thinking is an
action, and placed Create at the top. This is the Revised Bloom’s Taxonomy we use today.
2. Six levels
Each level builds on the one below it. A learner cannot evaluate an idea that she has not
understood.
3. Action verbs and question stems
Use these verbs and stems to write questions at the level you want to test.
Level
Action verbs
Question stems
Remember
define, list, name, recall, state,
identify
What is…? Who…? When…? List the…
Understand
explain, describe, summarise,
classify, compare, give examples
Explain in your own words… What is
the main idea of…? Give an example
of…
Apply
use, solve, demonstrate, carry out,
show, prepare
How would you use… in…? What
would happen if…? Solve…
Analyse
differentiate, compare, examine,
organise, find causes
What are the parts of…? Why did…
happen? How is… different from…?
Evaluate
judge, justify, assess, critique,
defend, choose
Do you agree that…? Why? Which is
better, and why? Justify your choice.
Create
design, plan, develop, construct,
compose, produce
Design a… Plan a… How would you
make a new…?
4. Using the taxonomy to frame questions and tasks
Follow three simple steps:
1. Decide the level each learning outcome needs. Don’t stop at Remember and Understand.
2. Pick a matching verb from the table and write the question with it.
3. Check the balance. Spread questions across all six levels, with more weight on higher levels
for older learners.
Example: one topic, "Water cycle" (Class VI), framed at all six levels
Level
Question or task
Remember
Name the four stages of the water cycle.
Understand
Explain in your own words how clouds are formed.
Apply
Your wet clothes dry faster on a sunny day. Which stage of the water cycle
explains this?
Analyse
Why does it rain more in coastal areas than in deserts?
Evaluate
Your village wants to collect rainwater on rooftops. Is this a good idea?
Justify your answer.
Create
Design a poster that shows how a school can save water at every stage of
the water cycle.
A good test or session plan mixes all six levels, instead of asking only “What is…?”
Quick self-check
Which level does each question test?
1. List the parts of a lesson plan.
2. Which teaching method suits a large class better, lecture or group work? Justify your choice.
3. Prepare a rubric to assess a science model.
4. Explain the difference between an aim and an objective.
Answers: 1 Remember, 2 Evaluate, 3 Create, 4 Understand.