Bloom’s
Taxonomy
Definitions
Knowledge
Comprehension Application
Analysis
Synthesis
Evaluation
Remembers
previously
learned
material
Grasps the
meaning of
material
Uses
learned
material in
new and
concrete
situations
Breaks down
material into its
component parts
so that it may be
more easily
understood
Puts
material
together to
form a
whole
Judges the
value of
material for a
given purpose
Power
Verbs
Who
What
When
Where
How
Associate
Classify
Compare
Compute
Conclude
Contrast
Describe
Diagram
Differentiate
Discuss
Distinguish
Estimate
Explain
Extrapolate
Gather
Illustrate
Interpolate
Interpret
Model
Outline
Predict
Prepare
Rephrase
Report
Restate
Review
Summarize
Transform
Translate
Apply
Arrange
Calculate
Change
Classify
Compare
Complete
Construct
Correct
Demonstrate
Develop
Discover
Dramatize
Employ
Examine
Format
How to
Illustrate
Make
Manipulate
Modify
Organize
Practice
Predict
Produce
Relate
Restructure
Revise
Select
Schedule
Show
Solve
Teach
Use
Abstract
Analyze
Appraise
Argue
Assess
Break Down
Categorize
Compare
Contrast
Criticize
Debate
Deduce
Detect
Dissect
Distinguish
Explain
Generate
Graph
Group
Identify
Induce
Infer
Interpret
Investigate
Order
Question
Relate
Select
Separate
Subdivide
Summarize
Support
Survey
Amplify
Arrange
Assemble
Combine
Compose
Construct
Create
Demonstrate
Derive
Design
Develop
Devise
Formulate
Hypothesize
Generalize
Imagine
Incorporate
Integrate
Invent
Manage
Modify
Organize
Plan
Predict
Prepare
Prescribe
Produce
Propose
Rearrange
Reconstruct
Set up
Specify
Appraise
Assess
Criticize
Critique
Debate
Decide
Deduce
Defend
Determine
Discriminate
Dispute
Evaluate
Grade
Judge
Justify
Measure
Presuade
Predict
Rank
Rate
Recommend
Score
Select
Test
Value
Verify
[Questioning
Words]
Cite
Count
Define
Distinguish
Draw
Identify
Indicate
Label
List
Locate
Match
Name
Observe
Pick
Point
Quote
Read
Recite
Recall
Recognize
Record
Relate
Repeat
Select
Sort
State
Tabulate
Tell
Trace
Underline
Write
2012-2013
Page 2
Bloom’s
Taxonomy
Concepts
Knowledge
Comprehension Application
Analysis
Synthesis
Evaluation
Knows:
Common
Terms
Specific
Facts
Methods and
Procedures
Basic
Concepts
Understands:
Facts/principles
Interprets:
Verbal material
Interprets:
Charts and
Graphs
Translate:
Verbal material
into math
formulas
Estimate:
Future
consequences
implied in
data
Justifies:
Methods and
procedures
Solves:
math
problems
Constructs
charts and
graphs
Demonstrates:
Correct
usage of
methods/
procedures
Applies:
Concepts/
principles in
new
situations
Applies:
Theories to
practical
situations
Recognizes:
Unseated
assumptions
Recognizes:
Logical
fallacies in
reasoning
Distinguishes:
Between facts
and inferences
Evaluates:
Relevancy of
data
Assesses:
Organizational
structure of
work (art,
music, writing)
Produces:
Well
organized
theme,
speech
Composes:
Creative
story,
poem,
music
Proposes:
Plan for
Experiment
Integrates:
Learning
from
different
areas into
a plan for
problem
solving
Judges:
Logical
Consistency:
Of written
material
Judges:
Adequacy
with which
conclusions
are
supported
by data
Judges:
Value of
art, music,
Literature
using
external
standards
Essay
Research
Reenactment
Chart/log
Report
Standardized
Projects
Produces
Creates
Performs
Writes
Operates
Integrated
Report
Aesthetic
Assessment
Compare/
Contrast
Open
Response
Portfolio
Performance
Event
Open
Response
Portfolio
Performance
Event
Interdisciplinary
Reflection
Instruction
Open
Response
Portfolio
Performance
Event
Reflection
Revision
Assessment True/False
Multiple
Choice
Short
Answer
Completion
Matching
Standardized
Bloom's Taxonomy is a classification of learning objectives within education.
It refers to a classification of the different objectives that educators set for students (learning objectives). The taxonomy was first presented
in 1956 through the publication The Taxonomy of Educational Objectives, The Classification of Educational Goals, Handbook I: Cognitive
Domain, byBenjamin Bloom (editor), M. D. Englehart, E. J. Furst, W. H. Hill, and David Krathwohl. It is considered to be a foundational and
essential element within the education community as evidenced in the 1981 survey Significant writings that have influenced the curriculum:
1906-1981, by H. G. Shane and the 1994 yearbook of the National Society for the Study of Education.
Domain
The cognitive domain (Bloom, 1956) involves knowledge and the development of
intellectual skills. This includes the recall or recognition of specific facts, procedural
patterns, and concepts that serve in the development of intellectual abilities and
skills. There are six major categories, which are listed in order below, starting from
the simplest behavior to the most complex. The categories can be thought of as
degrees of difficulties. That is, the first one must be mastered before the next one
can take place.
Category
Example and Key Words
Examples: Recite a policy. Quote prices from
memory to a customer. Knows the safety rules.
Knowledge: Recall data or
information.
Comprehension: Understand the
meaning, translation, interpolation,
and interpretation of instructions and
problems. State a problem in one's
own words.
Application: Use a concept in a new
situation or unprompted use of an
abstraction. Applies what was learned
in the classroom into novel situations
in the work place.
Key Words: defines, describes, identifies,
knows, labels, lists, matches, names, outlines,
recalls, recognizes, reproduces, selects, states.
Examples: Rewrite the principles of test writing.
Explain in one's own words the steps for
performing a complex task. Translate an
equation into a computer spreadsheet.
Key Words: comprehends, converts, defends,
distinguishes, estimates, explains, extends,
generalizes, gives Examples, infers, interprets,
paraphrases, predicts, rewrites, summarizes,
translates.
Examples: Use a manual to calculate an
employee's vacation time. Apply laws of
statistics to evaluate the reliability of a written
test.
Key Words: applies, changes, computes,
constructs, demonstrates, discovers,
manipulates, modifies, operates, predicts,
Cognitive
prepares, produces, relates, shows, solves,
uses.
Analysis: Separates material or
concepts into component parts so that
its organizational structure may be
understood. Distinguishes between
facts and inferences.
Synthesis: Builds a structure or
pattern from diverse elements. Put
parts together to form a whole, with
emphasis on creating a new meaning
or structure.
Examples: Troubleshoot a piece of equipment
by using logical deduction. Recognize logical
fallacies in reasoning. Gather information from a
department and select the required tasks for
training.
Key Words: analyzes, breaks down, compares,
contrasts, diagrams, deconstructs, differentiates,
discriminates, distinguishes, identifies,
illustrates, infers, outlines, relates, selects,
separates.
Examples: Write a company operations or
process manual. Design a machine to perform a
specific task. Integrate training from several
sources to solve a problem. Revise and process
to improve the outcome.
Key Words: categorizes, combines, compiles,
composes, creates, devises, designs, explains,
generates, modifies, organizes, plans,
rearranges, reconstructs, relates, reorganizes,
revises, rewrites, summarizes, tells, writes.
Examples: Select the most effective solution.
Hire the most qualified candidate. Explain and
justify a new budget.
Evaluation: Make judgments about
the value of ideas or materials.
Key Words: appraises, compares, concludes,
contrasts, criticizes, critiques, defends,
describes, discriminates, evaluates, explains,
interprets, justifies, relates, summarizes,
supports.