Bloom’s Taxonomy in practice - a hierarchy of thinking skills

Level 1 (NC Level 1, 2) Level 2 (NC Level 2, 3) Level 3 (NC Level 4) Level 4 (NC Level 4, 5) Level 5 (NC Level 5, 6) Level 6 (NC Level 7, 8+)
Category Knowledge Comprehension Application Analysis higher order Synthesis higher order Evaluation higher order
Description Information Gathering Confirming Making use of knowledge Taking apart Putting Together Judging outcomes
The skills observation and understanding using information; seeing patterns; using old ideas to comparing and
demonstrated recall of information; information; using methods, organization of parts; create new ones; discriminating
at this level knowledge of dates, grasping meaning; concepts, theories in recognition of hidden generalising from between ideas;
are those of : events, places; translating new situations; meanings; given facts; assessing value of
knowledge of major knowledge into a solving problems identification of relating knowledge presentations;
ideas; new context; using required skills components. from several areas; making choices
mastery of subject interpreting facts, or knowledge. predicting, drawing based on reasoned
matter. comparing, conclusions. argument;
contrasting; verifying value of
inferring causes; evidence;
predicting recognising
consequences. subjectivity.
What the Student recalls or Student translates, Student selects, transfers, Student distinguishes, Student originates, Student appraises, assesses,
student recognizes information, comprehends, or and uses data and principles classifies, and relates the integrates, and combines or critiques on a basis of
does : ideas, and principles in the interprets information to complete a problem or assumptions, hypotheses, ideas into a product, plan or specific standards and
approximate form in which based on prior learning. task. evidence, or structure of a proposal that is new to him criteria.
they were learned. statement or question. or her.
Sample · define · predict · apply · separate · combine · decide
trigger · list · estimate · demonstrate · order · integrate · test
words : · label · differentiate · complete · explain · rearrange · measure
· name · extend · illustrate · connect · substitute · judge
· identify · summarize · show · divide · plan · explain
· repeat · describe · examine · compare · create · compare
· who · interpret · modify · select · design · summarize
· what · discuss · relate · explain · prepare · assess
· when · extend · change · infer · compose · justify
· where · contrast · classify · arrange · modify · discriminate
· tell · distinguish · discover · classify · create · convince
· describe · discuss · use · analyse · design · conclude
· collect · explain · compute · categorize · hypothesize · select
· examine · paraphrase · solve · compare · develop · rank
· tabulate · illustrate · construct · contrast · formulate · predict
· quote · compare · calculate · extract · rewrite · argue

Bloom’s Taxonomy in practice - a hierarchy of thinking skills v2 Allison Allen Jul-10 Page 1