Benjamin Bloom created this taxonomy for categorizing level of
abstraction of questions that commonly occur in educational
settings. The taxonomy provides a useful structure in which to
categorize test questions, since professors will
characteristically ask questions within particular levels, and if
you can determine the levels of questions that will appear on
your exams, you will be able to study using appropriate
strategies.
Competence |
Skills Demonstrated |
| Knowledge |
- observation and recall of information
- knowledge of dates, events, places
- knowledge of major ideas
- mastery of subject matter
- Question Cues:
list, define, tell, describe, identify, show, label, collect, examine, tabulate, quote, name, who, when, where, etc.
|
| Comprehension |
- understanding information
- grasp meaning
- translate knowledge into new context
- interpret facts, compare, contrast
- order, group, infer causes
- predict consequences
- Question Cues:
summarize, describe, interpret, contrast, predict, associate, distinguish, estimate, differentiate, discuss, extend
|
| Application |
- use information
- use methods, concepts, theories in new situations
- solve problems using required skills or knowledge
- Questions Cues:
apply, demonstrate, calculate, complete, illustrate, show, solve, examine, modify, relate, change, classify, experiment, discover
|
| Analysis |
- seeing patterns
- organization of parts
- recognition of hidden meanings
- identification of components
- Question Cues:
analyze, separate, order, explain, connect, classify, arrange, divide, compare, select, explain, infer
|
| Synthesis |
- use old ideas to create new ones
- generalize from given facts
- relate knowledge from several areas
- predict, draw conclusions
- Question Cues:
combine, integrate, modify, rearrange, substitute, plan, create, design, invent, what if?, compose, formulate, prepare, generalize, rewrite
|
| Evaluation |
- compare and discriminate between ideas
- assess value of theories, presentations
- make choices based on reasoned argument
- verify value of evidence
- recognize subjectivity
- Question Cues
assess, decide, rank, grade, test, measure, recommend, convince, select, judge, explain, discriminate, support, conclude, compare, summarize
|
* From Benjamin S. Bloom Taxonomy of educational
objectives.
Published by Allyn and Bacon, Boston, MA. Copyright (c) 1984 by
Pearson Education.
Adapted by permission of the publisher.
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