Bloom's Taxonomy Verbs

Bloom's Taxonomy is a widely used framework for categorizing learning objectives into six levels of cognitive complexity. The taxonomy was first introduced by Benjamin Bloom in 1956 and has since been revised and updated. The six levels of Bloom's Taxonomy, in order of increasing complexity, are: Remembering, Understanding, Applying, Analyzing, Evaluating, and Creating. Each level is associated with specific verbs that describe the types of cognitive processes involved.
Introduction to Bloom’s Taxonomy Verbs

The verbs associated with each level of Bloom’s Taxonomy provide a way to describe the cognitive processes involved in learning and to create learning objectives that are specific, measurable, and achievable. By using these verbs, educators can design instructional activities and assessments that target specific levels of cognitive complexity. For example, remembering involves recalling previously learned information, while understanding involves interpreting and explaining the meaning of information.
Levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy
The six levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy, along with their associated verbs, are:
- Remembering: recall, recognize, remember, list, describe
- Understanding: interpret, explain, describe, summarize, paraphrase
- Applying: apply, use, demonstrate, illustrate, solve
- Analyzing: analyze, compare, contrast, categorize, identify
- Evaluating: evaluate, judge, justify, critique, assess
- Creating: create, design, develop, invent, compose
These verbs can be used to create learning objectives that are specific, measurable, and achievable. For example, “Students will be able to apply the principles of Newton’s laws to solve problems” or “Students will be able to evaluate the effectiveness of a marketing campaign.”
Level | Verbs | Examples |
---|---|---|
Remembering | recall, recognize, remember | Recall the capital of France, recognize the author of a novel |
Understanding | interpret, explain, describe | Explain the concept of climate change, describe the plot of a movie |
Applying | apply, use, demonstrate | Apply the principles of physics to solve a problem, demonstrate a laboratory technique |
Analyzing | analyze, compare, contrast | Analyze the themes in a novel, compare the advantages and disadvantages of a technology |
Evaluating | evaluate, judge, justify | Evaluate the effectiveness of a policy, judge the quality of a product |
Creating | create, design, develop | Design a new product, develop a marketing strategy |

By using the verbs associated with each level of Bloom’s Taxonomy, educators can create learning objectives that are specific, measurable, and achievable, and that target specific levels of cognitive complexity.
Implementing Bloom’s Taxonomy in Education

Bloom’s Taxonomy can be implemented in education in a variety of ways, including:
- Creating learning objectives that are specific, measurable, and achievable
- Designing instructional activities and assessments that target specific levels of cognitive complexity
- Using the verbs associated with each level of Bloom’s Taxonomy to describe the cognitive processes involved in learning
- Encouraging students to think critically and solve problems
By implementing Bloom’s Taxonomy in education, educators can help students to develop a deeper understanding of subject matter and to develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
Benefits of Using Bloom’s Taxonomy
The use of Bloom’s Taxonomy has a number of benefits, including:
- Helping educators to create learning objectives that are specific, measurable, and achievable
- Providing a framework for designing instructional activities and assessments that target specific levels of cognitive complexity
- Encouraging students to think critically and solve problems
- Helping students to develop a deeper understanding of subject matter
Overall, the use of Bloom’s Taxonomy can help educators to create more effective learning experiences and to help students to develop the skills and knowledge they need to succeed.
What is Bloom’s Taxonomy?
+Bloom’s Taxonomy is a framework for categorizing learning objectives into six levels of cognitive complexity. It was first introduced by Benjamin Bloom in 1956 and has since been revised and updated.
What are the six levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy?
+The six levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy, in order of increasing complexity, are: Remembering, Understanding, Applying, Analyzing, Evaluating, and Creating.
How can Bloom’s Taxonomy be implemented in education?
+Bloom’s Taxonomy can be implemented in education by creating learning objectives that are specific, measurable, and achievable, designing instructional activities and assessments that target specific levels of cognitive complexity, and using the verbs associated with each level of Bloom’s Taxonomy to describe the cognitive processes involved in learning.