Learn how to use Bloom's Taxonomy to create better assessments. Includes question stems for all 6 levels, examples for every subject, and a free assessment generator.
Bloom's Taxonomy is the gold standard framework for designing assessments that measure real learning — not just memorization. Originally published in 1956 by Benjamin Bloom and revised in 2001 by Anderson and Krathwohl, the taxonomy organizes cognitive skills into six levels, from basic recall to creative synthesis.
But here's the problem: most teacher-made assessments cluster at the bottom two levels (Remember and Understand). This guide will show you how to deliberately design assessments that span all six levels — creating questions that truly reveal what students know and can do.
Free Printable: Bloom's Taxonomy Question Stems by Subject — 200+ ready-to-use stems for Science, Math, ELA, Social Studies, and SEL — one page per level. PDF, print-ready.
Generate a Bloom's-aligned quiz on your topic — Type a topic. AssessmentWiz writes questions spanning higher-order levels — Analyze, Evaluate, Create — not just Remember. Free, no signup to try.
The revised taxonomy uses verbs to describe each level, making it easier to write aligned assessment questions:
| Level | Cognitive Process | What Students Do | Example Verbs |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Remember | Recall facts and basic concepts | Define, list, name, recall, memorize | List, Define, Identify, Name, Recall |
| 2. Understand | Explain ideas or concepts | Summarize, paraphrase, classify, explain | Describe, Explain, Summarize, Classify |
| 3. Apply | Use information in new situations | Solve, demonstrate, use, implement | Solve, Use, Demonstrate, Calculate |
| 4. Analyze | Draw connections and make inferences | Compare, contrast, examine, categorize | Compare, Contrast, Examine, Differentiate |
| 5. Evaluate | Justify a decision or judgment | Judge, argue, critique, defend | Judge, Argue, Critique, Defend, Justify |
| 6. Create | Produce original work | Design, construct, develop, formulate | Design, Construct, Develop, Compose |
Use these question stems to quickly write assessment questions at any Bloom's level:
A well-designed assessment doesn't need to hit every level equally. Here's a research-backed distribution for different assessment types:
| Assessment Type | Remember/Understand | Apply/Analyze | Evaluate/Create |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exit Ticket | 30% | 50% | 20% |
| Quiz | 40% | 40% | 20% |
| Unit Test | 20% | 40% | 40% |
| Performance Task | 10% | 30% | 60% |
Notice that even exit tickets should include higher-order thinking — a reflection question like "What would happen if..." pushes students beyond recall while staying brief enough for 5 minutes.
Manually balancing Bloom's levels across 15-20 assessment questions is time-consuming. AssessmentWiz's Quiz Generator lets you select target Bloom's levels and automatically creates questions at those cognitive depths — complete with answer keys.
Use this comprehensive verb chart to quickly write assessment questions at any Bloom's level. Each level has specific action verbs that signal the type of thinking required:
| Bloom's Level | Key Verbs | Question Starters |
|---|---|---|
| Remember | List, Define, Identify, Name, Recall, Recognize | What is...? Name the... Which one...? |
| Understand | Explain, Summarize, Paraphrase, Describe, Classify | In your own words... What does ___ mean? |
| Apply | Solve, Use, Demonstrate, Calculate, Implement | How would you use...? Calculate the... |
| Analyze | Compare, Contrast, Examine, Differentiate, Organize | What evidence supports...? How are ___ and ___ different? |
| Evaluate | Judge, Justify, Critique, Defend, Assess | Do you agree with...? What is the strongest argument? |
| Create | Design, Construct, Develop, Compose, Invent | Design a solution that... What would happen if...? |
Pro tip: Print this chart and keep it at your desk. When writing assessment questions, scan the verb list for your target level. This ensures your exit tickets, quizzes, and tests consistently measure the right cognitive skills. For more on question complexity, see our guide to DOK Levels Explained.
Each of the six levels has its own dedicated guide with 40+ subject-specific question stems, common mistakes, and how much of each assessment type it should occupy:
Bloom's Taxonomy is a hierarchical framework that classifies cognitive skills into six levels: Remember, Understand, Apply, Analyze, Evaluate, and Create. It helps teachers design assessments that measure different depths of learning.
Without Bloom's, most assessments test only recall and comprehension. Using the taxonomy ensures you measure higher-order thinking skills like analysis, evaluation, and creation — which are better indicators of deep learning.
Bloom's Taxonomy categorizes the type of thinking required (what cognitive process). DOK (Depth of Knowledge) categorizes the complexity and depth of understanding needed. A question can be high Bloom's but low DOK if the answer is straightforward.