This practice test contains 60 original multiple-choice questions on the revised taxonomy of Anderson and Krathwohl (2001): the noun-to-verb shift, the new order of levels, the knowledge dimension, and the two-dimensional taxonomy table. Each question has one correct answer. Click Show Answer to check your answer and read a short explanation.
The Revision and Its Authors
Q1. In which year was the revised taxonomy published?
- (A) 2001
- (B) 1984
- (C) 1991
- (D) 2010
Show Answer
Answer: A – A Taxonomy for Learning, Teaching, and Assessing was published in 2001 as a revision of Bloom’s original work.
Q2. Who were the lead authors of the revised taxonomy?
- (A) Benjamin Bloom and David Krathwohl
- (B) Robert Mager and Lorin Anderson
- (C) Lorin Anderson and David Krathwohl
- (D) John Dewey and Lorin Anderson
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Answer: C – Lorin Anderson, a former student of Bloom, and David Krathwohl, an original committee member, led the revision.
Q3. David Krathwohl’s link to the original taxonomy was that he was:
- (A) Bloom’s school teacher
- (B) The publisher of the 1956 handbook
- (C) A member of Bloom’s original committee
- (D) A critic who rejected the original work
Show Answer
Answer: C – Krathwohl had worked on the original taxonomy, which gave the revision direct continuity with Bloom’s project.
Q4. Lorin Anderson’s link to Bloom was that he was:
- (A) Bloom’s brother
- (B) A publisher in Chicago
- (C) A school inspector in Pakistan
- (D) A former student of Benjamin Bloom
Show Answer
Answer: D – Anderson had studied under Bloom, and he later led the team that revised the taxonomy.
Q5. The revised taxonomy is best described as:
- (A) A rejection of all ideas in the original taxonomy and a proposal to replace classification with unstructured classroom discussion
- (B) A taxonomy of school buildings
- (C) A list of examination rules for one country
- (D) A revision and update of Bloom’s original framework, not a completely new theory
Show Answer
Answer: D – The revision kept Bloom’s purpose and hierarchy idea while updating its language and structure.
Q6. Which of the following was a main reason for revising the original taxonomy?
- (A) Teachers needed a framework that reflected newer ideas about learning and teaching
- (B) The original handbook had been lost completely and no copies survived in any university library in the world
- (C) Schools had stopped using objectives
- (D) Examinations had been abolished
Show Answer
Answer: A – By 2001, research on learning and classroom practice had moved on, so the framework needed updating.
Q7. The revised taxonomy pays more attention than the original to:
- (A) Classifying objectives by subject area, without guidance on teaching or assessment
- (B) How objectives are used in teaching and assessment, not only in classification
- (C) Listing level names in order for pupils to memorise
- (D) Writing objectives for examinations only, not for lessons
Show Answer
Answer: B – The revision was written as a practical guide for planning lessons, teaching and assessing, as well as classifying objectives.
Q8. In the revised taxonomy, the cognitive process dimension contains how many levels?
- (A) Six
- (B) Three
- (C) Four
- (D) Eight
Show Answer
Answer: A – The revised cognitive process dimension keeps six levels, now expressed as verbs.
Q9. In the original taxonomy, the levels were named with:
- (A) Verbs
- (B) Adjectives
- (C) Numbers
- (D) Nouns
Show Answer
Answer: D – The original levels were Knowledge, Comprehension, Application, Analysis, Synthesis and Evaluation, all nouns.
Q10. In the revised taxonomy, the levels are named with:
- (A) Verbs
- (B) Nouns
- (C) Adverbs
- (D) Symbols
Show Answer
Answer: A – The revised levels are Remember, Understand, Apply, Analyze, Evaluate and Create, all verbs describing what learners do.
Q11. Why did the revisers change nouns to verbs?
- (A) Verbs describe observable actions that objectives and assessments can target
- (B) Nouns were too short to print clearly in the handbook and were therefore replaced for typographical reasons alone
- (C) Verbs are easier to spell
- (D) Nouns were banned from textbooks
Show Answer
Answer: A – Verbs make objectives action-based, so a teacher can see what the learner is expected to do.
Q12. Which original noun became ‘Remember’ in the revised taxonomy?
- (A) Comprehension
- (B) Knowledge
- (C) Application
- (D) Synthesis
Show Answer
Answer: B – Knowledge, the recall of information, was renamed Remember to stress the action of retrieving learning.
Q13. Which original noun became ‘Understand’ in the revised taxonomy?
- (A) Knowledge
- (B) Analysis
- (C) Comprehension
- (D) Evaluation
Show Answer
Answer: C – Comprehension was renamed Understand, keeping its meaning of grasping the sense of material.
Q14. Which original noun became ‘Apply’ in the revised taxonomy?
- (A) Synthesis
- (B) Evaluation
- (C) Application
- (D) Knowledge
Show Answer
Answer: C – Application was turned into the verb Apply, meaning to carry out a procedure in a given situation.
Q15. Which original noun became ‘Analyze’ in the revised taxonomy?
- (A) Evaluation
- (B) Synthesis
- (C) Comprehension
- (D) Analysis
Show Answer
Answer: D – Analysis became Analyze, meaning to break material into parts and examine relationships.
From Nouns to Verbs and the New Order
Q16. Which original noun became ‘Evaluate’ in the revised taxonomy?
- (A) Evaluation
- (B) Synthesis
- (C) Application
- (D) Knowledge
Show Answer
Answer: A – Evaluation became the verb Evaluate, meaning to make judgements based on criteria.
Q17. Which original level replaced ‘Synthesis’ in the revised taxonomy?
- (A) Evaluate
- (B) Apply
- (C) Create
- (D) Understand
Show Answer
Answer: C – Synthesis was replaced by Create, placed at the top to stress producing new and original work.
Q18. Counting up the revised levels, Evaluate is the:
- (A) First level
- (B) Third level
- (C) Fourth level
- (D) Fifth level
Show Answer
Answer: D – The revised order is Remember, Understand, Apply, Analyze, Evaluate, Create, so Evaluate is fifth and Create is sixth.
Q19. The most important change in the ORDER of the revised levels was:
- (A) Apply moved below Remember
- (B) Understand moved above Create
- (C) Analyze moved below Remember
- (D) Create moved above Evaluate
Show Answer
Answer: D – In the original, Synthesis came below Evaluation; in the revision, Create sits above Evaluate.
Q20. Why did the revisers place Create above Evaluate?
- (A) Because creating is the easiest skill to test in a short written examination with a single correct answer
- (B) Because producing original work was seen as the most complex cognitive process
- (C) Because evaluation was removed from the framework
- (D) Because teachers disliked judging work
Show Answer
Answer: B – The revisers argued that generating a new product draws on and goes beyond judgement.
Q21. Which revised level corresponds to the ORIGINAL level of Synthesis in meaning, though its name and position changed?
- (A) Evaluate
- (B) Analyze
- (C) Create
- (D) Apply
Show Answer
Answer: C – Create carries the meaning of Synthesis, putting elements together into a new whole, but now stands at the top.
Q22. A learner who can recall a definition is working at which revised level?
- (A) Remember
- (B) Understand
- (C) Apply
- (D) Create
Show Answer
Answer: A – Retrieving a definition from memory is Remember, the lowest revised level.
Q23. A learner who can explain an idea in their own words is working at which revised level?
- (A) Remember
- (B) Analyze
- (C) Create
- (D) Understand
Show Answer
Answer: D – Explaining meaning in one’s own words is Understand, the second revised level.
Q24. A learner who can carry out a familiar procedure in a new problem is working at which revised level?
- (A) Remember
- (B) Evaluate
- (C) Apply
- (D) Create
Show Answer
Answer: C – Using a procedure in a fresh situation is Apply.
Q25. A learner who can judge the strength of an argument is working at which revised level?
- (A) Remember
- (B) Understand
- (C) Apply
- (D) Evaluate
Show Answer
Answer: D – Judging against criteria is Evaluate, the second-highest revised level.
Q26. A learner who can design a new solution to a problem is working at which revised level?
- (A) Understand
- (B) Create
- (C) Apply
- (D) Analyze
Show Answer
Answer: B – Designing something new is Create, the highest revised level.
Q27. Which verb belongs to the Remember level?
- (A) Explain
- (B) Recall
- (C) Design
- (D) Judge
Show Answer
Answer: B – Recall is a core Remember verb, while explain, design and judge belong to higher levels.
Q28. Which verb belongs to the Understand level?
- (A) List
- (B) Construct
- (C) Summarise
- (D) Critique
Show Answer
Answer: C – Summarising shows grasp of meaning, so it belongs to Understand.
Q29. Which verb belongs to the Apply level?
- (A) Define
- (B) Implement
- (C) Compare
- (D) Invent
Show Answer
Answer: B – Implementing a procedure in a situation is Apply.
Q30. Which verb belongs to the Analyze level?
- (A) Memorise
- (B) Produce
- (C) Differentiate
- (D) Defend
Show Answer
Answer: C – Differentiating parts and relationships is Analyze.
The Knowledge Dimension
Q31. Which verb belongs to the Evaluate level?
- (A) Identify
- (B) Classify
- (C) Generate
- (D) Critique
Show Answer
Answer: D – Critiquing against criteria is Evaluate.
Q32. The knowledge dimension of the revised taxonomy has how many categories?
- (A) Two
- (B) Six
- (C) Three
- (D) Four
Show Answer
Answer: D – The knowledge dimension has four categories: factual, conceptual, procedural and metacognitive.
Q33. Factual knowledge mainly refers to:
- (A) Basic elements such as terminology and specific details that learners must know
- (B) Knowledge of how to carry out procedures and techniques in science laboratories, workshops and other practical settings
- (C) Knowledge of one’s own thinking and learning strategies
- (D) Knowledge of theories and models
Show Answer
Answer: A – Factual knowledge covers the basic facts and terms of a subject.
Q34. Which of the following is an example of factual knowledge?
- (A) The theory of evolution
- (B) The symbols used for chemical elements
- (C) The steps for solving a quadratic equation
- (D) A strategy for checking one’s own understanding
Show Answer
Answer: B – Element symbols are specific details, which is factual knowledge.
Q35. Conceptual knowledge mainly refers to:
- (A) Knowledge of single isolated facts only, memorised without any connection to broader ideas or principles
- (B) Knowledge of classifications, principles, theories and models and how they relate
- (C) Knowledge of physical skills
- (D) Knowledge of classroom rules
Show Answer
Answer: B – Conceptual knowledge is about the broader ideas and relationships that organise facts.
Q36. Which of the following is an example of conceptual knowledge?
- (A) The date of a single battle
- (B) The principle that supply and demand affect price
- (C) The steps for using a microscope
- (D) A learner’s plan for revising
Show Answer
Answer: B – A principle linking ideas is conceptual knowledge, not a single fact.
Q37. Procedural knowledge mainly refers to:
- (A) Knowledge of isolated facts and specific details that learners recall without understanding how they connect
- (B) Knowledge of one’s own strengths
- (C) Knowledge of values and attitudes
- (D) Knowledge of how to do something, including methods, techniques and criteria for using them
Show Answer
Answer: D – Procedural knowledge covers subject-specific skills, algorithms and techniques.
Q38. Which of the following is an example of procedural knowledge?
- (A) The definition of a noun
- (B) The theory of plate tectonics
- (C) The method for long division
- (D) Awareness of one’s own memory limits
Show Answer
Answer: C – A method for carrying out a task is procedural knowledge.
Q39. Metacognitive knowledge mainly refers to:
- (A) Knowledge of facts about a subject
- (B) Knowledge of physical procedures
- (C) Knowledge of historical dates
- (D) Knowledge about cognition in general and about one’s own learning and thinking
Show Answer
Answer: D – Metacognitive knowledge is knowledge about thinking itself and about one’s own cognitive processes.
Q40. Which of the following is an example of metacognitive knowledge?
- (A) Knowing the capital of France
- (B) Knowing that summarising after reading helps you remember better
- (C) Knowing the steps of an experiment
- (D) Knowing a classification of animals
Show Answer
Answer: B – Knowledge of a useful learning strategy is metacognitive knowledge.
Q41. A learner who knows when to use a particular problem-solving method has which kind of knowledge?
- (A) Factual knowledge only
- (B) Conceptual knowledge only
- (C) Procedural knowledge, with a metacognitive element about its use
- (D) No knowledge at all
Show Answer
Answer: C – Knowing how and when to use a method is procedural, and awareness of when it fits is metacognitive.
Q42. Which knowledge category is NEW in the revised taxonomy compared with the original?
- (A) Factual knowledge
- (B) Conceptual knowledge
- (C) Procedural knowledge
- (D) Metacognitive knowledge
Show Answer
Answer: D – The original taxonomy did not treat metacognitive knowledge as a separate category; the revision added it.
Q43. Knowledge of the structure of a subject, such as how topics connect, is mainly:
- (A) Factual knowledge
- (B) Procedural knowledge
- (C) Conceptual knowledge
- (D) Metacognitive knowledge
Show Answer
Answer: C – Understanding how ideas connect within a subject is conceptual knowledge.
Q44. A student who can state a rule but cannot say when it applies lacks mainly:
- (A) Factual knowledge of the rule
- (B) Full procedural and metacognitive understanding of the rule’s use
- (C) Interest in the subject
- (D) Physical skill
Show Answer
Answer: B – Stating the rule is factual, but knowing when and why to use it needs procedural and metacognitive knowledge.
Q45. Which pairing of knowledge type and example is correct?
- (A) Procedural: how to balance a chemical equation
- (B) Factual: a theory of learning
- (C) Conceptual: a single date
- (D) Metacognitive: a laboratory instrument
Show Answer
Answer: A – Balancing an equation is a method, so it is procedural knowledge.
The Two-Dimensional Taxonomy Table
Q46. Which pairing of knowledge type and example is WRONG?
- (A) Conceptual: a model of the atom
- (B) Metacognitive: the name of a river
- (C) Procedural: steps for titration
- (D) Factual: the term for a word class
Show Answer
Answer: B – A river name is a specific detail, so it is factual, not metacognitive.
Q47. The two dimensions of the revised taxonomy are:
- (A) The knowledge dimension and the cognitive process dimension
- (B) The affective dimension and the psychomotor dimension
- (C) The teaching dimension and the marking dimension
- (D) The easy dimension and the difficult dimension
Show Answer
Answer: A – The revision crosses what is to be learned (knowledge) with what the learner does with it (cognitive process).
Q48. The taxonomy table is formed by crossing:
- (A) Four knowledge categories with six cognitive processes
- (B) Three domains with six levels
- (C) Six subjects with four terms
- (D) Four skills with three grades
Show Answer
Answer: A – The table has knowledge categories down one side and cognitive processes across the other.
Q49. How many cells does the full taxonomy table contain?
- (A) 10
- (B) 24
- (C) 12
- (D) 18
Show Answer
Answer: B – Four knowledge rows multiplied by six process columns gives 24 cells.
Q50. In the taxonomy table, the rows represent:
- (A) Levels of difficulty
- (B) School grades
- (C) Types of knowledge
- (D) Lesson lengths
Show Answer
Answer: C – Each row is a knowledge category: factual, conceptual, procedural or metacognitive.
Q51. In the taxonomy table, the columns represent:
- (A) Subjects taught
- (B) Ages of learners
- (C) Types of schools
- (D) Cognitive processes
Show Answer
Answer: D – Each column is a cognitive process: Remember, Understand, Apply, Analyze, Evaluate or Create.
Q52. An objective that asks learners to recall a fact would fall in which cell?
- (A) Factual knowledge and Remember
- (B) Conceptual knowledge and Create
- (C) Procedural knowledge and Evaluate
- (D) Metacognitive knowledge and Analyze
Show Answer
Answer: A – Recalling a fact combines factual knowledge with the Remember process.
Q53. An objective that asks learners to design a new experiment using a method would fall mainly in which area?
- (A) Factual knowledge and Remember
- (B) Conceptual knowledge and Understand
- (C) Procedural knowledge and Create
- (D) Metacognitive knowledge and Remember
Show Answer
Answer: C – Designing with a method combines procedural knowledge with the Create process.
Q54. Why is the taxonomy table useful for teachers?
- (A) It shows at a glance which combinations of knowledge and thinking a lesson or test covers
- (B) It fixes the price of textbooks and determines how many copies each school should order each year
- (C) It replaces lesson plans completely
- (D) It tells teachers which students will pass
Show Answer
Answer: A – The table reveals gaps, such as a test that only samples factual recall.
Q55. A test that fills only the Remember column of the table is likely to:
- (A) Test every level equally
- (B) Over-test recall and under-test higher thinking
- (C) Be too difficult for all learners
- (D) Cover all knowledge types fully
Show Answer
Answer: B – Filling one column means the test samples only one process, however many facts it covers.
Q56. Which statement about the revised taxonomy is FALSE?
- (A) It renamed the levels as verbs
- (B) It added a knowledge dimension
- (C) It removed the idea of a hierarchy completely
- (D) It placed Create at the top
Show Answer
Answer: C – The revision kept a hierarchy from simpler to more complex processes, with Create at the top.
Q57. The revised taxonomy is most useful when a teacher uses it to:
- (A) Align objectives, teaching activities and assessment at the same level
- (B) Write longer examination papers with more questions at every level, regardless of the objectives set
- (C) Reduce the number of lessons
- (D) Avoid giving homework
Show Answer
Answer: A – Alignment means objectives, instruction and tests all demand the same kind of knowledge and thinking.
Q58. Which of the following best describes the relationship between the two dimensions?
- (A) Remember can only combine with factual knowledge and can never be used for procedures, concepts or strategies
- (B) Any cognitive process can in principle combine with any kind of knowledge
- (C) Create can only combine with metacognitive knowledge
- (D) Knowledge types cannot be taught together
Show Answer
Answer: B – The table’s purpose is to show all combinations, such as remembering procedures or evaluating concepts.
Q59. In the revised taxonomy, the hierarchy is best described as:
- (A) A general order from simpler to more complex, with overlap between levels
- (B) A rigid rule that no overlap is ever allowed
- (C) A list with no order at all
- (D) A rule that higher levels never need lower ones
Show Answer
Answer: A – The revisers treated the order as a useful hierarchy, while recognising that levels can overlap in real tasks.
Q60. Which original level’s position changed most in the revision?
- (A) Knowledge, which moved to the top
- (B) Comprehension, which was removed
- (C) Application, which was removed
- (D) Synthesis, which became Create at the top
Show Answer
Answer: D – Synthesis moved from fifth to sixth and was renamed Create, the largest positional change.
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