Bloom's taxonomy of learning objectives is often referred to in various teaching/learning contexts. The six levels indicate increasing levels of complexity with the top three (analysis, synthesis, evaluation) often referred to as "higher order learning." The first steps in learning about a topic concentrate on the lowest three levels in this taxonomy -- knowledge, comprehension, and application and form the basic groundwork on which higher order skills can be developed.

The table below provides the name of each level, an explanation, and some of the verbs often used in writing an objective aimed at learning at this level.

Name of Level	Explanation of Level	Verbs Used in Objectives
EVALUATION (Conceptual Reasoning)	Students critique, judge, predict, and justify based on specific, carefully spelled-out standards and criteria. Evaluation is not based on personal opinion.	Appraise Assess Compare Consider Critique Defend Evaluate If...then... Judge Justify Predict Rank Summarize Support Weigh
SYNTHESIS (Conceptual Reasoning)	Students combine, order/organize, transfer, and integrate prior knowledge and current learning to form a new whole enabling them to formulate a new hypothesis, solve a problem and/or produce a result.	Change Combine Compose Create Design Develop Formulate Hypothesize Incorporate Invent Integrate Order Originate Organize Plan Predict Produce Revise Structure
ANALYSIS (Conceptual Reasoning)	Complicated, complex material can be separated into parts and analyzed to determine relationships and organization of those parts as they relate to each other, to the whole, to other concepts, problems, or material.	Analyze Categorize Classify Compare/Contrast Determine Deduce Differentiate Distinguish Examine Generalize Group Infer Organize Predict Select Sequence Solve Survey
APPLICATION	Students solve real-life problems and situations using relevant information, prior knowledge, steps or processes, working rules, and/or principles.	Adapt Apply Build Classify Construct Demonstrate Develop Discover Dramatize Draw Graph Modify Operate Plan Prepare Produce Show Sketch Solve Structure Survey Use
COMPREHENSION/ UNDERSTANDING	Using their own words, students will explain, interpret, and/or paraphrase new information based on prior learning. Inferences and generalizations are made from data, related to new information, and examples of uses(s) can be given. This level has two parts: Translation and Interpretation.	Change Compare Convert Defend Define Describe Distinguish Explain Illustrate Infer Interpret Match Paraphrase Predict Restate Rewrite Say State Summarize
KNOWLEDGE	Students recall information, content of a principle, working rules, and/or steps of a process in the approximate form it was learned. (A knowledge base is necessary and supportive of more complex mental processing to take place)	Collect Draw Identify Label List Locate Name Recall Recite Recognize Select Show State Tell Write