Bloom’s taxonomy verbs: write your learning objectives
Pick a level on the pyramid and an action verb, then describe what learners will be able to do: the objective writes and sorts itself. Download the sheet as a PDF for your course outline.
By the end of the course, participants will be able to:
- Level 3, ApplyBeing written
apply the lockout procedure on a machine
Written with the free generator at learnybox.com
What is Bloom’s taxonomy?
Bloom’s taxonomy sorts learning objectives into six levels, from the simplest to the most complex. Educational psychologist Benjamin Bloom and his colleagues published it in 1956 for the cognitive domain, to help teachers state what students should be able to do and how to assess it.
In 2001, Lorin Anderson and David Krathwohl revised it: level names became verbs, and creating moved to the top, above evaluating. The generator uses this revised version.
Each level builds on the ones below: you cannot analyze a problem you do not understand. The point is to aim at the right level: a one-hour awareness session often stops at understand, a sales training should reach apply.
Create: learners can produce something new. Verbs: design, develop, plan, produce.
Bloom’s taxonomy verbs, level by level
54 observable action verbs, nine per level, to write objectives you can check.
1Remember1956: Knowledge
Learners can recall information they have learned.
- define
- list
- recall
- name
- identify
- recognize
- state
- label
- match
2Understand1956: Comprehension
Learners can explain ideas in their own words.
- explain
- describe
- summarize
- paraphrase
- illustrate
- classify
- interpret
- discuss
- report
3Apply1956: Application
Learners can use a method in a given situation.
- apply
- use
- implement
- carry out
- calculate
- execute
- solve
- demonstrate
- operate
4Analyze1956: Analysis
Learners can break down, compare and find causes.
- analyze
- compare
- break down
- diagnose
- differentiate
- examine
- organize
- attribute
- categorize
5Evaluate1956: Evaluation
Learners can judge, choose and justify.
- evaluate
- justify
- assess
- critique
- judge
- check
- select
- recommend
- defend
6Create1956: Synthesis
Learners can produce something new.
- design
- develop
- plan
- produce
- write
- construct
- propose
- formulate
- create
, , .
- Subject
- Verb
- Content
- Condition
- Criterion
An observable action verb, chosen at the Bloom level you aim for.
How to write a learning objective
A learning objective describes what learners will be able to do at the end of the course, not what the trainer will present. The most common form comes from Robert Mager (1962): an observable action verb, the content it applies to, the conditions, and the criterion that tells you the objective is met.
The template: “By the end of the course, participants will be able to + verb + content + condition + criterion.” Condition and criterion are optional in a course outline, but they are what make the objective assessable.
Learning objectives examples
One example per Bloom level, in six areas of workplace training.
- Level 1, RememberSafety
Participants will be able to list, in order, the steps to take after a workplace accident, without notes.
- Level 2, UnderstandFinance
Participants will be able to explain to a colleague the difference between gross and net margin, with a worked example.
- Level 3, ApplyOffice tools
Participants will be able to run a mail merge in Word from an Excel file of 50 contacts, in under 15 minutes.
- Level 4, AnalyzeQuality
Participants will be able to diagnose the causes of a non-conformity from an incident report, using the 5 whys.
- Level 5, EvaluatePurchasing
Participants will be able to select one of three supplier quotes and justify the choice on price, lead time and quality.
- Level 6, CreateManagement
Participants will be able to design a 90-day onboarding plan for a new team member.
Verbs to avoid in learning objectives
Know, understand, learn, be aware of, master: these verbs describe what goes on in the learner’s head, and nobody can observe it. An objective written with them cannot be checked, by the trainer, the learner or a client.
Level 2 of Bloom is called Understand, but you assess it with observable verbs such as explain or summarize. The fix is one question: what will the person actually do to show they understood? The answer is the verb. The generator flags these verbs when they slip into your sentence.
AvoidParticipants will be able to know the site safety rules.
ObservableParticipants will be able to list the five safety rules of the site.
Goal, objective or outcome?
Definitions vary between authors. Here is the most common use in workplace training, on one example.
Learning goal
The broad intent of the course, often written for the buyer or the sponsor.
Reduce order entry errors.
Learning objective
What learners will be able to do at the end of the course. This is the one you write with Bloom.
Enter a complete order in the ERP, without errors.
Learning outcome
What learners actually achieved, as shown by the assessment.
18 of 20 learners entered a full order without errors in the final exercise.
How many objectives per course?
No rule sets a number. Our advice: three to six objectives for a one or two-day course, one per main sequence. Beyond that, group them under broader objectives; below it, check that each sequence serves an objective. The generator sorts them from the simplest level to the most complex, the order in which they are often taught.
From objective to assessment
The verb tells you how to assess: “list” calls for a quiz, “carry out” for a practical exercise, “design” for a project. Write the objective first, then build the assessment that lets the learner show it.
From objective to online course
With Learnybox, each objective becomes a module of your course. Add a quiz or an assessment to each module to check the objective is met, and learner tracking shows who completed it. Then publish your objectives on the course page.
Frequently asked questions
Another question? Write to us.
What are Bloom’s taxonomy verbs?
Action verbs grouped by the six levels of Bloom’s taxonomy, from recalling information to creating something new. Each verb describes something a learner does that you can observe, which makes the objective measurable.
What are the 6 levels of Bloom’s taxonomy?
In the 2001 revision: remember, understand, apply, analyze, evaluate and create. In the 1956 original: knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis and evaluation.
What changed in the revised Bloom’s taxonomy?
Anderson and Krathwohl (2001) turned the level names into verbs and moved creating to the top, above evaluating. Synthesis became create.
How do you write a learning objective with Bloom’s taxonomy?
Pick the level you aim for, choose an action verb from that level, then add the content, the condition and the success criterion: “By the end of the course, participants will be able to write a sales proposal from a client brief in under two hours.”
Which verbs should you avoid in learning objectives?
Know, understand, learn, be aware of, master: they describe what happens in the learner’s head, which nobody can observe. Replace them with what the learner will do to show it: explain, list, build.
Can I download Bloom’s taxonomy verbs as a PDF?
Yes. The table of the six levels and their 54 action verbs downloads as a one-page PDF, ready to print.
Do teachers still use Bloom’s taxonomy?
Yes, in schools, universities and corporate training. It remains the most common way to set the level of a learning objective and to choose the assessment that matches it.
Is the generator free?
Yes. You write and see your objectives without an account. The PDF asks for your email once.
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