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Understand how you are being assessed

From an assessment/exam perspective,  Bloom's Taxonomy is a set of hierarchical skills that need to be demonstrated when it comes to extended writing.  These skills are linked to a set of command terms that are asked across all subjects. 

 

You start at the bottom of the hierarchy where you need to answer low order thinking skills questions such as list/state/identify. Here you are demonstrating your knowledge and understanding of concepts/topics.  As you move up the hierarchy, the skills you need to demonstrate get more and more challenging where you need to be able to answer questions that begin with command terms such as describe/ explain/compare and contrast

 

Towards the top of the hierarchy, you come across higher order thinking skills such as analysis and evaluation.  When students have to do this, questions will begin with words such as discuss/recommend/justify.These are some of the hardest skills to demonstrate which is why they will have the highest marks in an exam.

 

Most common types of command terms?

Level:

Easy

List 

State

Identify

Suggest

 

Level:

Medium

 

Describe

Compare & Contrast

Explain 

Analyse

 

Level:

Difficult

 

Evaluate

Discuss

Justify

Recommend

Assess

Do you agree

Examine

What does each command term mean?

What is the difference between all of these skills? 

 

How do you list?

How do you explain?

How do you compare and contrast?

How do you evaluate?

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