Cue Questions Based on Blooms Taxonomy of Critical Thinking

Cue Words for Identifying Blooms Level of Critical Thinking in Test QuestionsNote: While these cues typically apply where shown, the context of the complete question or passage may change the cognitive demand in some cases. Lower-order thinking skillsHigher-order thinking skills1. REMEMBER Called

Describe How many

Identify

Is, are

Label

List

Memorize

Name

Recall

Recognize

Repeat Select

State What, what is/are/does

When Where Which Who

Also most fill-in-the-missing-word sentences.

4. ANALYZE Allow, not allow, criteria

Analyze, assess But, except, exception

Cause

Check

Classify, organize

Compare, contrast

Conclude, conclusion

Correct, proper, incorrect Determine, diagnose, suspect Difference, differs Distinguish, differentiate

Divide, break apart

Evidence

Examine

Failure

Idea, concept

Identify, indicate If, if - then

Infer

Like, unlike

Logical Makes

2. UNDERSTAND Define

Discuss

Example

Explain

How

Locate

Mean Paraphrase

Restate

Summarize

Translate

Visualize5. EVALUATE Advantages

Affect

Agree Appraise

Appropriate

Assess

Better, best (-er, -est words)

Choose Consider

Criticize Defend

Disagree

Evaluate

Importance

3. APPLY Action

Apply

Assemble

Build a model

Calculate Construct

Demonstrate

Do, be done Dramatize

Draw

Duplicate, reproduce

Function Give example6. CREATE Adapt

Alternative

Change, substitute Could

Create

Elaborate

Formulate

Imagine

Improve

Invent

Maximize Minimize

Needs

Next, next step

Observe

Pattern

Predict, hypothesize

Prevent, precaution

Priority

Problem, situation

Process

Purpose, motive

Question

Relate, relationship

Representation

Review

Separate, divide, pull apart

Sequence, order

Solve, troubleshoot

Symbol

Symptom, complaint, sign

Test

Than, rather than

Theme

True/false

Judge

Justify

Opinion

Optimum

Perception, perspective

Prioritize

Probable

Prove, disprove

Rate, rank

Recommend, suggest

Support

Value, quality

What could this mean

What should you do

Illustrate

Operate

Perform

Plan, prepare

Procedure

Proper, acceptable

Schedule

Show

Sketch

Solve

Use, employ

Visualize

Write

Modify

Predict

Propose alternative

Put it all together

Synthesize

Theorize

What could be

What if

2007 PCGs Center for Resource Management