Writing learning objectives with Bloom’s taxonomy

Last reviewed: October 16, 2026

Short answer

Good learning objectives describe in observable terms what learners can do after the course, using an action verb, an object and ideally a condition or standard. Bloom’s taxonomy sorts such objectives into six levels from remembering through understanding, applying, analysing and evaluating to creating, and helps you choose the level of a course and its assessment deliberately.

Key points

A learning objective describes an observable ability, not a topic.
Action verbs such as explain, calculate or decide make objectives testable.
The six levels help you choose the intended level deliberately.
Assessment and exercises must target the same level as the objective.
A few clear objectives are better than many vague ones.

Why learning objectives matter so much

Learning objectives are the yardstick for everything else: content, exercises, assessment and evaluation. Without a clear objective, the author does not know what to leave out, learners do not know what matters and the organisation does not know whether the course was worth it.

Many courses begin with sentences like “Participants will get to know the basics of information security”. That sounds reasonable but cannot be tested. What does “get to know” mean? How would you notice it had worked? A testable objective reads, for example: “Participants identify at least three typical signs of a phishing attempt in a sample email.”

The anatomy of a good learning objective

A well-written learning objective has three parts. First, an observable behaviour, expressed by an action verb. Second, an object to which the behaviour refers. Third, where useful, a condition or standard: under what circumstances, with what aids, how accurately.

Avoid verbs that describe an inner state: know, understand, be familiar with, be aware of. They are not wrong, but they cannot be observed. Replace them with verbs that show how understanding is recognised: explain, classify, distinguish, justify.

Vague: “Participants understand the data protection principles.”
Better: “Participants explain the principle of data minimisation using an example from their own area.”
Vague: “Participants know the fire safety rules.”
Better: “Participants describe the escape route from their workplace and name the nearest assembly point.”

The six levels of the taxonomy

In its revised version, Bloom’s taxonomy is organised into six levels of cognitive processes. It is not a rigid law but a useful tool for choosing the level of an objective deliberately. The lower levels are prerequisites for the higher ones; a course that requires application must also build remembering and understanding.

Level	What learners do	Typical verbs	Example
Remember	Recall knowledge	name, list, state	Name the three goals of information security
Understand	Grasp meaning	explain, summarise, classify	Explain why a strong password protects
Apply	Use knowledge in a situation	carry out, calculate, use	Encrypt a file correctly before sending it
Analyse	Break down and see relationships	distinguish, compare, examine	Find the signs of an attack in an email
Evaluate	Judge against criteria	assess, justify, decide	Decide with reasons whether an incident must be reported
Create	Develop something new	design, plan, compose	Draft a checklist for your own team

Aligning objective, exercise and assessment

The most important principle is that objective, exercise and assessment sit at the same level. If the objective is that learners decide with reasons whether an incident must be reported, the exam must not simply ask for the definition of an incident. It needs a case task with a decision and justification.

In the literature this principle is called constructive alignment. It is easy to understand and surprisingly often violated. A quick self-test: put each exam question next to the objective it belongs to and ask whether a learner could answer the question without having reached the objective. If so, the question is testing something else.

Common mistakes when writing objectives

These mistakes occur most often in practice.

Too many objectives: more than three to five per module overwhelm author and learner.
Topic instead of ability: “Cover chapter 3” is not a learning objective.
Only the lower levels: remembering is easy to test but rarely the real goal.
Unrealistic levels: demanding creation in an introductory course overwhelms learners.
Objectives without a link to work: objectives should show what learners will do with it on the job.

How Universe does it

In the Universe workshop, a course begins with an outline of modules and slides; each slide has narration, visuals and optionally an exercise or question. A competence diagnosis is in development that describes competences as observable abilities with four levels, from understanding to independent problem-solving, and a marking rubric per criterion; AI may propose competences, but they only take effect once approved by those responsible for the course.

Step by step

Clarify the purpose
Describe which problem in learners’ daily work the course should solve.
Choose the level
Decide whether learners should remember, understand, apply, analyse, evaluate or create.
Choose the verb
Pick an observable verb from the appropriate level.
Add object and condition
State what the behaviour refers to and under what circumstances it is shown.
Check against the assessment
Make sure exercises and exam questions measure exactly this objective at this level.

Terms

Learning objective: An observable description of what learners can do after a learning unit.
Taxonomy of learning objectives: A classification of learning objectives by level, for example into six cognitive levels.
Constructive alignment: The principle of aligning learning objectives, learning activities and assessment at the same level.

Frequently asked questions

What is Bloom’s taxonomy?

A classification of learning objectives by level of cognitive activity. In the revised version it has six levels: remember, understand, apply, analyse, evaluate and create.

How many learning objectives should a course have?

As few as possible. For a short module, one to three objectives are usually enough; for a whole course, a handful of overarching objectives with a few sub-objectives per module.

Can I use the verb “understand” in learning objectives?

It is not forbidden, but it is hard to test. A verb that shows how understanding is recognised is better, such as explain, classify or show using an example.

What is the difference between a learning objective and a competence?

A learning objective usually describes a specific ability at the end of a unit. A competence is broader: the ability to apply knowledge independently in changing, real situations. Several learning objectives contribute to one competence.

How it works in Universe