Assessment of Taif University Lecturers Exam questions quality according to Bloom’s Cognitive Taxonomy and Testing Criteria

Abstract

The aim of this study is to help teachers and lecturers evaluate their current exam questions and hence  develop them to represent higher cognitive levels. Bloom’s Taxonomy on the cognitive levels is used as a scientific tools to classify exam questions of Foreign Languages Department in Taif University. This classification is very useful to determine the real cognitive level represented by exam questions for each course. This requires lecturers’ designing such learning objectives  that are consistent with this aim. In other words, a lecturer is recommended to plan  for  learning objectives that require training students on higher order thinking skills whether in class activities or assignments. This enables the lecturer to write exam questions which represent higher cognitive levels. This , in turn, is reflected in students’ results which will logically give a realistic reflection to what they have already learned. Useful recommendations are also submitted to help lecturers transform their exam questions from lower cognitive level into higher cognitive levels.

Keywords: Bloom’s Taxonomy- exam questions-cognitive levels-thinking skills.