Which two frameworks help ensure assessments measure a range of cognitive levels?

• A. Bloom's Taxonomy and Marzano's Taxonomy.
• B. Depth of Knowledge (DOK) alone.
• C. Marzano's Taxonomy alone.
• D. Only memorization standards.

Answer: (A)

Designing assessments across a spectrum of cognitive levels requires mapping tasks to different thinking demands. Bloom's Taxonomy provides a ladder of cognitive processes—from remembering and understanding to applying, analyzing, evaluating, and creating—so you can intentionally target various levels with your items. Marzano's Taxonomy offers another framework focused on knowledge and cognitive processing, giving additional categories and depth for the kinds of thinking students must demonstrate. Using both together helps ensure assessments require basic recall, conceptual understanding, procedural fluency, strategic reasoning, and extended complex thinking. Relying on a single framework or on memorization standards alone tends to produce assessments that skim the surface and miss higher-order demands.