How To Really Learn Quickly and Long-term with Bloom's Taxonomy

Let’s talk about how to truly learn something—fast, and for the long run. If you’re in university, working on a certification, or just tackling something new for work or pure curiosity, you’ve probably noticed: there’s a big difference between memorizing facts and really knowing something. So, what’s the secret? Enter Bloom’s Taxonomy—a tool that has quietly shaped effective learning since the 1950s.

But what is Bloom’s Taxonomy, and how can it actually help you speed up your learning and remember things for years? Imagine it like a staircase with six steps. Each one is a level of mastery, and the real trick is to climb past the first few steps, where most people stall.

Step one is Remember. This is pure recall: facts, dates, definitions. Most cramming sessions live here. But if you stop at memorizing, you’ll forget things quickly—sometimes hours after the test.

Next comes Understand. This means you can explain concepts in your own words. Can you summarize why World War I started, or what Newton’s laws mean for skateboarding? If you can, you’re already ahead.

Step three is Apply. This is where learning gets sticky. You use knowledge in a real or new context. Maybe, instead of just naming algebraic formulas, you actually use one to solve a real budget problem.

After that comes Analyze. Here, you break knowledge down. You might compare economic systems, spot historical patterns, or dissect a data table. This step forges connections—making your knowledge much tougher to forget.

Step five is Evaluate. You’re not just breaking things apart, but judging them. Which study methodology really works best for you, and why? You weigh options, justify choices, and even debate with yourself.

Finally, there’s Create. This is the pinnacle. You use your learning to build something novel—a persuasive essay, a business plan, or an original piece of art. If you can teach or create, you know you’ve mastered it.

So, how do you actually use this? Trick yourself into climbing the steps. Reading a chapter? Pause to summarize it out loud—Understand. Try answering practice questions—Apply. Break the info apart and compare it to something you already know—Analyze. Challenge yourself by asking, “Is this the best way?”—Evaluate. Finally, create: make a mind map, or explain the concept to someone else as if you’re teaching—Create.

The more you practice at those upper levels, the faster you’ll learn, and the longer you’ll keep it. Don’t just memorize; build up the staircase. That’s how you can learn anything—and actually remember it, when it counts.