Assessment Techniques and the Revised Bloom's Taxonomy: A Mixed-Methods Analysis of Undergraduate Examinations at Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan

Abstract

Examinations shape what students learn to value as much as any lecture does, yet whether undergraduate assessment in Pakistani universities actually cultivates higher-order thinking remains empirically under-examined. This study analysed the alignment of BS-level assessment techniques at Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan (AWKUM) with the cognitive levels of the Revised Bloom's Taxonomy (RBT), using a sequential explanatory mixed-methods design. A systematic document analysis coded 600 individual question items drawn from 60 examination papers across four departments; a structured survey captured the perceptions of 150 BS students and 30 faculty members; and semi-structured interviews with faculty explored the practical barriers to RBT-aligned assessment design. Document analysis showed that lower-order cognitive levels (Remembering and Understanding) accounted for 68% of all examination items, while higher-order levels (Analyzing, Evaluating, and Creating) accounted for only 15%, with departmental alignment to higher-order thinking skills (HOTS) ranging from a low of 12% in Chemistry to a moderate 28% in Computer Science. Only 20% of faculty reported being very familiar with RBT, and 66.7% reported only rarely or never intentionally aligning assessment items to specific cognitive levels. Faculty identified large class sizes (73%), a rigid, centrally controlled examination system (67%), lack of RBT-specific training (67%), and heavy teaching workloads (60%) as the principal barriers to higher-order assessment design. These findings indicate that the gap between assessment practice and cognitive taxonomy is not primarily a matter of individual instructor effort but a structural one, rooted in institutional workload, policy rigidity, and insufficient faculty development. Implications for assessment policy, faculty training, and institutional reform are discussed.