ABCTE Professional Teaching Knowledge Practice Exam

Which set of verbs is most appropriate for assessing basic retention of facts?

1. Demonstrate, modify, apply

2. Diagram, outline, differentiate

3. List, label, match

4. Rearrange, compile, combine

The correct answer is: List, label, match

The set of verbs "list, label, match" is most appropriate for assessing basic retention of facts because these actions directly align with tasks that evaluate a learner's ability to recall and recognize information. Listing involves generating a series of items or facts from memory, demonstrating the retention of knowledge. Labeling requires students to identify and name specific elements, which again assesses their ability to retrieve learned material. Matching tasks typically require students to connect related items, reinforcing their understanding and retention of factual information through recognition. These verbs are concrete and straightforward, making them effective for measuring basic knowledge retention in educational contexts. They signify fundamental cognitive processes that are often the first steps in learning, unlike the other sets of verbs, which may imply higher-order thinking or application processes that go beyond mere fact recall.