Classification of mathematics tasks has long been an important part of classroom assessment. The classification systems used in this context are based on different approaches and often make use of different categories of analysis. Comprehensive studies that examine these aspects in terms of their interrelationships, and thus shed light on the contribution of classification systems to research and practice, are of great benefit. The present study provides a systematic overview of classification systems for mathematics tasks (search period: 1956–2023; worldwide distribution). It includes 17 such classification systems developed between 1963 and 2019. These systems are analyzed with the help of a model developed here. On the one hand, this model focuses on the aspects of the use of the classification systems; on the other hand, it considers the theoretical basis and the components of the classification systems. The results show that early attempts to classify mathematics tasks were largely based on Bloom’s work. These classification systems were used to analyze test items from large-scale studies and were related to mathematical content. Since the 1990s, there has been a shift in emphasis in the use of classification systems, with a greater focus on tasks used in learning processes on the one hand, and on mathematical activities on the other. At the same time, there has been an increasing differentiation of the classification systems, allowing different aspects of mathematics learning to be captured.