Synonyms and sentence completion, in the ISEE's own four-option format.
Pick your level — we'll assign a full-length test, up to 3 free. Every answer explained.
Two question types, 20 minutes, and no partial credit for a blank.
Verbal Reasoning is the first section of the ISEE, and it is almost entirely a vocabulary test. It asks two kinds of question:
Synonyms. A single word, then four choices. You pick the one closest in meaning. There is no sentence to lean on, so either you know the word or you are working from its roots.
Sentence completion. A sentence with a blank and four choices. The context does some of the work, but the distractors are usually words that fit the grammar and not the meaning. Upper Level sentences can have two blanks; Lower Level sometimes leaves out a whole phrase rather than one word.
The section allows 20 minutes for 40 questions at Middle and Upper Level, and 20 minutes for 34 questions at Lower Level — roughly 30 seconds each. ERB publishes the section total, not a fixed split between the two question types, but in practice it is close to half and half.
There is no penalty for a wrong answer. A blank scores exactly the same as a wrong guess, so never leave one. See the ISEE guides for the rest of the exam.
Four real items from the practice bank, with the answers explained.
What is a synonym for the word “abandon”?
B — desert. “Abandon” means to leave behind. Study “abandon” →
The sailors had to ______ the sinking ship and swim to shore.
B — abandon. Every other choice describes staying with the ship or saving it, which the second half of the sentence rules out.
Which of the following is a synonym for “abbreviate”?
C — shorten. To abbreviate is to shorten a word, phrase or text. Note that three of the four choices mean roughly the opposite — a common ISEE pattern. Study “abbreviate” →
To save space, editors often ______ long titles into just a few letters.
B — abbreviate. “To save space” is the clue: the other three choices all make the title longer.
Every question shows the right answer and the word's definition immediately — not at the end, when the reasoning has already faded.
Each word you get wrong links to its own page: pronunciation, example sentence, synonyms and meanings in four languages.
Your time is measured against the real section's 30-seconds-per-question pace, but you are never cut off mid-question.
Yes, for Verbal Reasoning. Pick a level and we assign a full-length synonym and sentence-completion test — up to 3 free per browser. Verbal Reasoning is one of the ISEE's five sections; the others are Quantitative Reasoning, Reading Comprehension, Mathematics Achievement and the essay. Vocabulary is the part of the exam that rewards steady practice the most, which is why it is what we build here.
The level is set by the grade your child is applying to, not their current grade. ISEE Primary Level is for applicants to grades 2–4, Lower Level for grades 5–6, Middle Level for grades 7–8, Upper Level for grades 9–12. Note: the real Primary Level test has no Verbal Reasoning section, so it never asks a synonym or sentence-completion question — our Primary practice test borrows that question style purely to build foundation vocabulary ahead of Lower Level.
About 30 seconds. The real section allows 20 minutes for 40 questions at Middle and Upper Level, and 20 minutes for 34 questions at Lower Level. This practice test reports your time against that pace at the end, but never cuts you off mid-question.
Yes. There is no penalty for a wrong answer — a correct answer earns a point, and a blank earns the same as a wrong one, which is zero. Leaving a question blank can only cost you.
No. The test runs entirely in your browser: no sign-up, no email, no payment. Nothing you answer is sent anywhere.
Three per browser, tracked in localStorage — no account or email required. Clearing your browser data resets the count. The iSEE Vocab app has unlimited practice tests.
They are written by us, from the same word bank behind the ISEE vocabulary list and the iSEE Vocab app. They are not retired or reproduced ISEE questions — no third-party exam content is used anywhere on this site.
The iSEE Vocab app builds adaptive tests from the words you get wrong and schedules them with spaced repetition, across all your devices.