30 Verbal Reasoning questions — Part 1: 15 synonym, Part 2: 15 sentence completion — in the ISEE's own four-option format. Every answer is explained, and every question links to its word's full study page.
Note: The real ISEE Primary Level (for applicants to grades 2–4) is Auditory Comprehension, Reading Comprehension, Mathematics and a writing sample — it has no Verbal Reasoning section, so the real Primary-level test never asks a synonym or sentence-completion question. This practice test borrows that question style from the Lower/Middle/Upper Verbal Reasoning format purely to help younger students build vocabulary early, ahead of the level where it is actually tested that way.
Choose the best synonym for the word “pillar”:
A — column. “pillar” means n. a strong column that supports a building. Study “pillar” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “flexible”:
A — pliable. “flexible” means adj. able to bend easily without breaking. Study “flexible” →
Select the best synonym for the word “warn”:
C — caution. “warn” means v. to inform someone of a possible danger. Study “warn” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “continues”:
C — persists. “continues” means v. to keep happening or doing something without stopping. Study “continues” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “regional”:
B — local. “regional” means adj. relating to a specific area or region. Study “regional” →
Select the best synonym for the word “economic”:
A — financial. “economic” means adj. related to the economy or money. Study “economic” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “dishonesty”:
C — deceit. “dishonesty” means n. lack of honesty or integrity. Study “dishonesty” →
Select the best synonym for the word “tangle”:
C — entangle. “tangle” means v. to twist together in a confused mass. Study “tangle” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “unrelated”:
B — irrelevant. “unrelated” means adj. not connected or related. Study “unrelated” →
Select the best synonym for the word “respectable”:
D — reputable. “respectable” means adj. regarded by society as good or proper. Study “respectable” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “overly”:
A — excessively. “overly” means adv. too much. Study “overly” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “courts”:
C — tribunals. “courts” means n. plural of court; places where legal cases are heard. Study “courts” →
Select the best synonym for the word “secretly”:
A — covertly. “secretly” means adv. in a way that is hidden from others. Study “secretly” →
Select the best synonym for the word “article”:
B — essay. “article” means n. a piece of writing included with others in a newspaper, magazine, or other publication. Study “article” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “care”:
A — protection. “care” means n. the process of protecting someone or something. Study “care” →
Collecting old stamps was his favorite ______ on quiet, rainy weekends.
A — pastime. “pastime” means n. an activity done for enjoyment. Study “pastime” →
His stubborn ______ made it completely impossible to reach a fair deal.
B — inflexibility. “inflexibility” means n. unwillingness to change or compromise. Study “inflexibility” →
Without any allies at all, the tiny nation felt completely ______.
B — powerless. “powerless” means adj. without ability, influence, or power. Study “powerless” →
Please ______ the small key into the lock and turn it very gently.
C — insert. “insert” means v. to put something into something else. Study “insert” →
The ______ toddler tried to copy everything that his older brother did.
D — imitative. “imitative” means adj. copying someone or something. Study “imitative” →
She felt deep ______ for the family who lost their home in the fire.
D — sympathy. “sympathy” means n. feelings of pity and sorrow for someone else''s misfortune. Study “sympathy” →
You need special ______ to enter the locked research laboratory.
A — authorization. “authorization” means n. official permission or approval. Study “authorization” →
The little ______ calculator never needed any batteries at all.
A — sun-powered. “sun-powered” means adj. using energy from the sun. Study “sun-powered” →
The new ______ against smoking helped keep the city air much cleaner.
C — prohibition. “prohibition” means n. the act of officially not allowing something. Study “prohibition” →
For many years, the river was the village's main ______ of fresh water.
A — provider. “provider” means n. a person or thing that supplies something. Study “provider” →
He knocked ______ on the heavy door, but no one ever answered.
A — repeatedly. “repeatedly” means adv. again and again. Study “repeatedly” →
She studied very hard all week for the big math ______ on Friday.
C — test. “test” means n. an examination or trial. Study “test” →
She gave some very ______ advice on how to save money each month.
C — practical. “practical” means adj. concerned with actual use or practice. Study “practical” →
The busy little bakery was ______, with long lines every single morning.
C — thriving. “thriving” means adj. growing or developing successfully. Study “thriving” →
Playing the violin well takes years of practice and great ______.
D — skill. “skill” means n. the ability to do something well. Study “skill” →
Score:
Every question below is now marked up: the correct answer is highlighted in red, and any option you picked that was wrong is highlighted in blue.
No. These are original synonym and sentence-completion questions written from the iSEE Vocab word bank, in the ISEE's own four-option Verbal Reasoning format. No retired or copyrighted ISEE/SSAT questions appear anywhere on this site.
The real ISEE Primary Level (for applicants to grades 2–4) is Auditory Comprehension, Reading Comprehension, Mathematics and a writing sample — it has no Verbal Reasoning section, so the real Primary-level test never asks a synonym or sentence-completion question. This practice test borrows that question style from the Lower/Middle/Upper Verbal Reasoning format purely to help younger students build vocabulary early, ahead of the level where it is actually tested that way.
30 — Part 1 is 15 synonym questions, Part 2 is 15 sentence-completion questions, the same roughly-even split the real ISEE Verbal Reasoning section uses.
No. Every Primary Level practice test on this site draws from a disjoint slice of the word bank, so Test 1, Test 2 and every other numbered test at this level use entirely different questions.
Yes. The ISEE gives no penalty for a wrong answer — a blank scores the same as a wrong guess, which is zero — so answer every question even when you have to guess.