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.
Select the best synonym for the word “sneering”:
A — scornful. “sneering” means adj. showing contempt or mocking. Study “sneering” →
Select the best synonym for the word “dare”:
C — venture. “dare” means v. to have the courage to do something. Study “dare” →
Select the best synonym for the word “timid”:
A — shy. “timid” means adj. shy and lacking in confidence. Study “timid” →
Select the best synonym for the word “claim”:
D — assertion. “claim” means n. statements that something is true or a demand for something. Study “claim” →
Select the best synonym for the word “hunt”:
A — pursue. “hunt” means v. to chase and kill animals for food or sport. Study “hunt” →
Select the best synonym for the word “apex”:
B — summit. “apex” means n. the top or highest part of something. Study “apex” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “decide”:
D — determine. “decide” means v. to make a choice or judgment. Study “decide” →
Select the best synonym for the word “unlikely”:
C — improbable. “unlikely” means adj. not likely to happen. Study “unlikely” →
Select the best synonym for the word “chaotic”:
B — disorderly. “chaotic” means adj. in a state of complete confusion or disorder. Study “chaotic” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “replace”:
D — substitute. “replace” means v. to take the place of something or someone. Study “replace” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “purge”:
B — eliminate. “purge” means v. to remove something unwanted. Study “purge” →
Select the best synonym for the word “interfere”:
D — meddle. “interfere” means v. to get involved in something that is not your concern. Study “interfere” →
Select the best synonym for the word “mean”:
A — signify. “mean” means v. to signify or intend; adj. unkind or unpleasant. Study “mean” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “spot”:
B — mark. “spot” means n. a small area or mark. Study “spot” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “unusually”:
D — exceptionally. “unusually” means adv. in a way that is not common. Study “unusually” →
His rude, ______ joke made several of the dinner guests very upset.
B — offensive. “offensive” means adj. causing someone to feel hurt or upset. Study “offensive” →
A good coach knows exactly how to ______ her players to try even harder.
A — motivate. “motivate” means v. to provide someone with a reason to do something. Study “motivate” →
After the hard fall, he sat up looking confused and ______.
A — dazed. “dazed” means adj. unable to think clearly. Study “dazed” →
She looked at the cheap, fake plastic jewels with obvious ______.
D — scorn. “scorn” means n. a feeling that someone or something is not worthy of any respect or approval; v. to show scorn. Study “scorn” →
His ______ reply of just one single word made her feel quite unwelcome.
D — curt. “curt” means adj. rudely brief in speech or abrupt in manner. Study “curt” →
Drivers who ______ the posted speed limit will have to pay a heavy fine.
D — exceed. “exceed” means v. to go beyond a set limit. Study “exceed” →
The mayor's inspiring ______ moved the whole crowd to cheer loudly.
A — speech. “speech” means n. a formal talk given to an audience. Study “speech” →
The two families felt a close ______ after living side by side for years.
C — kinship. “kinship” means n. the state of being related to others. Study “kinship” →
The tired soldiers were ordered to ______ at the edge of the wide river.
C — halt. “halt” means v. to stop moving or doing something. Study “halt” →
The office machine can quickly ______ hundreds of copies of the document.
B — reproduce. “reproduce” means v. to make a copy of something. Study “reproduce” →
Two large, loyal dogs were trained to ______ the house at night.
D — guard. “guard” means v. to protect someone or something. Study “guard” →
After the very long, hard hike, they all needed a good, long ______.
D — rest. “rest” means n. a period of relaxing; v. to relax or stop working. Study “rest” →
They eagerly planned an exciting ______ to the mountains for the holiday.
B — trip. “trip” means n. a journey or excursion; v. to stumble or fall. Study “trip” →
Please ______ the flag slowly at the very end of the day.
A — lower. “lower” means v. to make something go down. Study “lower” →
As a shy ______ to the town, she did not yet know anyone at all.
B — newcomer. “newcomer” means n. a person who has recently arrived in a place. Study “newcomer” →
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.