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 “plan”:
A — scheme. “plan” means n. a set of actions for achieving something. Study “plan” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “command”:
C — order. “command” means v. to give an order. Study “command” →
Select the best synonym for the word “formally”:
B — officially. “formally” means adv. in a formal manner. Study “formally” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “shapeless”:
B — formless. “shapeless” means adj. without a clear form or shape. Study “shapeless” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “equatorial”:
B — tropical. “equatorial” means adj. relating to or near the equator. Study “equatorial” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “regulation”:
A — directive. “regulation” means n. a rule or directive made and maintained by an authority. Study “regulation” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “doubt”:
C — question. “doubt” means v. to feel uncertain about something. Study “doubt” →
Select the best synonym for the word “warily”:
A — cautiously. “warily” means adv. cautiously or carefully. Study “warily” →
Select the best synonym for the word “statement”:
A — declaration. “statement” means n. something that is said or written formally. Study “statement” →
Select the best synonym for the word “determine”:
B — ascertain. “determine” means v. to decide or conclude. Study “determine” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “curse”:
B — swear. “curse” means v. to use rude or offensive words. Study “curse” →
Select the best synonym for the word “middle-class”:
A — bourgeois. “middle-class” means adj. relating to the social group between the upper and working classes. Study “middle-class” →
Select the best synonym for the word “period”:
A — duration. “period” means n. a length or portion of time. Study “period” →
Select the best synonym for the word “slick”:
C — sleek. “slick” means adj. smooth and glossy; skillful and clever. Study “slick” →
Select the best synonym for the word “consume”:
B — devour. “consume” means v. to use up or eat. Study “consume” →
The new machine has the ______ to sort a thousand letters an hour.
A — capability. “capability” means n. the ability to do something. Study “capability” →
The children were absolutely ______ when they saw the puppy under the tree.
B — delighted. “delighted” means adj. very pleased. Study “delighted” →
Good rich soil and steady rain help the fast ______ of the young plants.
D — growth. “growth” means n. the process of increasing in size. Study “growth” →
The happy ______ played in the park until the sun finally went down.
B — children. “children” means n. young human beings below the age of puberty. Study “children” →
The nervous gray cat crept ______ toward the strange new object.
A — warily. “warily” means adv. cautiously or carefully. Study “warily” →
The students walked across the green ______ to reach the main library.
C — campus. “campus” means n. the grounds and buildings of a university or college. Study “campus” →
She was very glad to find that her very first answer was ______ after all.
C — right. “right” means adj. correct or true; in accordance with fact or reality. Study “right” →
The bright new ______ library is open to everyone in the whole town.
D — public. “public” means adj. relating to or involving people in general. Study “public” →
A wise queen must ______ her land with both fairness and strength.
D — govern. “govern” means v. to conduct the policy, actions, and affairs of a state, organization, or people. Study “govern” →
The small fire spread ______ through the dry, dead summer grass.
A — rapidly. “rapidly” means adv. very quickly; at a fast pace. Study “rapidly” →
The proud chef held every single dish to a very high ______ of quality.
A — standard. “standard” means n. a level of quality or norm. Study “standard” →
The strange, ______ painting showed melting clocks and floating silver fish.
A — surrealistic. “surrealistic” means adj. having a dream-like or unreal quality. Study “surrealistic” →
She bought a cheap ______ bicycle instead of an expensive brand-new one.
C — used. “used” means adj. not new; having been used before. Study “used” →
A light cork will always ______ on the very top of the water.
C — float. “float” means v. to rest or move on the surface of a liquid without sinking. Study “float” →
New problems may ______ if we do not plan the whole trip carefully.
D — arise. “arise” means v. to begin to occur or to exist. Study “arise” →
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.