40 Verbal Reasoning questions — 20 synonym, 20 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.
Select the best synonym for the word “responsible”:
C — accountable. “responsible” means adj. having the duty to deal with something. Study “responsible” →
With great ______, she saved a little money from every single paycheck.
C — prudence. “prudence” means n. the quality of being careful and sensible. Study “prudence” →
Select the best synonym for the word “deterioration”:
C — decline. “deterioration” means n. the process of becoming worse. Study “deterioration” →
A kind young stranger stopped to ______ the lost old man.
D — assist. “assist” means v. to help someone. Study “assist” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “distressing”:
B — upsetting. “distressing” means adj. causing anxiety, sorrow, or pain. Study “distressing” →
The ______ cold froze the whole deep lake solid in a single night.
C — extreme. “extreme” means adj. very great in degree. Study “extreme” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “uncooperative”:
D — defiant. “uncooperative” means adj. not willing to help or do what someone asks. Study “uncooperative” →
One funny ______ of his was that he always hummed softly while he worked.
C — quirk. “quirk” means n. a peculiar trait or mannerism. Study “quirk” →
Select the best synonym for the word “requiring”:
A — needing. “requiring” means v. needing something for a particular purpose. Study “requiring” →
The whole team celebrated their hard-won ______ with a big street parade.
D — victory. “victory” means n. an act of defeating an enemy or opponent. Study “victory” →
Select the best synonym for the word “autobiography”:
D — memoir. “autobiography” means n. a self-written account of one''s own life. Study “autobiography” →
The muddy, torn old shirt was completely ______ to wear to the wedding.
A — unfit. “unfit” means adj. not suitable or proper. Study “unfit” →
Select the best synonym for the word “party”:
A — gathering. “party” means n. a social gathering or a political group. Study “party” →
The skilled archer hit the very center of the ______ with her first arrow.
B — target. “target” means n. an object or goal aimed at. Study “target” →
Select the best synonym for the word “strike”:
C — hit. “strike” means v. to hit or attack. Study “strike” →
The long, harsh drought caused a serious ______ of fresh vegetables.
A — shortage. “shortage” means n. a situation where there is not enough of something. Study “shortage” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “roundabout”:
D — rotary. “roundabout” means n. a circular intersection or road junction. Study “roundabout” →
The scientists will carefully ______ the deep cave to learn what lives inside.
C — probe. “probe” means v. to investigate or explore something closely. Study “probe” →
Select the best synonym for the word “stubborn”:
A — obstinate. “stubborn” means adj. not willing to change one''s mind. Study “stubborn” →
A very ______ smell drifted out of the old, long-forgotten refrigerator.
C — unpleasant. “unpleasant” means adj. not enjoyable or agreeable. Study “unpleasant” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “adore”:
C — cherish. “adore” means v. to love and respect someone deeply. Study “adore” →
The bright firework will ______ into a shower of glittering colors.
D — explode. “explode” means v. to burst with a loud noise. Study “explode” →
Select the best synonym for the word “cheerful”:
D — jovial. “cheerful” means adj. noticeably happy and optimistic. Study “cheerful” →
The trapped, exhausted soldiers finally had no choice but to ______.
B — surrender. “surrender” means v. to give up or yield to another. Study “surrender” →
Select the best synonym for the word “sensible”:
C — reasonable. “sensible” means adj. having or showing good sense or judgment. Study “sensible” →
The heavy winter coat was completely ______ for the very hot summer day.
B — unsuitable. “unsuitable” means adj. not appropriate for a particular purpose. Study “unsuitable” →
Select the best synonym for the word “surrender”:
A — yield. “surrender” means v. to give up or yield to another. Study “surrender” →
The honest official was never once accused of any ______ at all.
D — wrongdoing. “wrongdoing” means n. bad or illegal behavior. Study “wrongdoing” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “elsewhere”:
A — somewhere else. “elsewhere” means adv. in or to another place. Study “elsewhere” →
To save money, she chose to ______ her yearly summer beach vacation.
C — forgo. “forgo” means v. to decide not to do or have something. Study “forgo” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “isolated”:
B — secluded. “isolated” means adj. far away from other places or people. Study “isolated” →
The two friends stood ______ together to share the one small umbrella.
C — closely. “closely” means adv. in a way that is very near in space or time. Study “closely” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “relation”:
B — connection. “relation” means n. the ways in which two or more people or groups behave towards each other. Study “relation” →
A deeply ______ judge simply cannot make a fair decision in any case.
A — prejudiced. “prejudiced” means adj. having or showing a dislike or distrust that is derived from prejudice. Study “prejudiced” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “sharply”:
B — abruptly. “sharply” means adv. in a sudden or abrupt manner. Study “sharply” →
The ______ new worker did not have the training that the hard job needed.
D — unqualified. “unqualified” means adj. not having the necessary skills or qualifications. Study “unqualified” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “contract”:
C — agreement. “contract” means n. a written or spoken agreement; v. to make something smaller or shorter. Study “contract” →
Her ______ family cheered her on through every single difficulty.
C — supportive. “supportive” means adj. providing encouragement or emotional help. Study “supportive” →
Select the best synonym for the word “recognition”:
A — acknowledgment. “recognition” means n. the act of identifying someone or something. Study “recognition” →
She measured the ______ of the table before buying a new cloth for it.
B — length. “length” means n. the measurement of something from end to end. Study “length” →
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.
40 — 20 synonym questions and 20 sentence-completion questions, the same roughly-even split the real ISEE Verbal Reasoning section uses.
No. Every Basic 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.