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 “sphere”:
C — globe. “sphere” means n. a round 3D shape like a ball. Study “sphere” →
Select the best synonym for the word “pleasant”:
D — agreeable. “pleasant” means adj. giving a sense of happy satisfaction or enjoyment. Study “pleasant” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “addition”:
A — sum. “addition” means n. the process of adding something. Study “addition” →
Select the best synonym for the word “moisten”:
A — dampen. “moisten” means v. to make something slightly wet. Study “moisten” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “uproar”:
D — commotion. “uproar” means n. a loud and impassioned noise or disturbance. Study “uproar” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “lower”:
D — reduce. “lower” means v. to make something go down. Study “lower” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “stating”:
B — declaring. “stating” means v. expressing something clearly in words. Study “stating” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “rivalry”:
B — feud. “rivalry” means n. competition for the same objective or for superiority. Study “rivalry” →
Select the best synonym for the word “hesitant”:
B — reluctant. “hesitant” means adj. unsure or slow in acting or speaking. Study “hesitant” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “having”:
D — possessing. “having” means v. possessing or owning something. Study “having” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “permissive”:
A — lenient. “permissive” means adj. allowing or characterized by great freedom of behavior. Study “permissive” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “reply”:
D — respond. “reply” means v. to answer someone by speaking or writing. Study “reply” →
Select the best synonym for the word “easier”:
D — simpler. “easier” means adj. less difficult. Study “easier” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “lethargic”:
A — sluggish. “lethargic” means adj. feeling a lack of energy or interest. Study “lethargic” →
Select the best synonym for the word “grassland”:
B — prairie. “grassland” means n. a large open area of country covered with grass. Study “grassland” →
By ______ a good map, they made the long mountain hike much easier.
A — having. “having” means v. possessing or owning something. Study “having” →
The thick soup was ______ salty, so no one wanted a second bowl.
A — overly. “overly” means adv. too much. Study “overly” →
The ______ merchant owned three grand houses and a fine sailing ship.
C — rich. “rich” means adj. having a lot of money or valuable possessions. Study “rich” →
The alert guard paused to ______ the crowd for any sign of trouble.
D — scan. “scan” means v. to look at something carefully to get information. Study “scan” →
The ______ acrobat swung high above the crowd without any safety net.
C — daring. “daring” means adj. adventurous or bold. Study “daring” →
The witness gave a clear ______ of the man who had run away.
C — description. “description” means n. a spoken or written account of something. Study “description” →
The ______ old traveler drifted from town to town, never once settling down.
C — wandering. “wandering” means adj. moving around without a fixed course. Study “wandering” →
The young math ______ solved the impossible problem in just a few seconds.
D — genius. “genius” means n. a person with exceptional intellectual or creative ability. Study “genius” →
The two ______ train tracks ran side by side for many long miles.
A — parallel. “parallel” means adj. being an equal distance apart everywhere. Study “parallel” →
He did not even ______ when the very loud firework suddenly exploded.
B — flinch. “flinch” means v. to make a quick, nervous movement as an instinctive reaction to fear or pain. Study “flinch” →
In autumn, the golden leaves begin to ______ from the tall old trees.
A — fall. “fall” means v. to move downward, typically rapidly and freely without control. Study “fall” →
The ______ passenger chatted cheerfully for the entire long train trip.
B — talkative. “talkative” means adj. liking to talk a lot. Study “talkative” →
The whole large crowd fell into a ______ silence during the funeral.
D — solemn. “solemn” means adj. serious and dignified. Study “solemn” →
His pale, ______ face showed clearly that he had not slept for days.
B — drawn. “drawn” means adj. looking very tired or worried. Study “drawn” →
He was completely ______ of the surprise party waiting for him at home.
D — unaware. “unaware” means adj. not knowing or realizing something. Study “unaware” →
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.