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ISEE Upper Level study materials
ISEE Upper Level study resources

ISEE Upper Level practice questions

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Question 1Verbal Reasoning

Choose the word that best completes the sentence: The committee's report was so ______ that even its critics conceded every claim had been carefully documented.

  1. ornate
  2. thorough Correct answer.
  3. tentative
  4. hasty

Explanation

The sentence's logic turns on the critics' concession that every claim was documented, so the missing word must praise the report's completeness. "Thorough" means complete and careful in detail, which matches the clue directly. The other choices describe speed, uncertainty, or decoration rather than exhaustive care.

Question 2Verbal Reasoning

Choose the pair of words that best expresses a relationship similar to the pair below. FRUGAL : MISERLY ::

  1. curious : indifferent
  2. cautious : reckless
  3. generous : stingy
  4. confident : arrogant Correct answer.

Explanation

Frugal describes sensible thrift, while miserly describes that same quality pushed to an extreme and criticized as excessive. The bridge is "moderate trait to its excessive, negative form." Confident and arrogant share that relationship, since arrogance is confidence carried to an objectionable extreme.

Question 3Verbal Reasoning

Which word is closest in meaning to the underlined word? The senator's remarks were deliberately ambiguous, allowing supporters on both sides to claim her endorsement.

  1. hostile in tone
  2. brief and pointed
  3. open to more than one interpretation Correct answer.
  4. straightforward

Explanation

The context clue is that supporters on both sides could claim her endorsement, which is possible only if the remarks could be read in more than one way. That is precisely what ambiguous means. The other options describe clarity, brevity, or hostility, none of which explains the double claim.

Question 4Verbal Reasoning

Read the sentence and choose the word that best fits the blank: Although the documentary was praised for its gorgeous photography, reviewers found its narration ______ and predictable.

  1. vivid
  2. meticulous
  3. banal Correct answer.
  4. poignant

Explanation

The word "and" pairs the blank with "predictable," so the missing term must be negative and suggest dullness. Banal means trite and unoriginal, which fits that pairing. Vivid, poignant, and meticulous are all compliments and would clash with the critical tone.

Question 5Verbal Reasoning

Choose the word that best completes the sentence: The apprentice's first attempt was so ______ that the master could not tell it from her own finished work.

  1. crude
  2. derivative
  3. flawless Correct answer.
  4. tentative

Explanation

The clue is that the master could not distinguish the apprentice's attempt from finished work, so the attempt must be excellent. Flawless means without defect, matching that clue. Crude and tentative are negative, and derivative would not explain the master's inability to tell the works apart.

Question 6Verbal Reasoning

Choose the pair that best expresses a relationship similar to the pair below. SKEPTICAL : CONVICTION ::

  1. fearful : danger
  2. thirsty : water
  3. weary : energy Correct answer.
  4. hungry : appetite

Explanation

A skeptical person lacks conviction, just as a weary person lacks energy; the bridge is "lacking a quality or resource." Weary and energy form the same relationship. Thirsty and water, hungry and appetite, and fearful and danger all describe a need for or response to something rather than the absence of a quality.

Question 7Verbal Reasoning

Which word is most nearly opposite in meaning to "candor"?

  1. warmth
  2. deceit Correct answer.
  3. caution
  4. frankness

Explanation

Candor means honest, open expression, so its antonym must involve dishonesty or concealment. Deceit means deliberate misleading, which is the clearest opposite. Frankness is a synonym, while warmth and caution concern manner or prudence rather than honesty.

Question 8Verbal Reasoning

Choose the word that best completes the sentence: The hikers were warned that the trail's final mile was ______, requiring them to scramble over loose rock with their hands as well as their feet.

  1. sheltered
  2. ornamental
  3. leisurely
  4. arduous Correct answer.

Explanation

The detail about scrambling over loose rock with hands and feet signals physical difficulty, so the blank needs a word meaning strenuous. Arduous means requiring great effort, which fits. Leisurely, sheltered, and ornamental describe ease, protection, or decoration and contradict the clue.

Question 9Verbal Reasoning

Read the sentence and choose the word that best fits the blank: The editor cut the manuscript's ______ digressions, arguing that readers would lose patience with pages that wandered far from the central argument.

  1. pertinent
  2. concise
  3. lucid
  4. interminable Correct answer.

Explanation

The editor's complaint is that pages wander from the argument and would test readers' patience, so the digressions must be tediously long. Interminable means seemingly endless, which matches. Concise, pertinent, and lucid are all positive qualities that would not prompt cuts.

Question 10Verbal Reasoning

Choose the pair that best expresses a relationship similar to the pair below. CURATOR : MUSEUM ::

  1. patient : hospital
  2. author : novel
  3. librarian : library Correct answer.
  4. actor : audience

Explanation

A curator is the professional who organizes and oversees a museum's collection. A librarian similarly organizes and oversees a library's holdings, so the bridge is "professional who manages a collection within an institution." The other pairs place a person in a location or describe a creator and product.

Question 11Verbal Reasoning

Which word is closest in meaning to the underlined word? The mayor's plan was widely described as quixotic, aiming to eliminate all traffic congestion within a single year.

  1. practical
  2. expensive but worthwhile
  3. idealistic to the point of being unrealistic Correct answer.
  4. secretive

Explanation

The clue is the goal of eliminating all congestion in a single year, a wildly impractical aim. Quixotic describes exactly such idealistic, impractical schemes, named after a fictional knight who chased impossible dreams. The other options miss the note of unrealistic idealism.

Question 12Verbal Reasoning

Choose the word that best completes the sentence: Far from being ______, the new policy was so riddled with exceptions that even its authors struggled to summarize it.

  1. controversial
  2. straightforward Correct answer.
  3. detailed
  4. generous

Explanation

The phrase "far from being" signals that the policy is the opposite of the blank, and the evidence is that exceptions made it hard to summarize. A policy that is hard to summarize is not straightforward, so the blank needs a word meaning simple and clear. Controversial, generous, and detailed do not contrast with a maze of exceptions.

Question 13Verbal Reasoning

Choose the pair that best expresses a relationship similar to the pair below. MITIGATE : SEVERITY ::

  1. alleviate : pain Correct answer.
  2. inflate : size
  3. amplify : volume
  4. conceal : location

Explanation

To mitigate is to lessen the severity of something harmful, so the bridge is "reduce the intensity of a negative condition." Alleviate and pain share that exact relationship, since alleviate means to relieve pain. Amplify and inflate increase rather than reduce, and conceal hides a location rather than diminishing it.

Question 14Verbal Reasoning

Which word is most nearly opposite in meaning to "prodigal"?

  1. lavish
  2. thrifty Correct answer.
  3. wasteful
  4. extravagant

Explanation

Prodigal describes reckless, wasteful spending, so its antonym must mean careful with resources. Thrifty means economical and prudent, which is the clear opposite. Wasteful, extravagant, and lavish are all synonyms or near-synonyms of prodigal.

Question 15Verbal Reasoning

Read the sentence and choose the word that best fits the blank: The critic praised the novel's prose as ______, noting that a single paragraph could suggest an entire character's history without stating it directly.

  1. evocative Correct answer.
  2. pedantic
  3. verbose
  4. blunt

Explanation

The clue is that a paragraph can suggest a whole history without stating it, meaning the prose calls up rich associations indirectly. Evocative means bringing images or feelings to mind, which fits. Verbose, pedantic, and blunt describe wordiness, fussy show of learning, or directness, none of which matches suggestion.

Question 16Verbal Reasoning

Choose the pair that best expresses a relationship similar to the pair below. EPHEMERAL : PERMANENCE ::

  1. audible : silence Correct answer.
  2. hostile : conflict
  3. transparent : clarity
  4. fragile : delicacy

Explanation

Something ephemeral lasts only briefly and thus lacks permanence, so the bridge is "characterized by the absence of the paired quality." Audible means able to be heard and therefore lacks silence, matching that structure. Transparent and clarity, fragile and delicacy, and hostile and conflict all describe presence rather than absence.

Question 17Verbal Reasoning

Which word is closest in meaning to the underlined word? The scientist's conclusions were called tendentious because each data point was selected to support a position she had defended for years.

  1. biased toward a particular viewpoint Correct answer.
  2. impartial
  3. poorly documented
  4. overly technical

Explanation

The clue is selective use of data to support a preexisting position, which reveals a built-in slant. Tendentious means expressing a strong, often unreasoning point of view, so "biased toward a particular viewpoint" captures it. Impartial is its opposite, and the other options concern documentation or style.

Question 18Verbal Reasoning

Choose the word that best completes the sentence: The negotiator's ______ manner, calm and unhurried even when talks collapsed, reassured both delegations that a settlement remained possible.

  1. equable Correct answer.
  2. mercurial
  3. abrasive
  4. indifferent

Explanation

The sentence defines the blank with "calm and unhurried even when talks collapsed," signaling steady temperament. Equable means even-tempered and not easily disturbed, which fits that definition. Mercurial and abrasive suggest volatility or harshness, and indifferent suggests lack of concern rather than steadiness.

Question 19Verbal Reasoning

Choose the pair that best expresses a relationship similar to the pair below. PLACATE : ANGER ::

  1. provoke : irritation
  2. conceal : evidence
  3. celebrate : victory
  4. assuage : grief Correct answer.

Explanation

To placate is to calm someone's anger, so the bridge is "soothe an unpleasant emotion." Assuage and grief share that relationship, since assuage means to ease distress. Provoke intensifies irritation, conceal hides evidence, and celebrate marks a victory, none of which means soothing an emotion.

Question 20Verbal Reasoning

Read the sentence and choose the word that best fits the blank: Her rebuttal was so ______ that the panel, which had planned a lengthy cross-examination, simply thanked her and moved to the next item.

  1. cogent Correct answer.
  2. convoluted
  3. truculent
  4. cursory

Explanation

The panel abandoned its planned cross-examination because the rebuttal left nothing to challenge, which signals compelling logic. Cogent means clear, logical, and convincing, matching that effect. Convoluted, cursory, and truculent suggest tangled reasoning, superficiality, or hostility, none of which would end questioning.

Question 21Verbal Reasoning

Which word is most nearly opposite in meaning to "obfuscate"?

  1. confuse
  2. complicate
  3. clarify Correct answer.
  4. conceal

Explanation

Obfuscate means to make something unclear or hard to understand, so its antonym must mean to make it clear. Clarify does exactly that. Complicate, conceal, and confuse all move in the same direction as obfuscate and are therefore not opposites.

Question 22Verbal Reasoning

Choose the pair that best expresses a relationship similar to the pair below. ICONOCLAST : ORTHODOXY ::

  1. heretic : doctrine Correct answer.
  2. diplomat : negotiation
  3. guardian : tradition
  4. novice : expertise

Explanation

An iconoclast attacks established beliefs, so the bridge is "one who challenges an accepted system of belief." A heretic similarly challenges accepted religious doctrine. A diplomat conducts negotiation and a guardian protects tradition, both supporting rather than attacking, and a novice simply lacks expertise.

Question 23Verbal Reasoning

Read the sentence and choose the word that best fits the blank: The biography avoids hagiography; its portrait of the statesman is admiring yet ______, recording his failures alongside his achievements.

  1. uncritical
  2. unsparing Correct answer.
  3. laudatory
  4. reverent

Explanation

The semicolon and the phrase "admiring yet" set up a contrast: the portrait is favorable but also candid about failures. Unsparing means not sparing in criticism, which captures that candor. Uncritical, laudatory, and reverent all mean purely praising, which would contradict the contrast and the mention of failures.

Question 24Verbal Reasoning

Which word is closest in meaning to the underlined word? The committee's findings were criticized as nugatory, since the recommendations carried no authority and changed nothing.

  1. binding
  2. controversial
  3. trivial in effect Correct answer.
  4. exhaustive

Explanation

The clue is that the recommendations carried no authority and changed nothing, which points to a lack of real consequence. Nugatory means having no force or effect, so "trivial in effect" is the closest match. Controversial, exhaustive, and binding describe dispute, completeness, or legal force, none of which fits the clue.

Question 25Verbal Reasoning

Choose the pair that best expresses a relationship similar to the pair below. DESULTORY : PLAN ::

  1. methodical : order
  2. frenetic : energy
  3. cursory : haste
  4. fitful : regularity Correct answer.

Explanation

Desultory means lacking a plan or steady purpose, so the bridge is "characterized by the absence of the paired quality." Fitful means occurring irregularly, which is characterized by the absence of regularity. Frenetic suggests excess energy, methodical implies order, and cursory implies haste, all describing presence rather than absence.

Question 26Verbal Reasoning

Choose the word that best completes the sentence: Although the committee's report ran to three hundred pages, its actual recommendations were so ______ that the board disposed of them in a single meeting.

  1. ambiguous
  2. contentious
  3. voluminous
  4. meager Correct answer.

Explanation

The contrast signaled by 'Although' requires a word meaning slight or scanty to oppose the report's great length. 'Meager' means deficient in quantity or substance, which fits recommendations quickly dismissed. The blank must describe the recommendations, not the report itself.

Question 27Verbal Reasoning

Which word is closest in meaning to the underlined word? The board praised the treasurer for her parsimonious handling of the endowment, noting that overhead costs had fallen for four straight years.

  1. indecisive
  2. lavish
  3. corrupt
  4. frugal Correct answer.

Explanation

The context clue is a reduction in overhead costs sustained over years, which points to careful thrift. 'Parsimonious' means extremely sparing with money, so 'frugal' matches. The praise in the sentence rules out negative moral readings.

Question 28Verbal Reasoning

Which word is most nearly opposite in meaning to 'gregarious'?

  1. cheerful
  2. courteous
  3. talkative
  4. reclusive Correct answer.

Explanation

'Gregarious' describes someone who seeks out and enjoys the company of others. Its opposite must describe avoidance of company, which 'reclusive' supplies. The other options describe manner or mood rather than sociability.

Question 29Verbal Reasoning

Choose the pair that best expresses a relationship similar to the pair below. AUDACIOUS : TIMIDITY

  1. candid : honesty
  2. lethargic : fatigue
  3. meticulous : carelessness Correct answer.
  4. affluent : wealth

Explanation

The stem pairs a trait with the quality it excludes: an audacious person lacks timidity. The correct pair repeats that opposition, since a meticulous person lacks carelessness. The remaining pairs link a quality to something it implies rather than excludes.

Question 30Verbal Reasoning

Choose the word that best completes the sentence: The documentary's narration is admirably ______, presenting each faction's claims without endorsing any of them.

  1. somber
  2. partisan
  3. verbose
  4. impartial Correct answer.

Explanation

The clause 'without endorsing any of them' defines the needed quality as neutrality. 'Impartial' means not favoring one side, which matches presenting all claims evenly. The blank describes fairness, not tone or length.

Question 31Verbal Reasoning

Which word is closest in meaning to the underlined word? The senator's remarks were deliberately equivocal, allowing supporters and opponents alike to claim that he agreed with them.

  1. vague Correct answer.
  2. hostile
  3. blunt
  4. lengthy

Explanation

The clue is that both sides could claim his agreement, which requires language open to multiple readings. 'Equivocal' means ambiguous or intentionally unclear, so 'vague' is the closest match. The sentence stresses uncertainty of meaning, not forcefulness.

Question 32Verbal Reasoning

Choose the pair that best expresses a relationship similar to the pair below. GULLIBLE : DECEIVE

  1. hostile : befriend
  2. eloquent : persuade
  3. fragile : shatter Correct answer.
  4. diligent : procrastinate

Explanation

The stem links a quality that makes someone vulnerable to a particular action. A gullible person is easily deceived, just as a fragile object is easily shattered. The relationship is susceptibility, not mere tendency or contrast.

Question 33Verbal Reasoning

Which word is most nearly opposite in meaning to 'superfluous'?

  1. abundant
  2. essential Correct answer.
  3. excessive
  4. ornamental

Explanation

'Superfluous' means more than is needed, so its opposite is something necessary. 'Essential' means absolutely required, which supplies that opposition. The other options all describe something extra or decorative.

Question 34Verbal Reasoning

Choose the word that best completes the sentence: The witness's account was so ______ that investigators could not determine even the approximate time of the incident.

  1. mendacious
  2. audible
  3. succinct
  4. imprecise Correct answer.

Explanation

The result clause states that investigators could not establish even an approximate time, which points to a lack of exactness. 'Imprecise' means not exact, matching that consequence. The blank concerns accuracy, not truthfulness or brevity.

Question 35Verbal Reasoning

Choose the pair that best expresses a relationship similar to the pair below. EXACERBATE : PROBLEM

  1. resolve : conflict
  2. diagnose : illness
  3. amplify : sound Correct answer.
  4. ignore : warning

Explanation

To exacerbate is to make a problem worse or more intense, so the stem links an action to the intensification of its object. Amplifying a sound makes it louder in the same way. The other pairs describe solving, disregarding, or identifying.

Question 36Verbal Reasoning

Read the sentence and choose the word that best fits the blank: So ______ was the young pianist's technique that seasoned critics, usually stingy with praise, competed to write tributes.

  1. derivative
  2. consummate Correct answer.
  3. rudimentary
  4. erratic

Explanation

The reaction of stingy critics competing to praise implies that the technique was exceptionally accomplished. 'Consummate' means complete or highly skilled, fitting that reaction. The blank must explain the praise, so it cannot describe a flaw.

Question 37Verbal Reasoning

Which word is closest in meaning to the underlined word? The chair's summary was a model of concision, compressing a two-day debate into four sentences without losing any essential point.

  1. verbosity
  2. rigor
  3. candor
  4. brevity Correct answer.

Explanation

The clue is the compression of a long debate into four sentences while preserving essentials, which defines brevity. 'Concision' means concise quality, so 'brevity' is the match. The sentence emphasizes shortness, not honesty or strictness.

Question 38Verbal Reasoning

Choose the word that best completes the sentence: The mayor's promise to repair every pothole within a month proved ______; three years later, most streets remained untouched.

  1. tentative
  2. hollow Correct answer.
  3. prudent
  4. binding

Explanation

The later failure to act shows the promise lacked substance, which 'hollow' conveys. The semicolon sets up a contradiction between pledge and outcome, so the blank must signal emptiness. 'Tentative' would imply hesitation, but the promise was apparently firm.

Question 39Verbal Reasoning

Which word is most nearly opposite in meaning to 'transient'?

  1. fleeting
  2. migratory
  3. fragile
  4. perpetual Correct answer.

Explanation

'Transient' describes something lasting only a short time, so its opposite must describe lasting indefinitely. 'Perpetual' means continuing without end, which supplies that contrast. The other options either restate brevity or describe unrelated qualities.

Question 40Verbal Reasoning

Choose the pair that best expresses a relationship similar to the pair below. SKEPTIC : CREDULITY

  1. stoic : complaint Correct answer.
  2. hermit : solitude
  3. novice : inexperience
  4. cynic : distrust

Explanation

A skeptic is characterized by an absence of credulity, so the stem links a person type to a quality that person notably lacks. A stoic is likewise defined by freedom from complaint. The other pairs link a person to a quality that is present rather than absent.

Question 41Verbal Reasoning

Read the sentence and choose the word that best fits the blank: Rather than offering a single explanation, the historian's account is deliberately ______, weaving together economic, religious, and personal causes without ranking them.

  1. dogmatic
  2. redundant
  3. superficial
  4. pluralistic Correct answer.

Explanation

The phrase 'rather than a single explanation' and the list of multiple causes signal acceptance of many factors. 'Pluralistic' means recognizing multiple elements or perspectives, which fits. The blank contrasts with a single, ranked cause.

Question 42Verbal Reasoning

Which word is closest in meaning to the underlined word? The professor's rebuttal was so trenchant that the visiting scholar abandoned her thesis on the spot.

  1. incisive Correct answer.
  2. polite
  3. hasty
  4. confusing

Explanation

A rebuttal forceful enough to make a scholar abandon her thesis must be sharply penetrating. 'Trenchant' means cutting and incisive, which matches that effect. The sentence stresses analytical force rather than courtesy or speed.

Question 43Verbal Reasoning

Choose the word that best completes the sentence: Critics initially dismissed the theory as ______, yet within a decade it had displaced the framework that had dominated the field for a century.

  1. heretical Correct answer.
  2. orthodox
  3. influential
  4. cautious

Explanation

The theory displaced the dominant framework, so early critics would have seen it as deviating from accepted doctrine. 'Heretical' means holding an opinion contrary to established belief, fitting that dismissal. The 'yet' signals a reversal from rejection to triumph.

Question 44Verbal Reasoning

Choose the pair that best expresses a relationship similar to the pair below. MERCURIAL : MOOD

  1. capricious : behavior Correct answer.
  2. rigid : structure
  3. tenacious : grip
  4. cordial : greeting

Explanation

A mercurial person is defined by unpredictable shifts in mood, so the stem links an adjective to the domain it describes as changeable. Capricious behavior is likewise unpredictable. The other pairs describe firmness or warmth rather than volatility.

Question 45Verbal Reasoning

Read the sentence and choose the word that best fits the blank: The committee's report was so ______ that even members who had voted against the project endorsed its conclusions.

  1. cogent Correct answer.
  2. partisan
  3. belated
  4. turgid

Explanation

Opponents endorsing the conclusions implies the report was logically compelling. 'Cogent' means clear and convincing in reasoning, which explains the change of position. The blank must account for persuasion across an initial disagreement.

Question 46Verbal Reasoning

Choose the word that best completes the sentence: The diplomat's memoir is anything but ______: it names no colleagues, dates no meetings, and reveals nothing that was not already public.

  1. revealing Correct answer.
  2. tedious
  3. accurate
  4. discreet

Explanation

The colon lists ways the memoir discloses nothing, so the phrase 'anything but' requires a word meaning forthcoming or disclosing. 'Revealing' fits, since the memoir is emphatically not revealing. The contrast depends on recognizing that 'anything but X' denies X.

Question 47Verbal Reasoning

Choose the pair that best expresses a relationship similar to the pair below. ABDICATE : THRONE

  1. relinquish : claim Correct answer.
  2. ascend : ladder
  3. inherit : estate
  4. defend : fortress

Explanation

To abdicate is to formally give up a throne, so the stem links an act of surrendering to the thing surrendered. Relinquishing a claim repeats that voluntary giving up. The other pairs describe gaining, protecting, or receiving.

Question 48Verbal Reasoning

Which word is most nearly opposite in meaning to 'assiduous'?

  1. thorough
  2. persistent
  3. anxious
  4. indolent Correct answer.

Explanation

'Assiduous' describes persistent, diligent attention to a task, so its opposite must describe habitual laziness. 'Indolent' means averse to activity or work, supplying that contrast. The remaining options describe diligence or an unrelated emotion.

Question 49Verbal Reasoning

Read the sentence and choose the word that best fits the blank: Far from being a ______ reform, the new law preserved every exemption its sponsors had promised to abolish, leaving the old system essentially intact.

  1. sweeping Correct answer.
  2. modest
  3. technical
  4. bipartisan

Explanation

The law preserved all the exemptions it promised to abolish, so it was not a broad, thoroughgoing reform. 'Sweeping' means wide-ranging, and 'far from being a sweeping reform' captures that failure. The blank must name the ambitious change the law turned out not to be.

Question 50Verbal Reasoning

Choose the pair that best expresses a relationship similar to the pair below. LACONIC : WORDS

  1. garrulous : stories
  2. meticulous : errors
  3. vehement : silence
  4. parsimonious : expenditure Correct answer.

Explanation

A laconic person is sparing in the use of words, so the stem links a trait to the resource it uses frugally. Parsimonious people are similarly sparing in expenditure. The other pairs describe excess, avoidance, or intensity rather than frugality.