Vocabulary
Vocabulary items test your knowledge of word meaning, word families, collocation, and context. Placement tests often include synonym or antonym questions, gap-fill sentences, and items where four words are close in meaning but only one fits the sentence’s grammar, register, or typical partner word.
Use the sentence as evidence
Before looking at options, predict a word from the context. Look for contrast (but, unlike), cause and effect (therefore, because), and definition clues (that is, such as). Then eliminate options that are wrong in meaning, form, or collocation.
Learn words in chunks
A collocation is a habitual word partnership: make a decision, take responsibility, heavy rain, strong evidence. Near-synonyms are not interchangeable: “inspect” suggests careful official examination; “glance” suggests a quick look. Word-family questions require the right part of speech: the noun form may be needed after an article or adjective.
Worked example
“The committee’s proposal was ___: it satisfied neither the residents nor the developers.” A. controversial B. unanimous C. compulsory D. redundant Reasoning: The colon explains the result: both sides were dissatisfied. “Unanimous” means everyone agrees; “compulsory” means required; “redundant” means unnecessary or no longer needed. “Controversial” means causing disagreement, which fits the clue. Answer: A.
Traps that cost marks
- Choosing a synonym that fits the general idea but not the grammar (e.g., a noun where a verb is needed).
- Ignoring connotation: “thin” and “slender” differ in tone; “childish” and “childlike” are not interchangeable.
- Confusing look-alike words (economic/economical, sensible/sensitive, affect/effect).
- Missing collocation: you “do research,” not “make research”; you “raise a question,” not “rise a question.”
- Memorizing single translations instead of learning a word’s typical context and partners.