ISEE Verbal Reasoning Practice Test: Timed, Free, by Level

This free ISEE Verbal Reasoning practice test is half a real section at the real pace: 17 questions in 10 minutes for the Lower Level, 20 in 10 minutes for the Middle and Upper Levels. About half are synonyms and half sentence completions. Check your answers to see your score by question type, your pace and every word to review.

We wrote all 57 questions ourselves. Section facts on this page come from E3n, the organization that makes the ISEE, at admission.org and in its What to Expect on the ISEE guides, checked November 12, 2026.

Timed ISEE Verbal Reasoning practice test

Each level's set follows the real section: synonyms first, then sentence completions, with the same question forms the real test uses at that level and answer choices in the same order (one-word choices alphabetical, Lower Level phrases by length, Upper Level word pairs alphabetical by the first word). The clock gives you the real time per question. Use it, pause it or turn it off.

Last verified against E3n's ISEE pages on admission.org, the ISEE Quick Facts Guide 2026-27 and the What to Expect on the ISEE guides for the Lower, Middle and Upper Level: November 12, 2026. All questions are original and written by Test Ninjas.

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What's on ISEE Verbal Reasoning at each level?

ISEE Verbal Reasoning has two question types at every level, synonyms and sentence completions, and no analogies or reading passages. What changes by level is the vocabulary and the form of the sentence completions (What to Expect on the ISEE guides).

Source: Appendix A of E3n's What to Expect on the ISEE guides for the Lower, Middle and Upper Level, checked November 12, 2026. Counts include the unscored questions.

Level	Questions on the real section
Lower Level (applying to grades 5–6)	17 synonyms, 11 one-word completions, 6 phrase completions
Middle Level (applying to grades 7–8)	17–23 synonyms, 17–23 one-word completions
Upper Level (applying to grades 9–12)	19 synonyms, 12 one-word completions, 9 two-blank completions

Lower Level (applying to grades 5 and 6) is the only level with phrase completions: instead of a single word, you pick the short phrase that finishes the sentence logically. The guide says these choices are ordered by length. Questions 15 to 17 in our Lower set are this type.
Middle Level (grades 7 and 8) uses single-word completions only, about as many as synonyms. The vocabulary jumps: words like prudent, vigilant and dilapidated are fair game.
Upper Level (grades 9 to 12) adds two-blank completions, where both words in a pair have to fit. Expect harder words in the synonyms too, such as laconic, ephemeral and pragmatic.

The level depends on the grade the student is applying to, not the grade they're in now (admission.org). If you aren't sure, see ISEE test levels explained.

How long is ISEE Verbal Reasoning, and how many questions?

Verbal Reasoning is the first section of the ISEE and lasts 20 minutes at every level: 34 questions at the Lower Level and 40 at the Middle and Upper Levels (ISEE Quick Facts 2026-27). That makes it the fastest section on the test.

Sources: admission.org, About the ISEE and the Quick Facts Guide 2026-27 for counts and times; the What to Expect guides for scored and unscored counts. Checked November 12, 2026.

Level	Questions	Time	Per question
Lower Level	34 (30 scored, 4 unscored)	20 min	35 seconds
Middle Level	40 (35 scored, 5 unscored)	20 min	30 seconds
Upper Level	40 (35 scored, 5 unscored)	20 min	30 seconds

Some of those questions don't count. The What to Expect guides say each multiple-choice section includes questions that are being tried out for future tests and are left off the score report: 4 of the 34 at the Lower Level and 5 of the 40 at the Middle and Upper Levels. They look like every other question, so treat each one as if it counts.

Our practice sets are exactly half a section, timed at the same pace:

Clock = questions × the real seconds per question.

Level	Questions in this test	Clock
Lower Level	17 (9 synonyms, 8 sentence completions)	10:00
Middle Level	20 (10 synonyms, 10 sentence completions)	10:00
Upper Level	20 (10 synonyms, 10 sentence completions)	10:00

There is no penalty for wrong answers: scores are based only on correct answers (Quick Facts). With 30 seconds a question, the most common way to lose points is running out of time with blanks. Leave the last 30 seconds to fill in a guess for anything you haven't answered; our ISEE guessing strategy guide explains why that always helps. You can go back to skipped questions within the section if time allows. For the whole test-day schedule, see how long the ISEE is.

How to answer ISEE synonym questions

Read the word in capitals, think of a meaning before you look at the choices, then find the choice closest to your meaning. Because one-word choices are listed alphabetically, scanning for your word is quick. A four-step method that fits in about 15 seconds:

Define it in your own words. "Vacant: empty." If nothing comes, think of a phrase you've heard it in: a vacant lot, a vacant seat.
If you don't know it, use word parts and charge. Bene- means good, so benevolent is positive. Even a sense of positive or negative lets you cross off two choices.
Watch for the three traps. Look-alikes (tidy for TIMID, hospitable for HOSTILE, jealous for ZEALOUS), related ideas (quiet for VACANT, prosperous for BENEVOLENT) and opposites (reveal for CONCEAL). Every set on this page has all three, and the explanations name them.
Pick and move on. If you're stuck between two, choose one and keep going. Saved seconds go to the sentence completions.

More tactics and trap types are in our ISEE synonyms strategy guide, and the roots, prefixes and suffixes list helps with words you've never seen.

How to answer ISEE sentence completions: signal words

Every ISEE sentence completion contains a clue. Find the signal word that shows how the blank relates to the rest of the sentence, predict your own word for the blank, then match it to a choice. E3n's guides point to the same clue words: although, because, if, since and therefore.

Signal	Examples	What the blank does	In our sets
Contrast	although, but, though, unlike, rather than, far from	Goes against the other part of the sentence	Lower 12, 15 and 17; Middle 11, 14 and 18; Upper 11, 15, 17 and 18
Cause and result	because, so, so ... that, since, therefore	Is caused by, or causes, the other part	Lower 10, 11, 13 and 16; Middle 12, 15 and 17; Upper 14 and 20
Definition or restatement	a colon, a semicolon, a phrase set off by commas	Means the same as the explanation next to it	Middle 13, 16 and 20; Upper 13 and 16

Then work in this order:

Read the whole sentence first and underline the signal word and the clue it points to.
Predict the blank with a simple word of your own ("very tired," "made worse"). Then look for the choice that means that. In Middle question 14, "rather than ... by shouting back" predicts "make worse," which is escalate.
Two blanks (Upper Level only): fill the easier blank first and cross off every pair whose word fails it, then test the other blank. The right choice must work for both.
Phrases (Lower Level only): decide what kind of ending the signal calls for, a surprise after "even though" or the expected result after "so," before you read the choices.
Reread the sentence with your answer in it. If it sounds contradictory, check the signal again.

Our ISEE sentence completion strategies guide has more worked examples, including two-blank questions.

How to use your practice test results

Use the results to decide what to study, not to predict a score. A percent correct is not an ISEE stanine or percentile. The real test converts your number right to a scaled score from 760 to 940, then compares it with students applying to the same grade over the past three years to give a percentile and a stanine (admission.org, ISEE score reports). A half-length set can't do that.

Want a score estimate? Take a full-length practice test, such as the one in E3n's What to Expect guide or our free ISEE practice tests, then enter your raw scores in the ISEE score calculator for a rough scaled score, percentile and stanine. Our stanine guide explains how schools read them.

Here's what to do with each part of the readout:

Score by type. If synonyms are clearly lower, the fix is vocabulary volume: more words, reviewed often. If sentence completions are lower but your synonyms are fine, you probably know the words and need to read the signals more carefully.
Pace. If you went over, find where the time went. Most students spend too long on a few hard sentence completions. Set a rule: if a question isn't clear in 45 seconds, guess, mark it and come back if time allows.
Missed words. The review list gives each missed word or signal with its meaning. Put every one on a flashcard; our ISEE vocabulary flashcards are a good place to keep going.
Blanks. Any blank is a lost chance. On the real test, a random guess on each blank is worth about a quarter of a point on average, and more if you can rule out a choice.

A 2-week ISEE verbal study plan

Two weeks is enough to sharpen technique and add about 150 words; it isn't enough to build a whole vocabulary, so start with the words you missed. Plan on 30 to 40 minutes a day. If the test is further away, repeat week 2 with new words until test day.

Day	What to do
Day 1	Take this page's practice test at your level with the timer on. Copy every word in the review list into a notebook or flashcards, with its meaning and a sentence of your own.
Day 2	Learn 15 new words from a level-appropriate list. Review yesterday's missed words. Do 10 synonym questions untimed, predicting a meaning before you look at the choices.
Day 3	Learn 15 words. Study 10 common roots and prefixes (bene-, mal-, re-, in-, ob-, -ous). Do 10 sentence completions: circle the signal word in each before answering.
Day 4	Learn 15 words. Review all words so far. Do a mixed set of 20 at the real pace; note which type cost you more time.
Day 5	Learn 15 words. Sentence completion day: 15 questions, writing your own word for the blank before looking. Upper Level: include two-blank questions and fill the easier blank first.
Day 6	Learn 15 words. Synonym day: 15 questions. For every miss, name the trap you fell for (look-alike, related idea, opposite).
Day 7	Rest from new words. Quiz yourself on everything from week 1 and move the words you know cold to a separate pile.
Day 8	Retake this page's test at your level, timed. Compare your score by type and your pace with day 1.
Day 9	Learn 15 words. Do the official sample questions in E3n's What to Expect guide for your level, untimed, and read every explanation.
Day 10	Learn 15 words. Timed mixed set at the real pace. Practice answering every question, guessing on any you can't solve in time.
Day 11	Learn 15 words. Review the week-1 pile you didn't know cold. Do 15 sentence completions, rereading each sentence with your answer in it.
Day 12	Take the Verbal Reasoning section of the official practice test in your What to Expect guide, timed as the guide instructs.
Day 13	Review every miss from day 12 and add the words to your list. Try the next level's set on this page for harder vocabulary.
Day 14	Light review only: flip through your missed-word list once. Before test day, check that you'll answer every question; blanks score zero.

For word lists matched to the test, use the ISEE essential vocabulary list. For a fresh set of verbal questions each day, try our daily ISEE Verbal Reasoning practice, and for a deeper look at the section, read the ISEE Verbal Reasoning section guide.

Frequently asked questions

The Lower Level Verbal Reasoning section has 34 questions in 20 minutes. The Middle and Upper Level sections each have 40 questions in 20 minutes. A few of them are unscored tryout questions: 4 at the Lower Level and 5 at the Middle and Upper Levels, according to E3n's What to Expect on the ISEE guides. You can't tell which ones they are.

No. ISEE scores are based only on the number of questions answered correctly, and nothing is taken off for a wrong answer. A blank scores the same as a wrong answer, zero, so answer every Verbal Reasoning question before time is called, even if you have to guess.

No. ISEE Verbal Reasoning has only two question types at the Lower, Middle and Upper Levels: synonyms and sentence completions. Analogies are on the SSAT, not the ISEE.

Only the Upper Level. E3n's Upper Level guide lists 9 paired-word sentence completions out of 40 Verbal Reasoning questions. The Middle Level uses single-word completions only. The Lower Level uses single words plus about 6 completions where you choose a short phrase.

No. A percent correct is not a stanine or a percentile. The ISEE converts your number right to a scaled score from 760 to 940, then compares it with students applying to the same grade over the past three years. A half-length set is too short to predict that. For a rough conversion from a full-length practice test, use our ISEE score calculator.

No. Test Ninjas wrote every question on this page to match the format, choice order and difficulty of each level's Verbal Reasoning section. Official questions come from E3n, which makes the ISEE: its free online sample tests and its What to Expect on the ISEE guides, which include a full practice test for each level.

Yes. Choose a level and use Print this level. The printout leaves out the site header, the timer and the buttons, keeps every answer and explanation folded under its question, and puts a one-line answer key on the last page so you can work on paper and mark it yourself.

About 30 seconds at the Middle and Upper Levels, where 40 questions share 20 minutes, and about 35 seconds at the Lower Level, where 34 questions share 20 minutes. Synonyms usually take less time than that and sentence completions more, so bank time on the synonyms.

Official sources

Related ISEE guides

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ISEE Verbal Reasoning practice test: timed, by level