How many questions are on the Upper Level ISEE and how long is it?

The Upper Level ISEE has 160 scored questions: Verbal Reasoning (40 questions / 20 minutes), Quantitative Reasoning (37 questions / 35 minutes), Reading Comprehension (36 questions / 35 minutes), and Mathematics Achievement (47 questions / 40 minutes). That is 130 minutes of scored testing, followed by the 30-minute Essay.

What is the difference between Quantitative Reasoning and Mathematics Achievement?

Quantitative Reasoning tests math thinking and problem-solving, including quantitative comparison questions, with little heavy computation. Mathematics Achievement tests grade-level math knowledge and skills directly — arithmetic, algebra, geometry, and data — aligned to what students learn in school. They are scored as two separate sections.

Is the ISEE Essay scored?

No. The Essay is unscored, so it does not factor into your stanine results. However, ERB sends a copy of your handwritten or typed essay to the schools you apply to, so admissions officers do read it. This practice test covers only the scored, multiple-choice sections and does not simulate the Essay.

Is there a penalty for guessing on the ISEE?

No. The ISEE does not penalize wrong answers, so your score is based only on the questions you get right. Because a blank earns nothing, you should answer every question, making an educated guess when you are unsure or running low on time.

How often can I take the ISEE?

ERB allows the ISEE to be taken once per testing season, with up to three attempts across the testing year (typically once in Fall, once in Winter, and once in Spring). Plan your test date around your schools' application deadlines, since scores must arrive in time.

What is on the Verbal Reasoning section?

Verbal Reasoning has two question types: synonyms, where you pick the word closest in meaning to a capitalized word, and sentence completions, where you fill one or two blanks in a sentence. It is heavily vocabulary-driven and the most time-pressured section, with 40 questions in 20 minutes.

Your FREE ISEE (Independent School Entrance Examination) Practice Test 2026 – 360+ Q&A

Q: How is the ISEE structured?

The ISEE has four scored, separately timed sections — Verbal Reasoning, Quantitative Reasoning, Reading Comprehension, and Mathematics Achievement — plus an unscored Essay at the end. On the Upper Level, that is 160 scored multiple-choice questions, with each section run on its own clock.

Q: How is the ISEE scored?

Each of the four scored sections is reported on a stanine scale from 1 to 9, based on how you performed compared with other students in your grade. There is no overall pass or fail — schools interpret your stanines alongside the rest of your application, and what counts as a strong score varies by school.

Q: How hard is the ISEE?

The ISEE is demanding mainly because of its pace — especially Verbal Reasoning, which gives you only 20 minutes for 40 questions. The vocabulary in the synonym and sentence-completion items is advanced, and the math sections move quickly, so timed, section-by-section practice is the most effective way to prepare.

Realistic ISEE Upper Level questions across all four scored sections — each on its own clock, just like test day, with instant scoring and clear answer explanations.

How ready are you?

ISEE Practice Questions

Select the word that is most nearly the same in meaning as the capitalized word: BRITTLE
- Heavy
- Fragile
- Smooth
- Flexible
Correct answer: Fragile
Fragile is correct because brittle describes something hard but easily broken or snapped. Flexible is the opposite, while smooth and heavy describe texture and weight, so fragile best matches the easily-broken sense of brittle.
Select the word that is most nearly the same in meaning as the capitalized word: ZEALOUS
- Lazy
- Quiet
- Honest
- Eager
Correct answer: Eager
Eager is correct because zealous means filled with great energy and enthusiasm for a cause. Lazy is the opposite, while quiet and honest name unrelated traits, so eager best matches the passionate drive of zealous.
Select the word that is most nearly the same in meaning as the capitalized word: FRUGAL
- Cheerful
- Generous
- Thrifty
- Wasteful
Correct answer: Thrifty
Thrifty is correct because frugal means careful and sparing with money or resources. Wasteful is the opposite, while generous and cheerful name unrelated traits, so thrifty best matches the economical sense of frugal.
Select the word that is most nearly the same in meaning as the capitalized word: MUNDANE
- Rare
- Ordinary
- Loud
- Exciting
Correct answer: Ordinary
Ordinary is correct because mundane means common, dull, and lacking interest. Exciting and rare suggest the unusual, and loud refers to sound, so ordinary best matches the everyday sense of mundane.
Select the word that is most nearly the same in meaning as the capitalized word: CANDID
- Frank
- Secretive
- Angry
- Shy
Correct answer: Frank
Frank is correct because candid means truthful and straightforward in expression. Secretive is the opposite, while shy and angry describe other states, so frank best matches the openness of candid.
Select the word that is most nearly the same in meaning as the capitalized word: WEARY
- Bold
- Eager
- Alert
- Tired
Correct answer: Tired
Tired is correct because weary means feeling worn out or fatigued. Alert and eager suggest energy, and bold describes courage, so tired best matches the exhaustion of weary.
Select the word that is most nearly the same in meaning as the capitalized word: LENIENT
- Greedy
- Strict
- Merciful
- Hostile
Correct answer: Merciful
Merciful is correct because lenient means tolerant and not harsh in judgment or punishment. Strict and hostile suggest severity, and greedy is unrelated, so merciful best matches the gentle, forgiving sense of lenient.
Select the word that is most nearly the same in meaning as the capitalized word: ABUNDANT
- Plentiful
- Hidden
- Tiny
- Scarce
Correct answer: Plentiful
Plentiful is correct because abundant means existing in large or more than sufficient quantity. Scarce is the opposite, while hidden and tiny describe concealment and size, so plentiful best matches the rich supply of abundant.
Select the word that is most nearly the same in meaning as the capitalized word: DOCILE
- Obedient
- Wild
- Clever
- Loud
Correct answer: Obedient
Obedient is correct because docile means easy to manage, teach, or control. Wild is the opposite, while clever and loud describe other qualities, so obedient best matches the gentle, manageable sense of docile.
Select the word that is most nearly the same in meaning as the capitalized word: TRIVIAL
- Heavy
- Strange
- Important
- Minor
Correct answer: Minor
Minor is correct because trivial means of little value or importance. Important is the opposite, while strange and heavy describe other qualities, so minor best matches the unimportant sense of trivial.
Select the word that is most nearly the same in meaning as the capitalized word: RESOLUTE
- Determined
- Uncertain
- Lazy
- Gentle
Correct answer: Determined
Determined is correct because resolute means firmly fixed in purpose and not giving up. Uncertain is the opposite, while lazy and gentle name unrelated traits, so determined best matches the steadfastness of resolute.
Select the word that is most nearly the same in meaning as the capitalized word: SCARCE
- Rare
- Bright
- Common
- Heavy
Correct answer: Rare
Rare is correct because scarce means insufficient in supply or hard to find. Common is the opposite, while bright and heavy describe light and weight, so rare best matches the short-supply sense of scarce.
Select the word that is most nearly the same in meaning as the capitalized word: HOSTILE
- Quiet
- Unfriendly
- Friendly
- Calm
Correct answer: Unfriendly
Unfriendly is correct because hostile means showing strong dislike or opposition. Friendly is the opposite, while calm and quiet describe other states, so unfriendly best matches the antagonism of hostile.
Select the word that is most nearly the same in meaning as the capitalized word: PRUDENT
- Reckless
- Lazy
- Loud
- Wise
Correct answer: Wise
Wise is correct because prudent means showing care and good judgment in practical matters. Reckless is the opposite, while loud and lazy name unrelated traits, so wise best matches the careful good sense of prudent.
Select the word that is most nearly the same in meaning as the capitalized word: ELATED
- Calm
- Tired
- Overjoyed
- Sad
Correct answer: Overjoyed
Overjoyed is correct because elated means filled with great happiness and high spirits. Sad is the opposite, while tired and calm describe other states, so overjoyed best matches the joy of elated.
Select the word that is most nearly the same in meaning as the capitalized word: OMINOUS
- Threatening
- Plain
- Cheerful
- Honest
Correct answer: Threatening
Threatening is correct because ominous means giving the impression that something bad is about to happen. Cheerful is the opposite, while honest and plain describe other qualities, so threatening best matches the menacing sense of ominous.
Select the word that is most nearly the same in meaning as the capitalized word: HASTY
- Slow
- Rushed
- Careful
- Quiet
Correct answer: Rushed
Rushed is correct because hasty means done with excessive speed and too little thought. Slow and careful are opposites, and quiet refers to sound, so rushed best matches the hurried sense of hasty.
Select the word that is most nearly the same in meaning as the capitalized word: RESILIENT
- Tough
- Dull
- Fragile
- Lazy
Correct answer: Tough
Tough is correct because resilient means able to recover quickly from difficulty or to spring back. Fragile is the opposite, while lazy and dull name unrelated traits, so tough best matches the hardy, recovering sense of resilient.
Select the word that is most nearly the same in meaning as the capitalized word: VAGUE
- Loud
- Heavy
- Unclear
- Clear
Correct answer: Unclear
Unclear is correct because vague means not expressed in a clear or definite way. Clear is the opposite, while loud and heavy describe sound and weight, so unclear best matches the indefinite sense of vague.
Select the word that is most nearly the same in meaning as the capitalized word: MOCK
- Ridicule
- Praise
- Build
- Help
Correct answer: Ridicule
Ridicule is correct because to mock someone is to make fun of them in a scornful way. Praise is the opposite, while help and build are unrelated actions, so ridicule best matches the scornful sense of mock.
Select the word that is most nearly the same in meaning as the capitalized word: STURDY
- Weak
- Strong
- Empty
- Quiet
Correct answer: Strong
Strong is correct because sturdy means strongly and solidly built. Weak is the opposite, while quiet and empty describe sound and contents, so strong best matches the solid build of sturdy.
Select the word that is most nearly the same in meaning as the capitalized word: PLACID
- Harsh
- Calm
- Stormy
- Eager
Correct answer: Calm
Calm is correct because placid means peaceful and free from disturbance. Stormy and harsh suggest turmoil, and eager describes enthusiasm, so calm best matches the tranquil sense of placid.
Select the word that is most nearly the same in meaning as the capitalized word: DREAD
- Enjoy
- Hurry
- Welcome
- Fear
Correct answer: Fear
Fear is correct because to dread something is to anticipate it with great fear or worry. Welcome and enjoy are opposites, and hurry is unrelated, so fear best matches the anxious sense of dread.
Select the word that is most nearly the same in meaning as the capitalized word: VENERABLE
- Foolish
- Respected
- Young
- Hidden
Correct answer: Respected
Respected is correct because venerable means worthy of great respect, often because of age or wisdom. Foolish is the opposite, while young and hidden describe age and concealment, so respected best matches the honored sense of venerable.
Select the word that is most nearly the same in meaning as the capitalized word: WITHER
- Shine
- Shrivel
- Bloom
- Repeat
Correct answer: Shrivel
Shrivel is correct because to wither is to dry up, shrink, and lose freshness. Bloom is the opposite, while shine and repeat are unrelated, so shrivel best matches the drying, fading sense of wither.
Select the word that is most nearly the same in meaning as the capitalized word: BENEVOLENT
- Wealthy
- Cruel
- Kindly
- Quiet
Correct answer: Kindly
Kindly is correct because benevolent means well-meaning and showing goodwill toward others. Cruel is the opposite, while quiet and wealthy describe other qualities, so kindly best matches the good-hearted sense of benevolent.
Select the word that is most nearly the same in meaning as the capitalized word: BAFFLE
- Clarify
- Help
- Puzzle
- Hurry
Correct answer: Puzzle
Puzzle is correct because to baffle someone is to confuse them so they cannot understand. Clarify is the opposite, while help and hurry are unrelated, so puzzle best matches the confusing sense of baffle.
Select the word that is most nearly the same in meaning as the capitalized word: DILIGENT
- Cheerful
- Loud
- Hardworking
- Careless
Correct answer: Hardworking
Hardworking is correct because diligent means showing steady, careful, and persistent effort. Careless is the opposite, while cheerful and loud describe mood and sound, so hardworking best matches the industrious sense of diligent.
Select the word that is most nearly the same in meaning as the capitalized word: SCORN
- Rest
- Despise
- Build
- Admire
Correct answer: Despise
Despise is correct because to scorn something is to regard it with contempt or disdain. Admire is the opposite, while build and rest are unrelated, so despise best matches the contemptuous sense of scorn.
Select the word that is most nearly the same in meaning as the capitalized word: RADIANT
- Quiet
- Dull
- Cold
- Glowing
Correct answer: Glowing
Glowing is correct because radiant means shining brightly or sending out light. Dull is the opposite, while quiet and cold describe sound and temperature, so glowing best matches the bright sense of radiant.
Choose the word that best completes the sentence: The scientist's hypothesis was ______, supported by years of careful experiments and consistent results.
- Sound
- Vague
- Reckless
- Doubtful
Correct answer: Sound
Sound is correct because a hypothesis backed by years of careful experiments and consistent results is well-founded and reliable, which sound means. Doubtful and reckless suggest the opposite of dependable, and vague describes lack of clarity, so sound fits the well-supported idea.
Choose the word that best completes the sentence: The crowd grew ______ when the referee reversed his call, booing loudly and shaking their fists.
- Sleepy
- Indignant
- Amused
- Indifferent
Correct answer: Indignant
Indignant is correct because booing loudly and shaking fists at an unfair call shows angry displeasure, the meaning of indignant. Indifferent and sleepy suggest no reaction, and amused suggests enjoyment, so indignant fits the angry protest.
Choose the word that best completes the sentence: Because the trail was so ______, the rangers posted signs warning hikers about the loose rocks and steep drops.
- Scenic
- Safe
- Hazardous
- Level
Correct answer: Hazardous
Hazardous is correct because loose rocks and steep drops that require warning signs make the trail dangerous, which hazardous means. Safe and level are the opposite, and scenic describes beauty rather than danger, so hazardous fits the warnings.
Choose the word that best completes the sentence: The librarian asked the students to remain ______, since others nearby were trying to study in silence.
- Noisy
- Restless
- Busy
- Quiet
Correct answer: Quiet
Quiet is correct because not disturbing others who study in silence requires making little noise, which quiet means. Noisy and restless would disturb the readers, and busy describes activity rather than sound, so quiet fits the request.
Choose the word that best completes the sentence: Although the puzzle looked simple, it proved surprisingly ______, taking the team several hours to solve.
- Short
- Dull
- Easy
- Tricky
Correct answer: Tricky
Tricky is correct because although signals a contrast with simple, and taking several hours shows the puzzle was harder than it looked, which tricky captures. Easy agrees with simple instead of contrasting, and dull and short describe interest and length, so tricky fits.
Choose the word that best completes the sentence: The volunteers were ______ in their efforts, refusing to rest until every family had received food and water.
- Careless
- Timid
- Tireless
- Reluctant
Correct answer: Tireless
Tireless is correct because refusing to rest until everyone was helped describes effort that never seems to wear out, the meaning of tireless. Reluctant and timid suggest holding back, and careless contradicts dedicated work, so tireless fits the relentless effort.
Choose the word that best completes the sentence: The ancient ruins were remarkably ______, with carved columns still standing after two thousand years.
- Crumbled
- Modern
- Intact
- Fragile
Correct answer: Intact
Intact is correct because columns still standing after two thousand years show the ruins remained whole and undamaged, which intact means. Fragile and crumbled suggest decay, and modern describes age, so intact fits the well-preserved ruins.
Choose the word that best completes the sentence: The new manager was praised for being ______, listening carefully to every worker's idea before deciding.
- Attentive
- Dismissive
- Hasty
- Stubborn
Correct answer: Attentive
Attentive is correct because listening carefully to every idea shows close, considerate attention, the meaning of attentive. Dismissive and stubborn suggest ignoring others, and hasty suggests rushing, so attentive fits the careful listening praised.
Choose the word that best completes the sentence: The drought left the once green valley completely ______, with cracked soil and not a single living plant.
- Lush
- Barren
- Damp
- Crowded
Correct answer: Barren
Barren is correct because cracked soil with no living plants describes land that is empty and unable to support life, which barren means. Lush and damp suggest growth and moisture, and crowded is unrelated, so barren fits the lifeless valley.
Choose the word that best completes the sentence: The witness gave a ______ account of the accident, recalling each detail in the exact order it happened.
- Brief
- Confused
- Coherent
- False
Correct answer: Coherent
Coherent is correct because recalling each detail in exact order describes a clear, well-organized account, the meaning of coherent. Confused contradicts the orderly recall, and brief and false describe length and truth rather than organization, so coherent fits.
Choose the word that best completes the sentence: The toddler was ______ at the zoo, pointing excitedly at every animal and asking endless questions.
- Frightened
- Bored
- Tired
- Fascinated
Correct answer: Fascinated
Fascinated is correct because pointing excitedly and asking endless questions shows intense interest and delight, the meaning of fascinated. Bored and tired suggest the opposite, and frightened does not match the excitement, so fascinated fits the eager curiosity.
Choose the word that best completes the sentence: Rather than acting on impulse, the wise investor was ______, studying the market for months before buying.
- Careless
- Greedy
- Cautious
- Rash
Correct answer: Cautious
Cautious is correct because rather than signals a contrast with acting on impulse, and studying for months shows careful, watchful behavior, which cautious means. Rash and careless agree with impulse instead of contrasting, and greedy is unrelated, so cautious fits.
Choose the word that best completes the sentence: The comedian's jokes were so ______ that the entire audience burst into laughter again and again.
- Offensive
- Hilarious
- Quiet
- Dull
Correct answer: Hilarious
Hilarious is correct because jokes that make the whole audience burst into laughter repeatedly are extremely funny, which hilarious means. Dull would not cause laughter, and offensive and quiet describe other qualities, so hilarious fits the comic effect.
Choose the word that best completes the sentence: The instructions warned that the chemical was ______, so the students wore goggles and gloves at all times.
- Colorful
- Harmless
- Cheap
- Dangerous
Correct answer: Dangerous
Dangerous is correct because requiring goggles and gloves at all times signals a substance that could cause harm, which dangerous means. Harmless is the opposite, and cheap and colorful describe cost and appearance, so dangerous fits the safety precautions.
Choose the word that best completes the sentence: The general's plan was ______, accounting for every possible move the enemy might make.
- Thorough
- Simple
- Careless
- Vague
Correct answer: Thorough
Thorough is correct because accounting for every possible enemy move shows complete and detailed planning, the meaning of thorough. Careless and vague suggest gaps, and simple suggests little detail, so thorough fits the all-encompassing plan.
Choose the word that best completes the sentence: The old dog had grown ______, sleeping most of the day and rarely chasing the ball anymore.
- Playful
- Sluggish
- Alert
- Energetic
Correct answer: Sluggish
Sluggish is correct because sleeping most of the day and rarely playing describes slow, low-energy behavior, which sluggish means. Energetic, playful, and alert all suggest liveliness, contradicting the description, so sluggish fits the tired old dog.
Choose the word that best completes the sentence: The charity's goal was ______, aiming to provide clean water to millions of people within a decade.
- Grand
- Secret
- Small
- Selfish
Correct answer: Grand
Grand is correct because aiming to reach millions of people describes a large, sweeping ambition, which grand means here. Small is the opposite, and selfish and secret describe motive and openness rather than scale, so grand fits the far-reaching goal.
Choose the word that best completes the sentence: The actor's voice was so ______ that it carried clearly to the very back of the enormous theater.
- Resonant
- Timid
- Faint
- Hoarse
Correct answer: Resonant
Resonant is correct because a voice that carries clearly to the back of a huge theater is rich, full, and far-reaching, which resonant means. Faint, hoarse, and timid all describe weak voices, contradicting the strong projection, so resonant fits.
Choose the word that best completes the sentence: The teacher found the essay ______, full of fresh ideas she had never encountered in years of grading.
- Copied
- Sloppy
- Ordinary
- Original
Correct answer: Original
Original is correct because fresh ideas never encountered before describe work that is new and inventive, the meaning of original. Ordinary and copied suggest the opposite, and sloppy describes neatness rather than newness, so original fits the inventive essay.
Choose the word that best completes the sentence: Despite the team's losing record, the captain stayed ______, urging her teammates to keep believing.
- Hopeful
- Silent
- Bitter
- Defeated
Correct answer: Hopeful
Hopeful is correct because urging teammates to keep believing despite losses shows a positive, expectant outlook, the meaning of hopeful. Bitter and defeated contradict the encouragement, and silent does not fit the urging, so hopeful fits the captain's attitude.
Choose the word that best completes the sentence: The merchant was known to be ______, charging fair prices and never cheating a single customer.
- Trustworthy
- Dishonest
- Greedy
- Careless
Correct answer: Trustworthy
Trustworthy is correct because charging fair prices and never cheating anyone describes someone who can be relied on to be honest, the meaning of trustworthy. Dishonest and greedy are the opposite, and careless is unrelated, so trustworthy fits the fair merchant.
Choose the word that best completes the sentence: The room fell ______ the moment the principal entered, as every student stopped talking at once.
- Silent
- Crowded
- Loud
- Cheerful
Correct answer: Silent
Silent is correct because every student stopping talking at once means the room became completely quiet, which silent means. Loud is the opposite, and cheerful and crowded describe mood and number rather than sound, so silent fits the sudden hush.
Choose the word that best completes the sentence: The veteran climber was ______ about the dangers of the peak, having survived two avalanches there.
- Ignorant
- Careless
- Knowledgeable
- Uncertain
Correct answer: Knowledgeable
Knowledgeable is correct because having survived avalanches and understanding the peak's dangers describes deep awareness and learning, the meaning of knowledgeable. Ignorant and uncertain suggest the opposite, and careless contradicts a survivor's caution, so knowledgeable fits.
Choose the word that best completes the sentence: The negotiations were ______, with both sides shouting accusations until the meeting collapsed.
- Smooth
- Quiet
- Heated
- Brief
Correct answer: Heated
Heated is correct because both sides shouting accusations until the meeting collapsed describes an angry, intense exchange, which heated means. Smooth and quiet suggest calm, contradicting the shouting, and brief describes length, so heated fits the tense talks.
Choose the word that best completes the sentence: The chef's reputation was ______, ruined overnight when food poisoning closed the restaurant.
- Celebrated
- Unchanged
- Tarnished
- Enhanced
Correct answer: Tarnished
Tarnished is correct because a reputation ruined overnight has been stained and damaged, which tarnished means. Enhanced and celebrated suggest improvement, and unchanged contradicts the ruin, so tarnished fits the damaged reputation.
Choose the word that best completes the sentence: The detective remained ______, refusing to accept the easy explanation until he had checked every clue.
- Skeptical
- Careless
- Hasty
- Gullible
Correct answer: Skeptical
Skeptical is correct because refusing to accept an easy explanation until every clue is checked shows a doubting, questioning attitude, the meaning of skeptical. Gullible is the opposite, and careless and hasty contradict careful checking, so skeptical fits.
Choose the word that best completes the sentence: The first draft was ______, but after many revisions it became a polished and powerful speech.
- Final
- Rough
- Brilliant
- Flawless
Correct answer: Rough
Rough is correct because needing many revisions to become polished means the first draft was unfinished and crude, which rough means. Flawless and brilliant contradict the need for revision, and final contradicts being a first draft, so rough fits.
Choose the word that best completes the sentence: The hostess was so ______ that every guest felt welcome and at ease the moment they arrived.
- Gracious
- Distant
- Rude
- Nervous
Correct answer: Gracious
Gracious is correct because making every guest feel welcome and at ease describes warm, courteous behavior, the meaning of gracious. Rude and distant are the opposite, and nervous describes anxiety rather than warmth, so gracious fits the welcoming host.
Choose the word that best completes the sentence: The river's current was ______, sweeping the small boat downstream faster than the rowers could paddle.
- Still
- Powerful
- Gentle
- Shallow
Correct answer: Powerful
Powerful is correct because sweeping a boat downstream faster than rowers can paddle describes a strong, forceful current, which powerful means. Gentle and still suggest weak movement, and shallow describes depth, so powerful fits the strong current.
Choose the word that best completes the sentence: The lecture was so ______ that several students fell asleep before it was halfway over.
- Tedious
- Lively
- Funny
- Brief
Correct answer: Tedious
Tedious is correct because putting students to sleep means the lecture was long, dull, and tiresome, which tedious means. Lively and funny would hold attention, and brief contradicts being only halfway over, so tedious fits the boring lecture.
Choose the word that best completes the sentence: The artist was praised for her ______, producing a new and striking painting nearly every week.
- Fatigue
- Hesitation
- Laziness
- Productivity
Correct answer: Productivity
Productivity is correct because producing a striking painting nearly every week describes a high rate of useful output, the meaning of productivity. Laziness, hesitation, and fatigue all suggest little output, contradicting the steady work, so productivity fits.
Choose the word that best completes the sentence: Because the evidence was ______, the jury could not agree on whether the defendant was guilty.
- Inconclusive
- Obvious
- Conclusive
- Plentiful
Correct answer: Inconclusive
Inconclusive is correct because evidence that prevents the jury from reaching agreement does not settle the matter, which inconclusive means. Conclusive and obvious would lead to agreement, and plentiful describes amount rather than certainty, so inconclusive fits.
Choose the word that best completes the sentence: The young violinist played with such ______ that listeners forgot she was only twelve years old.
- Clumsiness
- Hesitation
- Boredom
- Skill
Correct answer: Skill
Skill is correct because playing so well that listeners forget her young age shows great talent and ability, the meaning of skill. Clumsiness and hesitation suggest poor playing, and boredom is unrelated, so skill fits the impressive performance.
Choose the word that best completes the sentence: The new policy was met with ______, as nearly every employee wrote in to praise the change.
- Indifference
- Silence
- Resistance
- Enthusiasm
Correct answer: Enthusiasm
Enthusiasm is correct because employees writing in to praise a change shows eager, positive support, the meaning of enthusiasm. Resistance and indifference suggest the opposite, and silence contradicts the many letters, so enthusiasm fits the warm reception.
Choose the word that best completes the sentence: Unlike his cheerful brother, who greeted everyone warmly, Marcus was ______ and rarely spoke to strangers.
- Friendly
- Talkative
- Generous
- Aloof
Correct answer: Aloof
Aloof is correct because the signal word unlike sets up a contrast with the cheerful, warm brother, so Marcus must be distant and reserved, which aloof means. Friendly and talkative match the brother rather than contrast him, and generous is unrelated, so the contrast clue points to aloof.
Choose the word that best completes the sentence: The medicine not only failed to cure the illness but actually ______ it, leaving the patient worse than before.
- Ignored
- Cured
- Worsened
- Relieved
Correct answer: Worsened
Worsened is correct because the phrase leaving the patient worse than before signals that the medicine made the illness more severe, which worsened means. Relieved and cured contradict the worse outcome, and ignored does not fit an active effect, so the result clue points to worsened.
Choose the word that best completes the sentence: Because she had studied the map thoroughly, the guide led the group through the forest with great ______.
- Fear
- Assurance
- Luck
- Confusion
Correct answer: Assurance
Assurance is correct because the cause clue because she had studied the map thoroughly explains why the guide acted with confident certainty, which assurance means. Confusion and fear contradict thorough preparation, and luck removes the role of her study, so the cause-and-effect clue points to assurance.
Choose the word that best completes the sentence: A skilled diplomat, or ______, must be able to settle disputes between nations without resorting to force.
- Peacemaker
- Soldier
- Merchant
- Critic
Correct answer: Peacemaker
Peacemaker is correct because the word or signals a definition of diplomat, and settling disputes without force defines a peacemaker. Soldier suggests force, merchant suggests trade, and critic suggests judgment, so the definition clue points to peacemaker.
Choose the word that best completes the sentence: The room was in complete disarray; clothes, books, and papers lay ______ across every surface.
- Scattered
- Carefully
- Rarely
- Neatly
Correct answer: Scattered
Scattered is correct because the phrase complete disarray defines the missing word as messy and disordered, so items lay scattered everywhere. Neatly and carefully contradict disarray, and rarely describes frequency rather than arrangement, so the definition clue points to scattered.
Choose the word that best completes the sentence: Although the museum looked closed and dark from outside, inside it was actually quite ______, full of visitors and bright displays.
- Silent
- Gloomy
- Lively
- Empty
Correct answer: Lively
Lively is correct because the signal word although contrasts the dark exterior with a busy interior full of visitors and bright displays, which lively means. Empty, gloomy, and silent agree with the dark outside rather than contrasting it, so the contrast clue points to lively.
Choose the word that best completes the sentence: His explanation was so ______ that, far from clearing things up, it left everyone even more puzzled than before.
- Convoluted
- Clear
- Brief
- Helpful
Correct answer: Convoluted
Convoluted is correct because the result clue, leaving everyone more puzzled, signals that the explanation was twisted and hard to follow, which convoluted means. Clear and helpful contradict the increased confusion, and brief describes length rather than complexity, so the result clue points to convoluted.
Choose the word that best completes the sentence: The new bridge was built to be ______; engineers expected it to stand for at least a hundred years.
- Durable
- Narrow
- Fragile
- Temporary
Correct answer: Durable
Durable is correct because the detail that it would stand for at least a hundred years signals that the bridge was made to last, which durable means. Temporary and fragile contradict a long lifespan, and narrow describes width rather than longevity, so the supporting detail points to durable.
Choose the word that best completes the sentence: While her sister loved noisy parties, Elena preferred ______ evenings spent quietly reading at home.
- Chaotic
- Tranquil
- Crowded
- Wild
Correct answer: Tranquil
Tranquil is correct because the contrast word while opposes noisy parties with quiet evenings of reading, which tranquil means. Crowded, wild, and chaotic all match the noisy parties rather than contrast them, so the contrast clue points to tranquil.
Choose the word that best completes the sentence: The coach's halftime talk was so ______ that the discouraged players ran back onto the field eager to win.
- Confusing
- Brief
- Inspiring
- Dull
Correct answer: Inspiring
Inspiring is correct because the result clue, turning discouraged players into eager competitors, signals a talk that filled them with motivation, which inspiring means. Dull and confusing would not energize the players, and brief describes length rather than effect, so the result clue points to inspiring.
Choose the two words that best complete the sentence: Although the recipe seemed ______ at first, the cook soon found it ______, finishing the dish in under an hour.
- Complicated . . manageable
- Simple . . easy
- Hard . . impossible
- Clear . . confusing
Correct answer: Complicated . . manageable
Complicated and manageable are correct because although signals a shift from a hard-seeming task to one that turned out doable, captured by complicated and manageable. The simple-easy pair shows no shift, the hard-impossible pair makes it worse instead of better, and clear-confusing reverses the logic, so only complicated and manageable fit.
Choose the two words that best complete the sentence: The film was praised as both ______ and ______, teaching real history while keeping audiences entertained throughout.
- Dull . . boring
- Violent . . confusing
- Educational . . engaging
- False . . tedious
Correct answer: Educational . . engaging
Educational and engaging are correct because teaching real history calls for educational, while keeping audiences entertained calls for engaging. The dull-boring pair makes both words negative, and the false and violent pairs contradict the praise, so only educational and engaging fit the two-sided compliment.
Choose the two words that best complete the sentence: Because the supplies were so ______, the campers had to be ______, using only what they truly needed each day.
- Heavy . . generous
- Plentiful . . wasteful
- Limited . . sparing
- Fresh . . careless
Correct answer: Limited . . sparing
Limited and sparing are correct because few supplies, which limited names, force people to use little, which sparing captures. The plentiful-wasteful and heavy-generous pairs describe abundance, contradicting careful rationing, and fresh-careless breaks the cause-and-effect, so only limited and sparing fit.
Choose the two words that best complete the sentence: The senator was once ______ by voters but is now widely ______, blamed for the very crisis she promised to prevent.
- Trusted . . respected
- Ignored . . forgotten
- Admired . . despised
- Hated . . loved
Correct answer: Admired . . despised
Admired and despised are correct because the words once and now signal a reversal from popular to disliked, captured by admired and despised. The trusted-respected and ignored-forgotten pairs show no reversal, and hated-loved reverses the direction, so only admired and despised fit the fall from favor.
Choose the two words that best complete the sentence: The witness's testimony was so ______ that it left the jury ______, unable to decide what had truly happened.
- Clear . . certain
- Honest . . sure
- Detailed . . convinced
- Contradictory . . confused
Correct answer: Contradictory . . confused
Contradictory and confused are correct because testimony that prevents the jury from deciding must conflict with itself, which contradictory names, leaving the jury puzzled, which confused captures. The clear, honest, and detailed pairs would help the jury decide, contradicting the uncertainty, so only contradictory and confused fit.
Choose the two words that best complete the sentence: Far from being ______, the criticism was actually quite ______, helping the writer improve every chapter.
- Helpful . . useful
- Destructive . . constructive
- Harsh . . cruel
- Kind . . gentle
Correct answer: Destructive . . constructive
Destructive and constructive are correct because far from being signals a contrast, so the criticism was not tearing down, which destructive names, but instead building up, which constructive captures. The helpful, kind pairs lack the contrast, and harsh-cruel makes both negative, so only destructive and constructive fit.
Choose the two words that best complete the sentence: The new intern was so ______ that her supervisor grew ______, certain she would soon be ready for greater responsibility.
- Lazy . . worried
- Careless . . anxious
- Capable . . confident
- Slow . . frustrated
Correct answer: Capable . . confident
Capable and confident are correct because a skilled intern, which capable names, would make a supervisor sure of her future, which confident captures. The lazy, careless, and slow pairs describe poor work that would not inspire confidence, so only capable and confident fit the positive logic.
Choose the two words that best complete the sentence: Although the storm appeared ______ on the horizon, by evening it had grown ______, flattening trees across the county.
- Fierce . . mild
- Calm . . peaceful
- Huge . . tiny
- Distant . . destructive
Correct answer: Distant . . destructive
Distant and destructive are correct because although signals a shift from a faraway storm, which distant names, to one causing great damage, which destructive captures. The fierce-mild and huge-tiny pairs shrink the storm instead of intensifying it, and calm-peaceful describes no threat, so only distant and destructive fit.
Choose the two words that best complete the sentence: The professor was known for being ______ in lecture yet ______ in his office, sharing jokes with the students he had seemed to ignore.
- Loud . . noisy
- Warm . . cold
- Stern . . friendly
- Kind . . gentle
Correct answer: Stern . . friendly
Stern and friendly are correct because yet signals a contrast between a strict lecturer, which stern names, and an approachable mentor, which friendly captures. The warm-cold pair reverses the direction, and the loud-noisy and kind-gentle pairs pair similar words, so only stern and friendly fit the two-sided portrait.
Choose the two words that best complete the sentence: Because the directions were ______, the driver became hopelessly ______, ending up miles from his destination.
- Simple . . calm
- Misleading . . lost
- Clear . . found
- Accurate . . sure
Correct answer: Misleading . . lost
Misleading and lost are correct because faulty directions, which misleading names, would cause a driver to lose his way, which lost captures. The clear, accurate, and simple pairs describe good directions that would not strand the driver, so only misleading and lost fit the cause-and-effect.
Choose the two words that best complete the sentence: The young king was both ______ and ______, ruling with firmness while still showing mercy to his subjects.
- Timid . . gentle
- Weak . . cruel
- Harsh . . brutal
- Strong . . compassionate
Correct answer: Strong . . compassionate
Strong and compassionate are correct because ruling with firmness calls for strong, while showing mercy calls for compassionate. The harsh-brutal pair leaves no room for mercy, the weak-cruel pair contradicts firmness, and timid-gentle contradicts firm rule, so only strong and compassionate fit.
Choose the two words that best complete the sentence: The audience expected a ______ performance, but the singer delivered something truly ______, earning a standing ovation.
- Loud . . quiet
- Mediocre . . extraordinary
- Perfect . . flawless
- Brilliant . . dull
Correct answer: Mediocre . . extraordinary
Mediocre and extraordinary are correct because but signals a contrast between low expectations, which mediocre names, and a remarkable result, which extraordinary captures. The brilliant-dull pair reverses the direction, perfect-flawless shows no contrast, and loud-quiet is unrelated, so only mediocre and extraordinary fit.
Choose the two words that best complete the sentence: The explorer's journal was ______ in its early pages but became ______ later, as illness made his handwriting almost unreadable.
- Short . . long
- Legible . . illegible
- Messy . . neat
- Clear . . readable
Correct answer: Legible . . illegible
Legible and illegible are correct because handwriting that started readable and became unreadable due to illness moves from legible to illegible. The clear-readable and messy-neat pairs do not capture the decline into unreadable, and short-long describes length, so only legible and illegible fit.
Choose the two words that best complete the sentence: Once a ______ pond teeming with fish, the lake had become ______, its surface choked with weeds and litter.
- Clear . . clean
- Thriving . . stagnant
- Polluted . . pristine
- Muddy . . dirty
Correct answer: Thriving . . stagnant
Thriving and stagnant are correct because once signals a change from a healthy pond full of life, which thriving names, to one that is still and lifeless, which stagnant captures. The polluted-pristine pair reverses the order, and clear-clean and muddy-dirty pair similar words, so only thriving and stagnant fit.
Choose the two words that best complete the sentence: The candidate's promises sounded ______ at the rally, but later proved ______, as none of them were ever kept.
- Dull . . boring
- Appealing . . hollow
- Honest . . sincere
- False . . true
Correct answer: Appealing . . hollow
Appealing and hollow are correct because but signals a contrast between attractive-sounding promises, which appealing names, and ones that turned out empty, which hollow captures. The honest-sincere pair shows no contrast, false-true reverses it, and dull-boring is unrelated, so only appealing and hollow fit.
Choose the two words that best complete the sentence: The teacher's tone was ______, but her words were ______, scolding the class even as she smiled gently.
- Calm . . peaceful
- Harsh . . kind
- Loud . . gentle
- Soft . . severe
Correct answer: Soft . . severe
Soft and severe are correct because but signals a contrast between a gentle voice, which soft names, and stern, scolding words, which severe captures. The harsh-kind pair reverses the order, and the loud-gentle and calm-peaceful pairs do not match a gentle smile paired with a scolding, so only soft and severe fit.
Choose the two words that best complete the sentence: Although the experiment was ______, the team remained ______, repeating it dozens of times in search of the truth.
- Frustrating . . persistent
- Quick . . bored
- Easy . . relaxed
- Successful . . happy
Correct answer: Frustrating . . persistent
Frustrating and persistent are correct because although signals a contrast between a discouraging experiment, which frustrating names, and a team that refused to quit, which persistent captures. The successful-happy and easy-relaxed pairs would not require dozens of repeats, and quick-bored is unrelated, so only frustrating and persistent fit.
Choose the two words that best complete the sentence: The veteran reporter was famous for being ______, checking every fact twice, yet she remained ______ enough to admit when she was wrong.
- Careless . . proud
- Meticulous . . humble
- Sloppy . . arrogant
- Hasty . . stubborn
Correct answer: Meticulous . . humble
Meticulous and humble are correct because checking every fact twice describes painstaking care, which meticulous names, and admitting mistakes shows modesty, which humble captures. The careless, sloppy, and hasty pairs all contradict careful fact-checking, so only meticulous and humble fit the description.
On the ISEE Quantitative Reasoning section, the quantitative comparison format asks the test-taker to compare two quantities labeled Column A and Column B. Which of the following is always one of the four answer choices?
- The relationship cannot be determined from the information given
- Both columns must be rewritten as fractions
- Column A is always the larger quantity
- The two columns can never be equal
Correct answer: The relationship cannot be determined from the information given
The choice 'the relationship cannot be determined from the information given' is always available. Every quantitative comparison offers the same four options: A greater, B greater, the two equal, or the relationship undetermined.
$y$ is a number greater than 1. Column A: the value of $y \times y$ . Column B: the value of $y + y$ . Choose the relationship.
- The two quantities are equal
- The relationship cannot be determined from the information given
- The quantity in Column A is greater
- The quantity in Column B is greater
Correct answer: The relationship cannot be determined from the information given
The relationship cannot be determined from the information given. For $y = 1.5$ , $y \times y = 2.25$ while $y + y = 3$ , making Column B larger, but for $y = 3$ , $y \times y = 9$ while $y + y = 6$ , making Column A larger, so the comparison is not fixed.
Column A: the value of one fifth written as a decimal. Column B: 0.25. Choose the relationship.
- The two quantities are equal
- The quantity in Column A is greater
- The relationship cannot be determined from the information given
- The quantity in Column B is greater
Correct answer: The quantity in Column B is greater
The quantity in Column B is greater. One fifth equals 0.2, which is less than 0.25.
Column A: the value of 10 minus 3 times 2. Column B: the value of (10 minus 3) times 2. Choose the relationship.
- The quantity in Column A is greater
- The relationship cannot be determined from the information given
- The quantity in Column B is greater
- The two quantities are equal
Correct answer: The quantity in Column B is greater
The quantity in Column B is greater. Order of operations makes Column A equal to 10 minus 6, which is 4, while the parentheses in Column B give 7 times 2, which is 14.
$m$ is an integer with $m > 5$ . Column A: the value of $m$ . Column B: 7. Choose the relationship.
- The quantity in Column A is greater
- The two quantities are equal
- The relationship cannot be determined from the information given
- The quantity in Column B is greater
Correct answer: The relationship cannot be determined from the information given
The relationship cannot be determined from the information given. The value $m$ could be 6, which is less than 7, or 9, which is greater than 7, so the comparison is not fixed.
Column A: the perimeter of a square with side 6. Column B: the perimeter of a rectangle with length 8 and width 4. Choose the relationship.
- The quantity in Column B is greater
- The quantity in Column A is greater
- The relationship cannot be determined from the information given
- The two quantities are equal
Correct answer: The two quantities are equal
The two quantities are equal. The square's perimeter is 4 times 6, which is 24, and the rectangle's perimeter is 2 times (8 plus 4), which is also 24.
Column A: the value of 3 fourths of 60. Column B: the value of 60 minus 15. Choose the relationship.
- The two quantities are equal
- The quantity in Column A is greater
- The quantity in Column B is greater
- The relationship cannot be determined from the information given
Correct answer: The two quantities are equal
The two quantities are equal. Three fourths of 60 is 45, and 60 minus 15 is also 45.
$z$ is a number between $-1$ and 0. Column A: the value of $z$ . Column B: the value of $z \times z$ . Choose the relationship.
- The quantity in Column A is greater
- The two quantities are equal
- The relationship cannot be determined from the information given
- The quantity in Column B is greater
Correct answer: The quantity in Column B is greater
The quantity in Column B is greater. A number between $-1$ and 0 is negative, but squaring it gives a positive result, and any positive number is greater than a negative number.
Column A: the number of whole-number factors of 16. Column B: the number of whole-number factors of 10. Choose the relationship.
- The quantity in Column A is greater
- The relationship cannot be determined from the information given
- The two quantities are equal
- The quantity in Column B is greater
Correct answer: The quantity in Column A is greater
The quantity in Column A is greater. The factors of 16 are 1, 2, 4, 8, and 16 for a count of 5, while the factors of 10 are 1, 2, 5, and 10 for a count of 4.
Column A: the value of the median of 4, 9, and 20. Column B: the value of the mean of 4, 9, and 20. Choose the relationship.
- The quantity in Column A is greater
- The relationship cannot be determined from the information given
- The two quantities are equal
- The quantity in Column B is greater
Correct answer: The quantity in Column B is greater
The quantity in Column B is greater. The median is the middle value, 9, while the mean is the sum 33 divided by 3, which is 11, and 11 is greater than 9.
Two positive integers add to 12. Column A: the product of the two integers. Column B: 32. Choose the relationship.
- The quantity in Column B is greater
- The quantity in Column A is greater
- The two quantities are equal
- The relationship cannot be determined from the information given
Correct answer: The relationship cannot be determined from the information given
The relationship cannot be determined from the information given. The pair could be 6 and 6 with a product of 36, which beats 32, or 1 and 11 with a product of 11, which is less, so the product is not fixed.
Column A: the value of 2 to the fourth power. Column B: the value of 4 squared. Choose the relationship.
- The quantity in Column B is greater
- The two quantities are equal
- The relationship cannot be determined from the information given
- The quantity in Column A is greater
Correct answer: The two quantities are equal
The two quantities are equal. Two to the fourth power is 16, and 4 squared is also 16.
Column A: the number of degrees in a right angle. Column B: the number of degrees in each angle of an equilateral triangle. Choose the relationship.
- The quantity in Column B is greater
- The quantity in Column A is greater
- The relationship cannot be determined from the information given
- The two quantities are equal
Correct answer: The quantity in Column A is greater
The quantity in Column A is greater. A right angle is 90 degrees, while each angle of an equilateral triangle is 60 degrees.
Column A: the value of 60 percent of 80. Column B: the value of 80 percent of 60. Choose the relationship.
- The two quantities are equal
- The quantity in Column B is greater
- The quantity in Column A is greater
- The relationship cannot be determined from the information given
Correct answer: The two quantities are equal
The two quantities are equal. Sixty percent of 80 is 48, and eighty percent of 60 is also 48, since the order of multiplication does not change the product.
n is a positive whole number. Column A: the remainder when n is divided by 1. Column B: 0. Choose the relationship.
- The quantity in Column A is greater
- The relationship cannot be determined from the information given
- The two quantities are equal
- The quantity in Column B is greater
Correct answer: The two quantities are equal
The two quantities are equal. Every whole number divides evenly by 1 with no remainder, so the remainder is always 0.
Column A: the value of the sum of the first three positive even numbers. Column B: the value of the sum of the first three positive odd numbers. Choose the relationship.
- The relationship cannot be determined from the information given
- The quantity in Column A is greater
- The two quantities are equal
- The quantity in Column B is greater
Correct answer: The quantity in Column A is greater
The quantity in Column A is greater. The first three even numbers 2, 4, and 6 sum to 12, while the first three odd numbers 1, 3, and 5 sum to 9.
A rectangle has an area of 36. Column A: the length of the rectangle. Column B: 9. Choose the relationship.
- The relationship cannot be determined from the information given
- The quantity in Column B is greater
- The quantity in Column A is greater
- The two quantities are equal
Correct answer: The relationship cannot be determined from the information given
The relationship cannot be determined from the information given. With an area of 36 the length could be 12 with width 3, beating 9, or 6 with width 6, which is less than 9, so the length is not fixed.
Column A: the value of one half of one half. Column B: the value of one fourth. Choose the relationship.
- The quantity in Column B is greater
- The quantity in Column A is greater
- The two quantities are equal
- The relationship cannot be determined from the information given
Correct answer: The two quantities are equal
The two quantities are equal. Taking one half of one half means multiplying one half by one half, which gives one fourth.
Column A: the value of 15 divided by 4. Column B: 4. Choose the relationship.
- The quantity in Column A is greater
- The two quantities are equal
- The relationship cannot be determined from the information given
- The quantity in Column B is greater
Correct answer: The quantity in Column B is greater
The quantity in Column B is greater. Fifteen divided by 4 is 3.75, which is less than 4.
Column A: the number of vertices of a cube. Column B: the number of faces of a cube. Choose the relationship.
- The quantity in Column A is greater
- The quantity in Column B is greater
- The two quantities are equal
- The relationship cannot be determined from the information given
Correct answer: The quantity in Column A is greater
The quantity in Column A is greater. A cube has 8 vertices and 6 faces, so the vertex count is larger.
Column A: the value of $-8 + 3$ . Column B: the value of $-2 - 4$ . Choose the relationship.
- The relationship cannot be determined from the information given
- The quantity in Column B is greater
- The two quantities are equal
- The quantity in Column A is greater
Correct answer: The quantity in Column A is greater
The quantity in Column A is greater. $-8 + 3 = -5$ , while $-2 - 4 = -6$ , and $-5$ is greater than $-6$ .
$x$ and $y$ are positive, and $x > y$ . Column A: the value of $x - y$ . Column B: the value of $y - x$ . Choose the relationship.
- The relationship cannot be determined from the information given
- The quantity in Column A is greater
- The two quantities are equal
- The quantity in Column B is greater
Correct answer: The quantity in Column A is greater
The quantity in Column A is greater. Since $x$ is larger, $x - y$ is positive while $y - x$ is negative, and a positive value always exceeds a negative one.
Column A: the value of 100 divided by 8. Column B: the value of 50 divided by 4. Choose the relationship.
- The quantity in Column B is greater
- The relationship cannot be determined from the information given
- The quantity in Column A is greater
- The two quantities are equal
Correct answer: The two quantities are equal
The two quantities are equal. One hundred divided by 8 is 12.5, and 50 divided by 4 is also 12.5, since the second fraction is just the first scaled by one half on top and bottom.
Column A: the least common multiple of 3 and 5. Column B: 15. Choose the relationship.
- The quantity in Column B is greater
- The relationship cannot be determined from the information given
- The quantity in Column A is greater
- The two quantities are equal
Correct answer: The two quantities are equal
The two quantities are equal. The smallest number that both 3 and 5 divide into is 15, matching Column B.
A spinner has an unknown number of equal sections. Column A: the probability of landing on a red section. Column B: one half. Choose the relationship.
- The relationship cannot be determined from the information given
- The two quantities are equal
- The quantity in Column A is greater
- The quantity in Column B is greater
Correct answer: The relationship cannot be determined from the information given
The relationship cannot be determined from the information given. Without knowing how many sections are red out of the total, the probability of red cannot be compared to one half.
Column A: the value of 12 times 12. Column B: the value of 11 times 13. Choose the relationship.
- The two quantities are equal
- The quantity in Column A is greater
- The relationship cannot be determined from the information given
- The quantity in Column B is greater
Correct answer: The quantity in Column A is greater
The quantity in Column A is greater. Twelve times 12 is 144, while 11 times 13 is 143, so Column A is larger by one.
Column A: the value of 7 divided by 10. Column B: the value of 70 percent. Choose the relationship.
- The relationship cannot be determined from the information given
- The quantity in Column B is greater
- The quantity in Column A is greater
- The two quantities are equal
Correct answer: The two quantities are equal
The two quantities are equal. Seven divided by 10 is 0.7, and 70 percent also equals 0.7.
Column A: the value of the smaller of two complementary angles that are unequal. Column B: 45 degrees. Choose the relationship.
- The two quantities are equal
- The relationship cannot be determined from the information given
- The quantity in Column A is greater
- The quantity in Column B is greater
Correct answer: The quantity in Column B is greater
The quantity in Column B is greater. Complementary angles add to 90 degrees, so if they are unequal the smaller one must be less than half of 90, which means less than 45 degrees.
$p > 10$ . Column A: the value of $2p$ . Column B: the value of $p + 12$ . Choose the relationship.
- The two quantities are equal
- The quantity in Column B is greater
- The relationship cannot be determined from the information given
- The quantity in Column A is greater
Correct answer: The relationship cannot be determined from the information given
The relationship cannot be determined from the information given. Comparing $2p$ with $p + 12$ reduces to comparing $p$ with 12, and since $p$ is only known to be greater than 10 it could be 11, making B larger, or 13, making A larger.
Column A: the value of $5^2 + 12^2$ . Column B: the value of $13^2$ . Choose the relationship.
- The quantity in Column A is greater
- The relationship cannot be determined from the information given
- The two quantities are equal
- The quantity in Column B is greater
Correct answer: The two quantities are equal
The two quantities are equal. $5^2 + 12^2 = 25 + 144 = 169$ , and $13^2$ is also 169.
Column A: the number of quarters in 3 dollars. Column B: the number of dimes in 1 dollar plus 2. Choose the relationship.
- The two quantities are equal
- The relationship cannot be determined from the information given
- The quantity in Column B is greater
- The quantity in Column A is greater
Correct answer: The two quantities are equal
The two quantities are equal. Three dollars contains 12 quarters, and one dollar contains 10 dimes, so 10 plus 2 is also 12.
A worker fills 6 boxes in 24 minutes at a steady pace. Reasoning about the rate, how long does it take to fill 1 box?
- 4 minutes
- 3 minutes
- 6 minutes
- 5 minutes
Correct answer: 4 minutes
It takes 4 minutes per box. Dividing the 24 minutes evenly among the 6 boxes gives 24 divided by 6, which is 4.
A pizza is cut into 8 equal slices, and 3 slices are eaten. Reasoning about the leftover, what fraction of the pizza remains?
- One half
- Two thirds
- Five eighths
- Three eighths
Correct answer: Five eighths
Five eighths remains. With 3 of the 8 slices eaten, 8 minus 3 leaves 5 slices, which is five eighths of the whole.
A movie starts at 7:15 and lasts 1 hour and 50 minutes. Reasoning about elapsed time, when does it end?
- 8:45
- 8:55
- 9:15
- 9:05
Correct answer: 9:05
It ends at 9:05. Adding 1 hour to 7:15 reaches 8:15, and adding 50 more minutes reaches 9:05.
Tickets cost 5 for 12 dollars. Reasoning about the rate, how much do 15 tickets cost?
- 30 dollars
- 36 dollars
- 60 dollars
- 24 dollars
Correct answer: 36 dollars
Fifteen tickets cost 36 dollars. Fifteen tickets are three groups of 5, and each group costs 12 dollars, so 3 times 12 is 36 dollars.
A water tank loses 4 gallons every hour and starts with 50 gallons. Reasoning about the steady loss, how many gallons remain after 6 hours?
- 24 gallons
- 30 gallons
- 26 gallons
- 20 gallons
Correct answer: 26 gallons
Twenty-six gallons remain. In 6 hours the tank loses 6 times 4, which is 24 gallons, and 50 minus 24 leaves 26 gallons.
There are tricycles and bicycles totaling 7 vehicles with 17 wheels. Reasoning about the wheels, how many tricycles are there?
- 5 tricycles
- 2 tricycles
- 3 tricycles
- 4 tricycles
Correct answer: 3 tricycles
There are 3 tricycles. If all 7 vehicles were bicycles there would be 14 wheels, and each tricycle adds 1 extra wheel; the 3 extra wheels mean 3 tricycles.
A price is increased by half and then the new price is decreased by half. Reasoning about the changes, the final price compared to the original is which of the following?
- Equal to the original
- Larger than the original
- Three quarters of the original
- Half the original
Correct answer: Three quarters of the original
The final price is three quarters of the original. Increasing by half makes the price one and a half times the original, and taking half of that gives three quarters of the original.
Tom saves 15 dollars each week. Reasoning about his steady saving, how many weeks until he has at least 100 dollars?
- 5 weeks
- 6 weeks
- 7 weeks
- 8 weeks
Correct answer: 7 weeks
It takes 7 weeks. Six weeks give 90 dollars, which is short of 100, so a seventh week is needed to reach 105 dollars.
A rectangular pool's length is 4 times its width, and the width is 7 meters. Reasoning about the shape, what is the length?
- 28 meters
- 21 meters
- 11 meters
- 14 meters
Correct answer: 28 meters
The length is 28 meters. Since the length is 4 times the width, multiplying 7 meters by 4 gives 28 meters.
A bookstore sold 56 books over 7 equal days. Reasoning about the average, how many books were sold each day?
- 9 books
- 6 books
- 7 books
- 8 books
Correct answer: 8 books
Eight books were sold each day. Dividing the 56 books evenly across 7 days gives 56 divided by 7, which is 8.
Lily is three times as old as her sister, who is 4 years old. Reasoning about their ages, how old will Lily be in 5 years?
- 17 years
- 12 years
- 15 years
- 20 years
Correct answer: 17 years
Lily will be 17. Three times her sister's age of 4 makes Lily 12 now, and adding 5 years gives 17.
A copier makes 5 copies every 2 seconds. Reasoning about the rate, how many copies does it make in 1 minute?
- 120 copies
- 150 copies
- 60 copies
- 30 copies
Correct answer: 150 copies
It makes 150 copies. One minute is 60 seconds, which is 30 two-second intervals, and 30 times 5 copies is 150.
Two hikers start 24 miles apart and walk toward each other, one at 3 miles per hour and the other at 5 miles per hour. Reasoning about the closing rate, how long until they meet?
- 3 hours
- 4 hours
- 2 hours
- 5 hours
Correct answer: 3 hours
They meet in 3 hours. Walking toward each other they close the gap at 3 plus 5, which is 8 miles per hour, so 24 miles divided by 8 is 3 hours.
It takes 4 machines 10 hours to complete a job. Reasoning about total work, how long would 8 machines take at the same pace?
- 8 hours
- 20 hours
- 2 hours
- 5 hours
Correct answer: 5 hours
It would take 5 hours. Doubling the machines from 4 to 8 cuts the time in half, so 10 hours becomes 5 hours.
A frog jumps 6 inches forward and then slides back 1 inch with each cycle. Reasoning about net progress, how far has it moved after one full cycle?
- 7 inches
- 1 inch
- 5 inches
- 6 inches
Correct answer: 5 inches
It has moved 5 inches. Jumping 6 inches and then sliding back 1 inch leaves a net gain of 6 minus 1, which is 5 inches.
A recipe for 6 cookies uses 3 tablespoons of butter. Reasoning about scaling, how many tablespoons are needed for 14 cookies?
- 5 tablespoons
- 7 tablespoons
- 9 tablespoons
- 6 tablespoons
Correct answer: 7 tablespoons
Fourteen cookies need 7 tablespoons. Each cookie uses one half tablespoon, and 14 cookies need 14 times one half, which is 7 tablespoons.
A counter on a website increases by 12 every hour and currently shows 60. Reasoning about the pattern, what will it show 4 hours from now?
- 120
- 108
- 72
- 96
Correct answer: 108
It will show 108. Adding 12 four times means adding 48 to the current 60, which gives 108.
A bottle holds 3 liters, and each cup holds 200 milliliters. Reasoning about capacity, how many full cups can be poured?
- 15 cups
- 10 cups
- 20 cups
- 12 cups
Correct answer: 15 cups
Fifteen full cups can be poured. Three liters is 3,000 milliliters, and dividing by 200 milliliters per cup gives 15 cups.
On a quiz a student earns 3 points for every right answer and loses 1 for every wrong answer. With 10 right and 4 wrong, reasoning about the score, what is the total?
- 34 points
- 30 points
- 26 points
- 22 points
Correct answer: 26 points
The total is 26 points. Ten right answers earn 30 points, and 4 wrong answers subtract 4 points, leaving 30 minus 4, which is 26.
A store offers a 'buy 2, get 1 free' deal on items costing 8 dollars each. Reasoning about the deal, how much does a customer pay for 3 items?
- 12 dollars
- 24 dollars
- 16 dollars
- 8 dollars
Correct answer: 16 dollars
The customer pays 16 dollars. The deal means paying for only 2 of the 3 items, and 2 times 8 dollars is 16 dollars.
A car uses 1 gallon of gas every 25 miles. Reasoning about fuel use, how many gallons are needed for a 150-mile trip?
- 7 gallons
- 6 gallons
- 5 gallons
- 4 gallons
Correct answer: 6 gallons
Six gallons are needed. Dividing the 150 miles by the 25 miles per gallon gives 6 gallons.
Using number sense, the value of 31 times 29 is closest to which number?
- 900
- 600
- 1,200
- 1,500
Correct answer: 900
It is closest to 900. Both factors are near 30, and 30 times 30 is 900, so the product is close to 900.
Without exact computation, which value is the best estimate of 297 plus 104 plus 401?
- 900
- 1,000
- 700
- 800
Correct answer: 800
The best estimate is 800. Rounding the addends to about 300, 100, and 400 gives a sum of roughly 800.
Using number sense, which of these decimals is closest in value to one half?
- 0.48
- 0.2
- 0.9
- 0.7
Correct answer: 0.48
The closest to one half is 0.48. It differs from 0.5 by only 0.02, while the others differ by 0.2, 0.3, and 0.4.
Estimate which whole number the fraction 26 over 5 is nearest to without computing the exact decimal.
- 6
- 4
- 7
- 5
Correct answer: 5
It is nearest to 5. Twenty-six divided by 5 is just over 5, since 5 times 5 is 25, so the value is about 5.2, closest to 5.
Using number sense, which expression has the smallest value without exact calculation?
- 20 times 5
- 150 minus 60
- 44 plus 47
- 11 times 9
Correct answer: 150 minus 60
The smallest value is 150 minus 60. That equals 90, while the others are about 99, 100, and 91, all larger.
Using number sense, between which two whole numbers does the value of $\sqrt{50}$ fall?
- 8 and 9
- 7 and 8
- 5 and 6
- 6 and 7
Correct answer: 7 and 8
It falls between 7 and 8. $7^2 = 49$ and $8^2 = 64$ , and 50 lies between those, so the square root is between 7 and 8.
Estimate which value is closest to 9 percent of 600 without exact calculation.
- 120
- 54
- 9
- 300
Correct answer: 54
It is closest to 54. Ten percent of 600 is 60, and 9 percent is a bit less, landing near 54.
Using number sense, which total is the best estimate for 19.95 plus 9.90 plus 30.10 dollars?
- 50 dollars
- 70 dollars
- 60 dollars
- 40 dollars
Correct answer: 60 dollars
The best estimate is 60 dollars. Rounding to about 20, 10, and 30 dollars gives a total near 60 dollars.
Without exact multiplication, which value is 7.1 times 4.9 closest to?
- 28
- 42
- 21
- 35
Correct answer: 35
It is closest to 35. Rounding 7.1 to 7 and 4.9 to 5 gives 7 times 5, which is 35.
Using number sense, which fraction is less than one half?
- Five ninths
- Three eighths
- Six elevenths
- Four sevenths
Correct answer: Three eighths
Three eighths is less than one half. Half of 8 is 4, and 3 is less than 4, so three eighths is below one half, while the other fractions all exceed one half.
Estimate the total of 478 plus 211 plus 309 to the nearest hundred using number sense.
- 900
- 1,000
- 800
- 1,100
Correct answer: 1,000
The estimate is 1,000. Rounding to 500, 200, and 300 gives a sum of 1,000.
Using number sense, the value of 198 plus 203 is closest to which number?
- 500
- 300
- 400
- 600
Correct answer: 400
It is closest to 400. Both numbers are near 200, and 200 plus 200 is 400.
A pictograph uses one symbol to represent 20 cars. A lot is shown with 4 and a half symbols. How many cars are in the lot?
- 45 cars
- 100 cars
- 80 cars
- 90 cars
Correct answer: 90 cars
There are 90 cars. Four full symbols represent 80 cars, and the half symbol adds 10 more, totaling 90.
A frequency table shows siblings: 0 siblings (5 students), 1 sibling (8 students), 2 siblings (3 students). How many students have fewer than 2 siblings?
- 11 students
- 8 students
- 5 students
- 13 students
Correct answer: 13 students
Thirteen students have fewer than 2 siblings. Adding the 5 students with 0 siblings and the 8 students with 1 sibling gives 13.
A pie chart of a week's chores shows 10 hours cleaning, 4 hours cooking, and the rest as homework, out of 20 total hours. How many hours are homework?
- 8 hours
- 6 hours
- 10 hours
- 4 hours
Correct answer: 6 hours
Homework is 6 hours. Cleaning and cooking together take 10 plus 4, which is 14 hours, and 20 minus 14 leaves 6 hours.
In Quantitative Reasoning practice, a question gives the sequence 3, 6, 12, 24 and asks for the next term. What is it?
- 30
- 60
- 36
- 48
Correct answer: 48
The next term is 48. Each term doubles the one before, so doubling 24 gives 48.
A Quantitative Reasoning practice item asks which number, when doubled, gives 26. What is the number?
- 13
- 14
- 11
- 12
Correct answer: 13
The number is 13. Doubling means multiplying by 2, and since 2 times 13 is 26, the number must be 13.
On a Quantitative Reasoning practice set, which of these numbers is divisible by both 2 and 5?
- 15
- 30
- 8
- 12
Correct answer: 30
The number 30 is divisible by both 2 and 5, since 30 divided by 2 is 15 and 30 divided by 5 is 6, while the others fail at least one test.
A Quantitative Reasoning practice question states that one third of a number is 9. Reasoning about the whole, what is the number?
- 3
- 12
- 27
- 18
Correct answer: 27
The number is 27. If one third of it is 9, the whole is three times 9, which is 27.
In Quantitative Reasoning practice, a question shows the pattern 81, 27, 9, 3 and asks for the next term. What is it?
- 2
- 1
- 0
- 6
Correct answer: 1
The next term is 1. Each term is one third of the one before, so dividing 3 by 3 gives 1.
A Quantitative Reasoning practice item asks which figure has more sides: an octagon or a hexagon, and by how many.
- Octagon, by 1 side
- They have the same number of sides
- Hexagon, by 2 sides
- Octagon, by 2 sides
Correct answer: Octagon, by 2 sides
An octagon has more sides, by 2. An octagon has 8 sides and a hexagon has 6, so the octagon has exactly 2 more sides.
A Quantitative Reasoning practice problem says that subtracting 6 from a number gives 20. Reasoning backward, what is the number?
- 14
- 30
- 120
- 26
Correct answer: 26
The number is 26. Undoing the subtraction of 6 means adding 6 to 20, which gives 26.
On a Quantitative Reasoning practice test, which fraction is equivalent to two thirds?
- Three fourths
- Five eighths
- Four sixths
- Three fifths
Correct answer: Four sixths
Four sixths is equivalent to two thirds. Dividing both the top and bottom of four sixths by 2 gives two thirds, while the others do not reduce to two thirds.
A Quantitative Reasoning practice item gives 2, 3, 5, 8, 12 and asks for the next term. Reasoning about the changing gaps, what comes next?
- 16
- 17
- 15
- 18
Correct answer: 17
The next term is 17. The gaps grow by one each time as 1, 2, 3, 4, so the next gap is 5, and adding 5 to 12 gives 17.
In a Quantitative Reasoning practice set, a question asks which value is least among two thirds, three fifths, and four ninths.
- Three fifths
- Four ninths
- They are all equal
- Two thirds
Correct answer: Four ninths
Four ninths is least. Two thirds is about 0.67 and three fifths is 0.6, while four ninths is about 0.44, the smallest of the three.
On a Quantitative Reasoning practice item, a number rounded to the nearest ten is 80. Which of these could the number be?
- 74
- 83
- 77
- 86
Correct answer: 77
The number could be 77. Values from 75 up to 84 round to 80, and 77 falls in that range, while 74 rounds to 70 and 86 rounds to 90.
Why is Quantitative Reasoning practice on the ISEE considered different from Mathematics Achievement practice?
- It is scored on a pass or fail basis
- It allows the use of a calculator
- It contains only geometry questions
- It rewards logical thinking and number sense over heavy calculation
Correct answer: It rewards logical thinking and number sense over heavy calculation
Quantitative Reasoning rewards logical thinking and number sense over heavy calculation. The section emphasizes reasoning about quantities, including the quantitative comparison format, rather than the multi-step computation that Mathematics Achievement stresses.
Read the passage and answer the question. A honeybee returning to the hive after finding a rich patch of flowers does not simply rest. Instead it performs a curious movement that scientists call the waggle dance, tracing a figure-eight pattern across the comb while shaking its body. The direction of the straight run tells the other bees the angle of the flowers relative to the sun, and the length of the waggle signals how far away the food lies. By reading this dance in the darkness of the hive, fellow workers can fly straight to a meadow none of them has ever seen. It is one of the few known cases of an animal giving directions to a place it cannot point to. What is the main idea of this passage?
- Honeybees follow the sun directly to their flowers.
- Honeybees can only find flowers they have visited before.
- Honeybees rest as soon as they return to the hive.
- Honeybees use a waggle dance to tell other bees the direction and distance of food.
Correct answer: Honeybees use a waggle dance to tell other bees the direction and distance of food.
The main idea is that honeybees use the waggle dance to communicate the direction and distance of food to other bees. The passage explains how the dance encodes the angle to the sun and the distance, while the other choices contradict the text.
Read the passage and answer the question. A honeybee returning to the hive after finding a rich patch of flowers does not simply rest. Instead it performs a curious movement that scientists call the waggle dance, tracing a figure-eight pattern across the comb while shaking its body. The direction of the straight run tells the other bees the angle of the flowers relative to the sun, and the length of the waggle signals how far away the food lies. By reading this dance in the darkness of the hive, fellow workers can fly straight to a meadow none of them has ever seen. It is one of the few known cases of an animal giving directions to a place it cannot point to. According to the passage, what does the length of the waggle signal to other bees?
- How far away the food is
- The time of day
- The color of the flowers
- How many bees should go
Correct answer: How far away the food is
The passage states that the length of the waggle signals how far away the food lies. It does not link the waggle's length to flower color, the number of bees, or the time of day.
Read the passage and answer the question. A honeybee returning to the hive after finding a rich patch of flowers does not simply rest. Instead it performs a curious movement that scientists call the waggle dance, tracing a figure-eight pattern across the comb while shaking its body. The direction of the straight run tells the other bees the angle of the flowers relative to the sun, and the length of the waggle signals how far away the food lies. By reading this dance in the darkness of the hive, fellow workers can fly straight to a meadow none of them has ever seen. It is one of the few known cases of an animal giving directions to a place it cannot point to. It can be inferred from the passage that bees inside the hive read the waggle dance
- Even though they cannot see in the dark hive
- By following the dancer outside to the meadow
- Only when the sun is directly overhead
- By smelling the flowers on the dancer
Correct answer: Even though they cannot see in the dark hive
It can be inferred that bees read the dance even though they cannot see in the dark, since the passage notes the dance is read in the darkness of the hive. The text does not mention smelling flowers, trailing the dancer outdoors, or needing the sun overhead.
Read the passage and answer the question. A honeybee returning to the hive after finding a rich patch of flowers does not simply rest. Instead it performs a curious movement that scientists call the waggle dance, tracing a figure-eight pattern across the comb while shaking its body. The direction of the straight run tells the other bees the angle of the flowers relative to the sun, and the length of the waggle signals how far away the food lies. By reading this dance in the darkness of the hive, fellow workers can fly straight to a meadow none of them has ever seen. It is one of the few known cases of an animal giving directions to a place it cannot point to. As used in the passage, the word 'signals' most nearly means
- Destroys
- Hides
- Communicates
- Questions
Correct answer: Communicates
As used here, 'signals' most nearly means communicates, since the length of the waggle conveys information about distance. The context of giving directions rules out hiding, destroying, or questioning.
Read the passage and answer the question. A honeybee returning to the hive after finding a rich patch of flowers does not simply rest. Instead it performs a curious movement that scientists call the waggle dance, tracing a figure-eight pattern across the comb while shaking its body. The direction of the straight run tells the other bees the angle of the flowers relative to the sun, and the length of the waggle signals how far away the food lies. By reading this dance in the darkness of the hive, fellow workers can fly straight to a meadow none of them has ever seen. It is one of the few known cases of an animal giving directions to a place it cannot point to. This passage would most likely be found in a text about which subject?
- Science
- Poetry
- Government
- Ancient history
Correct answer: Science
This passage belongs to science, since it explains the behavior and communication of an animal in factual terms. It is not history, poetry, or government.
Read the passage and answer the question. For centuries a lighthouse keeper's life was one of strict and lonely routine. The lamp had to be lit at dusk and tended through the night, its great lens polished free of soot, its supply of oil measured carefully so it would not run dry before dawn. A single hour of darkness could send a ship onto the rocks, so the keeper could never sleep deeply. Storms that drove everyone else indoors were exactly the nights the keeper was needed most. Today automatic lights have replaced nearly all of them, and the keeper, once a guardian of the whole coast, has quietly slipped out of the world. The primary purpose of this passage is to
- Argue that lighthouses should never be automated
- Describe the demanding, lonely work of a lighthouse keeper and how the job has vanished
- Explain how ships are built to survive storms
- List the names of famous lighthouses
Correct answer: Describe the demanding, lonely work of a lighthouse keeper and how the job has vanished
The primary purpose is to describe the demanding, lonely work of a lighthouse keeper and how the role has disappeared. The passage details the nightly duties and ends by noting automatic lights have replaced keepers, rather than discussing shipbuilding or naming lighthouses.
Read the passage and answer the question. For centuries a lighthouse keeper's life was one of strict and lonely routine. The lamp had to be lit at dusk and tended through the night, its great lens polished free of soot, its supply of oil measured carefully so it would not run dry before dawn. A single hour of darkness could send a ship onto the rocks, so the keeper could never sleep deeply. Storms that drove everyone else indoors were exactly the nights the keeper was needed most. Today automatic lights have replaced nearly all of them, and the keeper, once a guardian of the whole coast, has quietly slipped out of the world. According to the passage, why could the keeper never sleep deeply?
- Storms damaged the keeper's quarters
- The lens had to be polished only at dawn
- A single hour of darkness could wreck a ship
- The lamp was too loud to sleep beside
Correct answer: A single hour of darkness could wreck a ship
The passage states that a single hour of darkness could send a ship onto the rocks, so the keeper could never sleep deeply. It does not blame a noisy lamp, damaged quarters, or a dawn-only polishing schedule.
Read the passage and answer the question. For centuries a lighthouse keeper's life was one of strict and lonely routine. The lamp had to be lit at dusk and tended through the night, its great lens polished free of soot, its supply of oil measured carefully so it would not run dry before dawn. A single hour of darkness could send a ship onto the rocks, so the keeper could never sleep deeply. Storms that drove everyone else indoors were exactly the nights the keeper was needed most. Today automatic lights have replaced nearly all of them, and the keeper, once a guardian of the whole coast, has quietly slipped out of the world. It can be inferred that, for a lighthouse keeper, stormy nights were
- The easiest nights of the year
- Spent away from the lighthouse
- The busiest and most important nights
- Free of any real duties
Correct answer: The busiest and most important nights
It can be inferred that stormy nights were the busiest and most important, since the passage says the nights that drove everyone else indoors were exactly when the keeper was needed most. That rules out their being easy, spent away, or free of duties.
Read the passage and answer the question. For centuries a lighthouse keeper's life was one of strict and lonely routine. The lamp had to be lit at dusk and tended through the night, its great lens polished free of soot, its supply of oil measured carefully so it would not run dry before dawn. A single hour of darkness could send a ship onto the rocks, so the keeper could never sleep deeply. Storms that drove everyone else indoors were exactly the nights the keeper was needed most. Today automatic lights have replaced nearly all of them, and the keeper, once a guardian of the whole coast, has quietly slipped out of the world. As used in the passage, the word 'tended' most nearly means
- Sold
- Ignored
- Extinguished
- Cared for
Correct answer: Cared for
As used here, 'tended' most nearly means cared for, since the keeper kept the lamp burning and clean through the night. The context of maintaining the light rules out ignoring, putting out, or selling it.
Read the passage and answer the question. For centuries a lighthouse keeper's life was one of strict and lonely routine. The lamp had to be lit at dusk and tended through the night, its great lens polished free of soot, its supply of oil measured carefully so it would not run dry before dawn. A single hour of darkness could send a ship onto the rocks, so the keeper could never sleep deeply. Storms that drove everyone else indoors were exactly the nights the keeper was needed most. Today automatic lights have replaced nearly all of them, and the keeper, once a guardian of the whole coast, has quietly slipped out of the world. The tone of the final sentence can best be described as
- Angry and bitter
- Cheerful and excited
- Cold and uncaring
- Gently wistful
Correct answer: Gently wistful
The tone of the final sentence is gently wistful, shown by the image of the keeper quietly slipping out of the world after once guarding the whole coast. It is not cheerful, bitter, or uncaring.
Read the passage and answer the question. Marisol had practiced her speech until she knew every word, but the moment she stepped onto the stage the rows of faces seemed to swim before her. Her notecards trembled in her hand. She opened her mouth and, for one terrible instant, nothing came out. Then she found a single friendly face in the third row, her younger brother grinning up at her, and she fixed her eyes on him and began. The words came haltingly at first, then steadier, and by the end the trembling had stopped. When the applause rose, Marisol realized she was no longer afraid; she was almost sorry it was over. What is the main idea of this passage?
- A girl forgets her speech and runs offstage.
- A girl refuses to give a speech she has practiced.
- A girl's brother gives the speech in her place.
- A girl overcomes her stage fright and ends up enjoying giving her speech.
Correct answer: A girl overcomes her stage fright and ends up enjoying giving her speech.
The main idea is that Marisol overcomes her stage fright and ends up enjoying her speech. The passage moves from her trembling and frozen start to her steadier delivery and final relief, which the other choices contradict.
Read the passage and answer the question. Marisol had practiced her speech until she knew every word, but the moment she stepped onto the stage the rows of faces seemed to swim before her. Her notecards trembled in her hand. She opened her mouth and, for one terrible instant, nothing came out. Then she found a single friendly face in the third row, her younger brother grinning up at her, and she fixed her eyes on him and began. The words came haltingly at first, then steadier, and by the end the trembling had stopped. When the applause rose, Marisol realized she was no longer afraid; she was almost sorry it was over. According to the passage, what helped Marisol begin to speak?
- Finding her brother's friendly face in the crowd
- The sound of the audience clapping
- Reading slowly from her notecards
- A glass of water someone handed her
Correct answer: Finding her brother's friendly face in the crowd
The passage states that Marisol found her brother's grinning face in the third row, fixed her eyes on him, and began. Her start was not helped by water, applause, or reading from the cards, which trembled in her hand.
Read the passage and answer the question. Marisol had practiced her speech until she knew every word, but the moment she stepped onto the stage the rows of faces seemed to swim before her. Her notecards trembled in her hand. She opened her mouth and, for one terrible instant, nothing came out. Then she found a single friendly face in the third row, her younger brother grinning up at her, and she fixed her eyes on him and began. The words came haltingly at first, then steadier, and by the end the trembling had stopped. When the applause rose, Marisol realized she was no longer afraid; she was almost sorry it was over. The phrase that Marisol 'was almost sorry it was over' suggests that she
- Wished she had never agreed to speak
- Was angry the speech had been so short
- Had forgotten the ending of her speech
- Had grown to enjoy speaking once her fear faded
Correct answer: Had grown to enjoy speaking once her fear faded
The phrase suggests that Marisol had grown to enjoy speaking once her fear faded, since by the end the trembling had stopped and she felt no longer afraid. It does not point to regret, anger, or forgetting.
Read the passage and answer the question. Marisol had practiced her speech until she knew every word, but the moment she stepped onto the stage the rows of faces seemed to swim before her. Her notecards trembled in her hand. She opened her mouth and, for one terrible instant, nothing came out. Then she found a single friendly face in the third row, her younger brother grinning up at her, and she fixed her eyes on him and began. The words came haltingly at first, then steadier, and by the end the trembling had stopped. When the applause rose, Marisol realized she was no longer afraid; she was almost sorry it was over. As used in the passage, the word 'haltingly' most nearly means
- With frequent pauses
- Smoothly and quickly
- Very loudly
- In a foreign language
Correct answer: With frequent pauses
As used here, 'haltingly' most nearly means with frequent pauses, since the words came that way at first before growing steadier. The contrast with becoming steady rules out smooth, loud, or foreign.
Read the passage and answer the question. An octopus is among the strangest minds in the sea. It can change the color and even the texture of its skin in less than a second, melting from smooth gray into the bumpy brown of a rock. It can squeeze its boneless body through a gap no wider than its eye, unscrew the lid of a jar to reach the crab inside, and remember which of two human handlers has been kind to it. Scientists who study octopuses are often startled by how much problem-solving goes on behind those slitted eyes, in an animal so unlike ourselves. What is the author's main purpose in this passage?
- To show that the octopus is a surprisingly intelligent and unusual animal
- To warn swimmers that octopuses are dangerous
- To explain how to catch an octopus
- To compare octopuses with crabs
Correct answer: To show that the octopus is a surprisingly intelligent and unusual animal
The author's main purpose is to show that the octopus is a surprisingly intelligent and unusual animal. The passage piles up examples of its abilities and the wonder of scientists, rather than offering catching tips, warnings, or a crab comparison.
Read the passage and answer the question. An octopus is among the strangest minds in the sea. It can change the color and even the texture of its skin in less than a second, melting from smooth gray into the bumpy brown of a rock. It can squeeze its boneless body through a gap no wider than its eye, unscrew the lid of a jar to reach the crab inside, and remember which of two human handlers has been kind to it. Scientists who study octopuses are often startled by how much problem-solving goes on behind those slitted eyes, in an animal so unlike ourselves. According to the passage, what can an octopus do to reach a crab inside a jar?
- Wait for the crab to leave
- Unscrew the lid
- Color itself like the jar
- Crack the jar with its beak
Correct answer: Unscrew the lid
The passage states that an octopus can unscrew the lid of a jar to reach the crab inside. It does not describe cracking the jar, waiting, or matching the jar's color in that example.
Read the passage and answer the question. An octopus is among the strangest minds in the sea. It can change the color and even the texture of its skin in less than a second, melting from smooth gray into the bumpy brown of a rock. It can squeeze its boneless body through a gap no wider than its eye, unscrew the lid of a jar to reach the crab inside, and remember which of two human handlers has been kind to it. Scientists who study octopuses are often startled by how much problem-solving goes on behind those slitted eyes, in an animal so unlike ourselves. It can be inferred from the passage that an octopus is able to squeeze through a very small gap because
- It is smaller than its own eye
- It can dissolve into water
- It can flatten itself by holding its breath
- Its body has no bones
Correct answer: Its body has no bones
It can be inferred that the octopus fits through tiny gaps because its body has no bones, which the passage calls boneless. The text does not credit breath-holding, an impossibly tiny size, or dissolving.
Read the passage and answer the question. An octopus is among the strangest minds in the sea. It can change the color and even the texture of its skin in less than a second, melting from smooth gray into the bumpy brown of a rock. It can squeeze its boneless body through a gap no wider than its eye, unscrew the lid of a jar to reach the crab inside, and remember which of two human handlers has been kind to it. Scientists who study octopuses are often startled by how much problem-solving goes on behind those slitted eyes, in an animal so unlike ourselves. As used in the passage, the word 'startled' most nearly means
- Frightened away
- Surprised
- Convinced
- Bored
Correct answer: Surprised
As used here, 'startled' most nearly means surprised, since scientists are taken aback by how much problem-solving the octopus shows. The context of unexpected intelligence rules out bored, scared off, or convinced.
Read the passage and answer the question. An octopus is among the strangest minds in the sea. It can change the color and even the texture of its skin in less than a second, melting from smooth gray into the bumpy brown of a rock. It can squeeze its boneless body through a gap no wider than its eye, unscrew the lid of a jar to reach the crab inside, and remember which of two human handlers has been kind to it. Scientists who study octopuses are often startled by how much problem-solving goes on behind those slitted eyes, in an animal so unlike ourselves. This passage would most likely be found in a text about which subject?
- Science
- Music
- Mathematics
- World history
Correct answer: Science
This passage belongs to science, since it describes the biology and behavior of a sea animal. It is not history, music, or mathematics.
Read the passage and answer the question. I owe almost everything I know to a small public library that stood three blocks from my childhood home. It was nothing grand, just two rooms and a tired librarian, but to me its shelves held the whole world. On rainy afternoons I would lose myself among the stacks, pulling down books on shipwrecks and distant planets and the lives of strange inventors. No one told me what I had to read, and that freedom was the gift. A library, I have come to believe, is not merely a building full of books; it is a quiet promise that anyone, rich or poor, may go anywhere the mind can reach. What is the main idea of this passage?
- A modest public library gave the author the freedom to explore and learn whatever he chose.
- The author disliked reading as a child.
- Libraries are useful only to wealthy people.
- The author's small public library was grand and famous.
Correct answer: A modest public library gave the author the freedom to explore and learn whatever he chose.
The main idea is that a modest public library gave the author the freedom to explore and learn what he chose. The passage celebrates the small library and the gift of unguided reading, which the other choices contradict.
Read the passage and answer the question. I owe almost everything I know to a small public library that stood three blocks from my childhood home. It was nothing grand, just two rooms and a tired librarian, but to me its shelves held the whole world. On rainy afternoons I would lose myself among the stacks, pulling down books on shipwrecks and distant planets and the lives of strange inventors. No one told me what I had to read, and that freedom was the gift. A library, I have come to believe, is not merely a building full of books; it is a quiet promise that anyone, rich or poor, may go anywhere the mind can reach. According to the passage, what did the author value most about the library?
- Its grand and impressive building
- The librarian who chose his books for him
- The quiet rooms where he could nap
- The freedom to read whatever he wished
Correct answer: The freedom to read whatever he wished
The passage states that no one told the author what to read, and that freedom was the gift. It does not praise the building, a librarian's selections, or a place to nap.
Read the passage and answer the question. I owe almost everything I know to a small public library that stood three blocks from my childhood home. It was nothing grand, just two rooms and a tired librarian, but to me its shelves held the whole world. On rainy afternoons I would lose myself among the stacks, pulling down books on shipwrecks and distant planets and the lives of strange inventors. No one told me what I had to read, and that freedom was the gift. A library, I have come to believe, is not merely a building full of books; it is a quiet promise that anyone, rich or poor, may go anywhere the mind can reach. The author's attitude toward the library can best be described as
- Deeply grateful
- Coldly indifferent
- Fearful
- Mildly annoyed
Correct answer: Deeply grateful
The author's attitude is deeply grateful, shown by the opening that he owes almost everything he knows to the library and by his warm memories. The tone is not annoyed, indifferent, or fearful.
Read the passage and answer the question. I owe almost everything I know to a small public library that stood three blocks from my childhood home. It was nothing grand, just two rooms and a tired librarian, but to me its shelves held the whole world. On rainy afternoons I would lose myself among the stacks, pulling down books on shipwrecks and distant planets and the lives of strange inventors. No one told me what I had to read, and that freedom was the gift. A library, I have come to believe, is not merely a building full of books; it is a quiet promise that anyone, rich or poor, may go anywhere the mind can reach. As used in the passage, the phrase 'lose myself' most nearly means
- Forget where the library was
- Become completely absorbed
- Fall asleep among the shelves
- Get physically lost in the building
Correct answer: Become completely absorbed
As used here, 'lose myself' most nearly means become completely absorbed, since the author describes happily losing himself among the stacks of books. The figurative context rules out being physically lost, sleeping, or forgetting directions.
Read the passage and answer the question. Most people picture a volcano as a mountain that suddenly explodes, but eruptions take many forms. Some volcanoes ooze rivers of slow lava that a person can walk beside, while others blast clouds of ash miles into the sky. The difference lies largely in the lava itself. Thin, runny lava lets gas escape gently, so the eruption is calm. Thick, sticky lava traps the gas until pressure builds and bursts free all at once, producing the violent explosions that make headlines. Knowing which kind of lava a volcano holds helps scientists guess how dangerous its next eruption may be. The passage is mainly concerned with
- Describing the tallest volcanoes in the world
- Explaining why some volcanic eruptions are calm and others violent
- Arguing that all volcanoes are equally dangerous
- Listing towns destroyed by volcanoes
Correct answer: Explaining why some volcanic eruptions are calm and others violent
The passage is mainly concerned with explaining why some eruptions are calm and others violent. It centers on how the thickness of lava determines the type of eruption, rather than ranking volcanoes by height, danger, or destruction.
Read the passage and answer the question. Most people picture a volcano as a mountain that suddenly explodes, but eruptions take many forms. Some volcanoes ooze rivers of slow lava that a person can walk beside, while others blast clouds of ash miles into the sky. The difference lies largely in the lava itself. Thin, runny lava lets gas escape gently, so the eruption is calm. Thick, sticky lava traps the gas until pressure builds and bursts free all at once, producing the violent explosions that make headlines. Knowing which kind of lava a volcano holds helps scientists guess how dangerous its next eruption may be. According to the passage, what causes the most violent explosions?
- Rainwater falling into the crater
- Cold lava that hardens quickly
- Thick, sticky lava that traps gas until it bursts free
- Thin, runny lava that lets gas escape
Correct answer: Thick, sticky lava that traps gas until it bursts free
The passage states that thick, sticky lava traps gas until pressure builds and bursts free, producing violent explosions. Thin lava lets gas escape gently, and cold lava or rainwater are not given as the cause.
Read the passage and answer the question. Most people picture a volcano as a mountain that suddenly explodes, but eruptions take many forms. Some volcanoes ooze rivers of slow lava that a person can walk beside, while others blast clouds of ash miles into the sky. The difference lies largely in the lava itself. Thin, runny lava lets gas escape gently, so the eruption is calm. Thick, sticky lava traps the gas until pressure builds and bursts free all at once, producing the violent explosions that make headlines. Knowing which kind of lava a volcano holds helps scientists guess how dangerous its next eruption may be. It can be inferred from the passage that knowing the type of lava a volcano holds is useful because it
- Shows where the volcano formed
- Reveals how tall the volcano will grow
- Tells how old the volcano is
- Helps scientists predict how dangerous the next eruption may be
Correct answer: Helps scientists predict how dangerous the next eruption may be
It can be inferred that knowing the lava type is useful because it helps scientists predict how dangerous the next eruption may be, which the passage states directly. The text does not tie lava type to a volcano's age, location, or future height.
Read the passage and answer the question. Most people picture a volcano as a mountain that suddenly explodes, but eruptions take many forms. Some volcanoes ooze rivers of slow lava that a person can walk beside, while others blast clouds of ash miles into the sky. The difference lies largely in the lava itself. Thin, runny lava lets gas escape gently, so the eruption is calm. Thick, sticky lava traps the gas until pressure builds and bursts free all at once, producing the violent explosions that make headlines. Knowing which kind of lava a volcano holds helps scientists guess how dangerous its next eruption may be. As used in the passage, the word 'oozes' most nearly means
- Freezes solid
- Flows slowly
- Explodes loudly
- Rises into the air
Correct answer: Flows slowly
As used here, 'oozes' most nearly means flows slowly, since the calm volcanoes release rivers of slow lava a person can walk beside. The contrast with violent blasts rules out exploding, freezing, or rising.
Read the passage and answer the question. The old grandfather clock in the hallway had not run for as long as Theo could remember. Its hands had frozen at twenty past four, and its silence was so familiar that the family had stopped noticing it. Then one summer his great-aunt came to stay, and on her first evening she opened the case, wound the spring, and gave the heavy pendulum a gentle push. A slow, deep ticking filled the house. Theo lay awake that night listening to it mark the seconds, and the dark, quiet home he had always known suddenly felt as though it had a heartbeat. What is the main idea of this passage?
- A clock breaks during a summer storm.
- A great-aunt buys a brand-new clock for the family.
- An old, silent clock is brought back to life and makes the home feel newly alive.
- A boy is frightened by an old clock and asks for it to be removed.
Correct answer: An old, silent clock is brought back to life and makes the home feel newly alive.
The main idea is that the long-silent clock is restarted and makes the home feel alive. The passage moves from the frozen, ignored clock to its deep ticking that gives the house a heartbeat, which the other choices contradict.
Read the passage and answer the question. The old grandfather clock in the hallway had not run for as long as Theo could remember. Its hands had frozen at twenty past four, and its silence was so familiar that the family had stopped noticing it. Then one summer his great-aunt came to stay, and on her first evening she opened the case, wound the spring, and gave the heavy pendulum a gentle push. A slow, deep ticking filled the house. Theo lay awake that night listening to it mark the seconds, and the dark, quiet home he had always known suddenly felt as though it had a heartbeat. According to the passage, what had the family come to do about the clock's silence?
- Covered it with a sheet
- Stopped noticing it
- Tried many times to fix it
- Complained about it daily
Correct answer: Stopped noticing it
The passage states that the silence had become so familiar that the family had stopped noticing it. It does not say they complained, repeatedly tried to fix it, or covered it.
Read the passage and answer the question. The old grandfather clock in the hallway had not run for as long as Theo could remember. Its hands had frozen at twenty past four, and its silence was so familiar that the family had stopped noticing it. Then one summer his great-aunt came to stay, and on her first evening she opened the case, wound the spring, and gave the heavy pendulum a gentle push. A slow, deep ticking filled the house. Theo lay awake that night listening to it mark the seconds, and the dark, quiet home he had always known suddenly felt as though it had a heartbeat. The comparison of the ticking to a 'heartbeat' suggests that the restarted clock made the house feel
- Crowded
- Dangerous
- Smaller
- Alive
Correct answer: Alive
The comparison to a heartbeat suggests the clock made the house feel alive, since a heartbeat is a sign of life and the once-quiet home now seemed to have one. It does not suggest danger, crowding, or shrinking.
Read the passage and answer the question. The old grandfather clock in the hallway had not run for as long as Theo could remember. Its hands had frozen at twenty past four, and its silence was so familiar that the family had stopped noticing it. Then one summer his great-aunt came to stay, and on her first evening she opened the case, wound the spring, and gave the heavy pendulum a gentle push. A slow, deep ticking filled the house. Theo lay awake that night listening to it mark the seconds, and the dark, quiet home he had always known suddenly felt as though it had a heartbeat. As used in the passage, the word 'frozen' most nearly describes hands that were
- Spinning quickly
- Broken off
- Stuck and not moving
- Covered in ice
Correct answer: Stuck and not moving
As used here, 'frozen' most nearly describes hands that were stuck and not moving, since they had stopped at twenty past four for years. The figurative use rules out literal ice, being broken off, or spinning.
Read the passage and answer the question. Salt seems too ordinary to matter, yet for much of history it was treated as a treasure. Before refrigerators existed, salt was the only reliable way to keep meat and fish from spoiling, which made it essential to survival through the winter. Cities grew up around salt mines, roads were built to carry it, and rulers grew rich by taxing it. Roman soldiers were sometimes paid partly in salt, and our word salary still echoes that custom. A substance we now scatter without thought once shaped where people lived and how empires made their fortunes. What is the main idea of this passage?
- Salt is found only near the sea.
- Salt mines are dangerous places to work.
- Salt is unhealthy and should be avoided.
- Salt, though common today, was once so valuable that it shaped trade, cities, and empires.
Correct answer: Salt, though common today, was once so valuable that it shaped trade, cities, and empires.
The main idea is that salt, though ordinary now, was once so valuable that it shaped trade, cities, and empires. The passage details salt's role in preserving food, building roads, and enriching rulers, which the other choices miss.
Read the passage and answer the question. Salt seems too ordinary to matter, yet for much of history it was treated as a treasure. Before refrigerators existed, salt was the only reliable way to keep meat and fish from spoiling, which made it essential to survival through the winter. Cities grew up around salt mines, roads were built to carry it, and rulers grew rich by taxing it. Roman soldiers were sometimes paid partly in salt, and our word salary still echoes that custom. A substance we now scatter without thought once shaped where people lived and how empires made their fortunes. According to the passage, why was salt essential before refrigerators existed?
- It was used to build the walls of houses
- It was the only way to keep meat and fish from spoiling
- It was needed to make fresh water drinkable
- It was the only spice people could grow
Correct answer: It was the only way to keep meat and fish from spoiling
The passage states that before refrigerators, salt was the only reliable way to keep meat and fish from spoiling. It does not describe salt as a building material, the only spice, or a water treatment.
Read the passage and answer the question. Salt seems too ordinary to matter, yet for much of history it was treated as a treasure. Before refrigerators existed, salt was the only reliable way to keep meat and fish from spoiling, which made it essential to survival through the winter. Cities grew up around salt mines, roads were built to carry it, and rulers grew rich by taxing it. Roman soldiers were sometimes paid partly in salt, and our word salary still echoes that custom. A substance we now scatter without thought once shaped where people lived and how empires made their fortunes. It can be inferred from the passage that the word 'salary' came about because
- Salt was used to write down wages
- Soldiers refused to be paid in coins
- Salt mines paid the highest wages
- Roman soldiers were sometimes paid partly in salt
Correct answer: Roman soldiers were sometimes paid partly in salt
It can be inferred that 'salary' arose because Roman soldiers were sometimes paid partly in salt, a custom the passage says our word still echoes. The text does not claim soldiers refused coins, that salt recorded wages, or that mines paid the most.
Read the passage and answer the question. Salt seems too ordinary to matter, yet for much of history it was treated as a treasure. Before refrigerators existed, salt was the only reliable way to keep meat and fish from spoiling, which made it essential to survival through the winter. Cities grew up around salt mines, roads were built to carry it, and rulers grew rich by taxing it. Roman soldiers were sometimes paid partly in salt, and our word salary still echoes that custom. A substance we now scatter without thought once shaped where people lived and how empires made their fortunes. As used in the passage, the word 'spoiling' most nearly means
- Turning sweet
- Growing larger
- Becoming rotten
- Being stolen
Correct answer: Becoming rotten
As used here, 'spoiling' most nearly means becoming rotten, since salt kept meat and fish from going bad. The context of preserving food rules out growing, being stolen, or turning sweet.
Read the passage and answer the question. Salt seems too ordinary to matter, yet for much of history it was treated as a treasure. Before refrigerators existed, salt was the only reliable way to keep meat and fish from spoiling, which made it essential to survival through the winter. Cities grew up around salt mines, roads were built to carry it, and rulers grew rich by taxing it. Roman soldiers were sometimes paid partly in salt, and our word salary still echoes that custom. A substance we now scatter without thought once shaped where people lived and how empires made their fortunes. This passage would most likely be found in a text about which subject?
- History
- Music theory
- Astronomy
- Geometry
Correct answer: History
This passage belongs to history, since it traces how a substance shaped trade, cities, and rulers over time. It is not about astronomy, geometry, or music.
Read the passage and answer the question. The creek behind our school had become an eyesore, choked with plastic bags and tires that no one would claim responsibility for. Some students wanted to write letters to the city; others said nothing would ever change. But our science teacher proposed a different plan: every Friday afternoon, anyone willing would spend one hour pulling trash from the water. At first only four of us showed up. By the end of the term there were forty, and the creek ran clear enough that a heron returned to fish there. We had not waited to be rescued. We had simply begun, and the beginning turned out to be the hard part. What is the main idea of this passage?
- A heron polluted the creek behind the school.
- Students gave up trying to clean a creek that was beyond saving.
- A small group's weekly effort grew until they cleaned the creek themselves.
- A city refused to clean a polluted creek.
Correct answer: A small group's weekly effort grew until they cleaned the creek themselves.
The main idea is that a small group's weekly effort grew until they cleaned the creek themselves. The passage follows four students becoming forty and the creek running clear, which the other choices contradict.
Read the passage and answer the question. The creek behind our school had become an eyesore, choked with plastic bags and tires that no one would claim responsibility for. Some students wanted to write letters to the city; others said nothing would ever change. But our science teacher proposed a different plan: every Friday afternoon, anyone willing would spend one hour pulling trash from the water. At first only four of us showed up. By the end of the term there were forty, and the creek ran clear enough that a heron returned to fish there. We had not waited to be rescued. We had simply begun, and the beginning turned out to be the hard part. According to the passage, what did the science teacher propose?
- Spending one hour each Friday pulling trash from the water
- Writing letters to the city
- Closing the school until the creek was clean
- Waiting for the city to clean the creek
Correct answer: Spending one hour each Friday pulling trash from the water
The passage states that the teacher proposed spending one hour every Friday pulling trash from the water. Writing letters was suggested by some students, not the teacher, and the other options are not proposed.
Read the passage and answer the question. The creek behind our school had become an eyesore, choked with plastic bags and tires that no one would claim responsibility for. Some students wanted to write letters to the city; others said nothing would ever change. But our science teacher proposed a different plan: every Friday afternoon, anyone willing would spend one hour pulling trash from the water. At first only four of us showed up. By the end of the term there were forty, and the creek ran clear enough that a heron returned to fish there. We had not waited to be rescued. We had simply begun, and the beginning turned out to be the hard part. The sentence 'the beginning turned out to be the hard part' suggests that the author believes
- The creek could never have been cleaned
- Starting the effort was harder than continuing it
- The project was a complete failure
- The city should have done the work instead
Correct answer: Starting the effort was harder than continuing it
The sentence suggests the author believes starting was harder than continuing, since the effort grew steadily once it began. It does not call the project a failure, declare the creek hopeless, or shift blame to the city.
Read the passage and answer the question. The creek behind our school had become an eyesore, choked with plastic bags and tires that no one would claim responsibility for. Some students wanted to write letters to the city; others said nothing would ever change. But our science teacher proposed a different plan: every Friday afternoon, anyone willing would spend one hour pulling trash from the water. At first only four of us showed up. By the end of the term there were forty, and the creek ran clear enough that a heron returned to fish there. We had not waited to be rescued. We had simply begun, and the beginning turned out to be the hard part. The author's attitude toward the cleanup effort can best be described as
- Doubtful and discouraged
- Fearful and anxious
- Proud and encouraged
- Bored and uninterested
Correct answer: Proud and encouraged
The author's attitude is proud and encouraged, shown by the satisfaction at the growing turnout, the clear water, and the returning heron. The tone is not doubtful, bored, or fearful.
Read the passage and answer the question. The creek behind our school had become an eyesore, choked with plastic bags and tires that no one would claim responsibility for. Some students wanted to write letters to the city; others said nothing would ever change. But our science teacher proposed a different plan: every Friday afternoon, anyone willing would spend one hour pulling trash from the water. At first only four of us showed up. By the end of the term there were forty, and the creek ran clear enough that a heron returned to fish there. We had not waited to be rescued. We had simply begun, and the beginning turned out to be the hard part. As used in the passage, the word 'choked' most nearly means
- Made to cough
- Clogged or filled up
- Set on fire
- Frozen over
Correct answer: Clogged or filled up
As used here, 'choked' most nearly means clogged or filled up, since the creek was full of plastic bags and tires. The context of a blocked waterway rules out coughing, freezing, or burning.
Read the passage and answer the question. Ounce for ounce, the silk a spider spins is stronger than steel, yet it is so light that a strand long enough to circle the Earth would weigh less than a bar of soap. The spider produces this remarkable thread from glands in its body, drawing it out as a liquid that hardens the instant it meets the air. Different glands make different kinds of silk: a stiff sort for the spokes of a web, a sticky sort for the spiral that snares prey, and a soft sort for wrapping eggs. Engineers have long dreamed of copying it, but the spider's recipe has proved stubbornly hard to imitate. The primary purpose of this passage is to
- Give instructions for building a web
- Explain why people fear spiders
- Describe the remarkable properties of spider silk and the different kinds a spider makes
- Argue that steel is useless compared to silk
Correct answer: Describe the remarkable properties of spider silk and the different kinds a spider makes
The primary purpose is to describe the remarkable properties of spider silk and the different kinds a spider produces. The passage covers its strength, lightness, and varied uses, rather than fear of spiders or building advice.
Read the passage and answer the question. Ounce for ounce, the silk a spider spins is stronger than steel, yet it is so light that a strand long enough to circle the Earth would weigh less than a bar of soap. The spider produces this remarkable thread from glands in its body, drawing it out as a liquid that hardens the instant it meets the air. Different glands make different kinds of silk: a stiff sort for the spokes of a web, a sticky sort for the spiral that snares prey, and a soft sort for wrapping eggs. Engineers have long dreamed of copying it, but the spider's recipe has proved stubbornly hard to imitate. According to the passage, what happens to the silk the instant it meets the air?
- It hardens
- It dissolves
- It changes color
- It turns to steel
Correct answer: It hardens
The passage states that the spider draws the silk out as a liquid that hardens the instant it meets the air. It does not say the silk dissolves, becomes steel, or changes color.
Read the passage and answer the question. Ounce for ounce, the silk a spider spins is stronger than steel, yet it is so light that a strand long enough to circle the Earth would weigh less than a bar of soap. The spider produces this remarkable thread from glands in its body, drawing it out as a liquid that hardens the instant it meets the air. Different glands make different kinds of silk: a stiff sort for the spokes of a web, a sticky sort for the spiral that snares prey, and a soft sort for wrapping eggs. Engineers have long dreamed of copying it, but the spider's recipe has proved stubbornly hard to imitate. It can be inferred from the passage that engineers have not yet copied spider silk because
- The way the spider makes it is very hard to imitate
- Silk is too weak to be useful
- No one has ever studied it
- Spiders refuse to make it for them
Correct answer: The way the spider makes it is very hard to imitate
It can be inferred that engineers have not copied the silk because the spider's recipe is very hard to imitate, which the passage states. The text does not blame uncooperative spiders, weak silk, or a lack of study.
Read the passage and answer the question. Ounce for ounce, the silk a spider spins is stronger than steel, yet it is so light that a strand long enough to circle the Earth would weigh less than a bar of soap. The spider produces this remarkable thread from glands in its body, drawing it out as a liquid that hardens the instant it meets the air. Different glands make different kinds of silk: a stiff sort for the spokes of a web, a sticky sort for the spiral that snares prey, and a soft sort for wrapping eggs. Engineers have long dreamed of copying it, but the spider's recipe has proved stubbornly hard to imitate. According to the passage, the sticky kind of silk is used for
- The spokes of the web
- Lining the spider's body
- Wrapping eggs
- The spiral that snares prey
Correct answer: The spiral that snares prey
The passage states that the sticky sort of silk is used for the spiral that snares prey. The stiff sort makes the spokes, the soft sort wraps eggs, and lining the body is not mentioned.
Read the passage and answer the question. Ounce for ounce, the silk a spider spins is stronger than steel, yet it is so light that a strand long enough to circle the Earth would weigh less than a bar of soap. The spider produces this remarkable thread from glands in its body, drawing it out as a liquid that hardens the instant it meets the air. Different glands make different kinds of silk: a stiff sort for the spokes of a web, a sticky sort for the spiral that snares prey, and a soft sort for wrapping eggs. Engineers have long dreamed of copying it, but the spider's recipe has proved stubbornly hard to imitate. As used in the passage, the word 'stubbornly' most nearly means
- Happily
- In a way that resists efforts
- For a short time
- Easily
Correct answer: In a way that resists efforts
As used here, 'stubbornly' most nearly means in a way that resists efforts, since the recipe has proved hard to imitate despite engineers' attempts. The context of difficulty rules out easily, happily, or briefly.
Read the passage and answer the question. A honeybee returning to the hive after finding a rich patch of flowers does not simply rest. Instead it performs a curious movement that scientists call the waggle dance, tracing a figure-eight pattern across the comb while shaking its body. The direction of the straight run tells the other bees the angle of the flowers relative to the sun, and the length of the waggle signals how far away the food lies. By reading this dance in the darkness of the hive, fellow workers can fly straight to a meadow none of them has ever seen. It is one of the few known cases of an animal giving directions to a place it cannot point to. Which title best fits this passage?
- How Honey Is Made
- Why Bees Sting
- The Life of a Single Flower
- The Honeybee's Dance: Directions in the Dark
Correct answer: The Honeybee's Dance: Directions in the Dark
The best title names the honeybee's dance as directions given in the dark, because the passage centers on how a returning bee uses the waggle dance to guide others to food. Titles about a flower, stinging, or making honey miss the focus.
Read the passage and answer the question. An octopus is among the strangest minds in the sea. It can change the color and even the texture of its skin in less than a second, melting from smooth gray into the bumpy brown of a rock. It can squeeze its boneless body through a gap no wider than its eye, unscrew the lid of a jar to reach the crab inside, and remember which of two human handlers has been kind to it. Scientists who study octopuses are often startled by how much problem-solving goes on behind those slitted eyes, in an animal so unlike ourselves. Which statement would the author most likely agree with?
- Only animals with bones can solve problems.
- Octopuses cannot remember anything.
- Intelligence can appear in animals very different from humans.
- Color-changing has nothing to do with survival.
Correct answer: Intelligence can appear in animals very different from humans.
The author would most likely agree that intelligence can appear in animals very different from humans, since the passage marvels at the octopus's problem-solving in a creature so unlike ourselves. The other statements contradict the passage.
Read the passage and answer the question. Salt seems too ordinary to matter, yet for much of history it was treated as a treasure. Before refrigerators existed, salt was the only reliable way to keep meat and fish from spoiling, which made it essential to survival through the winter. Cities grew up around salt mines, roads were built to carry it, and rulers grew rich by taxing it. Roman soldiers were sometimes paid partly in salt, and our word salary still echoes that custom. A substance we now scatter without thought once shaped where people lived and how empires made their fortunes. The author most likely begins by calling salt 'too ordinary to matter' in order to
- Prove that salt truly never mattered
- Set up a surprising contrast with salt's importance in history
- Warn readers against using salt
- Explain how salt is mined today
Correct answer: Set up a surprising contrast with salt's importance in history
The author most likely opens that way to set up a surprising contrast with salt's historical importance, since the passage immediately shows how valuable salt once was. It is not meant to prove salt never mattered, warn readers, or explain mining.
Read the passage and answer the question. Most people picture a volcano as a mountain that suddenly explodes, but eruptions take many forms. Some volcanoes ooze rivers of slow lava that a person can walk beside, while others blast clouds of ash miles into the sky. The difference lies largely in the lava itself. Thin, runny lava lets gas escape gently, so the eruption is calm. Thick, sticky lava traps the gas until pressure builds and bursts free all at once, producing the violent explosions that make headlines. Knowing which kind of lava a volcano holds helps scientists guess how dangerous its next eruption may be. Which title best fits this passage?
- The History of Volcano Names
- Climbing the World's Tallest Mountains
- How to Visit a Volcano Safely
- Two Kinds of Eruption: Why Some Volcanoes Explode
Correct answer: Two Kinds of Eruption: Why Some Volcanoes Explode
The best title points to two kinds of eruption and why some volcanoes explode, because the passage contrasts calm and violent eruptions and traces the difference to the lava. Titles about climbing, visiting safely, or names miss the point.
Read the passage and answer the question. For centuries a lighthouse keeper's life was one of strict and lonely routine. The lamp had to be lit at dusk and tended through the night, its great lens polished free of soot, its supply of oil measured carefully so it would not run dry before dawn. A single hour of darkness could send a ship onto the rocks, so the keeper could never sleep deeply. Storms that drove everyone else indoors were exactly the nights the keeper was needed most. Today automatic lights have replaced nearly all of them, and the keeper, once a guardian of the whole coast, has quietly slipped out of the world. According to the passage, what has replaced nearly all lighthouse keepers today?
- Radio towers
- Floating buoys
- Larger crews of workers
- Automatic lights
Correct answer: Automatic lights
The passage states that automatic lights have replaced nearly all lighthouse keepers today. It does not mention larger crews, radio towers, or buoys.
Read the passage and answer the question. I owe almost everything I know to a small public library that stood three blocks from my childhood home. It was nothing grand, just two rooms and a tired librarian, but to me its shelves held the whole world. On rainy afternoons I would lose myself among the stacks, pulling down books on shipwrecks and distant planets and the lives of strange inventors. No one told me what I had to read, and that freedom was the gift. A library, I have come to believe, is not merely a building full of books; it is a quiet promise that anyone, rich or poor, may go anywhere the mind can reach. This passage would most likely be found in which kind of writing?
- A set of directions for building shelves
- A personal essay about the value of libraries
- A weather forecast
- A laboratory report on book printing
Correct answer: A personal essay about the value of libraries
This passage reads as a personal essay about the value of libraries, since the author reflects on a meaningful childhood experience and draws a broader belief from it. It is not a lab report, a how-to, or a forecast.
Read the passage and answer the question. Ounce for ounce, the silk a spider spins is stronger than steel, yet it is so light that a strand long enough to circle the Earth would weigh less than a bar of soap. The spider produces this remarkable thread from glands in its body, drawing it out as a liquid that hardens the instant it meets the air. Different glands make different kinds of silk: a stiff sort for the spokes of a web, a sticky sort for the spiral that snares prey, and a soft sort for wrapping eggs. Engineers have long dreamed of copying it, but the spider's recipe has proved stubbornly hard to imitate. Which title best fits this passage?
- The Dangers of Spider Bites
- How Spiders Catch Birds
- A Guide to Cleaning Cobwebs
- Stronger Than Steel: The Wonder of Spider Silk
Correct answer: Stronger Than Steel: The Wonder of Spider Silk
The best title highlights that spider silk is stronger than steel, because the passage focuses on the thread's surprising strength, lightness, and uses. Titles about catching birds, bites, or cleaning cobwebs miss the focus.
Read the passage and answer the question. The creek behind our school had become an eyesore, choked with plastic bags and tires that no one would claim responsibility for. Some students wanted to write letters to the city; others said nothing would ever change. But our science teacher proposed a different plan: every Friday afternoon, anyone willing would spend one hour pulling trash from the water. At first only four of us showed up. By the end of the term there were forty, and the creek ran clear enough that a heron returned to fish there. We had not waited to be rescued. We had simply begun, and the beginning turned out to be the hard part. It can be inferred that the return of the heron shows that
- The students had failed to remove the trash
- The city finally cleaned the creek
- The creek had become clean enough for wildlife
- Herons prefer polluted water
Correct answer: The creek had become clean enough for wildlife
It can be inferred that the heron's return shows the creek had become clean enough for wildlife, since the passage links the clear water to the bird coming back to fish. It does not show failure, a preference for pollution, or city action.
Read the passage and answer the question. The old grandfather clock in the hallway had not run for as long as Theo could remember. Its hands had frozen at twenty past four, and its silence was so familiar that the family had stopped noticing it. Then one summer his great-aunt came to stay, and on her first evening she opened the case, wound the spring, and gave the heavy pendulum a gentle push. A slow, deep ticking filled the house. Theo lay awake that night listening to it mark the seconds, and the dark, quiet home he had always known suddenly felt as though it had a heartbeat. The mood of this passage can best be described as
- Cold and scientific
- Tense and frightening
- Silly and joking
- Quiet and tender
Correct answer: Quiet and tender
The mood is quiet and tender, created by the hushed evening, the gentle restarting of the clock, and Theo lying awake listening to its ticking. It is not frightening, joking, or scientific.
Read the passage and answer the question. Marisol had practiced her speech until she knew every word, but the moment she stepped onto the stage the rows of faces seemed to swim before her. Her notecards trembled in her hand. She opened her mouth and, for one terrible instant, nothing came out. Then she found a single friendly face in the third row, her younger brother grinning up at her, and she fixed her eyes on him and began. The words came haltingly at first, then steadier, and by the end the trembling had stopped. When the applause rose, Marisol realized she was no longer afraid; she was almost sorry it was over. The author's attitude toward Marisol can best be described as
- Annoyed and impatient
- Sympathetic and encouraging
- Mocking and amused
- Cold and distant
Correct answer: Sympathetic and encouraging
The author's attitude is sympathetic and encouraging, shown by the close attention to Marisol's fear and the warmth of her eventual success. The tone is not mocking, distant, or impatient.
Read the passage and answer the question. A honeybee returning to the hive after finding a rich patch of flowers does not simply rest. Instead it performs a curious movement that scientists call the waggle dance, tracing a figure-eight pattern across the comb while shaking its body. The direction of the straight run tells the other bees the angle of the flowers relative to the sun, and the length of the waggle signals how far away the food lies. By reading this dance in the darkness of the hive, fellow workers can fly straight to a meadow none of them has ever seen. It is one of the few known cases of an animal giving directions to a place it cannot point to. It can be inferred that the waggle dance is most useful when bees need to
- Rest after a long flight
- Find food in a place they have never been
- Defend the hive from intruders
- Build a new hive
Correct answer: Find food in a place they have never been
It can be inferred that the dance is most useful for finding food in a new place, since the passage says fellow workers can fly to a meadow none of them has seen. It is not tied to resting, building a hive, or defense.
Read the passage and answer the question. An octopus is among the strangest minds in the sea. It can change the color and even the texture of its skin in less than a second, melting from smooth gray into the bumpy brown of a rock. It can squeeze its boneless body through a gap no wider than its eye, unscrew the lid of a jar to reach the crab inside, and remember which of two human handlers has been kind to it. Scientists who study octopuses are often startled by how much problem-solving goes on behind those slitted eyes, in an animal so unlike ourselves. According to the passage, how quickly can an octopus change the color of its skin?
- In less than a second
- Only overnight
- In about a minute
- In several hours
Correct answer: In less than a second
The passage states that an octopus can change its color and texture in less than a second. The other time spans do not match the text.
Read the passage and answer the question. Most people picture a volcano as a mountain that suddenly explodes, but eruptions take many forms. Some volcanoes ooze rivers of slow lava that a person can walk beside, while others blast clouds of ash miles into the sky. The difference lies largely in the lava itself. Thin, runny lava lets gas escape gently, so the eruption is calm. Thick, sticky lava traps the gas until pressure builds and bursts free all at once, producing the violent explosions that make headlines. Knowing which kind of lava a volcano holds helps scientists guess how dangerous its next eruption may be. It can be inferred that a volcano with thin, runny lava is likely to
- Never erupt at all
- Produce the most dangerous eruptions
- Erupt calmly rather than violently
- Be the tallest kind of volcano
Correct answer: Erupt calmly rather than violently
It can be inferred that a volcano with thin, runny lava is likely to erupt calmly, since the passage says such lava lets gas escape gently. It does not suggest such volcanoes never erupt, are the most dangerous, or are the tallest.
Read the passage and answer the question. Salt seems too ordinary to matter, yet for much of history it was treated as a treasure. Before refrigerators existed, salt was the only reliable way to keep meat and fish from spoiling, which made it essential to survival through the winter. Cities grew up around salt mines, roads were built to carry it, and rulers grew rich by taxing it. Roman soldiers were sometimes paid partly in salt, and our word salary still echoes that custom. A substance we now scatter without thought once shaped where people lived and how empires made their fortunes. It can be inferred that cities grew up around salt mines mainly because
- People enjoyed the taste of mine air
- Mines were the only safe place to live
- Salt was valuable enough to draw people and trade
- Salt could not be moved from where it was found
Correct answer: Salt was valuable enough to draw people and trade
It can be inferred that cities grew around salt mines because salt was valuable enough to draw people and trade, since the passage says rulers grew rich from it and roads were built to carry it. The text does not claim mines were uniquely safe, that salt could not be moved, or anything about mine air.
Read the passage and answer the question. Ounce for ounce, the silk a spider spins is stronger than steel, yet it is so light that a strand long enough to circle the Earth would weigh less than a bar of soap. The spider produces this remarkable thread from glands in its body, drawing it out as a liquid that hardens the instant it meets the air. Different glands make different kinds of silk: a stiff sort for the spokes of a web, a sticky sort for the spiral that snares prey, and a soft sort for wrapping eggs. Engineers have long dreamed of copying it, but the spider's recipe has proved stubbornly hard to imitate. As used in the passage, the word 'remarkable' most nearly means
- Extraordinary
- Fragile
- Heavy
- Ordinary
Correct answer: Extraordinary
As used here, 'remarkable' most nearly means extraordinary, since the silk is described as stronger than steel yet astonishingly light. The context of wonder rules out ordinary, fragile, or heavy.
Read the passage and answer the question. Marisol had practiced her speech until she knew every word, but the moment she stepped onto the stage the rows of faces seemed to swim before her. Her notecards trembled in her hand. She opened her mouth and, for one terrible instant, nothing came out. Then she found a single friendly face in the third row, her younger brother grinning up at her, and she fixed her eyes on him and began. The words came haltingly at first, then steadier, and by the end the trembling had stopped. When the applause rose, Marisol realized she was no longer afraid; she was almost sorry it was over. It can be inferred that Marisol had prepared carefully for the speech because
- Her teacher gave it to her to read
- She wrote the speech that morning
- She had given many speeches before
- She had practiced until she knew every word
Correct answer: She had practiced until she knew every word
It can be inferred that Marisol prepared carefully because she had practiced until she knew every word, as the passage states. There is no mention of writing it last minute, reading a teacher's words, or prior experience.
Read the passage and answer the question. I owe almost everything I know to a small public library that stood three blocks from my childhood home. It was nothing grand, just two rooms and a tired librarian, but to me its shelves held the whole world. On rainy afternoons I would lose myself among the stacks, pulling down books on shipwrecks and distant planets and the lives of strange inventors. No one told me what I had to read, and that freedom was the gift. A library, I have come to believe, is not merely a building full of books; it is a quiet promise that anyone, rich or poor, may go anywhere the mind can reach. It can be inferred that the author believes a library's greatest value is that it
- Employs many librarians
- Is housed in an impressive building
- Has the largest possible collection
- Offers free access to knowledge for anyone
Correct answer: Offers free access to knowledge for anyone
It can be inferred that the author values a library most as free access to knowledge for anyone, since the closing calls it a promise that anyone, rich or poor, may go anywhere the mind can reach. The text downplays size, staff, and the building.
Read the passage and answer the question. The creek behind our school had become an eyesore, choked with plastic bags and tires that no one would claim responsibility for. Some students wanted to write letters to the city; others said nothing would ever change. But our science teacher proposed a different plan: every Friday afternoon, anyone willing would spend one hour pulling trash from the water. At first only four of us showed up. By the end of the term there were forty, and the creek ran clear enough that a heron returned to fish there. We had not waited to be rescued. We had simply begun, and the beginning turned out to be the hard part. Why did some students initially believe nothing would change?
- The creek was too small to matter
- The teacher refused to help
- The creek was choked with trash no one would claim
- The city had already cleaned it
Correct answer: The creek was choked with trash no one would claim
The passage shows the creek was an eyesore choked with trash no one would claim responsibility for, explaining the early belief that nothing would change. The teacher did help, the city had not cleaned it, and size is not the stated reason.
Read the passage and answer the question. The old grandfather clock in the hallway had not run for as long as Theo could remember. Its hands had frozen at twenty past four, and its silence was so familiar that the family had stopped noticing it. Then one summer his great-aunt came to stay, and on her first evening she opened the case, wound the spring, and gave the heavy pendulum a gentle push. A slow, deep ticking filled the house. Theo lay awake that night listening to it mark the seconds, and the dark, quiet home he had always known suddenly felt as though it had a heartbeat. According to the passage, what did the great-aunt do to start the clock?
- Carried it to a repair shop
- Replaced its broken hands
- Wound the spring and pushed the pendulum
- Set it to the correct time first
Correct answer: Wound the spring and pushed the pendulum
The passage states that the great-aunt opened the case, wound the spring, and gave the pendulum a gentle push. It does not mention replacing hands, setting the time, or taking it to a shop.
Read the passage and answer the question. A honeybee returning to the hive after finding a rich patch of flowers does not simply rest. Instead it performs a curious movement that scientists call the waggle dance, tracing a figure-eight pattern across the comb while shaking its body. The direction of the straight run tells the other bees the angle of the flowers relative to the sun, and the length of the waggle signals how far away the food lies. By reading this dance in the darkness of the hive, fellow workers can fly straight to a meadow none of them has ever seen. It is one of the few known cases of an animal giving directions to a place it cannot point to. As used in the passage, the word 'curious' most nearly means
- Eager to learn
- Very careful
- Strange or unusual
- Brightly colored
Correct answer: Strange or unusual
As used here, 'curious' most nearly means strange or unusual, since it describes the bee's odd waggle movement. The context of an unfamiliar behavior rules out eager to learn, careful, or colorful.
Read the passage and answer the question. An octopus is among the strangest minds in the sea. It can change the color and even the texture of its skin in less than a second, melting from smooth gray into the bumpy brown of a rock. It can squeeze its boneless body through a gap no wider than its eye, unscrew the lid of a jar to reach the crab inside, and remember which of two human handlers has been kind to it. Scientists who study octopuses are often startled by how much problem-solving goes on behind those slitted eyes, in an animal so unlike ourselves. Which title best fits this passage?
- The Octopus: A Clever Mind in the Sea
- The Largest Animals in the Ocean
- Why Crabs Hide in Jars
- How to Cook an Octopus
Correct answer: The Octopus: A Clever Mind in the Sea
The best title presents the octopus as a clever mind in the sea, because the passage centers on its intelligence and unusual abilities. Titles about cooking, the largest animals, or crabs miss the focus.
Read the passage and answer the question. Salt seems too ordinary to matter, yet for much of history it was treated as a treasure. Before refrigerators existed, salt was the only reliable way to keep meat and fish from spoiling, which made it essential to survival through the winter. Cities grew up around salt mines, roads were built to carry it, and rulers grew rich by taxing it. Roman soldiers were sometimes paid partly in salt, and our word salary still echoes that custom. A substance we now scatter without thought once shaped where people lived and how empires made their fortunes. The author's attitude toward salt's history can best be described as
- Fearful
- Disgusted
- Bored
- Fascinated
Correct answer: Fascinated
The author's attitude is fascinated, shown by the wonder that an ordinary substance once shaped where people lived and how empires made fortunes. The tone is not disgusted, bored, or fearful.
Read the passage and answer the question. For centuries a lighthouse keeper's life was one of strict and lonely routine. The lamp had to be lit at dusk and tended through the night, its great lens polished free of soot, its supply of oil measured carefully so it would not run dry before dawn. A single hour of darkness could send a ship onto the rocks, so the keeper could never sleep deeply. Storms that drove everyone else indoors were exactly the nights the keeper was needed most. Today automatic lights have replaced nearly all of them, and the keeper, once a guardian of the whole coast, has quietly slipped out of the world. As used in the passage, the word 'guardian' most nearly means
- A type of lamp
- A person who protects something
- A kind of ship
- An owner of land
Correct answer: A person who protects something
As used here, 'guardian' most nearly means a person who protects something, since the keeper protected the whole coast by keeping the light burning. The context of safeguarding ships rules out a ship, a lamp, or a landowner.
Read the passage and answer the question. A honeybee returning to the hive after finding a rich patch of flowers does not simply rest. Instead it performs a curious movement that scientists call the waggle dance, tracing a figure-eight pattern across the comb while shaking its body. The direction of the straight run tells the other bees the angle of the flowers relative to the sun, and the length of the waggle signals how far away the food lies. By reading this dance in the darkness of the hive, fellow workers can fly straight to a meadow none of them has ever seen. It is one of the few known cases of an animal giving directions to a place it cannot point to. According to the passage, what does the direction of the straight run in the dance tell other bees?
- How many flowers there are
- What kind of flowers were found
- The angle of the flowers relative to the sun
- How long the food will last
Correct answer: The angle of the flowers relative to the sun
The passage states that the direction of the straight run tells the angle of the flowers relative to the sun. It does not encode the number or kind of flowers or how long the food will last.
Read the passage and answer the question. For centuries a lighthouse keeper's life was one of strict and lonely routine. The lamp had to be lit at dusk and tended through the night, its great lens polished free of soot, its supply of oil measured carefully so it would not run dry before dawn. A single hour of darkness could send a ship onto the rocks, so the keeper could never sleep deeply. Storms that drove everyone else indoors were exactly the nights the keeper was needed most. Today automatic lights have replaced nearly all of them, and the keeper, once a guardian of the whole coast, has quietly slipped out of the world. It can be inferred that the keeper measured the lamp's oil carefully in order to
- Save money on supplies
- Keep the lens from getting dirty
- Warn ships of approaching storms
- Keep the light burning until dawn
Correct answer: Keep the light burning until dawn
It can be inferred that the keeper measured oil carefully to keep the light burning until dawn, since the passage says the supply was measured so it would not run dry before morning. The text does not tie this to saving money, the lens, or storm warnings.
Read the passage and answer the question. Marisol had practiced her speech until she knew every word, but the moment she stepped onto the stage the rows of faces seemed to swim before her. Her notecards trembled in her hand. She opened her mouth and, for one terrible instant, nothing came out. Then she found a single friendly face in the third row, her younger brother grinning up at her, and she fixed her eyes on him and began. The words came haltingly at first, then steadier, and by the end the trembling had stopped. When the applause rose, Marisol realized she was no longer afraid; she was almost sorry it was over. Which title best fits this passage?
- The Crowded Auditorium
- A Brother's Big Day
- How to Write a Speech
- Finding Her Voice: Marisol's Speech
Correct answer: Finding Her Voice: Marisol's Speech
The best title points to Marisol finding her voice, because the passage centers on her conquering stage fright to deliver her speech. Titles about her brother, writing speeches, or the auditorium miss the focus.
Read the passage and answer the question. An octopus is among the strangest minds in the sea. It can change the color and even the texture of its skin in less than a second, melting from smooth gray into the bumpy brown of a rock. It can squeeze its boneless body through a gap no wider than its eye, unscrew the lid of a jar to reach the crab inside, and remember which of two human handlers has been kind to it. Scientists who study octopuses are often startled by how much problem-solving goes on behind those slitted eyes, in an animal so unlike ourselves. It can be inferred that an octopus that remembers a kind handler shows the animal can
- Change color at will
- Learn from experience
- Live for many years
- Swim faster than a crab
Correct answer: Learn from experience
It can be inferred that remembering a kind handler shows the octopus can learn from experience, since recalling who was kind requires memory of past events. The passage does not link this memory to color-changing, lifespan, or swimming speed.
Read the passage and answer the question. Most people picture a volcano as a mountain that suddenly explodes, but eruptions take many forms. Some volcanoes ooze rivers of slow lava that a person can walk beside, while others blast clouds of ash miles into the sky. The difference lies largely in the lava itself. Thin, runny lava lets gas escape gently, so the eruption is calm. Thick, sticky lava traps the gas until pressure builds and bursts free all at once, producing the violent explosions that make headlines. Knowing which kind of lava a volcano holds helps scientists guess how dangerous its next eruption may be. Which statement best matches the information in the passage?
- The thickness of lava affects how an eruption behaves.
- Lava thickness has no effect on eruptions.
- Only tall volcanoes are dangerous.
- All eruptions are sudden explosions.
Correct answer: The thickness of lava affects how an eruption behaves.
The passage supports that the thickness of lava affects how an eruption behaves, contrasting calm runny lava with explosive sticky lava. The other statements contradict the passage's central point.
Read the passage and answer the question. Salt seems too ordinary to matter, yet for much of history it was treated as a treasure. Before refrigerators existed, salt was the only reliable way to keep meat and fish from spoiling, which made it essential to survival through the winter. Cities grew up around salt mines, roads were built to carry it, and rulers grew rich by taxing it. Roman soldiers were sometimes paid partly in salt, and our word salary still echoes that custom. A substance we now scatter without thought once shaped where people lived and how empires made their fortunes. According to the passage, how did some rulers grow rich from salt?
- By taxing it
- By eating large amounts of it
- By giving it away freely
- By forbidding its use
Correct answer: By taxing it
The passage states that rulers grew rich by taxing salt. It does not say they ate it, gave it away, or banned it.
Read the passage and answer the question. The creek behind our school had become an eyesore, choked with plastic bags and tires that no one would claim responsibility for. Some students wanted to write letters to the city; others said nothing would ever change. But our science teacher proposed a different plan: every Friday afternoon, anyone willing would spend one hour pulling trash from the water. At first only four of us showed up. By the end of the term there were forty, and the creek ran clear enough that a heron returned to fish there. We had not waited to be rescued. We had simply begun, and the beginning turned out to be the hard part. Which title best fits this passage?
- A Letter to the City
- The Heron's Nest
- Why Nothing Ever Changes
- Cleaning the Creek, One Friday at a Time
Correct answer: Cleaning the Creek, One Friday at a Time
The best title captures cleaning the creek one Friday at a time, because the passage follows a weekly effort that gradually restored the water. Titles about a letter, a nest, or hopelessness miss the focus.
Read the passage and answer the question. Ounce for ounce, the silk a spider spins is stronger than steel, yet it is so light that a strand long enough to circle the Earth would weigh less than a bar of soap. The spider produces this remarkable thread from glands in its body, drawing it out as a liquid that hardens the instant it meets the air. Different glands make different kinds of silk: a stiff sort for the spokes of a web, a sticky sort for the spiral that snares prey, and a soft sort for wrapping eggs. Engineers have long dreamed of copying it, but the spider's recipe has proved stubbornly hard to imitate. It can be inferred that the spider's body is well suited to making silk because it
- Lives high above the ground
- Has different glands for different kinds of silk
- Eats other spiders for material
- Spins silk only at night
Correct answer: Has different glands for different kinds of silk
It can be inferred that the spider's body is well suited to making silk because it has different glands for different kinds of silk, as the passage describes stiff, sticky, and soft varieties from different glands. The text does not mention night-only spinning, cannibalism, or height.
Read the passage and answer the question. The old grandfather clock in the hallway had not run for as long as Theo could remember. Its hands had frozen at twenty past four, and its silence was so familiar that the family had stopped noticing it. Then one summer his great-aunt came to stay, and on her first evening she opened the case, wound the spring, and gave the heavy pendulum a gentle push. A slow, deep ticking filled the house. Theo lay awake that night listening to it mark the seconds, and the dark, quiet home he had always known suddenly felt as though it had a heartbeat. Which statement best describes how the family treated the clock before the great-aunt's visit?
- They wound it every morning.
- They had grown used to its silence and ignored it.
- They had it repaired several times.
- They displayed it proudly to guests.
Correct answer: They had grown used to its silence and ignored it.
The passage shows the family had grown used to the clock's silence and ignored it, having stopped noticing its frozen hands. They did not wind it, repair it, or show it off.
Read the passage and answer the question. I owe almost everything I know to a small public library that stood three blocks from my childhood home. It was nothing grand, just two rooms and a tired librarian, but to me its shelves held the whole world. On rainy afternoons I would lose myself among the stacks, pulling down books on shipwrecks and distant planets and the lives of strange inventors. No one told me what I had to read, and that freedom was the gift. A library, I have come to believe, is not merely a building full of books; it is a quiet promise that anyone, rich or poor, may go anywhere the mind can reach. The author calls the library 'a quiet promise' mainly to suggest that it
- Will soon close its doors
- Makes no noise inside
- Is kept secret from most people
- Offers everyone the chance to learn and explore
Correct answer: Offers everyone the chance to learn and explore
The author calls it 'a quiet promise' mainly to suggest the library offers everyone the chance to learn and explore, as the closing says anyone may go anywhere the mind can reach. The phrase is figurative, not about silence, secrecy, or closing.
Read the passage and answer the question. An octopus is among the strangest minds in the sea. It can change the color and even the texture of its skin in less than a second, melting from smooth gray into the bumpy brown of a rock. It can squeeze its boneless body through a gap no wider than its eye, unscrew the lid of a jar to reach the crab inside, and remember which of two human handlers has been kind to it. Scientists who study octopuses are often startled by how much problem-solving goes on behind those slitted eyes, in an animal so unlike ourselves. As used in the passage, the word 'melting' most nearly describes how the octopus
- Smoothly changes from one appearance to another
- Grows very warm
- Disappears completely
- Turns into liquid
Correct answer: Smoothly changes from one appearance to another
As used here, 'melting' most nearly describes the octopus smoothly changing from one appearance to another, since it shifts from smooth gray to bumpy brown. The figurative use rules out becoming liquid, warming, or vanishing.
Read the passage and answer the question. A honeybee returning to the hive after finding a rich patch of flowers does not simply rest. Instead it performs a curious movement that scientists call the waggle dance, tracing a figure-eight pattern across the comb while shaking its body. The direction of the straight run tells the other bees the angle of the flowers relative to the sun, and the length of the waggle signals how far away the food lies. By reading this dance in the darkness of the hive, fellow workers can fly straight to a meadow none of them has ever seen. It is one of the few known cases of an animal giving directions to a place it cannot point to. The author's attitude toward the waggle dance can best be described as
- Doubtful
- Alarmed
- Impressed
- Bored
Correct answer: Impressed
The author's attitude is impressed, shown by calling the dance one of the few known cases of an animal giving directions to a place it cannot point to. The tone is not bored, doubtful, or alarmed.
Read the passage and answer the question. Most people picture a volcano as a mountain that suddenly explodes, but eruptions take many forms. Some volcanoes ooze rivers of slow lava that a person can walk beside, while others blast clouds of ash miles into the sky. The difference lies largely in the lava itself. Thin, runny lava lets gas escape gently, so the eruption is calm. Thick, sticky lava traps the gas until pressure builds and bursts free all at once, producing the violent explosions that make headlines. Knowing which kind of lava a volcano holds helps scientists guess how dangerous its next eruption may be. As used in the passage, the word 'violent' most nearly means
- Forceful and explosive
- Slow
- Colorful
- Quiet
Correct answer: Forceful and explosive
As used here, 'violent' most nearly means forceful and explosive, since it describes eruptions that blast ash miles into the sky. The contrast with calm eruptions rules out colorful, quiet, or slow.
Read the passage and answer the question. For centuries a lighthouse keeper's life was one of strict and lonely routine. The lamp had to be lit at dusk and tended through the night, its great lens polished free of soot, its supply of oil measured carefully so it would not run dry before dawn. A single hour of darkness could send a ship onto the rocks, so the keeper could never sleep deeply. Storms that drove everyone else indoors were exactly the nights the keeper was needed most. Today automatic lights have replaced nearly all of them, and the keeper, once a guardian of the whole coast, has quietly slipped out of the world. This passage would most likely be found in a text about which subject?
- Chemistry
- History
- Mathematics
- Astronomy
Correct answer: History
This passage belongs to history, since it describes how a way of life changed over time as technology replaced lighthouse keepers. It is not about mathematics, chemistry, or astronomy.
Evaluate 5 times 4 minus 18 divided by 6.
- 11
- 13
- 2
- 17
Correct answer: 17
The result is 17. Multiplication and division are done first: 5 times 4 is 20 and 18 divided by 6 is 3, leaving 20 minus 3, which equals 17.
What is the value of 3 plus 2 times 4 squared?
- 35
- 19
- 80
- 32
Correct answer: 35
The value is 35. The exponent comes first, so 4 squared is 16, then 2 times 16 is 32, and 3 plus 32 equals 35.
Simplify 48 divided by (8 minus 2) times 3.
- 2.67
- 24
- 18
- 8
Correct answer: 24
The value is 24. Parentheses give 8 minus 2 equals 6, then working left to right 48 divided by 6 is 8 and 8 times 3 is 24.
Evaluate 10 plus (3 plus 1) squared divided by 8.
- 18
- 2
- 12
- 14
Correct answer: 12
The value is 12. Parentheses give 4, the exponent makes 4 squared equal 16, then 16 divided by 8 is 2, and 10 plus 2 equals 12.
What is 7 times 2 plus 9 times 3?
- 63
- 41
- 60
- 105
Correct answer: 41
The value is 41. Both multiplications are performed first: 7 times 2 is 14 and 9 times 3 is 27, and 14 plus 27 equals 41.
What is the least common multiple of 4 and 10?
- 14
- 30
- 20
- 40
Correct answer: 20
The least common multiple is 20. Multiples of 4 are 4, 8, 12, 16, 20 and multiples of 10 are 10, 20, and 20 is the smallest value common to both.
What is the greatest common factor of 16 and 40?
- 2
- 16
- 4
- 8
Correct answer: 8
The greatest common factor is 8. Both numbers are divisible by 1, 2, 4, and 8, and 8 is the largest factor they share.
How many distinct positive factors does 28 have?
- 8
- 6
- 5
- 4
Correct answer: 6
The number 28 has 6 factors. They are 1, 2, 4, 7, 14, and 28, for a total of six.
What is the prime factorization of 84?
- 2 times 2 times 3 times 7
- 2 times 42
- 2 times 2 times 21
- 4 times 21
Correct answer: 2 times 2 times 3 times 7
The prime factorization of 84 is 2 times 2 times 3 times 7. Breaking 84 into primes gives two 2s, one 3, and one 7, which multiply back to 84.
What is the least common multiple of 9 and 12?
- 36
- 108
- 21
- 18
Correct answer: 36
The least common multiple is 36. Multiples of 9 are 9, 18, 27, 36 and multiples of 12 are 12, 24, 36, and 36 is the smallest value in both lists.
Which number is a common multiple of both 6 and 15?
- 36
- 45
- 21
- 30
Correct answer: 30
The common multiple is 30. Among the choices, only 30 is divisible by both 6 and 15.
Add the fractions 1 over 6 and 3 over 4.
- 7 over 12
- 4 over 10
- 11 over 12
- 2 over 5
Correct answer: 11 over 12
The sum is 11 over 12. Using a common denominator of 12, 1 over 6 becomes 2 over 12 and 3 over 4 becomes 9 over 12, and 2 plus 9 gives 11 over 12.
Write the fraction 7 over 20 as a decimal.
- 0.7
- 0.27
- 0.72
- 0.35
Correct answer: 0.35
The decimal form is 0.35. Dividing 7 by 20 gives exactly 0.35.
What is 60 percent of 45?
- 18
- 27
- 24
- 30
Correct answer: 27
The result is 27. Converting 60 percent to 0.6 and multiplying by 45 gives 27.
Subtract 7 over 8 minus 1 over 4.
- 3 over 4
- 1 over 2
- 6 over 4
- 5 over 8
Correct answer: 5 over 8
The difference is 5 over 8. Rewriting 1 over 4 as 2 over 8, then 7 over 8 minus 2 over 8 equals 5 over 8.
A jacket priced at 60 dollars is discounted by 20 percent. What is the new price?
- 12 dollars
- 48 dollars
- 54 dollars
- 40 dollars
Correct answer: 48 dollars
The new price is 48 dollars. A 20 percent discount on 60 dollars is 12 dollars, and 60 minus 12 leaves 48 dollars.
What is 0.75 written as a fraction in lowest terms?
- 75 over 100
- 2 over 3
- 7 over 10
- 3 over 4
Correct answer: 3 over 4
The fraction is 3 over 4. The decimal 0.75 equals 75 over 100, which reduces by dividing top and bottom by 25 to give 3 over 4.
Multiply 2 over 7 by 3 over 5.
- 5 over 35
- 5 over 12
- 6 over 12
- 6 over 35
Correct answer: 6 over 35
The product is 6 over 35. Multiplying numerators gives 2 times 3 equals 6 and multiplying denominators gives 7 times 5 equals 35.
A number increased from 40 to 50. What is the percent increase?
- 50 percent
- 10 percent
- 20 percent
- 25 percent
Correct answer: 25 percent
The percent increase is 25 percent. The increase of 10 divided by the original 40 equals 0.25, which is 25 percent.
Solve the proportion: $\frac{4}{7} = \frac{x}{28}$ .
- 21
- 11
- 16
- 12
Correct answer: 16
The value of $x$ is 16. Cross multiplying gives $7x = 4 \times 28$ , so $7x = 112$ and $x = 16$ .
A printer prints 240 pages in 8 minutes. How many pages does it print per minute?
- 40
- 30
- 24
- 32
Correct answer: 30
The rate is 30 pages per minute. Dividing 240 pages by 8 minutes gives 30 pages per minute.
If 5 notebooks cost 15 dollars, how much do 12 notebooks cost at the same rate?
- 45 dollars
- 36 dollars
- 60 dollars
- 30 dollars
Correct answer: 36 dollars
The cost is 36 dollars. Each notebook costs 15 dollars divided by 5, which is 3 dollars, and 12 times 3 equals 36 dollars.
A drink mix combines water and concentrate in a ratio of 5 to 2. If 10 cups of water are used, how many cups of concentrate are needed?
- 4
- 25
- 5
- 2
Correct answer: 4
The amount of concentrate is 4 cups. The ratio 5 to 2 means concentrate is two fifths of the water amount, and two fifths of 10 is 4.
A scale drawing uses 2 centimeters to represent 15 meters. How many meters does 6 centimeters represent?
- 30
- 45
- 90
- 23
Correct answer: 45
The distance is 45 meters. Since 2 centimeters represents 15 meters, each centimeter represents 7.5 meters, and 6 times 7.5 equals 45 meters.
In a parking lot the ratio of cars to trucks is 7 to 2. If there are 14 cars, how many trucks are there?
- 4
- 7
- 2
- 9
Correct answer: 4
There are 4 trucks. The ratio 7 to 2 with 14 cars means each ratio unit equals 2 vehicles, so the trucks count is 2 times 2, which is 4.
Solve for $x$ : $4x - 5 = 19$ .
- 24
- 6
- 3
- 7
Correct answer: 6
The solution is 6. Adding 5 to both sides gives $4x = 24$ , and dividing by 4 yields $x = 6$ .
Solve for $n$ : $6n + 8 = 2n + 24$ .
- 4
- 16
- 8
- 2
Correct answer: 4
The solution is 4. Subtracting $2n$ from both sides gives $4n + 8 = 24$ , then $4n = 16$ , so $n = 4$ .
What is the slope of the line $y = 3x + 7$ ?
- 7
- 3
- $\frac{1}{3}$
- $-3$
Correct answer: 3
The slope is 3. In the form $y = mx + b$ , the coefficient $m$ is the slope, which is 3 here.
What is the $y$ -intercept of the line $y = -5x + 2$ ?
- $-2$
- 2
- $-5$
- 5
Correct answer: 2
The $y$ -intercept is 2. In slope-intercept form $y = mx + b$ , the value $b$ is the $y$ -intercept, and here $b = 2$ .
Solve for $x$ : $2(x + 4) = 18$ .
- 5
- 7
- 11
- 9
Correct answer: 5
The solution is 5. Dividing both sides by 2 gives $x + 4 = 9$ , and subtracting 4 gives $x = 5$ .
Which point lies on the line $y = 3x - 2$ ?
- $(4, 10)$
- $(2, 6)$
- $(0, 3)$
- $(1, 2)$
Correct answer: $(4, 10)$
The point $(4, 10)$ lies on the line. Substituting $x = 4$ gives $y = 3 \times 4 - 2$ , which is 10, matching the point.
Solve for $x$ : $\frac{x}{5} - 2 = 1$ .
- 3
- 5
- 15
- 7
Correct answer: 15
The solution is 15. Adding 2 to both sides gives $\frac{x}{5} = 3$ , and multiplying both sides by 5 gives $x = 15$ .
Simplify $3^2 \times 3^3$ .
- 18
- 9
- 243
- 81
Correct answer: 243
The value is 243. When multiplying powers with the same base, the exponents add: $2 + 3 = 5$ , so $3^5 = 243$ .
What is the value of $\sqrt{81}$ ?
- 8
- 18
- 27
- 9
Correct answer: 9
$\sqrt{81} = 9$ because $9 \times 9 = 81$ .
Simplify $\frac{7^5}{7^3}$ .
- 343
- 49
- 14
- 7
Correct answer: 49
The value is 49. Dividing powers with the same base subtracts the exponents: $5 - 3 = 2$ , so $7^2 = 49$ .
Evaluate $\sqrt{64} + \sqrt{9}$ .
- 73
- 17
- 11
- 15
Correct answer: 11
The value is 11. $\sqrt{64} = 8$ and $\sqrt{9} = 3$ , and $8 + 3 = 11$ .
Simplify $(3^3)^2$ .
- 18
- 81
- 729
- 243
Correct answer: 729
The value is 729. Raising a power to a power multiplies the exponents: $3 \times 2 = 6$ , so $3^6 = 729$ .
What is the value of $4^{-1}$ ?
- $-4$
- One fourth
- 0
- 4
Correct answer: One fourth
The value is one fourth. A negative exponent means the reciprocal, so $4^{-1} = \frac{1}{4}$ .
Write 6,300 in scientific notation.
- $0.63 \times 10^4$
- $63 \times 10^2$
- $6.3 \times 10^3$
- $6.3 \times 10^2$
Correct answer: $6.3 \times 10^3$
The correct form is $6.3 \times 10^3$ . Moving the decimal point in 6,300 three places left gives 6.3, and the three moves correspond to an exponent of 3.
What is $5.4 \times 10^4$ written as a standard number?
- 5,400
- 540,000
- 0.00054
- 54,000
Correct answer: 54,000
The standard number is 54,000. Multiplying $5.4$ by $10^4$ moves the decimal point four places to the right.
Write 0.0029 in scientific notation.
- $2.9 \times 10^{-3}$
- $29 \times 10^{-4}$
- $2.9 \times 10^3$
- $0.29 \times 10^{-2}$
Correct answer: $2.9 \times 10^{-3}$
The correct form is $2.9 \times 10^{-3}$ . Moving the decimal point three places right produces 2.9, and a number less than 1 takes a negative exponent.
What is the quotient of $8 \times 10^6$ divided by $2 \times 10^2$ in scientific notation?
- $6 \times 10^4$
- $4 \times 10^8$
- $4 \times 10^4$
- $4 \times 10^3$
Correct answer: $4 \times 10^4$
The quotient is $4 \times 10^4$ . Dividing 8 by 2 gives 4, and subtracting the exponents $6 - 2$ gives 4.
Solve the inequality $3x - 4 > 11$ .
- $x > 7$
- $x > 3$
- $x < 5$
- $x > 5$
Correct answer: $x > 5$
The solution is $x > 5$ . Adding 4 gives $3x > 15$ , and dividing by 3 gives $x > 5$ .
Solve the inequality $x + 6 \le 2$ .
- $x \le 8$
- $x \le 4$
- $x \le -4$
- $x \ge -4$
Correct answer: $x \le -4$
The solution is $x \le -4$ . Subtracting 6 from both sides isolates $x$ and gives $x \le -4$ .
Solve the inequality $-2x < 10$ .
- $x > 5$
- $x < -5$
- $x < 5$
- $x > -5$
Correct answer: $x > -5$
The solution is $x > -5$ . Dividing both sides by $-2$ reverses the inequality sign, giving $x > -5$ .
Which value of $x$ satisfies $5x + 3 > 18$ ?
- 1
- 2
- 4
- 3
Correct answer: 4
The value 4 satisfies the inequality. Solving gives $5x > 15$ and $x > 3$ , and of the choices only 4 is greater than 3.
Multiply $(x + 5)(x + 3)$ .
- $x^2 + 8x + 15$
- $x^2 + 15$
- $x^2 + 15x + 8$
- $x^2 + 8x + 8$
Correct answer: $x^2 + 8x + 15$
The product is $x^2 + 8x + 15$ . The outer and inner terms give $3x + 5x = 8x$ , and $5 \times 3$ gives the constant 15.
Factor the expression $x^2 + 9x + 20$ .
- $(x + 1)(x + 20)$
- $(x + 5)(x + 5)$
- $(x + 4)(x + 5)$
- $(x + 2)(x + 10)$
Correct answer: $(x + 4)(x + 5)$
The factored form is $(x + 4)(x + 5)$ . The two numbers must multiply to 20 and add to 9, and 4 and 5 satisfy both conditions.
Simplify $7y - 2y + 4y$ .
- $5y$
- $13y$
- $11y$
- $9y$
Correct answer: $9y$
The simplified form is $9y$ . Combining like terms gives $7 - 2 + 4 = 9$ , so the result is $9y$ .
Multiply $3x(2x + 5)$ .
- $6x + 15$
- $6x^2 + 5$
- $6x^2 + 15x$
- $5x^2 + 15x$
Correct answer: $6x^2 + 15x$
The product is $6x^2 + 15x$ . Distributing $3x$ gives $3x \times 2x = 6x^2$ and $3x \times 5 = 15x$ .
Factor the expression $x^2 - 25$ .
- $(x - 5)(x - 5)$
- $(x + 5)(x + 5)$
- $(x + 25)(x - 1)$
- $(x + 5)(x - 5)$
Correct answer: $(x + 5)(x - 5)$
The factored form is $(x + 5)(x - 5)$ . This is a difference of squares, where $x^2 - 25$ factors into the sum and difference of $x$ and 5.
If $f(x) = 4x - 1$ , what is $f(3)$ ?
- 11
- 12
- 7
- 13
Correct answer: 11
The value of $f(3)$ is 11. Substituting 3 for $x$ gives $4 \times 3 - 1$ , which is $12 - 1$ , or 11.
If $g(x) = x^2 + 2$ , what is $g(4)$ ?
- 18
- 10
- 14
- 16
Correct answer: 18
The value of $g(4)$ is 18. Substituting 4 for $x$ gives $4^2 + 2$ , which is $16 + 2$ , or 18.
If $h(x) = 10 - 2x$ , what is $h(-3)$ ?
- 16
- 4
- $-16$
- 13
Correct answer: 16
The value of $h(-3)$ is 16. Substituting $-3$ for $x$ gives $10 - 2 \times (-3)$ , which is $10 + 6$ , or 16.
If $f(x) = 5x + 2$ , for what value of $x$ does $f(x) = 27$ ?
- 7
- 6
- 29
- 5
Correct answer: 5
The value of $x$ is 5. Setting $5x + 2 = 27$ gives $5x = 25$ , so $x = 5$ .
Solve the system: $x + y = 12$ and $x - y = 2$ . What is $x$ ?
- 6
- 5
- 7
- 10
Correct answer: 7
The value of $x$ is 7. Adding the two equations eliminates $y$ and gives $2x = 14$ , so $x = 7$ .
Solve the system: $3x + y = 17$ and $y = 2$ . What is $x$ ?
- 4
- 3
- 5
- 6
Correct answer: 5
The value of $x$ is 5. Substituting $y = 2$ into the first equation gives $3x + 2 = 17$ , so $3x = 15$ and $x = 5$ .
Solve the system: $x + y = 14$ and $x - y = 6$ . What is $y$ ?
- 6
- 4
- 10
- 8
Correct answer: 4
The value of $y$ is 4. Subtracting the second equation from the first eliminates $x$ and gives $2y = 8$ , so $y = 4$ .
Solve the system: $x = 3y$ and $x + y = 16$ . What is $y$ ?
- 4
- 12
- 3
- 8
Correct answer: 4
The value of $y$ is 4. Substituting $x = 3y$ into $x + y = 16$ gives $4y = 16$ , so $y = 4$ .
What is the area of a rectangle with length 11 and width 6?
- 60
- 66
- 34
- 17
Correct answer: 66
The area is 66 square units. The area of a rectangle is length times width, and 11 times 6 equals 66.
What is the perimeter of a square with side length 9?
- 36
- 18
- 81
- 27
Correct answer: 36
The perimeter is 36 units. A square has four equal sides, so the perimeter is 4 times 9, which is 36.
What is the sum of the interior angles of a quadrilateral?
- 270 degrees
- 180 degrees
- 540 degrees
- 360 degrees
Correct answer: 360 degrees
The sum of the interior angles of a quadrilateral is 360 degrees, a fixed property of every four-sided figure.
What is the area of a parallelogram with base 7 and height 9?
- 16
- 56
- 32
- 63
Correct answer: 63
The area is 63 square units. The area of a parallelogram is base times height, and 7 times 9 equals 63.
Each interior angle of a regular pentagon measures how many degrees?
- 72 degrees
- 90 degrees
- 120 degrees
- 108 degrees
Correct answer: 108 degrees
Each interior angle measures 108 degrees. The interior angles of a pentagon sum to 540 degrees, and dividing by the five equal angles gives 108 degrees each.
A rectangle has a perimeter of 40 and a width of 8. What is its length?
- 24
- 16
- 12
- 32
Correct answer: 12
The length is 12. The perimeter formula gives 2 times length plus 2 times width equals 40, so 2L plus 16 equals 40, meaning 2L is 24 and L is 12.
What is the area of a trapezoid with parallel sides 6 and 10 and height 4?
- 24
- 64
- 40
- 32
Correct answer: 32
The area is 32 square units. The trapezoid area is one half the sum of the parallel sides times the height, so one half of 16 times 4 equals 32.
A right triangle has legs of length 9 and 12. What is the length of the hypotenuse?
- 21
- 225
- 15
- 18
Correct answer: 15
The hypotenuse is 15. By the Pythagorean theorem, $9^2 + 12^2 = 81 + 144 = 225$ , and $\sqrt{225} = 15$ .
What is the area of a triangle with base 14 and height 8?
- 112
- 48
- 22
- 56
Correct answer: 56
The area is 56 square units. The area of a triangle is one half times base times height, so one half of 14 times 8 equals 56.
In a triangle, two angles measure 35 degrees and 75 degrees. What is the third angle?
- 60 degrees
- 80 degrees
- 70 degrees
- 110 degrees
Correct answer: 70 degrees
The third angle measures 70 degrees. Since the angles of a triangle sum to 180 degrees, subtracting 35 and 75 leaves 70 degrees.
A right triangle has one leg of 8 and a hypotenuse of 17. What is the length of the other leg?
- 13
- 25
- 9
- 15
Correct answer: 15
The other leg is 15. By the Pythagorean theorem, the missing leg squared equals $17^2 - 8^2 = 289 - 64 = 225$ , and $\sqrt{225} = 15$ .
An equilateral triangle has all sides equal. What is the measure of each of its angles?
- 45 degrees
- 60 degrees
- 120 degrees
- 90 degrees
Correct answer: 60 degrees
Each angle measures 60 degrees. In an equilateral triangle all three angles are equal, and dividing the 180 degree total by three gives 60 degrees each.
What is the volume of a rectangular box with length 6, width 5, and height 2?
- 17
- 60
- 13
- 30
Correct answer: 60
The volume is 60 cubic units. The volume of a rectangular box is length times width times height, and 6 times 5 times 2 equals 60.
What is the volume of a cube with edge length 4?
- 12
- 64
- 48
- 16
Correct answer: 64
The volume is 64 cubic units. A cube's volume is the edge length cubed, and $4^3 = 64$ .
What is the surface area of a cube with edge length 5?
- 100
- 25
- 125
- 150
Correct answer: 150
The surface area is 150 square units. A cube has six identical square faces, each with area 5 times 5 equals 25, and 6 times 25 equals 150.
A cylinder has a base area of 12 and a height of 9. What is its volume?
- 36
- 108
- 96
- 21
Correct answer: 108
The volume is 108 cubic units. The volume of a cylinder is the base area times the height, and 12 times 9 equals 108.
What is the slope of the line passing through the points $(2, 1)$ and $(6, 9)$ ?
- 2
- $\frac{1}{2}$
- 8
- 4
Correct answer: 2
The slope is 2. Slope equals the change in $y$ divided by the change in $x$ , so $\frac{9 - 1}{6 - 2} = \frac{8}{4} = 2$ .
What is the distance between the points $(1, 2)$ and $(4, 6)$ on the coordinate plane?
- 25
- 12
- 7
- 5
Correct answer: 5
The distance is 5. Using the distance formula, the differences are 3 and 4, and $\sqrt{9 + 16} = \sqrt{25} = 5$ .
In which quadrant does the point $(4, -6)$ lie?
- Quadrant IV
- Quadrant I
- Quadrant III
- Quadrant II
Correct answer: Quadrant IV
The point lies in Quadrant IV. A positive $x$ value with a negative $y$ value places a point in the lower right region, which is Quadrant IV.
What is the midpoint of the segment connecting $(1, 4)$ and $(7, 10)$ ?
- $(3, 6)$
- $(8, 14)$
- $(6, 6)$
- $(4, 7)$
Correct answer: $(4, 7)$
The midpoint is $(4, 7)$ . The midpoint is found by averaging the coordinates, giving $\frac{1 + 7}{2} = 4$ and $\frac{4 + 10}{2} = 7$ .
A line is vertical on the coordinate plane. What is true about its slope?
- It is one
- It is zero
- It is negative
- It is undefined
Correct answer: It is undefined
A vertical line has an undefined slope. Because the change in $x$ is zero, dividing by zero is not defined, so the slope cannot be calculated.
What is the mean of the numbers 6, 9, 12, and 13?
- 12
- 9
- 10
- 40
Correct answer: 10
The mean is 10. Adding the numbers gives 40, and dividing the sum by the four values gives 10.
What is the median of the numbers 2, 5, 8, 11, and 22?
- 9.6
- 11
- 5
- 8
Correct answer: 8
The median is 8. When the five numbers are listed in order, the middle value is 8.
What is the mode of the data set 3, 8, 8, 4, 8, 6?
- 8.5
- 6
- 4
- 8
Correct answer: 8
The mode is 8. The value 8 appears three times, more often than any other number in the set.
What is the range of the data set 22, 9, 31, 6, and 18?
- 31
- 37
- 25
- 13
Correct answer: 25
The range is 25. The range is the largest value minus the smallest value, and 31 minus 6 equals 25.
A student earns 70, 85, and 94 on three equally weighted quizzes. What is the average?
- 80
- 249
- 83
- 85
Correct answer: 83
The average is 83. Adding the scores gives 249, and dividing by the three quizzes gives 83.
The mean of five numbers is 12. If four of the numbers are 8, 10, 15, and 16, what is the fifth number?
- 9
- 12
- 11
- 60
Correct answer: 11
The fifth number is 11. A mean of 12 over five numbers means the total is 60, and subtracting 8 plus 10 plus 15 plus 16, which is 49, leaves 11.
What is the median of the numbers 10, 4, 8, and 2?
- 8
- 5
- 7
- 6
Correct answer: 6
The median is 6. Ordering the numbers gives 2, 4, 8, 10, and the median of an even set is the average of the two middle values, 4 and 8, which is 6.
A bag holds 4 green marbles and 6 yellow marbles. What is the probability of drawing a green marble at random?
- 6 over 10
- 4 over 6
- 2 over 5
- 3 over 5
Correct answer: 2 over 5
The probability is 2 over 5. There are 4 green marbles out of 10 total marbles, giving 4 over 10, which reduces to 2 over 5.
A fair six-sided die is rolled once. What is the probability of rolling an even number?
- 2 over 3
- 1 over 2
- 1 over 6
- 1 over 3
Correct answer: 1 over 2
The probability is 1 over 2. The even numbers are 2, 4, and 6, giving 3 favorable outcomes out of 6, which reduces to 1 over 2.
A spinner has 5 equal sections numbered 1 through 5. What is the probability of landing on a number greater than 3?
- 2 over 5
- 1 over 2
- 1 over 5
- 3 over 5
Correct answer: 2 over 5
The probability is 2 over 5. The numbers greater than 3 are 4 and 5, giving 2 favorable outcomes out of 5.
A box contains 3 red, 4 blue, and 1 green token. What is the probability of drawing a blue token?
- 3 over 8
- 1 over 2
- 4 over 7
- 1 over 4
Correct answer: 1 over 2
The probability is 1 over 2. There are 4 blue tokens out of 8 total, which gives 4 over 8, or 1 over 2.
A card is drawn at random from cards numbered 1 to 10. What is the probability the number is a multiple of 3?
- 2 over 5
- 1 over 2
- 3 over 10
- 1 over 10
Correct answer: 3 over 10
The probability is 3 over 10. The multiples of 3 from 1 to 10 are 3, 6, and 9, giving 3 favorable outcomes out of 10.
In how many different orders can 5 distinct trophies be arranged in a row?
- 20
- 60
- 120
- 25
Correct answer: 120
There are 120 arrangements. The number of orderings of 5 distinct items is 5 times 4 times 3 times 2 times 1, which equals 120.
How many ways can a first place and a second place winner be chosen from 6 contestants?
- 36
- 15
- 12
- 30
Correct answer: 30
There are 30 ways. The first place can be any of 6 contestants and the second place any of the remaining 5, so 6 times 5 equals 30.
How many different two-person teams can be formed from 5 students?
- 15
- 10
- 25
- 20
Correct answer: 10
There are 10 teams. Choosing 2 students from 5 where order does not matter gives 5 times 4 divided by 2, which equals 10.
A menu offers 4 main dishes and 3 side dishes. How many different main-and-side combinations are possible?
- 9
- 12
- 16
- 7
Correct answer: 12
There are 12 combinations. Multiplying the 4 main dish choices by the 3 side dish choices gives 12 possible meals.
What is the next number in the arithmetic sequence 7, 12, 17, 22?
- 27
- 28
- 25
- 26
Correct answer: 27
The next number is 27. The sequence increases by 5 each time, so 22 plus 5 equals 27.
What is the next number in the geometric sequence 3, 12, 48, 192?
- 768
- 384
- 960
- 576
Correct answer: 768
The next number is 768. Each term is multiplied by 4, so 192 times 4 equals 768.
In the sequence 80, 73, 66, 59, what is the next term?
- 53
- 50
- 52
- 51
Correct answer: 52
The next term is 52. The sequence decreases by 7 each time, so 59 minus 7 equals 52.
What is the 6th term of the sequence that starts at 4 and adds 6 each time?
- 34
- 28
- 36
- 30
Correct answer: 34
The 6th term is 34. Starting at 4, five additions of 6 give 4 plus 30, which equals 34.
What is the next number in the pattern 1, 8, 27, 64?
- 125
- 121
- 100
- 144
Correct answer: 125
The next number is 125. These are the cubes of 1, 2, 3, and 4, so the next term is $5^3$ , which is 125.
On the Mathematics Achievement section, what is the value of 156 divided by 13?
- 14
- 13
- 12
- 11
Correct answer: 12
The value is 12. Dividing 156 by 13 gives exactly 12.
A Mathematics Achievement question asks for 40 percent of 250. What is the answer?
- 110
- 100
- 120
- 90
Correct answer: 100
The answer is 100. Forty percent of 250 is found by multiplying 0.4 by 250, which equals 100.
On a Mathematics Achievement item, what is the value of negative 8 plus 15 minus 4?
- 3
- 2
- 11
- Negative 3
Correct answer: 3
The value is 3. Adding negative 8 and 15 gives 7, and subtracting 4 leaves 3.
A Mathematics Achievement question asks for the product of 18 and 15. What is it?
- 260
- 290
- 270
- 240
Correct answer: 270
The product is 270. Multiplying 18 by 15 gives 270.
What is 8 percent of 150?
- 12
- 14
- 9
- 10
Correct answer: 12
The result is 12. Converting 8 percent to 0.08 and multiplying by 150 gives 12.
Solve the proportion: $\frac{6}{x} = \frac{2}{5}$ .
- 10
- 15
- 12
- 18
Correct answer: 15
The value of $x$ is 15. Cross multiplying gives $2x = 6 \times 5$ , so $2x = 30$ and $x = 15$ .
What is the value of $\sqrt{100} - \sqrt{36}$ ?
- 16
- 4
- 8
- 2
Correct answer: 4
The value is 4. $\sqrt{100} = 10$ and $\sqrt{36} = 6$ , and $10 - 6 = 4$ .
What is the mean of the numbers 11, 13, 15, 17, and 19?
- 13
- 16
- 15
- 14
Correct answer: 15
The mean is 15. Adding the numbers gives 75, and dividing the sum by the five values gives 15.

To find us again, just search “Career Employer ISEE”

By Career EmployerUpdated Jun 14, 2026

ISEE Question of the DayNew daily

1 of 360+ free questions — a new one every day

Select the word that is most nearly the same in meaning as the capitalized word: BRITTLE

Pick an answer to see the explanation

The ISEE (Independent School Entrance Examination) is the admissions test administered by the Educational Records Bureau (ERB) and used by many independent and private schools. This free practice test mirrors the Upper Level ISEE’s four scored sections, so working through it shows exactly where you stand.^[1]

Click Start Test above to launch a full ISEE simulation, run a single section, or drill within one. The hub groups everything under the exam’s four scored sections so your practice matches how the real test is built and timed.

The ISEE has four separately timed scored sections — Verbal Reasoning, Quantitative Reasoning, Reading Comprehension, and Mathematics Achievement — plus an unscored Essay at the end.^[1]

Every question is tagged to its section and includes a clear explanation, so you learn the reasoning behind each vocabulary choice, reading inference, and math concept — not just the answer. To round out your prep, pair these with our free study guide, flashcards, and cheat sheet.^[2]

ISEE Exam at a Glance

The most important thing to understand about the ISEE is that it is four separately timed scored sections, each reported on its own stanine scale. The table below lays out the Upper Level structure, the clocks, and how it is scored.

ISEE Upper Level at a glance
Detail	ISEE Upper Level
Administered By	Educational Records Bureau (ERB)
Section 1 — Verbal Reasoning	40 questions · 20 minutes (own clock)
Section 2 — Quantitative Reasoning	37 questions · 35 minutes (own clock)
Section 3 — Reading Comprehension	36 questions · 35 minutes (own clock)
Section 4 — Mathematics Achievement	47 questions · 40 minutes (own clock)
Total Scored Questions	160 multiple-choice questions
Total Scored Testing Time	130 minutes across the four timed sections
Essay	Unscored, 30 minutes, sent to schools — NOT simulated here
Score Scale	Stanine 1–9 per section (no overall pass/fail)
Guessing Penalty	None — answer every question

The Upper Level ISEE is four separately timed scored sections — Verbal Reasoning (40 Q / 20 min), Quantitative Reasoning (37 Q / 35 min), Reading Comprehension (36 Q / 35 min), and Mathematics Achievement (47 Q / 40 min) — for 160 scored questions in 130 minutes, plus an unscored 30-minute Essay, reported on a 1–9 stanine scale.

One note on this practice test: it covers the four scored, multiple-choice sections only. The ISEE Essay is unscored and handwritten, so it is not simulated here— see the section below for what to expect.

The Four Scored ISEE Sections and How They’re Weighted

The Upper Level ISEE’s 160 scored questions are split across four sections. Verbal Reasoning and Reading Comprehension test language and reading; Quantitative Reasoning and Mathematics Achievement test two different sides of math.^[2]

Our full practice exam runs all four sections, each on its own clock. Here is how the scored questions are distributed across the sections:

ISEE Upper Level — 160 scored questions across four sections

Mathematics Achievement29% · 47 Qs · 40 min

Verbal Reasoning25% · 40 Qs · 20 min

Quantitative Reasoning23% · 37 Qs · 35 min

Reading Comprehension23% · 36 Qs · 35 min

The bars above show each section’s share of the 160 scored questions. Mathematics Achievement is the largest section, while Verbal Reasoning is the most time-pressured — only 20 minutes for 40 questions.

Practice Questions by Section

Use Start Test for a full weighted ISEE simulation, or run a single section on its own clock. After each section you get a breakdown so you know exactly where to focus.

Most students need the most work on Verbal Reasoning, where advanced vocabulary meets a brutal 20-minute clock, and on Mathematics Achievement, the largest section.

The Unscored ISEE Essay

After the four scored sections, the ISEE ends with a 30-minute Essay on an assigned prompt. The Essay is not scored and does not affect your stanines.^[2]

It still matters, though: ERB sends a copy of your essay to every school you apply to, so admissions officers read it as a writing sample. Practice planning and drafting a clear, on-topic response in 30 minutes.

Because the Essay is open-response and handwritten or typed at the test center, it cannot be simulated by a multiple-choice practice test — this tool focuses on the four scored sections that the stanines come from.

How Do You Register for the ISEE?

You register for the ISEE through your ERB family account, where you choose a test format (at a school, a Prometric center, or remotely at home) and a date, then pay the registration fee.^[4]

The ISEE can be taken up to three times per testing year — once in each Fall, Winter, and Spring season. Plan your test date around your schools’ application deadlines so scores arrive in time.

Confirm current fees, formats, and deadlines on the ERB site before you register, because these details are updated each testing year.^[4]

How Is the ISEE Scored?

Each scored section is reported on a stanine scale from 1 to 9, based on how you performed compared with other students in your grade, not on a raw percentage.^[3]

There is no overall pass or fail and no penalty for guessing. Schools interpret your four stanines alongside the rest of your application, so always answer every question.

What counts as a strong score depends on the competitiveness of the schools you are targeting. Aim to push each section’s stanine as high as you can on full, timed practice.

How Hard Is the ISEE?

The ISEE is demanding mainly because of its pace. Verbal Reasoning gives you just 20 minutes for 40 questions, and its synonyms and sentence completions use advanced vocabulary.^[2]

The two math sections move quickly, and Quantitative Reasoning’s comparison questions reward reasoning over computation, which catches students off guard. Timed, section-by-section practice is the most reliable way to build the speed the test rewards.

160

Scored questions

across four timed sections

130 min

Scored testing time

plus a 30-minute unscored essay

1–9

Stanine scale

per section, no pass/fail

The takeaway: simulate each section under its own clock until your pacing and accuracy hold up, especially in the 20-minute Verbal Reasoning sprint.

What to Expect on Test Day

The ISEE is taken at a school, a Prometric test center, or remotely at home, and runs the four scored sections in order, followed by the Essay.^[1]

Each section has its own on-screen or proctor-managed clock, and you move on when time is called — finishing one section early does not add time to the next. Bring acceptable ID and any materials your test format requires.

Simulating each section’s independent clock with full practice tests makes the pacing feel routine, especially the fast Verbal Reasoning section.

How to Use This ISEE Practice Test

Respect each clock. Run each section timed to its real limit — 20 minutes for Verbal Reasoning, 35 for Quantitative Reasoning and Reading, 40 for Mathematics Achievement.
Diagnose, then drill. Take a full simulation to find your weakest section, then drill it on its own.
Beat the verbal clock. Verbal Reasoning is the tightest section — practice fast, confident vocabulary decisions.
Answer everything. With no guessing penalty, never leave a question blank.
Learn the why. Read every explanation — understanding the reasoning beats memorizing the answer.

Why the ISEE Matters

A strong ISEE result is a key part of independent and private school admissions, helping you stand out to competitive schools.^[1] These free ISEE practice tests are the most efficient way to raise your stanines across all four sections.

Conclusion

Raising your ISEE stanines comes down to four sections, each on its own clock and its own 1–9 scale. Use this free ISEE practice test to find your weakest section, drill it to mastery under real timing, and reinforce it with our study guide, flashcards, and cheat sheet so you walk in confident on test day.

ISEE Practice Test FAQ

The ISEE (Independent School Entrance Examination) is created and administered by the Educational Records Bureau (ERB). It is used by many independent and private schools as part of their admissions process, and it comes in Lower, Middle, and Upper Level versions for different grade ranges.

References

1.Educational Records Bureau. “About the ISEE — Test Structure.” erblearn.org, 2026. ↑
2.Educational Records Bureau. “ISEE Test Preparation and What's on the Test.” erblearn.org. ↑
3.Educational Records Bureau. “Understanding ISEE Scores and the Stanine Scale.” erblearn.org. ↑
4.Educational Records Bureau. “Register for the ISEE.” erblearn.org. ↑

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