SAMPLE ISEE TEST QUESTIONS

Upper Level (For students applying to grades 9-12)

 

 

Verbal Reasoning

Quantitative Reasoning

Reading Comprehension

Mathematics Achievement

ANSWER KEY

 

 

Verbal Reasoning

There are two types of questions included

in the verbal reasoning test. The first type

of question is similar to the following:

 

DIRECTIONS: Each question is made

up of a word in capital letters followed

by four choices. You should circle the

one word that is most nearly the same

in meaning as the word in capital

letters.

 

1. SATURATE: (A) blend (B) melt

(C) soak (D) boil

 

2. PERENNIAL: (A) historical

(B) primary (C) continual (D) timely

 

The second type of question is similar to

the following:

 

DIRECTIONS: Each question below is

made up of a sentence with one or two

blanks. The sentences with one blank

indicate that one word is missing. The

sentences with two blanks indicate that

two words are missing. Each sentence

is followed by four choices. You should

circle the one word or pair of words

that will best complete the meaning of

the sentence as a whole.

 

3. To qualify for the scholarship, your

school records are absolutely

necessary; however, your

photograph and autobiography are

________.

 

(A) accessible

(B) optional

(C) intangible

(D) universal

 

4. Giggling and clapping, the little

children were ________ by the

storyteller’s hilarious ________ of

Winnie-the-Pooh’s adventures.

 

(A) disappointed .. story

(B) captivated .. version

(C) frightened .. account

(D) mystified .. pageant

 

5. Based on units of ten, or ________,

the metric system is used worldwide

for ________ weight, length, and

volume.

 

(A) decimals .. measuring

(B) numerals .. increasing

(C) syllables .. changing

(D) fractions .. equaling

 

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Quantitative Reasoning

There are two types of questions that are

asked in this section.

 

GENERAL DIRECTIONS: Any figures

that accompany questions in this

section may be assumed to be drawn

as accurately as possible EXCEPT

when it is stated that a particular

figure is not drawn to scale. Letters

such as x, y and n stand for real

numbers.

 

For Question 6, work in

your head or on the space available on

the test pages. Then circle the correct

answer.

 

6. Ben has 4 more marbles than Steve. Ann has

twice as many marbles as Ben. If s is the

number of marbles that Steve has, then in

terms of s, how many marbles does Ann have?

 

(A) 2s

(B) 2s + 2

(C) 2s + 4

(D) 2s + 8

 

For Question 7, note the given

information, if any, and then compare the

quantity in Column A to the quantity in

Column B. Next to the number of each

question, write

 

A    if the quantity in Column A is greater

B    if the quantity in Column B is greater

C    if the two quantities are equal

D    if the relationship cannot be

      determined from the information given

 

7. A gallon of a certain solution is 25 percent

Liquid A, by volume, and the remainder is

water. x cups of Liquid A and 3x cups of

Liquid B are added to the solution.

 

Column A                     Column B

 

The percent of                 25%

Liquid A, by volume,

in the new

solution                  

 

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Reading Comprehension

Questions 8-13 provide a broad sample of items for the various Reading

Comprehension subsections, from which all candidates may gain practice.

 

DIRECTIONS: Each passage below is

followed by questions based on its

content. Answer the questions

following a passage on the basis of

what is stated or implied in that

passage.

 

Passage A

An intelligent and daring young

woman who spoke many languages,

Alexandrine Tinne seems to have

been one of the more unusual                       Line

explorers who ever lived. In the                      5

middle of the nineteenth century this

Dutch woman explored various parts

of north central Africa. In 1863 and

1864 she charted the area

around Bahr Al-Ghazal, a river                       10

system that flows into the Nile. Her

expedition provided scientists and

geographers with new and valuable

information about the plants,

animals, geology, and climate of this              15

part of Africa. Later, traveling in

Algeria and Tunisia, Tinne became

fascinated by the desert and the

people who lived there. In 1869 she

set out on an expedition across the               20

Sahara Desert. Unfortunately, this

remarkable explorer was murdered

by bandits before she could reach

her planned destination

 

 

8. As used in line 9, the word “charted”

means

 

(A) mapped

(B) erased

(C) invented

(D) changed

 

9. The passage suggests that Tinne’s

expeditions were important mainly

because she

 

(A) could communicate in many

languages

(B) enjoyed the warmth of the desert

and the interesting people

(C) collected new scientific information

(D) died before she could finish her

work

 

10. Which of the following best describes

the author’s attitude toward Tinne’s

actions?

 

(A) envy

(B) indifference

(C) skepticism

(D) admiration

 

Passage B

Although the special coloring of

moths will hide them from most other

insects and birds who want to eat them,

it will not protect them from bats, since

bats locate their prey by hearing rather

than by sight. Bats continually make

high-pitched noises that reflect off a

moth’s body as echoes. Hunting bats

follow these echoes until they find the

moth. To protect themselves from bats,

some species of moths have developed

defenses based on sound. Some moths

have simple ears that allow them to

hear the sounds bats make, and so fly

away when they hear bats approaching.

Others produce high-pitched sounds of

their own to confuse the bats with many

echoes.

 

11. According to the passage, some

moths escape from bats by

 

(A) secreting a substance with a

distracting odor

(B) making their own high-pitched

sounds

(C) hiding in small crevices

(D) gathering under bright lights

 

12. The passage implies that the

coloring of many insects primarily

helps them to

 

(A) attract mates

(B) avoid enemies

(C) confuse bats

(D) identify each other

 

13. Which of the following can be

inferred from the passage about

insects and birds that eat moths?

 

(A) They hunt by sight rather than

sound.

(B) They are confused by the

moths’ sounds.

(C) They have no need to protect

themselves.

(D) They make high-pitched noises

to find their prey.

 

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Mathematics Achievement

DIRECTIONS: Each question is

followed by four suggested answers.

Read each question and then decide

which one of the four suggested

answers is best.

 

14. What value of k will make the

expression k – 6   equal to zero?

                 2k

 

(A) -6

(B)  -3

(C)  0

(D)   6

 

15. If 3/r = s/5

which of the following must be true?

 

(A)   rs = 15

(B)   3s = 5r

(C)   r/s = 5/3

(D )  3/s = 5/r

 

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ANSWER KEY:

Verbal Reasoning

1.  C

2.  C

3.  B

4.  B

5.  A

 

Quantitative Reasoning

6.  D

7.  C

 

Reading Comprehension

8.   A

9.   C

10. D

11. B

12. B

13. A

 

Mathematics Achievement

14.  D

15.  A

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