Vocabulary is tested in every selective and scholarship exam in Australia, even when no section is called "vocabulary". It shows up in reading passages, verbal reasoning (synonyms, opposites, analogies and odd one out) and the wording of the questions themselves.
This list has 134 words in three levels, matched to the age of the exam, with a plain meaning for each. It's especially useful if your family speaks another language at home, because these are the words that appear in test passages but rarely come up in everyday conversation.
Which level does your child need?
| Level | Year | Exams |
|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | Years 3 to 4 | NSW OC test |
| Level 2 | Years 5 to 6 | NSW selective test, BSHS (HAST-P and HAST), QASMT, WA ASET, EduTest and ACER scholarships, Victorian SEAL |
| Level 3 | Years 7 to 8 | Victorian selective entry exam, HAST Secondary, John Monash Science School |
Start with the level below your child's, to check the basics, then work up.
How to learn these words (and how not to)
Do:
- Learn five words a week, not fifty. Use each one in a sentence, out loud, at least three times that week.
- Learn words in context. Read the example sentence, then find the word in a book.
- Learn opposites together, such as abundant and scarce. Verbal reasoning tests love opposites.
- Read widely. ACER says wide reading is the best preparation. Fiction, news and non-fiction all help.
Don't:
- Don't stuff these words into writing. Markers notice when a child drops in long words to sound clever, and ACER penalises rehearsed writing. Vocabulary helps your child understand the test. In their own writing, the right word beats the longest word.
- Don't drill lists with no context. A word learned only as a definition is usually forgotten within a week.
Level 1: Years 3 to 4 (OC)
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| ancient | very old |
| anxious | worried and nervous |
| astonished | very surprised |
| cautious | careful to avoid danger |
| clumsy | moving awkwardly; often dropping or bumping things |
| curious | wanting to know or learn |
| delicate | easily broken or damaged |
| disappointed | sad because something wasn't as good as hoped |
| eager | keen and excited to do something |
| enormous | very big |
| exhausted | extremely tired |
| fierce | wild and frightening |
| fragile | easily broken |
| frantic | wild with worry or hurry |
| generous | happy to give or share |
| gloomy | dark, or sad and without hope |
| grateful | thankful |
| hesitate | to pause before doing something |
| humble | not proud; modest |
| immense | huge |
| loyal | always supporting someone |
| miserable | very unhappy |
| mischievous | playfully naughty |
| peculiar | strange or unusual |
| precious | very valuable or loved |
| rare | not common |
| recognise | to know someone or something you've seen before |
| reluctant | not wanting to do something |
| scarce | hard to find; not enough of it |
| stubborn | refusing to change your mind |
| sturdy | strong and solid |
| swift | fast |
| timid | shy and easily frightened |
| tremble | to shake, often from fear or cold |
| vast | very large in area |
| wander | to walk slowly with no fixed plan |
| weary | tired |
| wise | showing good judgement |
| witty | clever and funny with words |
| wreck | to destroy; something destroyed |
Level 2: Years 5 to 6 (selective, scholarship, ASET, HAST, SEAL)
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| abundant | more than enough; plentiful |
| accurate | correct in every detail |
| adapt | to change to suit new conditions |
| ambitious | wanting very much to succeed |
| apprehensive | worried something bad will happen |
| assume | to believe something without proof |
| benefit | a good result or advantage |
| cease | to stop |
| coincidence | when two things happen together by chance |
| compassion | caring about others' suffering |
| conclude | to finish; or to decide after thinking |
| consequence | a result of an action |
| contradict | to say the opposite of |
| convince | to make someone believe something |
| cunning | clever at tricking people |
| deceive | to make someone believe something false |
| defiant | openly refusing to obey |
| deliberate | done on purpose; or slow and careful |
| determined | not giving up |
| diminish | to become smaller or less |
| dismay | shock and disappointment |
| distinguish | to tell the difference between |
| elaborate | detailed and complicated |
| endure | to put up with something hard |
| evidence | facts that show something is true |
| exaggerate | to make something seem bigger than it is |
| flourish | to grow or do very well |
| frequent | happening often |
| grimace | a twisted face showing pain or disgust |
| hostile | unfriendly and aggressive |
| impulsive | acting without thinking first |
| indifferent | not caring either way |
| inevitable | certain to happen |
| infer | to work something out from clues |
| insist | to say firmly that something must happen or is true |
| interpret | to explain the meaning of |
| linger | to stay longer than needed |
| meticulous | very careful with every detail |
| modest | not boasting; or not large |
| nostalgic | fondly missing the past |
| obstacle | something in the way |
| persuade | to get someone to agree |
| plausible | believable; could be true |
| precise | exact |
| prejudice | an unfair opinion formed without knowing the facts |
| relevant | connected to what is being discussed |
| resilient | able to recover from difficulties |
| sceptical | doubting that something is true |
| significant | important; or large enough to notice |
| solitary | alone |
| subtle | not obvious |
| tedious | long and boring |
| vivid | bright, clear and full of life |
| vulnerable | easily hurt or attacked |
Level 3: Years 7 to 8 (Victorian selective entry, HAST Secondary)
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| ambiguous | having more than one possible meaning |
| apathy | lack of interest or care |
| arbitrary | chosen by chance or whim, not reason |
| benevolent | kind and wanting to help |
| candid | honest and direct |
| cynical | believing people act only for themselves |
| diligent | hard-working and careful |
| dubious | doubtful; possibly not honest |
| eloquent | speaking or writing clearly and powerfully |
| empathy | understanding how someone else feels |
| ephemeral | lasting a very short time |
| evasive | avoiding a direct answer |
| exemplary | an excellent example to follow |
| frugal | careful not to waste money or food |
| futile | pointless; having no chance of success |
| gregarious | enjoying the company of others |
| hypothesis | an idea to be tested |
| implicit | suggested but not said directly |
| inadvertent | not intended; accidental |
| incentive | something that encourages action |
| integrity | being honest and having strong principles |
| irony | when the result or meaning is the opposite of what's expected |
| lament | to express sadness or regret |
| meagre | small or not enough |
| melancholy | a deep, quiet sadness |
| mundane | ordinary and dull |
| novice | a beginner |
| objective | based on facts, not feelings |
| ominous | suggesting something bad will happen |
| paradox | a statement that seems to contradict itself but may be true |
| pragmatic | dealing with things in a practical way |
| profound | very deep or meaningful |
| prolific | producing a lot |
| rational | based on reason |
| redundant | no longer needed; or repeating something unnecessarily |
| reverence | deep respect |
| scrutinise | to examine very closely |
| tenacious | holding on firmly; not giving up |
| transient | lasting only a short time |
| verbose | using more words than needed |
Tone words for reading questions
Many reading questions ask how a writer or character feels. These answers come up again and again:
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| admiring | showing respect and approval |
| bitter | angry and hurt about something unfair |
| critical | pointing out faults |
| defensive | protecting yourself from criticism |
| humorous | funny |
| indignant | angry about unfair treatment |
| nostalgic | fondly remembering the past |
| optimistic | expecting good things |
| pessimistic | expecting bad things |
| reflective | thinking deeply |
| sarcastic | saying the opposite of what you mean, to mock |
| sympathetic | showing care for someone's problems |
| wistful | sadly longing for something |
A weekly routine that works
- Monday: pick five words. Say each one and its meaning.
- Tuesday to Thursday: use each word in a spoken sentence at dinner or in the car.
- Friday: your child writes one sentence for each word. Then give them five verbal reasoning questions, such as synonyms, opposites and odd one out.
- Every four weeks: revise all twenty words.
That's about 200 words over a school year, learned properly.
Families who speak another language at home should also look at common English idioms for kids. Idioms trip up strong readers because the meaning isn't in the words.
Test these words in context
- OC test sample questions
- NSW selective test sample questions
- EduTest sample questions
- HAST sample questions
- Victorian selective entry sample questions
- Verbal reasoning preparation and similar and dissimilar meanings
- Context clues in reading comprehension
Frequently asked questions
Is there an official vocabulary list for the selective test? No. No test provider publishes one. This list is based on the words that commonly appear in passages and verbal reasoning questions at each level.
How many words should my child learn? Quality beats quantity. Five words a week, used in conversation, is better than fifty memorised from a list.
Should my child use these words in their writing? Only when a word is the most precise choice. Markers reward clear writing, not long words.
Word list and meanings by Practice Tests & Exams.