• 60 questions

HSPT Verbal Skills Practice Test

Synonyms, antonyms, analogies, odd-word-out and logic questions, as many as the real Verbal Skills subtest has.

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Abandon most nearly means

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Unofficial practice questions, not affiliated with Scholastic Testing Service, the publisher of the HSPT. Bank checked October 12, 2026.

The real subtest: HSPT Verbal Skills

Retakes
The publisher recommends taking the HSPT once. A school or diocese may allow a retest, case by case.
Questions
60 of the 298 on the whole test.
What it measures
Understanding words and reasoning with them.
Skills
Synonyms, antonyms, verbal analogies, verbal classifications and logical reasoning.
On the sample score profile
13 synonyms, 9 antonyms, 10 analogies, 17 verbal classifications and 11 logic questions.
Scores it counts in
Total Cognitive Skills, with Quantitative Skills, and the Composite of all five subtests.
Wrong answers
No points are taken off, so there is no penalty for guessing.

Checked October 12, 2026 against HSPT Interpretive Manual (Scholastic Testing Service, 2021) and the publisher's HSPT pages for parents. Rules change, so confirm with the agency itself before your test.

HSPT pages for parents, on the publisher's website

Next step More synonyms: ISEE Upper LevelAll five subtests: HSPT practice

All 60 questions with answers

Synonyms 13

  • Abandon most nearly means Answer: leave. Source: HSPT Interpretive Manual (Scholastic Testing Service, 2021), "Description of the Subtests", page 1: Verbal Skills, synonyms. "abandon" read in Wiktionary
  • Blunder most nearly means Answer: mistake. Source: HSPT Interpretive Manual (Scholastic Testing Service, 2021), "Description of the Subtests", page 1: Verbal Skills, synonyms. "blunder" read in Wiktionary
  • Cautious most nearly means Answer: careful. Source: HSPT Interpretive Manual (Scholastic Testing Service, 2021), "Description of the Subtests", page 1: Verbal Skills, synonyms. "cautious" read in Wiktionary
  • Drowsy most nearly means Answer: sleepy. Source: HSPT Interpretive Manual (Scholastic Testing Service, 2021), "Description of the Subtests", page 1: Verbal Skills, synonyms. "drowsy" read in Wiktionary
  • Fragile most nearly means Answer: breakable. Source: HSPT Interpretive Manual (Scholastic Testing Service, 2021), "Description of the Subtests", page 1: Verbal Skills, synonyms. "fragile" read in Wiktionary
  • Hostile most nearly means Answer: unfriendly. Source: HSPT Interpretive Manual (Scholastic Testing Service, 2021), "Description of the Subtests", page 1: Verbal Skills, synonyms. "hostile" read in Wiktionary
  • Mimic most nearly means Answer: imitate. Source: HSPT Interpretive Manual (Scholastic Testing Service, 2021), "Description of the Subtests", page 1: Verbal Skills, synonyms. "mimic" read in Wiktionary
Show all 60 questions (53 more)

Synonyms, continued

  • Obstacle most nearly means Answer: barrier. Source: HSPT Interpretive Manual (Scholastic Testing Service, 2021), "Description of the Subtests", page 1: Verbal Skills, synonyms. "obstacle" read in Wiktionary
  • Persist most nearly means Answer: continue. Source: HSPT Interpretive Manual (Scholastic Testing Service, 2021), "Description of the Subtests", page 1: Verbal Skills, synonyms. "persist" read in Wiktionary
  • Rigid most nearly means Answer: stiff. Source: HSPT Interpretive Manual (Scholastic Testing Service, 2021), "Description of the Subtests", page 1: Verbal Skills, synonyms. "rigid" read in Wiktionary
  • Summit most nearly means Answer: peak. Source: HSPT Interpretive Manual (Scholastic Testing Service, 2021), "Description of the Subtests", page 1: Verbal Skills, synonyms. "summit" read in Wiktionary
  • Tranquil most nearly means Answer: peaceful. Source: HSPT Interpretive Manual (Scholastic Testing Service, 2021), "Description of the Subtests", page 1: Verbal Skills, synonyms. "tranquil" read in Wiktionary
  • Vast most nearly means Answer: huge. Source: HSPT Interpretive Manual (Scholastic Testing Service, 2021), "Description of the Subtests", page 1: Verbal Skills, synonyms. "vast" read in Wiktionary

Antonyms 9

  • Ancient means the opposite of Answer: modern. Source: HSPT Interpretive Manual (Scholastic Testing Service, 2021), "Description of the Subtests", page 1: Verbal Skills, antonyms. "ancient" read in Wiktionary
  • Ascend means the opposite of Answer: descend. Source: HSPT Interpretive Manual (Scholastic Testing Service, 2021), "Description of the Subtests", page 1: Verbal Skills, antonyms. "ascend" read in Wiktionary
  • Generous means the opposite of Answer: selfish. Source: HSPT Interpretive Manual (Scholastic Testing Service, 2021), "Description of the Subtests", page 1: Verbal Skills, antonyms. "generous" read in Wiktionary
  • Humble means the opposite of Answer: boastful. Source: HSPT Interpretive Manual (Scholastic Testing Service, 2021), "Description of the Subtests", page 1: Verbal Skills, antonyms. "humble" read in Wiktionary
  • Include means the opposite of Answer: exclude. Source: HSPT Interpretive Manual (Scholastic Testing Service, 2021), "Description of the Subtests", page 1: Verbal Skills, antonyms. "include" read in Wiktionary
  • Permanent means the opposite of Answer: temporary. Source: HSPT Interpretive Manual (Scholastic Testing Service, 2021), "Description of the Subtests", page 1: Verbal Skills, antonyms. "permanent" read in Wiktionary
  • Rapid means the opposite of Answer: slow. Source: HSPT Interpretive Manual (Scholastic Testing Service, 2021), "Description of the Subtests", page 1: Verbal Skills, antonyms. "rapid" read in Wiktionary
  • Shallow means the opposite of Answer: deep. Source: HSPT Interpretive Manual (Scholastic Testing Service, 2021), "Description of the Subtests", page 1: Verbal Skills, antonyms. "shallow" read in Wiktionary
  • Victory means the opposite of Answer: defeat. Source: HSPT Interpretive Manual (Scholastic Testing Service, 2021), "Description of the Subtests", page 1: Verbal Skills, antonyms. "victory" read in Wiktionary

Verbal analogies 10

  • Author is to novel as composer is to Answer: symphony. Source: HSPT Interpretive Manual (Scholastic Testing Service, 2021), "Description of the Subtests", page 1: Verbal Skills, verbal analogies
  • Brush is to painter as hammer is to Answer: carpenter. Source: HSPT Interpretive Manual (Scholastic Testing Service, 2021), "Description of the Subtests", page 1: Verbal Skills, verbal analogies
  • Captain is to ship as pilot is to Answer: airplane. Source: HSPT Interpretive Manual (Scholastic Testing Service, 2021), "Description of the Subtests", page 1: Verbal Skills, verbal analogies
  • Chapter is to book as act is to Answer: play. Source: HSPT Interpretive Manual (Scholastic Testing Service, 2021), "Description of the Subtests", page 1: Verbal Skills, verbal analogies
  • Cold is to freezing as warm is to Answer: scorching. Source: HSPT Interpretive Manual (Scholastic Testing Service, 2021), "Description of the Subtests", page 1: Verbal Skills, verbal analogies
  • Drought is to rain as famine is to Answer: food. Source: HSPT Interpretive Manual (Scholastic Testing Service, 2021), "Description of the Subtests", page 1: Verbal Skills, verbal analogies
  • Hungry is to eat as tired is to Answer: sleep. Source: HSPT Interpretive Manual (Scholastic Testing Service, 2021), "Description of the Subtests", page 1: Verbal Skills, verbal analogies
  • Kitten is to cat as fawn is to Answer: deer. Source: HSPT Interpretive Manual (Scholastic Testing Service, 2021), "Description of the Subtests", page 1: Verbal Skills, verbal analogies
  • Minute is to hour as inch is to Answer: foot. Source: HSPT Interpretive Manual (Scholastic Testing Service, 2021), "Description of the Subtests", page 1: Verbal Skills, verbal analogies
  • Wing is to bird as fin is to Answer: fish. Source: HSPT Interpretive Manual (Scholastic Testing Service, 2021), "Description of the Subtests", page 1: Verbal Skills, verbal analogies

Verbal classifications 17

  • Which word does not belong with the others: always, quickly, never or often? Answer: quickly. Source: HSPT Interpretive Manual (Scholastic Testing Service, 2021), "Description of the Subtests", page 1: Verbal Skills, verbal classifications
  • Which word does not belong with the others: angry, calm, furious or irritated? Answer: calm. Source: HSPT Interpretive Manual (Scholastic Testing Service, 2021), "Description of the Subtests", page 1: Verbal Skills, verbal classifications
  • Which word does not belong with the others: breeze, hail, sleet or snow? Answer: breeze. Source: HSPT Interpretive Manual (Scholastic Testing Service, 2021), "Description of the Subtests", page 1: Verbal Skills, verbal classifications
  • Which word does not belong with the others: carrot, spinach, lettuce or cabbage? Answer: carrot. Source: HSPT Interpretive Manual (Scholastic Testing Service, 2021), "Description of the Subtests", page 1: Verbal Skills, verbal classifications
  • Which word does not belong with the others: copper, granite, iron or silver? Answer: granite. Source: HSPT Interpretive Manual (Scholastic Testing Service, 2021), "Description of the Subtests", page 1: Verbal Skills, verbal classifications
  • Which word does not belong with the others: eagle, robin, bat or sparrow? Answer: bat. Source: HSPT Interpretive Manual (Scholastic Testing Service, 2021), "Description of the Subtests", page 1: Verbal Skills, verbal classifications
  • Which word does not belong with the others: honest, truthful, sincere or sly? Answer: sly. Source: HSPT Interpretive Manual (Scholastic Testing Service, 2021), "Description of the Subtests", page 1: Verbal Skills, verbal classifications
  • Which word does not belong with the others: lake, island, peninsula or hill? Answer: lake. Source: HSPT Interpretive Manual (Scholastic Testing Service, 2021), "Description of the Subtests", page 1: Verbal Skills, verbal classifications
  • Which word does not belong with the others: novel, poem, author or essay? Answer: author. Source: HSPT Interpretive Manual (Scholastic Testing Service, 2021), "Description of the Subtests", page 1: Verbal Skills, verbal classifications
  • Which word does not belong with the others: sculptor, painter, potter or canvas? Answer: canvas. Source: HSPT Interpretive Manual (Scholastic Testing Service, 2021), "Description of the Subtests", page 1: Verbal Skills, verbal classifications
  • Which word does not belong with the others: shin, knee, elbow or ankle? Answer: shin. Source: HSPT Interpretive Manual (Scholastic Testing Service, 2021), "Description of the Subtests", page 1: Verbal Skills, verbal classifications
  • Which word does not belong with the others: sofa, bench, table or stool? Answer: table. Source: HSPT Interpretive Manual (Scholastic Testing Service, 2021), "Description of the Subtests", page 1: Verbal Skills, verbal classifications
  • Which word does not belong with the others: stroll, sprint, dash or bolt? Answer: stroll. Source: HSPT Interpretive Manual (Scholastic Testing Service, 2021), "Description of the Subtests", page 1: Verbal Skills, verbal classifications
  • Which word does not belong with the others: teaspoon, cup, gallon or yard? Answer: yard. Source: HSPT Interpretive Manual (Scholastic Testing Service, 2021), "Description of the Subtests", page 1: Verbal Skills, verbal classifications
  • Which word does not belong with the others: trumpet, drum, tuba or trombone? Answer: drum. Source: HSPT Interpretive Manual (Scholastic Testing Service, 2021), "Description of the Subtests", page 1: Verbal Skills, verbal classifications
  • Which word does not belong with the others: wheel, pedal, helmet or handlebar? Answer: helmet. Source: HSPT Interpretive Manual (Scholastic Testing Service, 2021), "Description of the Subtests", page 1: Verbal Skills, verbal classifications
  • Which word does not belong with the others: whisper, mumble, murmur or shout? Answer: shout. Source: HSPT Interpretive Manual (Scholastic Testing Service, 2021), "Description of the Subtests", page 1: Verbal Skills, verbal classifications

Logical reasoning 11

  • All the tulips in the garden are yellow. Some flowers in the garden are not yellow. If both statements are true, which of these must be true? Answer: Some flowers in the garden are not tulips. Source: HSPT Interpretive Manual (Scholastic Testing Service, 2021), "Description of the Subtests", page 1: Verbal Skills, logical reasoning
  • Every member of the chess club is in grade 8. Priya is in grade 8. If both statements are true, which of these is the most that can be said? Answer: Priya may or may not be in the chess club. Source: HSPT Interpretive Manual (Scholastic Testing Service, 2021), "Description of the Subtests", page 1: Verbal Skills, logical reasoning
  • If it rains, the game is canceled. The game was not canceled. If both statements are true, which of these must be true? Answer: It did not rain. Source: HSPT Interpretive Manual (Scholastic Testing Service, 2021), "Description of the Subtests", page 1: Verbal Skills, logical reasoning
  • Ines is older than Jorge. Jorge is older than Kim. If both statements are true, which of these must also be true? Answer: Ines is older than Kim. Source: HSPT Interpretive Manual (Scholastic Testing Service, 2021), "Description of the Subtests", page 1: Verbal Skills, logical reasoning
  • Leo scored more points than Mia. Mia scored more points than Nate. Nate scored more points than Omar. Who scored the second most points? Answer: Mia. Source: HSPT Interpretive Manual (Scholastic Testing Service, 2021), "Description of the Subtests", page 1: Verbal Skills, logical reasoning
  • No one on the swim team is on the track team. Tess is on the swim team. If both statements are true, which of these must be true? Answer: Tess is not on the track team. Source: HSPT Interpretive Manual (Scholastic Testing Service, 2021), "Description of the Subtests", page 1: Verbal Skills, logical reasoning
  • Quinn sits to the left of Ravi. Sana sits to the left of Quinn. The three sit in one row, all facing the same way. Who sits in the middle? Answer: Quinn. Source: HSPT Interpretive Manual (Scholastic Testing Service, 2021), "Description of the Subtests", page 1: Verbal Skills, logical reasoning
  • The red box is heavier than the blue box. The green box is heavier than the blue box. If both statements are true, which of these is certain? Answer: The blue box is the lightest of the three. Source: HSPT Interpretive Manual (Scholastic Testing Service, 2021), "Description of the Subtests", page 1: Verbal Skills, logical reasoning
  • Some of the books on the shelf are mysteries. All of the mysteries on the shelf are paperbacks. If both statements are true, which of these must be true? Answer: Some of the books on the shelf are paperbacks. Source: HSPT Interpretive Manual (Scholastic Testing Service, 2021), "Description of the Subtests", page 1: Verbal Skills, logical reasoning
  • Train A leaves before train B. Train C leaves before train A. Train D leaves after train B. Which train leaves third? Answer: Train B. Source: HSPT Interpretive Manual (Scholastic Testing Service, 2021), "Description of the Subtests", page 1: Verbal Skills, logical reasoning
  • Vic is taller than Wren. Xia is shorter than Wren. Yuri is taller than Vic. Who is the shortest? Answer: Xia. Source: HSPT Interpretive Manual (Scholastic Testing Service, 2021), "Description of the Subtests", page 1: Verbal Skills, logical reasoning

How this list was compiled: Outline: the HSPT Interpretive Manual (Scholastic Testing Service, 2021), pages 1 to 3 and 23, https://www.ststesting.com/hp_int_sts.pdf, and the publisher's HSPT pages for parents, https://www.ststesting.com/hspt/. Word meanings: Wiktionary, https://en.wiktionary.org/. All read 2026-10-12. Licence: Own work. Every question, answer choice and explanation was written for this page from the manual's description of the subtest. None is taken or reworded from an HSPT, a Pre-HSPT or another practice test. The publisher's public pages carry no sample questions.

How it works

Unofficial practice for the HSPT Verbal Skills subtest: 60 questions of our own, the number the real subtest has. This site is not affiliated with or endorsed by Scholastic Testing Service, the publisher of the High School Placement Test.

Read the full guide

Five kinds of question

The publisher's manual names synonyms, antonyms, verbal analogies, verbal classifications and logical reasoning. Its sample score profile counts 13, 9, 10, 17 and 11 of them, and this bank has the same numbers.

All five kinds in every round

Every round of ten holds all five kinds, so one sitting shows which kind costs you the most points. The question sheet prints as a paper test.

Our own questions

The publisher calls the HSPT a secure test, and none of these questions comes from one. The meaning of each synonym and antonym was read in Wiktionary, and those questions link to the entry.

Questions and answers

How many questions are on the HSPT verbal skills section?

Sixty, says the publisher's manual, out of 298 on the whole test. The other four subtests are Quantitative Skills with 52, Reading with 62, Mathematics with 64 and Language with 60.

What does the HSPT verbal skills subtest measure?

"The ability to understand and reason using words," in the manual's phrase. The sample score report adds that this ability is related to performance in language, reading and areas within social studies.

How is verbal skills different from the HSPT language subtest?

Verbal Skills is a reasoning test: what a word means, how two words are related, what follows from two statements. Language is a basic skills test of written English: punctuation, capitalization, spelling, grammar, usage and composition.

Does verbal skills count toward the HSPT composite score?

Yes. The Composite covers all five subtests. Verbal Skills and Quantitative Skills also make a separate Total Cognitive Skills score. The manual says each composite is scaled on its own and is not the average of its parts.

Is there a penalty for guessing on the HSPT?

No. The publisher says a score is the number of questions answered correctly and that points are not subtracted for incorrect answers. Its advice to students is to answer every question.

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