Vocabulary Reviewer for the DOST Exam
Vocabulary questions in the DOST-SEI Undergraduate Scholarship Examination test how well you understand English words, both on their own and inside a sentence. This free DOST vocabulary reviewer helps you build the word knowledge you need for the Language and Literature items, from synonyms and antonyms to context clues and word parts.
Get the appPractice test
Vocabulary Practice Test
This Vocabulary Practice Test is made up of multiple-choice questions on English word meanings, modeled on the Language and Literature items of the DOST-SEI exam. You’ll be asked to find synonyms and antonyms, figure out the meaning of words from context, and choose the word that best completes a sentence.
You decide how long the test is. Choose how many questions you want to answer, then work through them at your own pace. A short set is a good daily warm-up, while a longer one shows how far your vocabulary has grown.
Start the quiz below and see how many of these words you already know.
Vocabulary Quiz
Choose your number of questionsLoading DOST practice quizzes…
TOPNOTCHER.PH now has a FREE DOST-SEI Exam Reviewer app.
SciScholar Exam Reviewer is our free reviewer app for the DOST-SEI exam — science, math, verbal, and abstract reasoning, with timed mock exams and an explanation behind every answer.
Google Play and the Google Play logo are trademarks of Google LLC.
What’s covered
Coverage of the Vocabulary Test
Vocabulary items check more than whether you have memorized a word list. They test whether you can work out meanings and use words correctly. These are the main areas to review, each with a quick example:
Synonyms
Words with the same or nearly the same meaning. You’ll pick the choice closest in meaning to a given word.
Example: Abundant means plentiful.
Antonyms
Words with opposite meanings. Read carefully, since these questions ask for the word that means the reverse.
Example: The opposite of scarce is abundant.
Context Clues
The words around an unfamiliar word often reveal its meaning through a definition, an example, or a contrast.
Example: The once arid land became fertile after the new irrigation system was built. (Arid means very dry.)
Prefixes, Roots, and Suffixes
Many English words are built from smaller parts. Knowing what each part means lets you decode new words.
Example: Bio (life) + logy (study of) = biology, the study of living things.
Words with Multiple Meanings
The same word can mean different things in different sentences, so always check how it is used.
Example: Conduct can mean to carry out (conduct an experiment) or to let something pass through (copper conducts electricity).
Commonly Confused Words
Pairs that look or sound alike but have different meanings, such as affect and effect, or principal and principle.
Example: The new rule will affect students. Its effect was immediate.
Idioms and Expressions
Groups of words whose meaning is different from the meanings of the individual words.
Example: To break the ice means to help people feel relaxed at the start of a conversation.
Academic and Scientific Words
Words that appear often in textbooks and science passages, such as analyze, significant, and phenomenon.
Example: A hypothesis is a testable explanation for an observation.
Answering tips
Tips for Answering Vocabulary Questions
1. Read the whole sentence first.
When a word appears in a sentence, the surrounding words usually point to the meaning the question is looking for.
2. Predict before you look.
Think of your own word for the blank or the meaning first, then find the choice that matches it.
3. Break the word into parts.
Look for a prefix, root, or suffix you know. Even one familiar part can help you rule out wrong choices.
4. Check the tone.
Decide whether the word feels positive, negative, or neutral, and drop choices with the wrong feeling.
5. Try each choice in the sentence.
Substitute every option into the sentence. The right answer keeps the sentence’s meaning clear and natural.
6. Beware of look-alikes.
Choices that look or sound like the given word are often traps. Focus on meaning, not spelling.
Study guide
Why Vocabulary Matters in the DOST-SEI Exam
A strong vocabulary helps you in every part of the DOST-SEI exam, not just the Language and Literature items. Science and math questions are written in English, and a single unfamiliar word in a problem can make you misread what it is asking.
College courses in science and technology also depend on reading textbooks, journal articles, and laboratory instructions full of precise terms. The vocabulary you build now prepares you for the reading you will do as a DOST scholar.
Common Prefixes, Roots, and Suffixes
Learning a few common word parts is one of the fastest ways to understand new words. Here are some that appear often in science and everyday English:
pre-
before
preview, predictre-
again
rewrite, recycleun-, in-, im-
not
unusual, invisible, impossiblesub-
under
submarine, subwaytrans-
across
transport, transferbio
life
biology, biographygeo
earth
geology, geographyphoto
light
photosynthesis, photograph-logy
study of
ecology, zoology-meter
measure
thermometer, barometer-able, -ible
can be done
readable, visible-less
without
fearless, careless
Common Vocabulary Mistakes Made by Examinees
Most wrong answers on vocabulary items come from rushing rather than from not knowing the word. Watch out for these common mistakes:
- Choosing a word just because it looks or sounds like the given word.
- Ignoring the sentence and judging the word on its own.
- Picking a synonym when the question asks for an antonym, or the other way around.
- Forgetting that a word can mean different things in different sentences.
- Missing words like “not,” “opposite,” or “least” in the question.
- Guessing before eliminating choices that clearly don’t fit.
Slowing down for a few seconds to read the question and the sentence carefully is often enough to avoid these errors.
How to Build Your Vocabulary
Vocabulary grows a little every day, so steady habits work better than memorizing long lists the night before the exam.
To build your word knowledge:
- Read something in English every day, such as news articles, science features, or novels.
- Keep a vocabulary notebook with each new word, its meaning, and a sentence that uses it.
- Learn word families together, such as analyze, analysis, and analytical.
- Use new words in your own writing and conversations so they stick.
- Review your words with flashcards a few minutes each day.
- Take this practice test again with more questions as your score improves.
The more often you meet a word in different sentences, the easier it becomes to recognize its meaning on exam day.
Test-Taking Strategies for Vocabulary Items
On exam day, use this routine for each vocabulary question:
- Read the question carefully and note whether it asks for a synonym, an antonym, or a meaning in context.
- Read the full sentence and look for clues around the word.
- Form your own idea of the meaning before reading the choices.
- Eliminate choices that clearly don’t match, then compare the rest.
- Put your final answer back into the sentence to make sure it makes sense.
Building Confidence in English Vocabulary
No one knows every word in the English language, and the exam doesn’t expect you to. What it rewards is the ability to work out meanings using context, word parts, and careful reasoning. Those are skills you can practice and improve.
Every new word you learn makes the next passage easier to read. With daily reading and regular practice, vocabulary can become one of your strongest areas and help you earn a DOST scholarship.
Final Reminders
Vocabulary questions reward careful reading. Use the sentence around each word, break unfamiliar words into parts, and check that your answer fits the meaning before you choose it.
More Language and Literature practice tests
TOPNOTCHER PH is an independent reviewer website, not affiliated with the Department of Science and Technology or DOST-SEI. Practice questions are for review only and are not actual exam questions.