ASVAB Word Knowledge Practice Questions
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Word Knowledge is the fastest section on the paper form: 35 questions in 11 minutes, which is under twenty seconds each. There is no time to reason your way to an answer. You either know the word or you do not, which makes this the section where straightforward memorisation pays off most.
The two shapes it comes in
About half the questions give you a word alone and ask what it most nearly means. The other half put the word in a sentence and ask the same thing. The second kind is easier, because the sentence gives you context, so if you are short of time do those first.
Practice questions
Antagonize most nearly means
- Aembarrass
- Bstruggle
- Cprovoke
- Dworship
Explanation
To antagonize is to provoke hostility in someone. The root shares its origin with 'antagonist', the opponent in a story, which is a useful hook if the word itself is unfamiliar.
His record provides no reason for apprehension.
- Aanxiety
- Bchange
- Cenjoyment
- Dendorsement
Explanation
Apprehension means anxiety or unease about something coming. It has a second meaning, the act of arresting someone, and the exam sometimes leans on that ambiguity. Here the sentence points clearly at the first.
Frugal most nearly means
- Awasteful
- Bthrifty
- Cgenerous
- Dwealthy
Explanation
Frugal means careful with money and resources. Note that 'wealthy' is there to catch people who associate saving with having money. The exam does this constantly, offering an option that is associated with the word rather than a synonym for it.
The sergeant was meticulous about the equipment check.
- Acareless
- Bextremely careful
- Cquick
- Dreluctant
Explanation
Meticulous means showing great attention to detail. 'Careless' is the direct opposite, and a distractor that is the opposite of the answer is common enough that spotting one is often a clue you have found the right pair.
How to actually learn the words
Fifteen a day beats a hundred on a Sunday. Write each one in a sentence of your own rather than copying a definition, because you remember what you produce far better than what you read.