Vocabulary list for high school admissions tests

This list is derived from HSPT, COOP, SSAT, etc. practice tests

Best practices for memorizing vocabulary

• human memory works through connections
• one-to-one memorization requires repetitive "encoding"
• more effective than brute-memorization is memorization through connections
  • visual (imagery, visualization)
  • spatial (in relation to something else)
  • experiential (memory or personal experience)
  • emotional (attachment to a positive or negative experience or memory)

High school admissions tests words to know vocabulary list

• notes
  • italicized word origins are Latin or Greek
  • PIE = proto-Indo-European language
    • = the common origin language for modern Indo-European languages

Vocabulary list

Words to Know from high school admissions practice tests Collapse

Word	Part of Speech / Definition	Word Origin	Connection/ Other
conceited	adj. exaggerated view of oneself; thinking highly of oneself	past participle of conceit (v) “to conceit” = to flatter, so conceited = to flatter oneself	conceive = capere = con- “with” + PIE *kap- “to grasp” = “w/ understanding” click Expand for words related to PIE *kap- Expand to grasp: accept; anticipate; anticipation; behave; behoof; behoove; cable; capable; capacious; capacity; caption; captious; captivate; captive; captor; capture; case. to run after, hunt: catch; catchpoll; cater; chase; conceive; cop; copper; deceive; emancipate; except; forceps; gaffe; haft; have; hawk; heave; heavy; heft; incapacity; inception; incipient; intercept; municipal; occupy; participation; perceive; precept; prince; purchase; receive; recipe; recover; recuperate; sashay; susceptible.