A rich vocabulary is vital for the IBA admission test.
Some of the question categories directly test vocabulary, for example:
1. Synonyms: You will be given one word in the question, and it will be followed by four/five words(Four words in case of none of these in one of the choices). You will have to select the word or phrase which is synonymous in meaning to the word mentioned in the question.
>Contentment - A)Craftiness B)Satisfaction C)Idleness D)Craving E)None of these
Answer: Option B
(Satisfaction: fulfillment of one's wishes, expectations, or needs, or the pleasure derived from this. Contentment: a state of happiness and satisfaction. Synonym of Contentment is Satisfaction.)
2. Antonyms: The structure of these questions is the same as synonym questions. You just have to pick out a word with the opposite meaning.
>Foremost - A)Hindmost B)Unimportant C)Disposed D)Mature E)Premature
Answer: Option B (Unimportant: lacking in importance or significance. Foremost: most prominent in rank, importance, or position. So, the antonym is Unimportant.)
3. Find the odd one: Solve these problems by evaluating the differences between each word. As you assess the words, you will discover that four of the five words bear similarities, while one word stands out from the rest of the words.
>A)Wrangle B)Squabble C)Row D)Rapture E)Altercation
Answer: Option D ( Wrangle, squabble, row, and altercation are near-synonyms of quarrel. Rapture means extreme joy which does not belong in this series)
Few questions will test your mastery of vocabulary indirectly, for example:
1. Sentence completion: On sentence completion questions you’ll be given a sentence with 1-2 blanks. You’ll need to pick the right word for each blank.
Few tips:
>Before trying to figure out any of the answers, read the entire sentence to get a handle on the sentence’s overall structure and meaning.
>Come up with your own answer. This can help you eliminate answer choices that are obviously incompatible and point you towards answer choices that are similar to what you would put in the blanks.
>(A VERY VERY IMPORTANT POINT) Identify signal words and phrases. There are certain words/phrases in the short passages for text completion that function as “signal words.” Signal words, commonly transitions, indicate the overall structure of ideas in a sentence and thus can help point you towards the correct answer. For example, “however” or “although” means you are about to hear a caveat or mitigation, while “furthermore” and “indeed” mean you’re about to see further support or elaboration on a point. This information is very helpful in filling in the blanks.
>If you need to guess, always use the process of elimination first. Even if you can’t confidently pinpoint the correct answer, the more wrong choices you can strikeout, the better your chances of guessing correctly!
Video topic: “Sentence completion strategy”
2. Analogy: Analogy questions test your ability to identify relationships between pairs of words. More on this topic is discussed in a separate section named “Analogy”.
3. Usage of words:
A word can have one or multiple meanings. Knowing the usage of words in different contexts will help you answer this particular type of question on the IBA admission test.
>Choose the option that highlights the inaccurate use of the word that has been underlined in the sentences.
Buckle
i. But these were difficult times and, and a weak man would have buckled under the strain.
ii. She makes delicious strawberry buckle.
iii. In the old days, not only belts but also shoes had buckles.
A) I,II & III B) I & III C) I & II D) II & III E) None of these
Answer: E. (i. Buckle under something-to be defeated by a difficult situation ii. Buckle- One type of sweet dish iii. Buckle-a piece of metal at one end of a belt or strap, used to fasten the two ends together)
ADVOCATE
Supporter/ Recommend
He was an untiring advocate of economic equality.
Adverse means harmful or unfavorable: "Adverse market conditions caused the IPO to be poorly subscribed." Averse refers to feelings of dislike or opposition: "I was averse to paying $18 a share for a company that generates no revenue."
ALLUDE
Hint/Indirect reference
She had a way of alluding to Jean but never saying her name.
Elude - escape from or avoid (a danger, enemy, or pursuer), typically in a skillful or cunning way.
AMBIVALENT
Having mixed feelings
Some loved her while others hated her. No one was ambivalent about her.
Ambiguous- open to more than one interpretation; not having one obvious meaning.
e.g. "ambiguous phrases"
ANECDOTE
Story from real life
He told anecdotes about his job.
Antidote- a remedy to counteract the effects of poison
ANOMALY
Oddity, Abnormality
Snow in August is quite an anomaly.
APPREHENSIVE
Doubtful
He felt apprehensive about going to boarding school.
ASTUTE
Shrewd/Clever
An astute businessman makes more money.
BURGEON
Grow rapidly
Burgeoning population leads to food shortage.
Bludgeon - 1. a thick stick with a heavy end, used as a weapon.
2. beat (someone) repeatedly with a bludgeon or other heavy object.
CEDE
Give up
In 1874, the Baltic islands were ceded to Britain.
COMPLACENT
Lazy
You can’t afford to be complacent about security.
COMPLEMENT
Add something extra
His good looks complemented his strong personality.
COMPLIMENTARY
Free
The resort has complimentary WiFi in all its rooms.
CONTEMPLATE
Think deeply
He contemplated his next chess move.
CRITIQUE
Analysis/ to analyze
The authors critiqued the methods used in the research.
Critic- a person who expresses an unfavourable opinion of something.
DEFERENCE
Respect
He addressed her with deference due to her age.
Defer- i. postpone
ii. submit to or acknowledge the merit of.
He deferred to Tim's superior knowledge.
DISCERNING
Differentiating
There are no discerning features in the twins.
DISPOSITION
Temperament
Mother Teresa had the disposition of a saint.
Discreet means careful, cautious, and showing good judgment: "We made discreet inquiries to determine whether the founder was interested in selling her company."
Discrete means individual, separate, or distinct: "We analyzed data from a number of discrete market segments to determine overall pricing levels."
EFFICACY
Efficiency
There is little information on the efficacy of this treatment.
EGREGIOUS
Horrifying
The parliament did not do anything to stop the minister's egregious misuse of power.
Egress- Exit
Elicit means to draw out or coax. Think of elicit as the mildest form of extract. If one lucky survey respondent will win a trip to the Bahamas, the prize is designed to elicit responses.
Illicit means illegal or unlawful, and while I suppose you could elicit a response at gunpoint, you probably shouldn't.
ELUCIDATE
Clarify
The physics teacher elucidated the theory with simples.
EMPIRICAL
Based on experiments and data
There is no empirical evidence to support the existence of ghosts.
Imperial - Related to an empire
ENDOW
Gift
The Queen endowed the Church with land and property.
ENUMERATE
List; itemize
There is no space in his CV to enumerate all his accomplishments.
To evoke is to call to mind; an unusual smell might evoke a long-lost memory. To invoke is to call upon something: help, aid, or maybe a higher power.
EXACTING
Making great demands
The farmer found it impossible to meet the exacting standards laid down by the organic food industry.
EXIGENT
Urgent
The CEO had to miss the board meeting due to exigent circumstances.
FLAG
Grow tired
After 3 hours of playing, the children’s energy flagged.
Farther involves a physical distance: "Florida is farther from New York than Tennessee." Further involves a figurative distance: "We can take our business plan no further."
GALVANIZE
Propel
The urgency of his voice galvanized them into action.
HYPOTHESIS
A theory that is unproven
His ‘steady state’ hypothesis of the origin of the universe.
INCITE
Provoke
The politician incited the mob with slogans.
INGENUITY
Cleverness and creativity
A lot of ingenuity is required to catch computer hackers.
INGENUOUS
Innocent and trusting
Scammers often prey on the ingenuous elderly.
Ingenious - Clever/Creative
Indigenous- native
Indigent- Poor
INHIBIT
Restrict/Stop/Prevent
Cold inhibits plant growth.
Inhabit- to live in;
The bald eagle is a bird that inhabits North America.
JADED
Boring or lacking energy
The lawyer's closing statements were jaded after a long day at work.
NOVEL
New and original
He hit on a novel idea to solve his financial problems.
PARTISAN
Biased
Newspapers have become increasingly partisan in their reporting of political events.
PERVASIVE
Prevalent everywhere
Even in 2019, gender inequality is pervasive in our society.
Persuasive- convincing
A peak is the highest point; climbers try to reach the peak of Mount Everest. Peek means quick glance, as in giving major customers a sneak peek at a new product before it's officially unveiled, which hopefully helps sales peak at an unimaginable height.
Precede means to come before. Proceed means to begin or continue. Where it gets confusing is when an -ing comes into play. "The proceeding announcement was brought to you by..." sounds fine, but preceding is correct since the announcement came before.
If it helps, think precedence: Anything that takes precedence is more important and therefore comes first.
PIVOTAL
Crucial/Significant
Japan’s pivotal role in the world economy is acknowledged by one and all.
PLAUSIBLE
Believable
It seems plausible that India might win the Cricket World Cup again this year.
RAMIFICATION
Consequences
Any change is bound to have legal ramifications.
Rampant- unchecked/ uncontrolled
REFUTE
To prove false
These claims have not been convincingly refuted by the opposing party.
REITERATE
Repeat
He reiterated the points made in his earlier speech.
REPERCUSSION
Consequences
The increasing unemployment rate may be one of the major repercussions of Brexit.
REVELATION
Disclose something surprising
Revelations about his personal life gave everyone around him new insight into his personality.
SEQUESTERED
Isolate/ Segregate
A wild sequestered spot is a perfect location for a peaceful holiday.
Don't like what people say about you? Like slander, libel refers to making a false statement that is harmful to a person's reputation.
The difference lies in how that statement is expressed. Slanderous remarks are spoken while libelous remarks are written and published (which means defamatory tweets could be considered libelous, not slanderous).
SIMULATE
Imitate
The red paint was intended to simulate blood.
SUBSTANTIATE
Confirm/Support
They had found nothing to substantiate their allegations.
TRIVIAL
Unimportant
The volcano is about to erupt; let's leave all trivial items here and evacuate quickly.
UNDERSCORE
To emphasize
The company underscored the progress it made in energy conservation.
VERISIMILAR
Appears real; Having the appearance of truth
The detailed descriptions give the fantasy novel some verisimilitude.
VIVID
Lively/ sharp/ intense
I remember the dream vividly.
LIVID- furiously angry/ dark blue in color