SEHS Vocabulary List

This list targets vocabulary that appears in the Victorian Selective Entry High School (SEHS) entrance exam for Year 9 entry. The ACER paper tests reading comprehension, verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, mathematics, and writing — each in a separate 30-minute section.

Five-day revision routine

Day	Focus	What to do
Monday	Reading and interpretation	Learn four words; each child writes one sentence.
Tuesday	Verbal reasoning	Learn four words; parent reads example aloud.
Wednesday	Quantitative patterns	Learn four words; explain each in your own words.
Thursday	Mathematics	Learn four words; match each to a maths context.
Friday	Writing and expression	Learn four words; recall test — no list visible.

Sample words from the printable pack

The downloadable PDF includes 100 words grouped by theme. Here is a sample from the reading and interpretation group:

• analyse — examine in detail to explain meaning
• connotation — an idea suggested by a word, beyond its dictionary meaning
• infer — draw a conclusion from evidence in the text
• theme — the central message or idea

Each entry in the full pack includes a plain meaning and an example sentence your child can model.

Check understanding, not recognition

SEHS reading items often test whether your child can notice tone, argument, and subtle meaning — not whether they have memorised a list. After each theme, pick three words and ask: “Can you use this in a sentence about a passage?” or “What is the opposite?” Short, spoken checks beat copying definitions.

Next step

For exam format and section timing, see our Victoria SEHS preparation hub. The printable pack includes the full 100-word list. For structured weekly preparation, see the Victoria SEHS course outline.