Free Vocabulary MCQs with Answers

21. Complete the analogy: DOCTOR is to PATIENT as TEACHER is to

• A. school
• B. student
• C. book
• D. lesson

Explanation: The relationship is that of a professional to the person they serve, so the teacher serves the student just as the doctor treats the patient. School is the place and book is a tool, neither of which matches the relationship. Always name the relationship in words before scanning the options.

22. Complete the analogy: THERMOMETER is to TEMPERATURE as BAROMETER is to

• A. altitude
• B. atmospheric pressure
• C. humidity
• D. wind speed

Explanation: Each instrument is paired with the quantity it measures, and a barometer measures atmospheric pressure. Humidity is measured by a hygrometer and wind speed by an anemometer, both of which are offered to test whether the whole family is known. Altitude can be inferred from pressure but is not what the instrument reads.

23. Complete the analogy: OPTIMIST is to HOPEFUL as PESSIMIST is to

• A. gloomy
• B. energetic
• C. practical
• D. cautious

Explanation: The first pair links a person to the outlook that defines them, so the pessimist is characterised by a gloomy or despondent view. Cautious is close but describes behaviour rather than outlook, which makes it the strongest distractor. Analogy questions reward choosing the option that matches the relationship most precisely.

24. In the sentence "The evidence was compelling, so the jury convicted him quickly", the word compelling most nearly means

• A. forcing by law
• B. very convincing
• C. lengthy
• D. confusing

Explanation: The clue lies in the consequence: the jury was persuaded quickly, so the evidence must have been highly convincing. Compelling does derive from a root meaning to force, but in this context it describes persuasive power rather than legal compulsion. Reading the whole sentence for such clues is the essential technique for context questions.

25. In the sentence "Her prognosis after surgery was excellent", prognosis means

• A. the identification of the disease
• B. the forecast of the likely course of the illness
• C. the surgical procedure itself
• D. the patient's medical history

Explanation: Prognosis looks forward, predicting how the illness will develop, while diagnosis identifies what the illness is, and the pro prefix meaning before or forward is the clue. Confusing the two is the commonest error with this pair. Both are standard medical vocabulary in MDCAT comprehension passages.

26. Choose the word most similar in meaning to EPHEMERAL.

• A. lasting a very short time
• B. permanent
• C. enormous
• D. delicate

Explanation: Ephemeral describes something that lasts only a day or two, such as a mayfly or a passing fashion, so transient and fleeting are close synonyms. Its opposite is enduring or perpetual. Delicate is a tempting distractor because fragile things often do not last, but the word is about duration rather than strength.

27. Choose the word most opposite in meaning to VOLUNTARY.

• A. willing
• B. compulsory
• C. generous
• D. occasional

Explanation: Voluntary means done by free choice, so compulsory or obligatory is the opposite. Willing is a synonym and moves in the same direction. In biology the same contrast appears between voluntary and involuntary muscle, which is a useful cross subject anchor for the word.

28. One word substitution: one who studies the structure of the human body.

• A. physiologist
• B. anatomist
• C. pathologist
• D. pharmacist

Explanation: Anatomy is the study of structure, so an anatomist examines how the body is built, while a physiologist studies how it functions. A pathologist studies disease and a pharmacist deals with medicines. This family of medical specialisms appears regularly in MDCAT English.

29. One word substitution: a place where medicines are prepared and dispensed.

• A. laboratory
• B. dispensary
• C. clinic
• D. ward

Explanation: A dispensary is where medicines are made up and issued, while a clinic is where patients are examined and a ward is where they are admitted. A laboratory is for tests and research. Each word names a different part of a hospital, which is what the question is checking.

30. One word substitution: something that can be believed.

• A. credible
• B. credulous
• C. incredible
• D. creditable

Explanation: Credible means believable, while credulous describes a person who believes too readily, and confusing the two is the point of the question. Incredible means unbelievable and creditable means deserving praise. All four share the Latin root credere, meaning to believe.