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Welcome to your CEM 11+ Vocabulary & Spelling course! In this first lesson, you will learn the words that appear most often in CEM-style exams. Unlike GL tests, the CEM exam does not follow a fixed format — the types of questions can change from year to year. However, one thing stays the same: vocabulary is tested heavily, and knowing these high-frequency words will give you a real advantage.
The CEM (Centre for Evaluation and Monitoring) exam, used by many grammar schools across England, places great importance on your word knowledge. Vocabulary questions can appear in several forms:
Because CEM questions are designed to be unpredictable, having a wide and deep vocabulary is your best preparation.
Below is a table of 50 high-frequency words that regularly appear in CEM-style papers. For each word, you will find a clear definition and an example sentence.
| Word | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Abundant | Existing in large quantities; plentiful | The garden had an abundant supply of fresh vegetables. |
| Apprehensive | Anxious or fearful about the future | She felt apprehensive before the interview. |
| Benevolent | Kind and generous | The benevolent stranger donated money to the shelter. |
| Candid | Honest and direct; frank | His candid reply surprised everyone. |
| Cautious | Careful to avoid danger or mistakes | The cautious driver slowed down on the icy road. |
| Compassion | Sympathy and concern for others | She showed great compassion towards the injured bird. |
| Contemplate | To think about carefully | He sat by the window to contemplate his decision. |
| Diligent | Hardworking and careful | The diligent student checked every answer twice. |
| Elaborate | Detailed and complicated; to explain in more detail | The palace had elaborate decorations on every wall. |
| Endeavour | To try hard to do something | She will endeavour to finish the project on time. |
| Word | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Flourish | To grow or develop well; to thrive | Plants flourish in warm, sunny weather. |
| Formidable | Inspiring fear or respect; impressively powerful | The castle was a formidable sight on the hilltop. |
| Gregarious | Fond of company; sociable | The gregarious puppy bounded up to every visitor. |
| Hesitant | Unsure or slow to act | He was hesitant about jumping into the cold water. |
| Immense | Extremely large or great | The immense whale swam just below the surface. |
| Intrepid | Fearless and adventurous | The intrepid explorer crossed the frozen river. |
| Jubilant | Feeling or showing great happiness | The team was jubilant after winning the cup. |
| Lament | To express sadness or regret | She could only lament the lost opportunity. |
| Meticulous | Very careful and precise | His meticulous notes helped the whole class. |
| Nurture | To care for and encourage growth | Good teachers nurture their pupils' curiosity. |
| Word | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Ominous | Giving the feeling that something bad will happen | The ominous clouds rolled in before the storm. |
| Persevere | To keep going despite difficulty | If you persevere, you will improve over time. |
| Reluctant | Unwilling; hesitant | The reluctant swimmer stood at the edge of the pool. |
| Resilient | Able to recover quickly from difficulties | Children are often more resilient than we expect. |
| Significant | Important; large enough to matter | There was a significant improvement in his spelling. |
| Tranquil | Calm and peaceful | The tranquil lake reflected the mountains perfectly. |
| Unanimous | Fully in agreement | The decision was unanimous — every judge agreed. |
| Versatile | Able to adapt to many different uses or activities | She is a versatile athlete who excels at every sport. |
| Vivid | Producing strong, clear images in the mind | The author used vivid descriptions to paint a picture. |
| Wary | Feeling cautious about possible dangers | The cat was wary of the unfamiliar visitor. |
Top Tip: In CEM exams, you often need to understand a word in context, not just know its dictionary definition. Always practise reading sentences and working out meaning from the clues around the word.
Read each sentence and choose the word from the table above that best fills the gap.
In this lesson, you have met 30 high-frequency CEM exam words. These words appear again and again in vocabulary questions, cloze passages, and reading comprehension sections. The more familiar you are with them, the faster and more accurately you will answer on exam day. Keep a vocabulary notebook and add new words whenever you come across them in your reading.
Remember: The CEM exam rewards students who read widely and know lots of words. Start building your word bank today!