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GRE Issue Essay: Practice Sample Prompts

Gre issue essay sample prompt #1.

1. The emergence of the online “blogosphere” and social media has significantly weakened the quality of political discourse in the United States. Reason: When anyone can publish political opinions easily, standards for covering news and political topics will inevitably decline.

Write a response in which you examine your own position on the statement. Explore the extent to which you either agree or disagree with it, and support your reasoning with evidence and/or examples. Be sure to reflect on ways in which the statement might or might not be true, and how this informs your thinking on the subject.

GRE Issue Essay Sample Prompt #2

2. Some people believe it is imperative for individuals living in developed nations to reduce their energy consumption and lead a more sustainable lifestyle, given the evidence for global climate change. Others believe that such drastic lifestyle changes are unwarranted, based on the existing evidence for global climate change.

Write a response in which you discuss which view more closely aligns with your own position and explain your reasoning for the position you take. In developing and supporting your position, you should address both of the views presented.

GRE Issue Essay Sample Prompt #3

3. So long as they are aware of the dangers involved, adults should not be legally bound to use seat belts.

Write a response in which you discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the statement and explain your reasoning for the position you take. In developing and supporting your position, you should consider ways in which the statement might or might not hold true and explain how these considerations shape your position.

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Table of Content

GRE Issue Essay: Elements, Structure, Strategies & Samples

Feeling overwhelmed by the GRE Issue Essay? This writing task can be a challenge for even the most skilled essay writers. The GRE Issue Essay tests your critical thinking and analytical writing skills within a strict time limit. It requires you to take a stance on a complex issue, develop a sound argument, and support it with clear reasoning and well-chosen examples.

In this blog, we’ll provide you with the strategies and knowledge you need to write a winning Issue Essay. We’ll break down the format, provide effective writing tips, and share the secrets behind strong arguments. Plus, we’ll share five real student essays that exemplify top-notch writing to inspire you.

What is the GRE Issue Essay?

The GRE Issue Essay is a writing task designed to assess your critical thinking and analytical writing skills. Unlike the Argument Essay, which focuses on evaluating the logic of a presented argument, the Issue Essay asks you to take a stance on a broad, debatable topic.

The prompt will typically be a statement that you’ll need to analyze and form an opinion on. This statement could be about the merits of a particular approach to a problem, the value of a certain quality, or the impact of a specific trend. Your job is to develop a well-reasoned argument for either agreeing or disagreeing with the statement.

Key Elements of a GRE Issue Essay Task

1. nature of the topic.

You can expect prompts from diverse fields like education, politics, or technology. Deep subject knowledge isn’t crucial, but a well-rounded understanding helps. You can draw on your own experiences and general knowledge to develop a strong response.

2. Type of writing

Use logic and justification accurately. Build a well-reasoned argument supported by strong evidence. You can also use real-life examples to bolster your stance and show your awareness of current events. However, avoid fabricated examples, as they will question your credibility.

3. Agreeing and disagreeing

Unlike the Argument essay’s predetermined problematic thesis, the Issue essay encourages acknowledging opposing viewpoints. Briefly discuss situations where the opposing view might hold weight. It’s easier to agree with the prompt, but a well-argued disagreement is equally valid.

4. Perspectives

There’s no right or wrong answer. The essay tests your ability to choose a side and defend it convincingly. Unlike the Argument essay’s intentionally flawed thesis, here you’ll analyze and critique the prompt itself.

5. Reasoning vs. exposing

The Argument essay focuses on dismantling a flawed argument. On the other hand, the Issue essay emphasizes building your own argument from scratch using logic and examples.

6. Freedom to express

The Argument essay restricts you to the author’s evidence and arguments. The Issue essay grants you complete freedom to draw on any relevant information to support your perspective.

Suggested: GRE Exam Pattern 2024

How to Structure the GRE Issue Essay?

The GRE Issue essay shares similarities with the classic 5-paragraph structure used in short essays. While 4–6 paragraphs are acceptable, you should limit it to a 5-paragraph approach. According to the official GRE website, graders evaluate your “skill with which you address the specific instructions and articulate and develop an argument to support your evaluation of the issue.” A well-organized essay makes your argument clear and persuasive.

Paragraph 1: Introduction

Start by clearly restating the issue you’re asked to address. Follow by expressing your position on the issue in a single sentence. Briefly introduce the key points you’ll develop in the following paragraphs. If the prompt asks you to address opposing viewpoints, mention them here. Show your understanding of the complexities of the issue.

Paragraphs 2–4: Body paragraphs

Start with your strongest point, use a clear transition phrase, and present your most impactful reason first. Provide specific examples and logical analysis to back your claim. Examples can come from various fields like history, science, or even personal experience. Clearly explain how they support your reason and, ultimately, your thesis.

Use transition phrases and follow the same structure for the remaining body paragraphs. Each paragraph should focus on one distinct reason supporting your thesis. In one body paragraph, you can acknowledge a strong opposing view and explain why it’s ultimately flawed. This shows a well-rounded understanding of the issue.

Paragraph 5 (optional): Conclusion

Briefly restate the issue and your position. Remind the reader of the key arguments you presented. While not essential, a conclusion provides a sense of closure. If time is limited, focus on completing the final body paragraph with a strong supporting example. The conclusion, though desirable, can be omitted without penalty.

Suggested: GRE AWA Sample Essays

5 Strategies to Ace the GRE Issue Essay

1. structure is key.

Even a passionate and well-reasoned response can fall flat without a solid essay structure. The classic format with an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion ensures your message is clear and organized.

2. Engaging writing

Repetitive sentence structure leads to a monotonous reading experience. Include variety in your writing! Don’t be afraid to experiment with colons, dashes, and semicolons. Similarly, play with syntax. Avoid the monotonous “noun-verb-adjective” pattern, as it can make your writing sound hesitant. Utilize impactful modifiers, active voice, and cause-and-effect sentences to add confidence and distinction to your writing. For example, “It is unacceptable for the president to permit this unconstitutional overreach of power by Congress” conveys a stronger message than “The president shouldn’t allow Congress to pass the law…” Remember that engaging writing goes beyond analysis and organization; it shapes the overall impression your essay leaves on the reader.

3. Specificity is important

Hypotheticals can be useful tools, but only if they convincingly support your point. Vague generalities like “some people,” “mankind,” or “you” lack impact. For example, if you’re arguing that knowledge can be destructive, stating “Oppenheimer’s knowledge of nuclear fusion allowed him to create the most destructive weapon the world had ever known” is far more impactful than the bland “scientists can sometimes use knowledge to hurt us.”

4. Stay on point

Perhaps the most important element (especially if you don’t want a failing grade) is staying on topic. Imagine you’re writing about the destructive potential of knowledge. Don’t veer off course by discussing technology’s downsides and smartphone addiction. That discussion, while potentially interesting, doesn’t address the prompt of “knowledge as a destructive force.” Focus on the most compelling examples that directly relate to your chosen topic.

5. Choose a side and stick to it

Pick a stance and defend it with conviction. It doesn’t matter which side you choose; just avoid presenting both sides as if you’re undecided. This “waffling” approach weakens your argument.

5 Essay Prompts and Samples

We’ve explored the key objectives and strategies of the GRE Issue Essay. Now, let’s look at some prompts and sample essays. All the essays analyzed here were written in response to actual GRE Issue prompts.

GRE Issue Essay Prompt 1: Universities should require students to take courses only within those fields they are interested in studying.

GRE Issue Essay Prompt 2: Those who see their ideas through, regardless of doubts or criticism others may express, are the ones who tend to leave a lasting legacy.

GRE Issue Essay Prompt 3: The luxuries and conveniences of contemporary life prevent people from developing into truly strong and independent individuals.

GRE Issue Essay Prompt 4: It is no longer possible for a society to regard any living man or woman as a hero.

GRE Issue Essay Prompt 5: Governments should place few, if any, restrictions on scientific research and development.

Want to know more about the GRE essay writing? Go through Yocket Prep Premium !

From the Desk of Yocket

The purpose of the GRE exam Issue Essay is to assess a candidate’s ability to develop a well-reasoned argument. It pushes test-takers to think critically about complex topics, develop a clear position, and support it with evidence. This ability to understand an issue, form an opinion, and articulate it persuasively is important for success in many graduate programs.

However, the Issue Essay format also has limitations. The short time frame restricts the depth of analysis one can achieve. Real-world writing often involves collaboration, revision, and access to research materials. Additionally, the focus on a single, predetermined topic can feel somewhat artificial compared to the more nuanced and open-ended writing tasks encountered in academic settings. With Yocket GRE prep , you will receive valuable assistance in essay writing, helping you refine your skills and tackle the GRE essays with confidence.

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Frequently Asked Questions about GRE Issue Essay

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GRE For High Scorers, Part 6: GRE Issue Essays

Vince's 2 main options to help you with your GRE prep are  HERE .

Vince's GRE Issue Essay Template

VIDEO: Watch me brainstorm a real issue essay prompt for an example of the Issue Essay template I describe in the below article.

In this article, I'll talk about my favorite template for writing a high-scoring Issue Essay. These tips will work best for you if you're a good writer; however, anyone can benefit from them.

First, here are two to-dos for you:

Action item #1: Read all sample essays and commentary in The Official Guide , as well as those in the  Verbal Practice book. These are great models for your writing since you can see what the ETS graders reward. Pay very close attention to the grader commentary.

Action item #2 :  Read and brainstorm two official  Issue Essay  prompts every time you study.

Bonus: learn more new words with my GRE vocabulary flashcards app !

Ok, assuming you've gotten started on the above, I want to give you some insight about what you need to do to get a 6.

GRE Issue Essay Example That Received A Perfect Score

You may notice that many Issue Essay prompts make statements that are difficult to fully support. The example and response I want to use first is this one about technology (link is to the full sample essay on the GRE's website). Go ahead and read the prompt, then read the "6" response just below it. Now, let's think about its statement:

As people rely more and more on technology to solve problems, the ability of humans to think for themselves will surely deteriorate.

Notice that this statement - like many Issue statements - would be difficult to agree with 100% of the time. Good responses will acknowledge the complexity of the issue and respond in an insightful way to that complexity. This response does that partly by discussing the reasoning that might be used by someone who agrees with the statement (in paragraph 2):

The statement attempts to bridge these dramatic changes to a reduction in the ability for humans to think for themselves. The assumption is that an increased reliance on technology negates the need for people to think creatively to solve previous quandaries. Looking back at the introduction, one could argue that without a car, computer, or mobile phone, the hypothetical worker would need to find alternate methods of transport, information processing and communication. Technology short circuits this thinking by making the problems obsolete.

Good writers often begin this way - they talk about their opponents' views, then respond with their own . This provides context and a framework for their argument. Writing a persuasive essay without addressing the reasoning of other points-of-view is like pretending your point-of-view exists in a vacuum with no one to challenge it.

Now let's look at a paragraph that continues to acknowledge the complexity of the issue in an insightful way (paragraph 3):

However, this reliance on technology does not necessarily preclude the creativity that marks the human species. The prior examples reveal that technology allows for convenience. The car, computer and phone all release additional time for people to live more efficiently. This efficiency does not preclude the need for humans to think for themselves. In fact, technology frees humanity to not only tackle new problems, but may itself create new issues that did not exist without technology. For example, the proliferation of automobiles has introduced a need for fuel conservation on a global scale. With increasing energy demands from emerging markets, global warming becomes a concern inconceivable to the horse-and-buggy generation. Likewise dependence on oil has created nation-states that are not dependent on taxation, allowing ruling parties to oppress minority groups such as women. Solutions to these complex problems require the unfettered imaginations of maverick scientists and politicians.

I like this paragraph a lot because not only does the author make an insightful point that technology gives people more time to think, but that technology itself creates problems that require thinking. This is a step up from what I think the average writer might do - just cite an example of technology that helps us think or that we need to think to use. Now, you don't always need this level of insight, but it's a good example of what might separate a 6 from a 5. Compelling reasoning and depth of thought are rewarded.

I also like that this essay creates a critical context with the first paragraph, defining the scope of what it's going to discuss. It's the one I most talk about if a higher-scoring student wants some kind of GRE issue essay template, too. It's nice to have a go-to structure when you've only got 29 minutes and 37 seconds and the clock is relentlessly ticking...

Another example I like in the Verbal Reasoning Practice Book is the 6 essay response to a prompt about "People should obey just laws and disobey unjust laws". The author spends some time questioning the context to apply "just" - i.e., what is more important, being just to the individual or just to society? The author also questions how to define "just": if a society is brainwashed, can "just" have any meaning? I like this approach, since, again, it acknowledges the complexity and complications of forming a position on that issue.

How To Effectively Choose And Use Examples In The Issue Essay

Many of my students find it difficult at first to think of relevant examples to support the arguments they make when writing the GRE issue essay. In this section, I’ll give you one of my favorite GRE essay tips: how to choose strong examples. Again, just so we have some context, here’s a sample Issue essay prompt: “Employees at all levels of a corporation should be involved in that corporation’s short and long term goal planning.” Now, one trap I want you to avoid falling into is thinking you have to have specialized knowledge of the topic. You might say to yourself that you’ve never worked for a corporation and that you don’t know how corporations typically plan. The good news is that you can still write a good essay about the topic using what you do know.

For example, let’s say you mostly agree with the statement and wanted to think of an example you could use. You could use an example from real life – perhaps you could talk about how employees at Google are encouraged to use 20% of their time to work on projects they think will benefit the company. Even if you couldn’t think of a real life example, you might use a hypothetical example and talk about how if an airline asked all employees about its plans for the future, flight attendants might provide unique insights into what customers like and don’t like . One strategy I like to recommend is to instead of thinking of what the perfect GRE issue essay examples might be, think about what you know well and see if it could fit. This will encourage you to choose examples you know well, making it easier to write insightfully about them. It might be a good idea to make a list of your personal “go-to” topics – things you can easily talk or write about. You’ll find that you can use many of them for many essays – don’t let the first thing that comes to mind box you in. Essay topics are designed so that almost anyone can write about them. For example, I love reading  The Economist . Since I read it every week, I usually have been thinking about some current events that I can apply to many Issue topics. Also, reading like this builds up a storehouse of information that you can dip into, making it increasingly likely you'll be inspired when a random topic pops up on the screen.

How Long Should GRE Essays Be?

In general, the more you write, the better. 500-600 words is a good goal for most people, but write more if you can!

Good writers tend to illustrate and explain well, which equals more words. If your essay paragraphs seem short, try explain why more and writing more detailed "for example" sentences. Your reader will find your argument more compelling, and the GRE computer algorithm* that contributes half of your essay score will reward you as well!

*Yeah - if you didn't know, both a robot and a human read and grade your essay, and your score will be the average of their scores. :)

How Do I Improve My Issue Essay Score?

Remember, the GRE issue essay examples you choose matter, but they must be used skillfully. Practice brainstorming lots of different essay prompts from the ETS website to get used to coming up with examples that you can use to support your point of view.

Improving your score generally will mean improving one of these five grading criteria:

• How compelling is your argument?
• The examples that support your point
• Organization / transitions
• Using standard written English

In my experience, the GRE's analytical writing assessment is the one part of the test that students tend to under-prepare for. No matter how you prepare for the essay, make sure that you at least write a few before you actually take the real GRE.

P.S. I can help you with your essays, but I will charge you for my time. If you don't want to work with me personally, you can ask for feedback on Reddit ( r/GRE ) - it's the most popular and active GRE forum I know of.

(Reddit is nerdy but also useful.)

Final Issue Essay Thoughts

Check out all the 6 responses in the ETS books (there are five "6" responses for the Issue task, and five for the Argument task). These will give you more ideas about what the highest-scoring essays do. Just keep in mind that these are paradigms of "6" responses... you don't always have to be that good to earn a "6". Again, I think one of the most valuable things you can do is to find an essay structure you like and create your own issue essay template out of it, so you have a "go-to" structure on test day.

If you enjoyed this free guide, check out Vince's other free GRE resources .

And, speaking of writing stuff, our graduate school admissions essay expert, Lauren Hammond, can help you write your personal statement !

Testimonial: "I wanted to improve my analytical writing score for the GRE and decided, with one week left before the test, that I should consult an expert for some last minute advice. Vince was awesome and provided me with so much feedback on the sample essays I sent to him. I ended up getting the score I needed, and I know meeting with Vince made that possible! Thanks again!" - Cayleen Harty

GRE Essay: Tips on Approaching the GRE Analytical Writing Section

Though the GRE used to have two essay questions on the Analytical Writing section (prior to 2024), nowadays there’s only one GRE essay. That means the original Argument Essay no longer exists, and the only thing you need to write is the Issue Essay. Great news! So, how do you prepare for the new GRE essay? Read on to find out.

What is the GRE Essay?

Where can i find sample issue topics, how is the gre essay scored, what do the graders look for, how do i practice for gre analytical writing, how do i improve my grammar and style, sample gre essays to study, how long should my gre essay be, where can i get my practice gre essays graded.

The GRE essay is a 30-minute task which requires reading an opinion of an issue and then crafting a well-supported argument. The GRE essay not only tests your ability to form a cogent thesis statement but also how well you defend your position over the course of several paragraphs. The clarity and organization of your writing also factor into your final score.

The GRE essay is also known as the Issue Task because you have to analyze a provided issue. What kinds of issues will you be asked to write about? The topics generally fall under categories such as education, technology, art, society, government, philosophy, and more. The following example prompt belongs to the technology category.

Example of a GRE Issue Essay Prompt Related to Technology

Prompt: It could be argued that the most important technological breakthroughs have happened by chance and through surprise discoveries. However, others argue that deliberate, well-planned research with specific goals is the only way to ensure technological advancement.

Instructions: Write a response in which you discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the statement and explain your reasoning for the position you take. In developing and supporting your position, you should consider ways in which the statement might or might not hold true and explain how these considerations shape your position

ETS (the makers of the GRE) publishes the entire pools of Issue topics on its website. The topics you see on your exam will be drawn from those pools , so this is an essential resource.

The GRE Essay is scored on a scale from 0 to 6. This score is separate from and does not factor into your overall GRE scaled score (which considers only your performance on the math and verbal sections).

The majority of test takers end up with a score between 3.0 and 5.0. You can see the exact percentiles here in this article: GRE Score Percentiles – What Does Your Score Mean for You?

What exactly do those scores mean? Any essay scored a 2 or below has serious flaws. An essay that receives a 4 is adequate. And the rare essay that gets a 6 is truly outstanding. You can read more about each score level in ETS’s article on GRE Analytical Writing Scoring .

Note that your final GRE Analytical Writing section score is really the averaged score of two graders: a human grader and an AI grader. The human essay grader takes around 30 seconds to grade an essay. He or she scans to make sure that you have clearly organized your information, and that your paragraphs start with a topic sentence and flow into specific examples that support your analysis. The grader looks to make sure you have a conclusion that articulates what you’ve already stated. He or she gives you a score and they move on to the next essay.

And if for some reason the human and AI greatly disagree, a 2nd human is brought in to score your essay instead.

The graders look for the three C’s: clarity, coherency, and cogency.

First off, you must express your ideas in a clear manner. If you jumble your words, or simply throw in unnecessary words, doing so compromises clarity. But your essay is not just one sentence with a clearly expressed idea; it is a set of ideas that should logically connect to one another. That is coherency.

Next you want to provide convincing evidence to back up your thesis. You can throw in some vague example, but doing so means your essay will probably lack cogency. Develop an example that cogently reinforces your thesis is key to a high essay score.

Other Factors

There are some other factors that play into the human grader’s assessment of a GRE essay. Style is important; an essay with choppy sentences and unsophisticated vocabulary will be awarded a lower score, all other things being equal, than an essay with mature syntactical development and GRE-level vocabulary deployed felicitously.

There is also the issue of grammar. Even though the graders don’t set out to nitpick at grammar, as soon as you make the tiniest mistake, he or she will notice. Anything from improper use of pronouns to misspelling common words can negatively impact your score. At the same time, a grammatical flub or two won’t preclude an essay from getting a perfect score, as long as everything else about the essay is top-notch.

By simply writing often you will be able to write with greater command and facility. With diligent practice, words will not seem submerged deep in your subconscious but will instead spring to life on the page.

2. Don’t forget to outline/brainstorm

You must think about what you are going to write before you write. I’m sure many amongst you subscribe to the school of thought that if you write, they will come: the words, the compelling examples, and the nuanced logic. When practicing for the GRE essay, you must avoid this tendency and instead spend a few minutes coming up with a roadmap (either in your head or on the computer screen). At first this step will slow you down and you will want to go back to the old method. Be patient. Once you become adept at outlining, the essay will write itself.

3. Spend lots of time editing your practice essays

Though you won’t get much of an opportunity to edit your essay on test day, sedulously editing your practice essays will make you more aware of your mistakes, both grammatical and logical. Correcting these mistakes will not only help you anticipate them in the future, but will also make the writing and logic in your future essays clearer.

4. Constantly read sample essays

By reading other students’ essays , you will develop a sense of what ETS is looking for. You’ll also be able to better judge your own essays. Throughout practice sessions, you should keep tweaking your essays, so they get closer and closer to the next score up. So, if you started at a ‘3’, focus on getting to a ‘4.’

5. Improve grammar

ETS explicitly states that it is looking for the quality and clarity of thought and not grammar per se. Yet the two are closely related. If you struggle to articulate something—and in doing so break a grammatical rule (or three!)—you will sacrifice clarity. Even minor grammatical errors (faulty pronouns, subject/verb agreement) will mar the overall quality of your writing.

Between grammar and style, grammar is much easier to improve. Great style is much more elusive. Indeed, many writers have cultivated their prose style over years of assiduous practice. Rest assured though—to score well on the GRE your prose does not have to be fit for The New York Times . You do want to avoid choppy sentences by varying up your sentence structure. And you shouldn’t be averse to trading a simple word for a more complex one as long that word is appropriate for the context.

A great book that offers writing advice, from dangling modifiers to how to construct compelling, dynamic sentences, is William Zinsser’s On Writing Well .

For a more stern approach to writing, Strunk and White’s Elements of Style has helped students for over half a century.

The only reason I mention both of these books is they focus not only grammar but also on style. Many grammar books should suffice as far as grammar goes, but they fall short on teaching writing style, which is a great skill to have for the GRE (and beyond!).

It is one thing to read the guidelines for what constitutes a ‘6’ essay on the GRE Analytical Writing section. In essence, you are just interpreting the information. But by actually reading real essays, you learn what the graders are looking for.

The best source for sample essays are the released sample essays (completed with grader comments!) from ETS . The essays here are actual student essays. Use these essays to assess your own level of writing. In other words, determine where in the 0.0 – 6.0 range you fall, based on the scores given to the other essays.

Additionally, you can see sample GRE essays from Magoosh students along with our own commentary here: GRE Issue Essay: Strategies + 8 Real Student Essays with Scores

Believe it or not, out of two GRE essays that are identical, save for length, the longer will receive the higher score. That doesn’t mean you should frantically scribble away, hoping that a seven-paragraph essay will automatically confer the much coveted ‘6’. Substance matters greatly. But as long as all the parts of your essay are there, you should shoot for a five-paragraph essay: an intro, three body paragraphs, and a conclusion.

I should also point out that paragraph length matters, too. 5 two-sentence paragraphs is not really a long essay. And, of course, don’t forget that each of those paragraphs has to flow logically and clearly from your thesis.

While there is no better teacher than feedback, having someone give you an honest critique of your essay is difficult. ETS offers a service to score your practice GRE essays , but that’s all you will get. Just a score, no feedback.

Over the years, I’ve seen many students asking for feedback on forums—such as The GradCafe or Reddit—and sometimes munificent souls (usually GRE test takers with strong writing skills) provide insightful analysis. While that may not sound all that reassuring, remember that this feedback is free of charge and there really isn’t much else out there in terms of essay feedback.

To take advantage of the latest technology, you can now sign up for Magoosh Premium Plan today to access our AI Expert Tutor that will grade your essay and give pointers on how to improve your score!

Lastly, you yourself will want to critique your essays. Magoosh as a downloadable GRE essay rubric for you to use. And for even more writing tips, check out 12 Tips to Ace GRE Writing .

Chris graduated from UCLA with a BA in Psychology and has 20 years of experience in the test prep industry. He’s been quoted as a subject expert in many publications, including US News , GMAC , and Business Because .

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11 responses to “GRE Essay: Tips on Approaching the GRE Analytical Writing Section”

Hi how much time does it take for the practice AWA to be graded?

Hi Gunjan, I’m not sure if I understand your question. Which practice AWA are you talking about? If you are asking about feedback from forums or other online resources, you’ll have to check with those websites or perhaps post your essay again. Please note that Magoosh does not provide essay grading and feedback at this time.

I got 2.5 score in awa how can i improve

These blog posts might be helpful for you: 12 tips to ace GRE Writing GRE Issue Strategies and practice essays

In order to improve in the AWA section, you should understand what the graders are looking for, have a strategy for writing a strong essay, and practice as MUCH as possible. I think these blog posts will help you to make a good strategy–don’t forget to keep practicing!

Thank you, Really it helps me a lot. but still i have confusion in argument Section, can you please tell me the deference between issue and argument

Hi Prachi! Sure 🙂 The Issue Task requires you to take a position and defend it. Usually it’s for or against some issue. The Argument Tasks asks you to read a short argument and then explain why it’s terrible. Hope that helps!

Hi! I got a poor score in AWA (2) and I did detect my fault that, in my issue task, I didn’t thoroughly agree or disagree, rather I agreed partially to the prompt and another mistake was I couldn’t conclude my essay with clear conclusive stand of mine, neither I finished my last sentence, let alone editing. Could u plz explain weather partially agree or disagree is allowed in issue task in AWA?

It sounds like you have done a good job of reflecting on your performance and identifying areas for improvement! That’s a great first step. In the AWA Issue task, it’s important to have a strong argument and clearly state your side. Your concession point shows that you have thought about the issue from different angles, but it’s important to stick to your argument and show how it is superior. We do not recommend that students take the “partially agree” approach, since it tends to ‘water down’ your argument and weaken your essay. Remember that this is an essay you are writing for a specific assignment–it doesn’t have to reflect your personal beliefs or ideas, as long as you can craft a strong argument. We have a lot of great resources for you to use to improve on the AWA, take a look 🙂

Thank you for this overall guide with lots of quality information for someone who is new to GRE like me. At the moment, this is quite sufficient for me to kick start my preparation for the test, which roughly happens in two weeks. Anyway, Thanks!

You’re welcome! Best of luck, Huy. 😀

i think it give us more idea in gre test.

GRE Issue Essay: Samples

by Abhinandu · Published May 27, 2019 · Updated April 22, 2022

The Analytical Writing section of the GRE determines your ability to think in a logical and cohesive manner, besides measuring how well you are able to articulate and support your arguments. Given that the Verbal and Quantitative sections are purely objective, the AWA becomes an important means through which you can demonstrate your critical thinking and analytical skills. Strong oratory powers, persuasive writing skills, and ability to think out-of-box are all highly valued by American universities; so if you do well in this section, it will give you a cutting-edge advantage over other applicants. The AWA is also used as a tool to measure the authenticity of your SOPs and LORs: because the AWA tests your writing abilities, it could be potentially used as a yardstick against which the quality of your SOP can be gauged to figure out if it was indeed written by you or someone else. Additionally, too low a score on the AWA can be a red flag for the admissions committee, and so it becomes paramount to do well on the AWA and not take it for granted.

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What is awa.

As the very first section of the GRE, Analytical Writing consists of two tasks: an ‘Analyze an Issue’ task and an ‘Analyze an Argument’ task. The time allotted is one hour, with 30 minutes for each task. In the GRE Issue essay task, you will be given a general issue and asked to evaluate and analyze it. You are required to essentially develop a sound argument for the issue and support it with examples, while the Argument task expects you to evaluate a given argument for the correctness of the logic assumed. In other words, the Issue essay seeks to examine your ability to take a stance on a certain subject by developing an argument with reasons and examples to support your views about why you favor a side of the argument. On the other hand, in the Argument task, you are expected to critique and take apart the views that the author promotes in the topic.

In this blog, we will be taking a closer look at the Issue essay to better understand what it really entails, as well as the kind of topics that could be asked of you in this section from the ETS issue pool. Finally, we will be examining some GRE issue essay samples to grasp what a well-written, high-scoring essay looks like.

All About the GRE Issue Essay

A well-written issue essay is basically one that establishes and strongly sustains a particular point of view and gives sufficient justification for the choice of that perspective. Remember, in this section, as we had briefly discussed before, you are expected to understand a given issue and provide ample reasons and examples to support your point of view on the issue. While the examiner will have access to your assessment question, your argument must be clear and strong enough to be understood in a vacuum. In other words, it must be written well enough to rule out the necessity of checking the question at hand. The GRE issue essay task question has two parts: first is a thesis statement (or a claim) and the second is a small paragraph outlining the instructions on how to respond to that thesis. Sometimes, there can be yet another part: a brief reason that explains the claim in more detail.

While there is no ironclad minimum word requirement to meet, most students average around 500–600 words in the 30 minutes allotted to them. Remember, writing more words doesn’t necessarily mean your essay is going to be more persuasive or better. In fact, quite the opposite: many test-takers seem to think that writing more is a good substitute to an essay that is otherwise lacking in sound argument and logic, leading examiners to be wary of overly lengthy essays. Always keep it simple and concise, and you’re good to go.

Let us now take a look at some key elements of a GRE issue essay task, and how it is different from the argument essay:

Nature of topic:

Generally, the topics and ideas that need to be probed in the issue essay will be of broad, general nature, and are drawn from everyday life, requiring you to rely on your own experiences for your answer. Issue prompts are taken from a wide variety of domains, such as education, politics, art, technology, etc. As such, it is not necessary to possess a very deep knowledge of the issue at hand, although it certainly helps if your general knowledge is up a notch!

Type of writing:

The issue essay is less about critical analysis and more about logical reasoning and justification. Just make sure that your reasoning and justifications are sound, and you should be good to go! Because the issue essay hinges so much on reasoning, it is a great idea to draw on real-life examples to support your position and overall stance on the matter: this will portray you as someone who is well-read and in touch with the world around her. Remember, this is not a section in which you can spin examples out of thin air, so use that wild story that your uncle told you, if you need to!

Agreeing and disagreeing:

While the argument essay contains a problematic thesis statement that needs to be disagreed upon and taken apart by you, the issue essay will generally conclude with a mention of the opposing point of view and stating a few instances in which that view may hold true. Doing so will both showcase you as a well-read, aware person, who is able to understand and appreciate opposing viewpoints. Moreover, in the issue essay, it is much easier to agree with the stance than it is to disagree, since you will usually find a lot more argument points in favor of than against. Although, of course, you are free to disagree if you wish: just be convincing about it!

Perspectives:

The GRE issue essay is, at the heart of it, a matter of perspective, and what you really think about the question at hand. There’s no real, unequivocal ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ answer, because really it is two sides of the same coin, with both sides being amenable to argument and support. The quality of the essay will be wholly judged by your ability to pick one side of the coin, and how well you develop and support that choice. So, an issue question is a claim that needs to be analyzed and critiqued. This is unlike the argument essay, where the thesis statement itself is deliberately portrayed negatively or controversially so as to provoke your counter-argument.

Reasoning versus exposing:

The argument essay is all about you dismantling the author’s claims by exposing the flaws in their arguments, while the issue task is notably about reasoning and building your argument from the ground up by using examples and logic.

Liberty to express:

Last but not least, the issue task is defined by the freedom of scope it affords you. While the argument essay mandates you to work entirely with the evidence and arguments that lead up to the conclusion, the issue task is far more liberal because you are free of any authorial interference. Because of this, you can draw on any and every resource in your arsenal to deliver a powerful defense of your perspective.

What kind of topics can I expect on the issue task?

One of the things that daunt GRE test takers is essay writing: specifically, the fear of being tested on a topic or concept they may have no idea or knowledge about. Well, fear not! The GRE issue essay task is known for its supremely approachable and general nature and is broad enough to be attempted by anyone with basic general knowledge. Confused? Cast your mind back to all those family dinners, and your father arguing how mobile phones are destroying creativity and intelligence, or your uncle claiming that higher education should be free for all, and you’ll know what we are talking about. The GRE issue essay is something like those discussions, but with just a bit more sophistication, of course!

Let’s take a peek at some sample issue questions from the previous years’ GRE to better understand the kind of prompts you can expect. Do note that these are directly taken from the ETS (Educational Testing Service) website, and because ETS is the official administrator of the GRE, you can be rest assured that this information is straight from the horse’s mouth.

Sample issue tasks:

• Governments should place few if any, restrictions on scientific research and development.

Write a response in which you discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the recommendation and explain your reasoning for the position you take. In developing and supporting your position, describe specific circumstances in which adopting the recommendation would or would not be advantageous and explain how these examples shape your position.

• Claim: It is no longer possible for a society to regard any living man or woman as a hero.

     Reason: The reputation of anyone who is subjected to media scrutiny will eventually be diminished.

Write a response in which you discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the claim and the reason on which that claim is based.

•  College students should base their choice of a field of study on the availability of jobs in that field.

Write a response in which you discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the claim. In developing and supporting your position, be sure to address the most compelling reasons and/or examples that could be used to challenge your position.

• Young people should be encouraged to pursue long-term, realistic goals rather than seek immediate fame and recognition.

Write a response in which you discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the statement and explain your reasoning for the position you take. In developing and supporting your position, you should consider ways in which the statement might or might not hold true and explain how these considerations shape your position.

Well, there you have it! You now have a general idea of what kind of questions you could expect in the issue task, and the structure of the issue prompts. As you can see, these are questions of a sweeping, unspecified nature, and usually, students find their own experiences, opinions, and awareness sufficient to write a satisfactory essay. Topics like education, healthcare, R&D, art, politics, social media, and gender are usually hot favorites for the ETS, so reading up on these areas and writing a few practice essays can prove to be immensely helpful. If you want the complete low-down on the exhaustive list of topics that make an appearance in the issue essay section, you can download our ebook  to get a better idea

Download our eBOOK on “ The complete list of GRE AWA Topics “

Now, we have seen the kind of topics and questions you could expect on the d-day, but what about the essay itself? What does a persuasive, well-written, high-scoring issue essay look and sound like?  We’re sure we’ve piqued your curiosity, so why not head over to our ebook consisting of a gamut of sample essays?

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We hope you found this article helpful and illuminating and opened your eyes to the intricacies of the GRE issue essay. If you have any questions that are not answered in this article, please drop us a comment below and we will get back to you soon. We wish you all the very best in your graduate school dreams!

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Learn 7 simple GRE essay tips from these real GRE essay examples

• GRE essay tips with real GRE essay examples

For many GRE test-takers, the most intimidating portion is the Analytical Writing or Essay Section. You also have to write two essays in which you explain and defend your answers, with only 30 minutes for each. There’s a lot to consider: How long should your GRE essay be? How should it be formatted? And how do you answer?

To help you prepare for the test, we are sharing valuable GRE essay tips learned from our collective experience reviewing and grading thousands of student essays. You’ll be able to gain insight into the acceptable length of the essay, the structure and answer format, as well as have access to scored GRE essay examples to study and review. This will help you reach your target GRE percentiles for the Writing section.

We’ll also break this out by the two types of GRE essay prompts: the GRE issue essay and GRE argument essay. These GRE formats come with specific instructions and require distinctly different approaches. But both will test your ability to write a persuasive statement.

The GRE Issue Essay  

Example issue essay, how to improve this issue essay:, the gre argument essay, example argument essay, how to improve this argument essay:, learn more with achievable.

In our opinion, the easier essay task you’ll face on the GRE test is the Issue essay. Here, you are asked to analyze a statement then respond by either agreeing or disagreeing with it. You will have to elaborate and support your answer with data, logic, and real-world examples.

In order to score well in the GRE issue essay, you need to choose a side. There is no gray area or middle ground. 

To better understand the way this test is structured and answered, here is a scored essay example with detailed tips on how to further improve the score. 

People’s behavior is largely determined by forces not of their own making.

Write a response in which you discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the statement and explain your reasoning for the position you take. In developing and supporting your position, you should consider ways in which the statement might or might not hold true and explain how these considerations shape your position.

I believe that people determine their own behavior through their actions because reacting to challenging situations changes greatly depending on the person, people with similar situations such as siblings differ to great extremes and as the brain evolves making choices for oneself is a lot more probable.  First, the way in which people react to challenging situations largely depends on their own control of their emotions thus affecting their outward behavior. A study conducted at the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Human Development by Professors John Krakour and Diana Arnold analyzed people’s reactions to a challenging situation through a controlled experiment. A group of fifty participants was randomly selected consisting of people with similar socio-economic backgrounds, racial identities and age and gender to reduce the number of external variables. Each person was asked to order a cup of coffee from the same local establishment; the baristas were instructed to stall that person’s order and eventually get it wrong. Professor Krakour and Arnold observed the study participants’ reactions to this unfavorable situation and found no patterns in their data sets. They concluded based on this data that people’s reactions are largely determined by their own control of their behavior and the same situation will provoke different behaviors even from people with similar backgrounds creating evidence that people’s behaviors are not determined by forces outside of their control.  The previous paragraph described how people react and behave differently to the same situation, another persuasive argument is that siblings whose nurture, home and family situations and genetic makeup are extremely similar to each other behave differently providing evidence that forces outside of own’s control are not very prominent in determining behavior. Researchers Joanna Goldstein and Andrea Schmid conducted a study at Stanford University evaluating 25 sets of siblings and their behavior patterns in different situations. Their experiment consisted of controlled interviews with each of the siblings individually and asking them a series of questions about how they would behave given a certain situation. Their evidence presented large ambiguities between sibling responses and displayed little correlation between responses. Goldstein and Schmid concluded that behavioral actions are dependent on the individual rather than forces outside of their control such as genetic make-up or home environment.  In addition to the previous stated arguments, there is sufficient evidence that as the brain evolves, behavioral actions become more of a choice and within a person’s control. A study at the University of San Francisco examined behavioral control of a group of 30 people aged five, 30 people aged twenty-five and 30 people aged fifty finding sufficient evidence that with age behavioral actions become more contained and conformed to society’s standards.  In conclusion, my belief that people largely determine their own actions rather than outside factors and forces out of their control is supported by a variety of studies examining different aspects of behavior and manipulating a variety of variables. 

Score: 4.0 (55th percentile)

 ▪ Write more. This submission is around 480 words. Ideally, students should aim to produce nearly twice as much content within the time limit. Incorporating free-write exercises into their prep can help students tone down the internal censor that blocks the liberal flow of content.

 ▪ Cite a fake study. You need evidence to back up your position, and you’re probably not an expert on whatever you’re writing about, so just fake it! The trick is to concisely present your supporting information and make it plausible by sprinkling in specifics. You can follow the DRI template that we teach over at Achievable GRE to breeze through this part. Remember – a robot grades this, not a human.

 ▪ Provide some orienting context before offering one’s opinion on the matter. This helps ensure the autograder detects your thesis and concluding sentences. Including more fluff in both the intro and the outro will improve readability while also increasing word count.

For the GRE Argument Essay, you are not asked to agree or disagree. Instead, you are being asked to look at an argument and assess its logical soundness. You will need to critically examine the line of reasoning and evidence presented by the author. 

Remember this: your response should be able to point out the weakness of the statement and find the flaws in the argument.

The following appeared in an article written by Dr. Karp, an anthropologist. “Twenty years ago, Dr. Field, a noted anthropologist, visited the island of Tertia and concluded from his observations that children in Tertia were reared by an entire village rather than by their own biological parents. However, my recent interviews with children living in the group of islands that includes Tertia show that these children spend much more time talking about their biological parents than about other adults in the village. This research of mine proves that Dr. Field’s conclusion about Tertian village culture is invalid and thus that the observation-centered approach to studying cultures is invalid as well. The interview-centered method that my team of graduate students is currently using in Tertia will establish a much more accurate understanding of child-rearing traditions there and in other island cultures.”

Write a response in which you discuss what specific evidence is needed to evaluate the argument and explain how the evidence would weaken or strengthen the argument.

Dr. Field is exploring the difference between to methods of studying the rearing behaviour of the children of Tarsis. Dr. Feild compares her study process to Dr. Karp’s process; however, comes to an unsupported conclusion that her process by using interviews is more accurate than the observation centered process of Dr. Field. This conclusion is in accurate because Dr Karp makes inappropriate assumptions, correlates two behaviors that are not related and provides insufficient information. One of the primary falicies that Dr. Karp makes an inappropriate assumption about the relatioship between children raised in Tarsis and parental influence. For instance,  Dr Karp assumes that  becase the children of Tarsis speak more about thier parents during interviews than other adults in the village. From the interview, Dr Karp assumes that the children must not have been reared by the village. This is an inappropriate assumption to make, because there is no proof that the two are correlated. Without the total number of children studied and data that supports the asumption it is difficult to understand if the interview indeed we telling about the population. Dr. Karp could solve this by speaking to all adults in the village and understand if they indeed had raised more children than their own. This missing information from the parents in the village would help determine the percentage of children that had been influenced by other people in the village. The second falicy of the argument made by Dr. Karp is that she confused the correlation between childrens rearing behariour and their speaking about thier parents. For example if a child gets a ride home from school every day by the same person from the village, they should be considered to be raised at least partially by members of the village. However, that same student may talk about his/her biological parents during that trip. Because kids talk more about their parents does not prove that the observation approach to studying characteristics is in correct. The Interview process does not account for the actions and interactions that a child has with the people of the village. Without identifying how often a child of Tarsis interacts with other people of the village the study is in accurate. Dr. Karp could solve this correlation confusion by asking – during interviews, about their intereactions with other people from the village. Knowing the information would weaken Dr Karps argument by confirming if the children indeed interact and are indflunced by people in their village. To strengthen Dr. Karp’s argument, she could be using her interview process to confirm that children are more influenced by their biological parents than others in the village. The last fallicie that is made by Dr karp is that in order to make the conclusion that the interview process of studying a culture is supirior to the observation method additional information and data is needed. For example, the interview process does not account for the behaviours of the children. This is a concern and does not prove Dr. Karps point because she does not have suffient data on regarding the childrens actions and interaction with the others of the village. To solve this, Dr. Karp should interview the families to understand what percentage of children from the village spend time with other people from the village. It should be understood what activies the childre learn outside the home with their biological parents. In conclusion, Dr. Karps argument that the interview process is superior to the observation process can not be concluded as there is incorrect collelations made, insuffiecient evidence and inappropraite assumptions.

 ▪ Spell check! This response is filled with spelling and grammar issues. We recommend you move fast and ignore spelling mistakes at first in order to get more words on the page, but you should make a second pass over your essay to clean up any obvious errors. Your spelling and grammar doesn’t need to be perfect, but it can’t be so poor that it sounds an alarm.

▪ Open with a non-judgmental summary of the presented argument. This boosts word count and helps to make the submission internally consistent. This response is a little shy of 600 words, and ideally, students should strive to write several hundred additional words within the time limit. So it doesn’t hurt to repeat part of the prompt.

 ▪ Explicitly describe how the additional information could both strengthen and weaken the presented argument. Doing both is an easy way to increase word count (while improving compliance with the instructions of the prompt). Achievable GRE teaches you an easy-to-follow 7-step body paragraph rubric.

 ▪ Differentiate your arguments. Though three fallacies are listed in the thesis statement in the introduction (which is good), the subsequent body paragraphs tend to restate the same problem. Rather: strive to identify three distinct problems with the presented argument. Remember to grab the low-hanging fruit!

We know that the Analytical Writing section of the GRE test can be daunting especially for the unprepared. But we do hope that our GRE sample essays have given you some helpful context for how we approach this section of the GRE exam.

Our goal is to help you reach your target GRE score so you can get into your top choice school. And with Achievable’s GRE test prep, you will.

Achievable GRE offers 10 sample essay prompts and an automated GRE essay grader that uses techniques similar to the official ETS to help approximate your score. Learn the perfect GRE essay template and other strategies that will make writing a great essay simple. 

Our GRE test prep materials include our easy-to-read online textbook, an infinite amount of quantitative review questions, and plenty of full-length mock exams. The full program is $299, and you can get started for free. Learn more here: https ://achievable.me/exams/gre/overview/

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How to write a perfect GRE Issue Essay: Tips, Tricks, and Examples

Gre essay topics.

• Government and Power Example: “Governments must ensure that their major cities receive the financial support they need in order to thrive.”
• Education Example: “Educational institutions have a responsibility to dissuade students from pursuing fields of study in which they are unlikely to succeed.”
• Culture and Society Example: “The most effective way to understand contemporary culture is to analyze the trends of its youth.”

Main Structure of Your Essay

How to write your thesis statement, 10 best gre essay tips.

• Make sure to use topic strong topic sentences to organize and introduce your paragraphs.
• Use varied sentence structure.
• Use transitional words and phrases such as: “however”, “therefore”, “consequence”, “on the contrary”, “while” “even though”, etc.
• Use proper grammar. This is a must!
• Use active voice when writing. For instance, instead of saying “The light bulb was invented by Thomas Edison”say “Thomas Edison invited the light bulb”.
• Avoid using slang and cliches.
• Instead of focusing on one single point, make sure you include a verity of examples. Don’t over-exhaust one example.
• PROOFREAD – make sure you leave a few minutes at the end to proofread your writing. This is key.
• Practice. You won’t become a better writer if you don’t write!
• If you are still having trouble after reading this blog, get help! Hiring a tutor for even one or two sessions can boost your score tremendously

GRE Essay Directions

“The best way to teach is to praise positive actions and ignore negative ones.”

Write a response in which you discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the recommendation and explain your reasoning for the position you take. In developing and supporting your position, describe specific circumstances in which adopting the recommendation would or would not be advantageous and explain how these examples shape your position.

GRE Sample Essay

     The recommendation presents a view that I would agree is successful most of the time, but one that I cannot fully support due to the “all or nothing” impression it gives.      Certainly as an educator I agree fully that the best way to elicit positive response from students is to make use of students’ positive energy and then encourage actions that you would like to see repeated. It is human nature that we all want to be accepted and achieve on some level, and when people in authority provide feedback that we have done something well, the drive to repeat the action that was praised is bound to be particularly strong.      This blanket statement would obviously pay dividends in situations in which a teacher desires to have students repeat particular behaviors. For example, if an educator is attempting to teach students proper classroom etiquette, it would be appropriate to openly praise a student who raises his or her hand when wishing to speak or address the class. In such cases, the teacher may also help shape positive behaviors by ignoring a student who is trying to interject without approval from the teacher. In fact, the decision to ignore students who are exhibiting inappropriate behaviors of this type could work very well in this situation, as the stakes are not very high and the intended outcome can likely be achieved by such a method. However, it is important to note here that this tactic would only be effective in such a “low-stakes” situation, as when a student speaks without raising her hand first. As we will discuss below, ignoring a student who hits another student, or engages in more serious misbehaviors, would not be effective or prudent.      To expand on this point, it is important for teachers to be careful when working with the second half of this statement, only ignoring negative actions that are not serious. Take for instance a student who is misbehaving just by chatting with a fellow classmate. This student might not be presenting much of a problem and may be simply seeking attention. Ignoring the student might, in fact, be the best solution. Now assume the negative action is the improper administering of chemicals in a science experiment or the bullying of a fellow student. To ignore these negative actions would be absurd and negligent. Now you are allowing a problem to persist, one that could potentially lead to much bigger and more dangerous issues. In a more serious situation, addressing the negative actions quickly and properly could stop the problem it in its tracks. It is for reasons like this that I do not advocate the idea that a teacher can be successful by simply ignoring negative actions.      I do, however, greatly support the idea that the central focus of teaching should be to build on and encourage positive actions. However, the author’s all-encompasing statement leaves too many negative possibilities for the classroom. Perhaps a better way to phrase this statement would be to say, “The best way to teach is to praise positive actions and ignore negative ones that are not debilitating to class efficiency or the safety of any individual”.      Thus, in the original statement, there are indeed some good intentions, and there could be a lot of merit in adopting its basic principles. Data proves that positive support can substantially increase motivation and desire in students and contribute to positive achievements. In fact, most studies of teaching efficacy indicate that praising positive actions and ignoring negative ones can create a more stable and efficient classroom. It needs to be stressed, however, that this tool is only effective at certain levels of misbehavior. As mentioned above, when the behavior is precipitated by feelings of revenge, power or total self-worthlessness, this methodology will likely not work. It is likely to be very successful, however, when the drive behind the misbehavior is simple attention seeking. In many of these instances, if the teacher demonstrates clearly that inappropriate behavior does not result in the gaining of attention, students are more likely to seek attention by behaving properly. Should the student choose this path, then the ignoring has worked and when the positive behavior is exhibited, then the teacher can utilize the first part of the theory and support or praise this behavior. Now it is much more likely to be repeated. If the student does not choose this path and instead elects to raise the actions to a higher level that presents a more serious issue, then ignorance alone cannot work and other methods must be employed.      In conclusion, one can appreciate the credo expressed in this instance, but surely we all can see the potential error of following it through to the extreme.

CITATION: The above sample essay is adapted from the ETS website. For the direct source click here.

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How to Write a Great GRE Argument Essay

When you take the GRE , you’ll have to write two essays : an Issue essay and an Argument essay. In your GRE Argument essay, you’ll get to demonstrate how well you can understand, analyze, and evaluate an argument. Here are ten GRE Argument essay tips you should know.

Fact #1: It doesn’t matter who is right

Fact #2: you'll have just 30 minutes for the gre argument essay, fact #3: graders will not pore over your essay, fact #4: quality matters, but so does quantity, fact #5: the prompt will tell you everything you need to know.

Make sure you read the prompt two or three times. You’ll want to make sure you truly understand it. Pay attention to what evidence is provided, what is stated in the prompt, and what is claimed by the author. A great way to identify fallacies is to determine what the author has assumed, and then try to explain why that assumption may be wrong. Here are four things to look for:

• Lack of evidence to support an assumption : You’ll want to mention this dearth in your essay—and note the type of information that would strengthen the argument.
• Non-specific language : Does the author make generalizations without providing specifics? You will want to point that out!
• Jumping to conclusions : Most Argument prompts will jump to conclusions at least once. As you read each sentence in the prompt, look for the author’s reasoning. If you can’t find a clear line of argument, you should note that the author has jumped to conclusions.
• Data values : Just because the author provides numbers doesn’t mean they’re necessarily objective or even true. Consider—and discuss within your essay—the reliability of any data, or data collection methods, that are presented in the prompt.

Fact #6: Structure will save you

After you read the prompt, brainstorm the logical fallacies you want to address. Then, choose your top three or four, and formulate a brief outline before you start your essay. There is nothing worse than having to stop writing your essay to come up with new ideas, so you’re going to want to follow a strict organizational format. Here’s a good general template to keep in mind:

• Intro : This should consist of three or four sentences in which you provide an overview of all the fallacies you plan to address.
• Fallacies : Each should get its own indented paragraph. You’ll want to discuss it in detail, and you may even opt to quote from the prompt in making your case.
• Suggestions for improving the prompt argument : Time-permitting, you’ll ideally want to include a paragraph in which you detail how the author could make a stronger case.
• Conclusion : As short as the introduction, this should summarize your body paragraphs (the fallacies and suggestions) and tie up any loose ends. Don’t skip this part! Even if you only have time for a single sentence, write one. An essay without a conclusion will almost certainly receive a lower score than one that is finished.

Fact #7: Clear writing is key

Fact #8: you’ll get one combined score for both essays, fact #9: you don’t have to be perfect to earn a perfect score, fact #10: you can plan ahead.

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GRE AWA sample essays to help you score high!

Table of Contents

Gre writing tasks, sample essay 1: analysing an issue, sample essay 2: analyzing an issue, sample essay 1: analysing an argument, sample essay 2: analysing an argument, frequently asked questions.

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The Analytical Writing Assessment (AWA) section of the GRE is designed to test your ability to analyse and evaluate complex arguments and communicate your ideas effectively in writing

To score high on the AWA section, it's important to have a good understanding of what the graders are looking for and to practice writing sample essays.

In this article, we will explore some GRE AWA sample essays to help you score high on this challenging section of the test.

The writing tasks on the GRE are essential components of the test that assess your analytical and writing skills. The two writing tasks are the Analyse an Issue essay and the Analyse an Argument essay. Both tasks require you to think critically and write persuasively, with the goal of demonstrating your ability to analyse complex topics, develop a clear and compelling thesis, and support your arguments with evidence and examples.

Also read: Differences between the GRE and GMAT

GRE issue essay

The GRE Issue Essay requires you to write an essay that takes a position on a given issue and supports it with evidence and reasoning.

You are provided with a brief quotation or statement on a social, political, or cultural topic and are asked to develop a response that presents a clear and compelling position on the issue.

The goal of this essay is to assess your ability to analyse complex topics, develop a position, and support it with clear and compelling evidence.

Also read: GRE results and score chart 2024?

Governments should focus on solving the immediate problems of today rather than on trying to solve the anticipated problems of the future.

While it is certainly important for governments to address the immediate problems facing their citizens, it is equally important to plan for the future. Anticipating and preparing for future problems is the hallmark of effective leadership, and it is essential for governments to consider the long-term implications of their policies and actions.

To be sure, there are many pressing issues that require immediate attention, from healthcare and education to environmental protection and economic development. However, if governments focus solely on these issues without considering the long-term consequences of their decisions, they risk creating even more problems in the future.

For example, if a government invests heavily in fossil fuels to meet immediate energy needs without considering the long-term impact on the environment, it may exacerbate the problem of climate change and create even greater challenges for future generations. Similarly, if a government neglects investing in education and workforce development in favor of short-term economic gains, it may find itself facing a shrinking and unskilled workforce in the future.

In short, governments must balance the need to address immediate problems with the need to plan for the future. By doing so, they can ensure that they are making decisions that benefit their citizens both now and in the years to come.

Also read: How to prepare for the online GRE exam

The best way to teach is to praise positive actions and ignore negative ones.

While positive reinforcement can certainly be a valuable teaching tool, it is not always the most effective approach. Ignoring negative actions may give students the impression that such behaviour is acceptable or even desirable, leading to further problems down the line.

Furthermore, negative actions often require immediate intervention and correction. If a student is engaging in disruptive behaviour, for example, ignoring it may only serve to undermine the learning environment and make it more difficult for other students to concentrate and engage with the material. In such cases, it may be necessary to provide clear and direct feedback in order to correct the behaviour and ensure that everyone in the classroom can benefit from a positive learning experience.

Positive reinforcement can be effective in certain contexts, but it is important to use it in combination with other teaching tools, such as clear expectations, consistent feedback, and appropriate consequences for negative behavior. By taking a comprehensive approach to teaching, instructors can create an environment in which positive actions are encouraged and negative actions are addressed in a constructive and effective manner.

Also Read: GRE Exam Dates and Fees in India

GRE argument essay

The GRE argument essay requires you to analyse and evaluate a given argument and then develop a response that critiques the argument and presents a more compelling alternative.

You are provided with a brief argument that presents a conclusion based on premises, and are asked to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the argument, provide evidence to support their critique, and propose an alternative conclusion that is more logically sound.

The goal of this essay is to assess your ability to critically evaluate arguments and develop your own reasoned response

The following memorandum was sent by the principal of a high school to the school's teachers: 'Research has shown that the best way to improve student performance is to praise them for their effort, not their intelligence. Therefore, in all future assignments, please praise students for their effort rather than their intelligence.'

While praising students for their effort can certainly be a valuable motivational tool, it is not the only factor that contributes to academic success. The principal's memo oversimplifies the complex interplay between effort, intelligence, and achievement, and it may lead teachers to overlook other important factors that can influence student performance.

First and foremost, intelligence is a critical factor in academic success. While hard work and perseverance are certainly important, some students may simply have greater intellectual capacity than others. Praising students for their effort rather than their intelligence may inadvertently discourage those who are truly gifted from pursuing more challenging work and achieving their full potential.

Moreover, the principal's memo overlooks the fact that different students may respond differently to different types of praise. For some students, praise for their intelligence may be more effective in motivating them to continue working hard and striving for excellence. By imposing a one-size-fits-all approach to praise, the principal risks ignoring the individual needs and preferences of his or her students.

In conclusion, while praising students for their effort can be an effective motivational tool, it is not a panacea for improving academic performance. Teachers and principals must consider a range of factors, including intelligence, individual needs and preferences, and the specific demands of different assignments and assessments, in order to help their students achieve their full potential.

Also Read: How to Register for GRE Exam

The following article claims that technological advancements are making traditional skills and knowledge obsolete: 'As technology continues to advance at a rapid pace, many traditional skills and forms of knowledge are becoming obsolete. For example, the rise of artificial intelligence means that many jobs that once required human expertise can now be performed by machines. In light of these developments, it is essential for individuals and organisations to prioritise technological skills and education in order to remain competitive in the job market.'

While it is certainly true that technological advancements are transforming the job market, it is a mistake to assume that traditional skills and knowledge are becoming obsolete. Rather, these skills and forms of knowledge are evolving alongside technological change, and they continue to play a vital role in many sectors of the economy.

For example, while artificial intelligence may be able to perform certain tasks more efficiently than humans, it cannot replicate the creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills that are essential in many fields. Similarly, while automation may be able to streamline certain production processes, it cannot replace the craftsmanship, attention to detail, and quality control that are required in many areas of manufacturing.

Moreover, it is important to recognise that technological skills and knowledge are not the only factors that determine success in the job market. Soft skills, such as communication, teamwork, and adaptability, are also essential in today's workplace, and they cannot be easily replaced by machines. In order to remain competitive, individuals and organizations must cultivate a diverse range of skills and knowledge, including both technical and soft skills.

In conclusion, while technological advancements are certainly transforming the job market, they are not making traditional skills and knowledge obsolete. Rather, these skills and forms of knowledge are evolving alongside technological change, and they continue to play a vital role in many sectors of the economy. By recognising the importance of a diverse range of skills and knowledge, individuals and organisations can position themselves for success in the 21st century job market.

The Analyse an issue and Analyse an argument writing tasks on the GRE can seem daunting, but with practice, preparation, and a solid understanding of the task requirements, you can score high on the exam. The sample essays provided here can serve as a valuable resource for understanding how to approach the writing tasks effectively. By analysing the structure, argumentation, and writing techniques of these essays, you can gain a better understanding of what makes a strong essay and develop your own skills accordingly.

How can I use the sample essays to improve my writing skills?

By analysing the structure, argumentation, and writing techniques of the sample essays, you can gain a better understanding of what makes a strong essay. They can then apply these techniques to your own writing practice.

Are the sample essays indicative of the types of prompts that will be on the actual GRE?

The sample essays provide a good idea of the type of prompts that you can expect to encounter on the GRE. However, it is important to note that the actual prompts may differ in content and tone.

How long should I spend analysing the sample essays?

The amount of time spent analysing the sample essays will depend on your needs and goals. However, it is recommended to spend enough time to thoroughly understand the structure, argumentation, and writing techniques used in the essays.

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Gre prep online guides and tips, gre argument essay: how to get a perfect 6 score.

Of all the various types of questions on the GRE, Analytical Writing questions can seem like the trickiest ones to answer perfectly. Not only do you have to write hundreds of words to answer the Argument essay GRE question, but there’s also no one set correct answer that you can give and automatically get it right.

So how do you reliably score well on the GRE Argument essay? In this article, we’ll focus in on what goes into a high-scoring response and offer some GRE Argument essay tips to help you consistently write essays that meet those standards.

Do You Need a Perfect GRE Argument Essay Score?

Practically speaking, no, you don’t need a perfect 6.0 on the Argument essay. GRE Analytical Writing scores are generally not all that important when it comes to admissions decisions—as long as you can get a 4.5, you’ll be set for most schools.

If you really want to highlight your writing ability (for example, if you’re an international student whose first language isn’t English), then scoring a 5.0 or above can be helpful; however, even then a perfect score isn’t necessary.

Some writing intensive programs do have GRE Writing score cutoffs, but none of these cutoffs are going to be above a 4.5 . You can get a better idea of what GRE Writing score cutoffs for different programs are with our article about what makes a good GRE Writing score .

There are a few doctoral programs (e.g. UChicago’s PoliSci Ph.D. ) that have higher average GRE scores, but that’s more of a side-effect of the applicant pool than because that’s something the admissions committees look for. Students applying to top-notch doctoral programs in the humanities and social sciences will need to have strong analytical writing skills, yes, but this is usually presented through writing portfolios or other materials required by grad schools .

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What Makes a Perfect-Scoring GRE Argument Essay?

To get the most accurate picture of what goes into a perfect GRE Argument essay, we’ll turn to the official scoring rubric . This is the chart that the human GRE essay graders use for scoring the Argument essay on the real test, so it’s the best standard against which to hold your own practice essays.

Below, I’ve done a side-by-side comparison of the different criteria needed to get a 4.0 vs. a 6.0 on the Argument essay GRE question.

I know there is a  lot of information to process in that chart, so I’ve summarized it below by extracting the most important points. A good GRE Argument essay:

• Must limit its discussion to identifying and explaining the parts of the argument that are relevant to the essay task
• Must develop its ideas logically
• Must be organized and connect ideas smoothly
• Must include support for the main points of the author’s analysis
• Must be well-written

To get a perfect score on the Argument essay, you must display mastery with each one of these items .

Official GRE Argument Essay, Analyzed

Now that we’ve gone over the rubric in the abstract, it’s time to apply it to a high-scoring essay. By taking the rubric criteria and looking at how they are exemplified by a real essay, you’ll be able to get a better feel for what exactly it takes to get a perfect score .

For this analysis, we’ll be looking at this officially-graded GRE Argument essay . Here’s the prompt the essay was written in response to:

In surveys Mason City residents rank water sports (swimming, boating and fishing) among their favorite recreational activities. The Mason River flowing through the city is rarely used for these pursuits, however, and the city park department devotes little of its budget to maintaining riverside recreational facilities. For years there have been complaints from residents about the quality of the river’s water and the river’s smell. In response, the state has recently announced plans to clean up Mason River. Use of the river for water sports is therefore sure to increase. The city government should for that reason devote more money in this year’s budget to riverside recreational facilities.

Write a response in which you examine the stated and/or unstated assumptions of the argument. Be sure to explain how the argument depends on the assumptions and what the implications are if the assumptions prove unwarranted.

The sample Argument essay we’ll be looking at discusses and disputes three different assumptions made by the argument :

• That the survey is a reliable measure of preferences and should be used as a source of information to inform budget planning.
• That there is a link between the river’s odor and pollution and the lack of residents’ recreational use of the river.
• That plans to clean up Mason River will be effective.

To analyze this essay, I’ll highlight places where the essay fulfills each of the criteria for the 6.0 GRE Writing score level. The first of these rubric criteria is a description of what a perfect-scoring Argument essay should look like overall:

Rubric description : In addressing the specific task directions, a 6 response presents a cogent, well-articulated examination of the argument and conveys meaning skillfully.

This description of what a perfect Argument essay should look like is much more general than the rest of the other rubric items and is more meant as a summary of what the other four items indicate than as a specific criterion in and of itself. If an essay meets all of the other four rubric requirements for a 6.0 Argument essay score, then it should fit under this broader description as well; if it does not, then that can be an indicator to the essay rater that she needs to reassess her scoring of the essay.

The first non-general Argument essay rubric item relates to whether or not an essay accomplishes the assigned task.

Rubric description : A 6 essay clearly identifies aspects of the argument relevant to the assigned task and examines them insightfully

The sample essay succeeds in meeting both parts of this criterion. In the essay, the author pinpoints three different assumptions of the argument (survey is reliable, water being dirty is why people don’t use it for recreational sports, and cleaning it will work). Each of these claims is a key assumption upon which the argument depends, since if any one of these three claims proved unfounded, then the argument becomes illogical.

The author also “examines [the assumptions] insightfully” by discussing the implications of each assumption and what it would mean for the argument were the assumptions to prove false . If the author had merely identified the key elements of the argument without this kind of discussion, the essay would have received a lower score. Below is an excerpt from the essay that illustrates an instance of the author fulfilling this criterion:

“If the river’s water quality and smell result from problems which can be cleaned, [that a river clean up will result in increased river usage] may be true… But if the quality and aroma results from the natural mineral deposits in the water or surrounding rock, this may not be true.”

In this excerpt, the author points out an assumption of the argument (that the quality and smell problems from the river can be dealt with) and presents the implications if the assumption is unwarranted (if the problems are from mineral deposits, quality and smell change might not be possible). The clear way in which the author gets to the point (if A, then B may be true…but if not A, then B may not be true) and the insight she uses in determining why the assumption might not be true and what effect that might have all contribute to this essay achieving a 6-level score.

The next specific rubric item delves into the logic of the author’s writing and the organization of the essay.

Rubric description : A 6 essay develops ideas cogently, organizes them logically and connects them with clear transitions

While the previous rubric item is concerned with the author’s ability to pick apart the logic of the argument in the prompt, this item focuses in on the author’s own writing style and her ability to logically develop and connect ideas in the Argument essay. GRE guidelines for both the Issue and Argument essay place a premium on clear logic and organization, both in terms of how ideas are linked within a paragraph as well as on a larger scale.

For the Argument essay, it makes sense to group your discussion of each assumption into its own separate paragraph. However, if you want to get a perfect essay score, you can’t just throw in information about the assumption and its implications willy-nilly, without a care for its organization. Instead, you must make sure that each of your points about the assumption is directly followed by support for that point. This clarity of development allows the reader to follow your logic more easily, which in turn makes your essay that much more persuasive and effective.

In the Argument essay, organization and logic are also important when it comes to ordering the paragraphs of your essay and transitioning between ideas. Here’s an example of a transition that connects the ideas of two consecutive paragraphs:

“Building upon the implication that residents do not use the river due to the quality of the river’s water and the smell, the author suggests that a river clean up will result in increased river usage.”

This sentence begins the fourth paragraph of the essay and logically transitions to the new assumption about to be discussed (“river clean up will result in increased river usage”) by referencing the idea just discussed in the third paragraph (“residents do not use the river due to the quality of the river’s water and the smell”). The sentence structure “building upon the implication that…the author suggests that” connects the two ideas skillfully, strengthening the link between the two paragraph by framing it as a logical progression.

The clear and logical way in which the author develops her points within each paragraph and the tight organizational connections between paragraphs are how the essay exemplifies this rubric item.

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The third non-general item on the GRE Argument essay rubric is focused entirely on how well the author supports her points.

Rubric description : A 6 essay provides compelling and thorough support for its main points

Essentially, this rubric item is all about determining whether or not an author properly supports her ideas and their development throughout the essay. Correctly identifying assumptions and examining them in a logical and organized way is all very well and good and satisfies the first two rubric criteria, but if you don’t support your analysis with either scenarios from the argument or hypothetical scenarios that could also explain assumptions made in the argument, you’re not going to get a perfect score.

Here’s an excerpt from the essay that demonstrates an instance of “compelling and thorough support”:

“Additionally, the author implies that residents do not use the river for swimming, boating, and fishing, despite their professed interest, because the water is polluted and smelly. While a polluted, smelly river would likely cut down on river sports, a concrete connection between the resident’s lack of river use and the river’s current state is not effectively made. Though there have been complaints, we do not know if there have been numerous complaints from a wide range of people, or perhaps from one or two individuals who made numerous complaints.”

The first sentence of this excerpt lays out the assumption made in the argument: the reason people don’t use the water for sport is because it’s dirty and odiferous. The next two sentences support the author’s claim that this assumption is unfounded in two important ways:

#1: The author singles out a particular way in which the argument is flawed , stating that “a concrete connection…is not effectively made” between two specific claims linked in the argument.

#2: The author explains why the argument is flawed by presenting relevant details, like the fact that the source of the complaints is unknown and could potentially be just a few people.

The reasoning and support used by the author in her essay are effective because the author explains clearly the ways in which they support her points. If the author had just said, “There is no clear connection between the lack of river use and the river’s polluted state because it could just be a few people complaining,” the link between the number of people complaining and why this matters for the validity of the complaints would’ve been unclear and the support would be less compelling.

The final rubric area for the Argument essay has to do with how skillfully an essay is written and how well it adheres to the standards of written English.

Rubric description : A 6 essay conveys ideas fluently and precisely, using effective vocabulary and sentence variety. Demonstrates superior facility with the conventions of standard written English (i.e., grammar, usage and mechanics), but may have minor errors

This last group of items on the Argument essay rubric gets into the mechanics of how well the author writes. The two ways in which this is effected are through the precise use of language and general dearth of errors . Here’s an example of an effective use of language in the sample essay:

“While a polluted, smelly river would likely cut down on river sports, a concrete connection between the resident’s lack of river use and the river’s current state is not effectively made.”

The precise language in this sentence successfully differentiates between the “likely” correlation that is made in the prompt and the “concrete connection” that is not made. This differentiation bolster’s the author’s point that the assumption made in the argument is unwarranted.

The second part of this set of rubric items has to do with the author’s ability to write in standard English without making too many errors. This is demonstrated throughout the mostly error-free sample essay; the errors that do remain, like “afffected” in paragraph four, do not impede the reader’s understanding of what the author is trying to say.

This last point is a good distillation of what all the rubric items for a perfect-scoring essay are trying to capture: a 6.0 GRE Argument essay is one that is clear and precise, whether in ideas, analysis, support, development, organization, or language .

6 Steps to a 6.0: GRE Argument Essay Tips

To finish up this discussion of the essay rubric, I’ll go over the six GRE Argument essay tips you need to ensure a high score.

#1: Focus on the Task

One of the core skills you must master in order to score at all well on the GRE Argument essay is being able to analyze the structure and logic of the arguments , rather than getting caught up in whether you agree or disagree with the points being made.

It may be difficult to do this at first, as it can be hard to be objective when the subject being argued about is one you have firm opinions on or when the logical flaws of the argument are so obvious it drives you crazy. Part of practicing and preparing for the GRE Argument essay task, though, is learning how to channel that irritation and outrage into an unflinching analysis and explanation of how the argument works and where it falls apart.

#2: Hit Major Points Only

Making sure you analyze the argument (rather than agreeing or disagreeing with its position) is only the first step to writing a successful GRE Argument essay, though. You’ll also need to make sure that in your dissection of the argument, your main focus stays on the major features of the argument that add (or detract from) the argument’s effectiveness.

With only 30 minutes to complete the argument task, your job is not to be comprehensive, but to analyze the points that matter. Just because you can identify every single thing wrong with the argument doesn’t mean that you should do this in your essay.

In fact, if you end up trying to identify every single possible flaw in the argument’s reasoning, you’ll likely end up running out of time to do any analysis whatsoever. And while finding the flaws in the argument is an important part of the GRE Argument essay, an equally important part is explaining in a coherent and unified way why the flaws matter.

Let’s consider the Mason City riverfront prompt again as an example.

There’s a lot of information in the prompt to mull over, and it can be tempting to leap into analyzing the first problematic assumption you notice, even if isn’t a major issue. Don’t fall prey to this temptation! It may be true that the prompt assumes that water sports can only be perpetrated on a river (rather than in a pool or the ocean), but the argument depends on this fact far less than it does on the assumption that the river’s bad smell and quality is why Mason City residents rarely use the Mason River for water sports.

The importance of keeping your analysis to major points is supported by the ideas and analysis rubric item: a 4-scoring essay “may also discuss some extraneous points”, while a 6-scoring essay only covers “aspects of the argument relevant to the assigned task.”

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#3: Keep Your Essay Organized

Because the GRE Argument essay involves critiquing someone else’s argument, rather than building your own, it may be difficult to see at first how you can keep your essay organized. In this case, as with many other types of essay, the five-paragraph essay form is your friend.

To start your essay, you will need to introduce the bare bones of what the argument is arguing. For the sample argument we went through above, those bare bones are that the Mason City government should spend more money this year on riverside recreational facilities. You must also include at least a general description of the thrust of your analysis (whether or not the argument is supported, if there are holes in the argument, or if the argument is more true than not). Ideally, these two points will connect to each other in a lean fashion, like in the introduction of this sample essay :

While it may be true that the Mason City government ought to devote more money to riverside recreational facilities, this author’s argument does not make a cogent case for increased resources based on river use. It is easy to understand why city residents would want a cleaner river, but this argument is rife with holes and assumptions, and thus, not strong enough to lead to increased funding.

In each of the three body paragraphs of your essay, you should discuss the three major components of the argument that go to prove your point. Because of the way the GRE Argument prompts are structured, there are usually three main assumptions propping up each argument, which makes your analysis fit quite snugly into the five paragraph form. If you only end up discussing two major questions or assumptions from the argument, it’s perfectly fine to end up with two body paragraphs, but you should keep in mind that if you have time, there might be a third avenue of the argument that’s worth exploring.

Finally, conclude your essay with a reference to your introduction and incorporation of some of the points you made. This conclusion can be short, depending on how you’re doing for time and brainpower by the time you get to it, but including at least some sort of conclusion statement is an important part of keeping your essay organized.

#4: Do Mock Analyses of Real GRE Essay Prompts

There are 176 possible topics you’ll be asked to write about on the GRE Argument essay, and all of them are available for free online . Because of this wealth of real essay topics, it’s unlikely that you’ll run out of prompts you can write practice essays on (unless you’re planning on spending 88 hours doing practice GRE Argument essays). Therefore, it’s safe to do practice outlines , rather than entire practice essays, for a portion of these prompts.

Writing mock Argument essay outlines is good practice if you’re fine with explaining your thoughts but are struggling with speedily analyzing arguments. Even if you have difficulty with both these aspects of the Argument task, creating outlines is still good practice because it will at least help you increase your analytical skills; once you’ve bolstered your ability to analyze an argument under time pressure, you can then proceed to writing full-length practice essays.

For each prompt you choose to outline, come up with at least three points of analysis and a few sentences to explain the importance of each point. These points of analysis could be assumptions made in the argument, the evidence that’s needed to successfully evaluate the argument, alternative explanations or arguments that could be made based on the facts presented in the task, and so on. Make sure, however, to follow step two above and only discuss points that are central to the argument.

#5: Analyze Sample GRE Essays

The rubric is a good way to grade your own essays, but it can sometimes be hard to know how to take the abstract criteria from the scoring guidelines and apply them to a real essay.

Fortunately, in addition to the free and publicly available sample argument essay I analyzed earlier, sample Argument essays at several different score levels are included in chapters 8 and 9 of The Official Guide to the GRE revised General Test (2nd Ed.) . You can maximize the value of these sample essays by not only reading them over but by also taking the GRE Argument essay rubric and applying it to them.

Use the major differences I pointed out in the 4-vs.-6 Writing score level comparison and my analysis of the 6-scoring sample GRE Argument essay to help you identify features that make the example essays so high-scoring. Make sure to note both what the authors do well and why what they do is effective . The official GRE reader commentary that goes along with each sample essay is also a valuable resource you should use to supplement your analysis and ensure you haven’t missed anything.

You should not copy exact words or phrases from the perfect-scoring essays to use in your own work (that’s plagiarism, which is not permitted on the GRE). Instead, observe how other students successfully earned high essay scores and plan out how you can emulate them.

#6: Leave Time to Revise

The word processor you use to write the Issue and Argument essays on the GRE does not have the standard amenities of autocorrect, spell check, or grammar check, which means you’re likely to make typos and not notice it. You’re also going to be typing under time pressure, which may lead you to make more errors than usual. Because of this, it’s imperative you check over your essay before submitting it.

Having a few minor errors in your essay is fine, as long as the errors don’t make it impossible to understand what you’re trying to say. However, if there are too many typos and in mistakes in your essays, the essay graders (both human and computer) will have difficulty understanding what you’re trying to say and following your analysis, and so will not be able to give you a high score.

Example 1: Not revised, major errors (grammar, spelling, and punctuation)

One of ht ecornerstones of the argument is that the fewer. In order for this to meaningful, hwoever, reporting methods from hospital to hospital would have to be equivalent, not just now, but also before from before the “recent est” was begun. wihtout having a reliable baseline it, would be imposisble to know if fhte measured reduction in patient infection gy harmful bacteria was all meaningful.

Example 2: Revised, some minor errors remaining

One of the cornerstones of the argument is that the hospitals reported fewer pateint infections after using UltraClean. In order for this to matter, however, reporting methods from hospital to hospital would have to be equivalent. Furthermore, the methods of reporting patient infection would have to have been equivalent before the “recent test” was begun. Without having a reliable baseline, it would be imposisble to know if fhte measured reduction in patient infection by harmful bacteria was at all meaningful.

What’s Next?

Now you have a better understanding of what it takes to get a perfect score on the Argument essay, but what about on the other half of Analytical Writing? Find out with our exploration of what it takes to get a perfect score on the GRE Issue essay and our analyses of perfect scoring GRE essay samples .

How well your essay matches up with the criteria in this essay rubric is just part of the GRE essay story. Learn more about how exactly GRE Writing is scored here !

I’ve discussed in this article about how a good GRE essay score isn’t necessarily a perfect score, but the same doesn’t necessarily follow for the rest of the GRE. Read more about how to decide on what’s a good GRE score for you here .

Ready to improve your GRE score by 7 points?

Author: Laura Staffaroni

Laura graduated magna cum laude from Wellesley College with a BA in Music and Psychology, and earned a Master's degree in Composition from the Longy School of Music of Bard College. She scored 99 percentile scores on the SAT and GRE and loves advising students on how to excel and fulfill their college and grad school dreams. View all posts by Laura Staffaroni

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Understanding GRE Analytical Writing Section Question Format (Updated)

The GRE Analytical Writing Section is a crucial part of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) that evaluates your ability to think critically, articulate your ideas clearly, and support your arguments with evidence. This section is divided into two tasks: the Issue Task and the Argument Task .

Understanding the format and the types of questions you may encounter is key to excelling in this section.

Table of Content

Understanding the GRE Analytical Writing Section

Gre analytical writing: issue task, gre analytical writing: argument task, time management tips for gre analytical writing, latest updates and trends in gre analytical writing, common mistakes to avoid, practice questions for gre analytical writing, gre analytical writing section question format – faqs.

The GRE Analytical Writing Section consists of two separately timed tasks:

• Issue Task : You are required to respond to a general statement or claim, presenting your perspective on the issue. You must support your viewpoint with relevant examples and reasoning.
• Argument Task : You are asked to critique an argument made by someone else. Here, your task is to evaluate the argument’s logic, identify its strengths and weaknesses, and suggest improvements.

Both tasks require you to write well-organized essays within a limited time.

1. What to Expect in the Issue Task

In the Issue Task, you will be presented with a statement or a claim about a general topic. Your job is to construct a compelling argument either supporting or opposing the statement.

Key Points to Remember :

• You have 30 minutes to complete this task.
• The prompt will often include instructions such as “agree or disagree,” “discuss,” or “consider both views.”
• You must take a clear stance on the issue and develop your argument with examples and reasoning.

2. Structure of the Issue Task Essay

An effective Issue Task essay typically follows this structure:

• Introduction : Present the topic and your stance.
• Body Paragraphs : Provide examples, evidence, and reasoning to support your viewpoint.
• Counterargument : Acknowledge a possible counterargument and refute it.
• Conclusion : Summarize your points and restate your stance.

1. What to Expect in the Argument Task

In the Argument Task, you will be asked to evaluate the logic of an argument presented in a short passage. Unlike the Issue Task, you are not supposed to agree or disagree with the argument. Instead, your goal is to critique the reasoning used in the argument and suggest ways to strengthen it.

• The argument is often flawed or incomplete, and your job is to identify these flaws.
• You should not introduce your own opinions on the subject matter.

2. Structure of the Argument Task Essay

An effective Argument Task essay typically follows this structure:

• Introduction : Briefly summarize the argument and state that you will critique it.
• Body Paragraphs : Identify and explain the flaws in the argument, using specific examples from the text.
• Suggestions for Improvement : Offer recommendations on how the argument could be strengthened.
• Conclusion : Summarize the key points of your critique.

One of the biggest challenges in the GRE Analytical Writing Section is managing your time effectively. Here are some tips:

• Practice Writing : Regular practice can help you get accustomed to the 30-minute time frame.
• Outline Before You Write : Spend the first few minutes outlining your essay. This will help you organize your thoughts and ensure a clear structure.
• Leave Time for Review : Allocate a few minutes at the end to review your essay for any grammatical errors or unclear sentences.

The GRE has maintained a consistent format for the Analytical Writing Section over the years, but it’s essential to stay updated with the latest trends:

• Emphasis on Clarity and Organization : Recent analyses show that essays with clear structure and logical flow tend to score higher.
• Use of Relevant Examples : Examples that directly support your argument are crucial for a high score.
• Balanced Argumentation : For the Issue Task, addressing counterarguments is increasingly important in demonstrating critical thinking.

Here are some common mistakes students make in the GRE Analytical Writing Section:

• Ignoring the Task Requirements : Ensure that you fully understand the prompt before starting your essay.
• Lack of Specific Examples : Vague or general examples can weaken your argument.
• Poor Organization : A well-structured essay is easier to follow and more likely to score high.

Question 1:

Topic : “Governments should prioritize education over military spending.”

Answer : Introduction : Governments often face difficult choices in allocating resources. One such debate is whether to prioritize education or military spending. Body Paragraphs : Education fosters innovation, economic growth, and social stability. Countries with higher education levels typically have better healthcare, stronger economies, and more stable governments. On the other hand, while military spending is necessary for national security, an overemphasis can lead to economic strain and international tension. Counterargument : Critics might argue that military strength deters aggression and protects national interests. However, education can also be a powerful tool for fostering international understanding and reducing the need for military intervention. Conclusion : While national security is important, investing in education offers long-term benefits that outweigh the immediate advantages of military spending.

Question 2:

Topic : “Technological advancements have made life better for everyone.”

Answer : Introduction : Technology has become an integral part of our lives, but the extent to which it has improved life for everyone is debatable. Body Paragraphs : Advancements in healthcare, communication, and transportation have undeniably improved living standards for many. However, the benefits of technology are not evenly distributed; the digital divide has left some communities behind. Counterargument : Some might argue that technology has created new problems, such as job displacement and privacy concerns. While these issues are real, they are challenges to be managed rather than reasons to reject technological progress. Conclusion : On balance, technological advancements have made life better for most people, but efforts must be made to ensure these benefits are shared more equitably.

Question 3:

Topic : “In order to be successful, businesses must focus on innovation.”

Answer : Introduction : In today’s fast-paced world, innovation is often touted as the key to business success. Body Paragraphs : Innovative companies are better able to adapt to changing market conditions, attract top talent, and differentiate themselves from competitors. Examples include companies like Apple and Tesla, which have thrived through continuous innovation. Counterargument : While innovation is important, some argue that maintaining quality and customer service are equally vital. Businesses must strike a balance between innovation and reliability. Conclusion : Success in business requires a focus on innovation, but it should not come at the expense of other crucial factors like quality and customer satisfaction.

Question 4:

Topic : “Public funding should support the arts, even during economic downturns.”

Answer : Introduction : During economic downturns, public funding is often redirected away from the arts toward more essential services. Body Paragraphs : The arts play a crucial role in cultural preservation, education, and community well-being. Cutting funding can have long-term negative effects on society. Moreover, the arts can be a source of economic growth through tourism and local businesses. Counterargument : Some argue that during tough economic times, funding should prioritize essential services. However, the arts are not just a luxury but a necessary component of a healthy society. Conclusion : Public funding should continue to support the arts, as they are vital to both the cultural and economic health of a community.

Question 5:

Topic : “Universities should require every student to take a variety of courses outside their major.”

Answer : Introduction : The debate over whether universities should require students to take courses outside their major is ongoing. Body Paragraphs : A well-rounded education helps students develop critical thinking skills, gain diverse perspectives, and become more adaptable in their careers. For instance, a science major may benefit from courses in philosophy or literature. Counterargument : Opponents argue that this requirement can detract from a student’s focus on their major and increase the time and cost of their education. However, the long-term benefits of a broad education often outweigh these concerns. Conclusion : Universities should encourage students to explore a variety of subjects, as it prepares them better for the complexities of the real world.

Argument Task Practice Questions

Question 6:.

Topic : “The following is a letter to the editor of a local newspaper: ‘Our town should invest more in public transportation to reduce traffic congestion.'”

Answer : The argument that increased investment in public transportation will reduce traffic congestion seems logical but requires closer examination. The argument assumes that current public transportation is underutilized due to lack of investment, without considering other factors like convenience, coverage, or public preference. Additionally, it fails to address whether the town’s population would actually use improved public transportation or if they are more reliant on personal vehicles. The argument could be strengthened by providing data on current transportation usage and public opinion surveys. While investing in public transportation could help, the argument needs more evidence to support its claim.

Question 7:

Topic : “A recent study suggests that people who eat breakfast are more productive at work.”

Answer : The claim that eating breakfast leads to higher productivity is appealing but may be overly simplistic. The study likely establishes correlation, not causation. Other factors, such as overall diet, sleep quality, and work environment, may also influence productivity. Additionally, the study may not account for individual differences in metabolism and work habits. The argument could be strengthened by controlling for these variables and examining a more diverse sample population. While there may be some truth to the claim, it is premature to suggest that eating breakfast alone significantly boosts productivity.

Question 8:

Topic : “The following is a recommendation from the board of a large company: ‘Our company should focus on developing new products rather than improving existing ones.'”

Answer : Introduction : The recommendation to focus on new product development over improving existing ones is bold but requires further analysis. Body Paragraphs : The argument assumes that new products will generate more revenue than improving current offerings, without considering the costs, risks, or market demand. It also overlooks the potential benefits of enhancing existing products, such as customer loyalty and brand strength. Suggestions for Improvement : The recommendation would be stronger if supported by market research and an analysis of the company’s product portfolio. Conclusion : While new products are important, the company should not disregard the potential of improving existing products without careful consideration.

Question 9:

Topic : “A survey suggests that most people prefer online shopping to in-store shopping.”

Answer : Introduction : The claim that most people prefer online shopping based on a survey requires deeper scrutiny. Body Paragraphs : The survey’s sample size, demographic, and question framing could significantly influence the results. The argument also fails to consider the context, such as the type of products being purchased or the impact of current events like a pandemic. Suggestions for Improvement : The argument could be improved by providing more detailed information about the survey and considering factors that might affect shopping preferences. Conclusion : While online shopping may be growing, the survey results should be interpreted with caution.

Question 10:

Topic : “The following is an advertisement: ‘Our company’s organic cleaning products are better for the environment than conventional products.'”

Answer : Introduction : The advertisement’s claim that organic cleaning products are better for the environment needs to be critically evaluated. Body Paragraphs : The argument assumes that ‘organic’ automatically means ‘better for the environment’ without providing any evidence or comparison to conventional products. It also fails to consider the full lifecycle of the product, including production, packaging, and disposal. Suggestions for Improvement : To make a more convincing case, the advertisement should include specific data on the environmental impact of both organic and conventional products. Conclusion : While organic products may offer environmental benefits, the argument requires more substantial evidence to be credible.

The GRE Analytical Writing Section is your chance to showcase your ability to think critically and communicate your ideas effectively. By understanding the question format and following a structured approach, you can maximize your score. Practice regularly, stay updated with the latest trends, and focus on clear, logical argumentation to excel in this section.

Also Read: GRE Exam Syllabus 2024 GRE 2024: Exam Dates, Registration, Syllabus, and Score Validity GRE Accepting Universities in USA in 2024: GRE Score Required for US Universities MS in Data Science in USA Without GRE: Universities & Requirements

How do you write an analytical section in GRE?

The “Analyze an Issue” task, which lasts 30 minutes, is the Analytical Writing measure. In this activity, a viewpoint on a matter is presented along with guidelines for how to react. You must assess the problem, take into account all of its nuances, and create a case for your position that is supported by facts and examples.

Is a 4 on the GRE analytical writing good?

A solid GRE writing score is 4.0, 4.5, or 5.0; an exceptionally outstanding score is 5.5 or 6.0. A somewhat lower score might not have a significant impact on your applications if you have other ways to showcase your writing abilities.

Is awa score of 3 good in GRE?

Every GRE AWA score corresponds to a particular performance level. A candidate with a GRE AWA score of 6 to 5 is considered to have adequate writing skills. For US universities, the average AWA cutoff is between 4.5 and above. In the GRE, the average AWA score is 3.5.

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