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Gre prep online guides and tips, 4 top-scoring gre sample essays, analyzed (issue + argument).

The best way to figure out how to get a high Analytical Writing score is to look at a GRE essay sample, but doing so without any guidance can be overwhelming. How do you show insight? Do typos affect your score? What’s a good way to keep your essay organized?

We’ll answer all these questions for you (and more!) in this article by analyzing four real GRE essay examples and highlighting the key features you’ll want to include in your own essays.

How to Use This Guide

Before we get to the GRE sample essays and their analyses, I’ll highlight two best ways to use this guide to improve your essay and get a great scoring essay yourself.

First, use the perfect-scoring sample GRE essays in this guide as models of possible ways to accomplish the essay tasks . By this, I don’t mean you should plagiarize entire sentences, paragraphs, or essays – that’s both wrong and against GRE code of conduct (it will disqualify your entire test if discovered). Plus, there are so many prompts (152 Issue prompts and 176 Argument ones) that it’s unlikely you’d be able to use any of these exact essays anyway.

What you can and should do is incorporate the features highlighted in the analyses below in your own essays. For instance, if you’ve been struggling with how to logically connect ideas within paragraphs in your own essays, take a look of some of the examples of logical connection I point out in this article and see how they fit within the context of the full essay. You can then practice replicating successful connections between ideas in your own practice essays.

The other main way to use this guide is in conjunction with the essay grading rubrics to help ferret out your writing weaknesses and work on them. Start with the rubrics for the Issue and Argument tasks and identify which criteria are most difficult for you to meet. Even if you can’t articulate precisely what your weakest spot is (e.g. failing to logically connect your ideas within paragraphs), you can at least narrow down the general rubric area you most struggle with (e.g. organization in general).

Once you’ve identified the general area you have the most trouble with, read the GRE essay examples and our analyses in this article to find concrete instances (rather than the abstract descriptions) of the rubric criteria. For more information about the different rubrics for the different essay tasks, read our articles on how to write perfect-scoring GRE Issue and Argument essays .

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Because this article is on the longer side, we’ve created a table of contents to enable you to jump to a specific essay example or task type:

Table of Contents: GRE Essay Examples 

Issue essay 1: technology and human ingenuity, issue essay 2: cooperation vs. competition, argument essay 1: mason city riverside recreation, argument essay 2: super screen movie advertising.

The first of the GRE sample essays we’ll be looking at is written in response to the following “Analyze an Issue” prompt:

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

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.

The essay written on this Issue prompt takes the position that rather than hindering our abilities to think for themselves, technology will spur humanity on to achieve ever-greater things. The full text of this GRE essay sample can be found on the ETS website .

In this analysis, I’ll go over the different ways in which this essay meets the GRE essay rubric criteria for a perfect scoring Issue essay . The first of these rubric criteria I’ll be discussing is the way the author takes a clear and insightful stance on the issue in the essay.

The author’s position that instead of fearing new technology, we should embrace its possibilities is methodically articulated over the course of the entire essay, culminating in the essay’s conclusion with a full thesis statement (“There is no need to retreat to a Luddite attitude to new things, but rather embrace a hopeful posture to the possibilities that technology provides for new avenues of human imagination.”). Below is an outline of how the author expresses her thesis throughout the essay:

• Paragraph 1 : The author acknowledges “technology has revolutionized the world.”
• Paragraph 2 : The author explains the reasoning behind the statement in the prompt (“The assumption is that an increased reliance on technology negates the need for people to think creatively to solve previous quandaries”).
• Paragraph 3 : The author counters the reasoning she discussed in paragraph 2, writing that “reliance on technology does not necessarily preclude the creativity that marks the human species.”
• Paragraph 4 : The author advances her counterclaim one step further, stating that “technology frees the human imagination.”
• Paragraph 5 : The author further develops the idea from Paragraph 4, stating “By increasing our reliance on technology, impossible goals can now be achieved.”
• Paragraph 6 : This final paragraph concludes the essay with a fully articulated thesis that also sums up what went before: “There is no need to retreat to a Luddite attitude to new things, but rather embrace a hopeful posture to the possibilities that technology provides for new avenues of human imagination.”

The author’s straightforward explanations of her thinking and logic enhance the clarity of her position, while the nuanced content of the position itself demonstrates insight into the issue.

The next area a perfect-scoring Issue essay must demonstrate mastery of is the development of its position through compelling and persuasive examples and reasoning . The author of this essay accomplishes this task by providing examples to support each idea she discusses and, furthermore, explaining not only the content of the examples but also why the examples support her position.

Here’s an example from paragraph 5:

By increasing our reliance on technology, impossible goals can now be achieved. Consider how the late 20th century witnessed the complete elimination of smallpox. This disease had ravaged the human race since prehistorical days, and yet with the technology of vaccines, free thinking humans dared to imagine a world free of smallpox. Using technology, battle plans were drawn out, and smallpox was systematically targeted and eradicated.

In this example, the author begins by laying out the main idea to be discussed (impossible things can be achieved by relying more on technology). She then supports this idea with the example of the impossible problem of smallpox and the steps taken that led to its eradication.

The great thing about the way the author explains her reasoning and examples is the concision and precision with which she gets her information across. Rather than going off into a discussion about the damage caused by smallpox, or staying too vague by mentioning how “diseases” had been solved by the use of vaccines, the author chooses a specific example (smallpox) and mentions only the details relevant to proving her point . This kind of precise writing takes practice, but being able to effectively sum up an example and why it supports your position in just a couple of sentences is essential if you want to get a high score on the GRE Issue essay.

Focus, organization, and logical connections are the third criterion that a perfect-scoring essay needs to fulfill. In the case of this GRE essay sample, the author achieves this organization and focus by linking ideas both within paragraphs (as seen in the previous example) as well as between paragraphs . Let’s look at the way the author transitions between the end of paragraph four and the beginning of paragraph five:

The unlikely marriage of economics and medicine has healed tense, hyperinflation environments from South America to Eastern Europe.

This last example provides the most hope in how technology actually provides hope to the future of humanity. By increasing our reliance on technology, impossible goals can now be achieved.

The author connects the two paragraphs by continuing paragraph four’s discussion of ways human imagination has been pushed by technology (technology combining economics and medicine has solved a problem) with paragraph five’s exploration of how this example has led to achieving things previously considered impossible. The smoothness of the transition between the two paragraphs is effected both by presenting the content of the next paragraph as a logical progression from what was just discussed as well as by using language (“this last example”) that connects the two on a more superficial level.

By keeping paragraphs tightly linked on both the surface level of sentence structures as well as on the deeper level of content being discussed , the author of this essay also keeps her writing focused and cohesive.

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The last quality a perfect-scoring essay must demonstrate is precision of language and flow in writing . The author of this GRE Analytical Writing sample fulfills this requirement by using language to precisely and economically convey meaning throughout her essay. Here’s one example of precise and effective use of language in the essay:

This disease had ravaged the human race since prehistorical days, and yet with the technology of vaccines, free thinking humans dared to imagine a world free of smallpox.

In this excerpt, the author uses the evocative word “ravaged” to show the dire extent of the problem solved by technology, reinforcing that the issue was previously considered impossible to cope with. She also uses the phrase “humans dared to imagine” in this sentence, which ties the example being discussed back to the previous paragraph’s discussion of human imagination.

While there are a couple of minor errors in this excerpt (“prehistorical” should be “prehistoric,” “free thinking” should be “free-thinking”), they do not significantly change the meaning of the author’s words and so do not detract from the overall effectiveness of the author’s language.

Return to Table of Contents

The second of the GRE Issue essay samples I’ll be analyzing is written in response to the following prompt about the values of cooperation vs. competition:

“The best way for a society to prepare its young people for leadership in government, industry, or other fields is by instilling in them a sense of cooperation, not competition.”

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 or examples that could be used to challenge your position.

The sample Issue essay written in response to this topic takes the stance that cooperation, not competition, is a preferable value to instill in young people in preparation for government. You can read the full essay on page 108 of this PDF . Read on for a discussion of the different ways in which this essay meets the requirements for a perfect score.

As with the previous GRE essay sample, we’ll start by looking at how this essay meets the perfect-scoring essay criteria of stating a clear and insightful position (as required by the essay task). The author fulfills the first part of the criteria with his clear statement of his thesis in the last line of the very first paragraph:

I would have to agree that the best way to prepare young people for leadership roles is to instill in them a sense of cooperation.

He reiterates this clear position with the last two sentences of his conclusion:

Getting to be President of the United States or the managing director of a corporation might require you to win some battles, but once you are there you will need diplomacy and people-skills. Those can be difficult to learn, but if you do not have them, you are likely to be a short-lived leader.

To achieve a perfect Issue essay score, however, it’s not just enough to be clear in your position; your position must also demonstrate insight into the issue . The author of this essay accomplishes this second part by choosing a two-pronged approach to answering the essay question. Rather than merely explaining how cooperativeness leads to positive outcomes in government, industry, and other fields, the author also explains how competitiveness leads to negative outcomes.

Thus, the author makes his position clear by stating it in the opening and closing paragraphs of the essay and shows insight by taking the more complex position that not only is cooperation good, but competition is bad.

The next of the rubric criteria we’ll discuss has to do with how well the author develops his position with examples and reasoning . A great example of this development can be found in the second paragraph of this essay, which discusses the drawbacks of competition.

The author begins his discussion of competitiveness by arguing that it’s a quality that doesn’t need to be “instilled” because it’s already present. Beginning with general reasoning about human behaviors at school and the office to introduce his point, the author then neatly segues into specific examples of competitiveness gone amok (Hitler in Germany and the recent economic meltdown in America).

With each example presented in the essay, the author pushes his position along a little further. He moves from discussing the most extreme historical cases (genocide) to more recent events (economic recession), concluding by focusing in on one person’s life and career (Tiger Woods). This final example allows the author to reach his final destination in his discussion of competitiveness: yes, competition can serve people well up to a certain point, but the price is that it is also “detrimental and ultimately quite destructive.”

The third way this essay meets the requirements of a perfect-scoring essay is through the logical connection of ideas within and between paragraphs . The transition between the end of paragraph two and the beginning of paragraph three provides a stellar example of this skillful connecting of ideas:

It [competitiveness] served him well in some respects, but it also proved to be detrimental and ultimately quite destructive.

Leaders who value cooperation, on the other ahnd, have historically been less prone to these overreaching, destructive tendencies.

On the face of it, the author only connects the two paragraphs by using a transition phrase (“on the other hand”) that sets up the next paragraph as contrasting with what came before. While this kind of transition would be good enough for a lower-scoring essay, though, the author does not just leave the connection between the two paragraphs at that. Instead, he also connects the two paragraphs by keeping the focus on the same issue from the end of one paragraph to the beginning of the next.

The content-level transition between paragraphs occurs when the author transitions from discussing the “detrimental and ultimately quite destructive” competitiveness of Tiger Woods directly into claiming that cooperation-valuing leaders are “less prone to these overreaching, destructive tendencies.” This twofold linkage of content (deeper level) and transition phrase (more surface level) makes it clear to the reader that the discussion of leaders valuing cooperation follows logically the discussion of negative outcomes for competition-valuing leaders.

The final 6-level quality demonstrated by this GRE Writing sample is its use of skillful and precise language to convey specific meaning . Overall, the language in this essay is formal and academic , despite the profligate use of first person point of view by the author (which can make writing seem less formal). The following sentence exemplifies the author’s command of language:

The recent economic meltdown was caused in no large part by the leaders of American banks and financial institutions who were obsessed with competing for the almighty dollar.

Despite the minor error in this sentence (it should read “in no small part,” rather than “in no large part,”), the author’s meaning is absolutely clear: competition led to the meltdown. Strong vocabulary choices like “economic meltdown,” “obsessed,” “almighty dollar” are what make this an effective statement of the author’s position. Compare the above excerpt to a more milquetoast version of the same statement:

The recent economic downturn was mostly caused by financial leaders who wanted to earn lots of money.

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This second sentence has the same basic meaning as the real excerpt from the essay. Because it doesn’t use particularly precise or compelling language, however, this watered-down version ends up minimizing the magnitude of problems caused by competitiveness (which undercuts the author’s point). This vaguer version of the essay excerpt also lacks the word “competing,” which makes it useless as an instance of competition among leaders leading to negative consequences.

The original excerpt from the essay, and indeed the entire GRE essay example, is so strong precisely because it manages to pack in specific relevant language that adds to, rather than detracts from, the author’s meaning.

The next essay I’ll be analyzing is written in response to the following “Analyze an Argument” prompt:

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 GRE Argument essay sample I’ll be analyzing critiques the numerous assumptions made and ultimately concludes that the argument for spending more money on Mason City’s riverside recreational facilities rests on faulty assumptions.

The full text of this essay can be found on the ETS website . Be sure to read through the essay first before coming back to read my analysis of it. We’ll start by looking at the ways in which this GRE essay sample identifies and examines the argument given in the prompt in an insightful way:

There are three key assumptions made by the argument that are identified in the essay:

#1 : The survey results are valid and representative

#2 : The reason Mason River isn’t used is because of odor and pollution

#3 : Cleaning the pollution in the river will get rid of the odor and then lead to more usage by residents

The Argument essay example we’re looking at examines each of the assumptions by considering the implications if the assumptions made by the article turn out not to be true . Here’s part of the essay’s investigation of the second assumption listed above:

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 author identifies the assumption that complaints indicate many people want to use the river and examines it by reasoning through possible scenarios other than the one presented in the prompt. The insight comes from the fact that the specific possibilities discussed by the author are highly plausible alternative explanations for the facts that would change the validity of the prompt’s assumption. It’s very possible that the complaints were not made by every single resident, or even a majority of residents, as the prompt seems to assume, but were in fact only made by a few people.

As a result of her analysis, the author ultimately concludes that there is insufficient information to support the assumption that Mason River isn’t used due to its odor and pollution.

The next way the author of this sample GRE essay fulfills the requirements of a perfect-scoring Argument essay is by providing comprehensive support for each of her main points . Throughout the essay, the author is able to explain exactly why each assumption made is problematic by using examples that precisely illustrate her argument.

Consider how this is approached in the second paragraph of the essay. The author starts the paragraph by presenting the assumption made in the essay argument that the survey results can be relied upon. She then proceeds to decimate that assumption with multiple examples of ways in which the survey could be flawed and not be an accurate representation of the residents’ opinions, as can be seen in the following excerpt:

For example, the survey could have asked residents if they prefer using the river for water sports or would like to see a hydroelectric dam built, which may have swayed residents toward river sports. The sample may not have been representative of city residents, asking only those residents who live upon the river. The survey may have been 10 pages long, with 2 questions dedicated to river sports. We just do not know.

The thoroughness of the author’s support for her point is magnified by the specificity of the scenarios she proposes . Stating “the survey might not have been representative of the city residents” would have been far less compelling a point than stating “[t]he sample may not have been representative of city residents, asking only those residents who live upon the river.”

Another important ideal a perfect-scoring Argument essay must live up to is being organized logically, with clear transitions between ideas . The author of this GRE essay sample is able to meet the first part of this requirement with a simple five-paragraph organizational structure : an introduction, one paragraph for each assumption discussed, and a conclusion.

Accomplishing the logical connection and development of ideas throughout the essay requires a little bit more finesse, but the author still manages it. Here’s an example from the beginning of the third paragraph of a skillful transition:

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.

In the above example, the author uses the transition word “additionally” to connect the ideas that will follow with what went before. The example also references the previous paragraph’s discussion of the unreliability of the survey of residents (“their professed interest”) and links it to the current discussion of pollution and smell being the cause of low participation in riverside recreational activities. The combination of these two methods of connecting the two paragraphs results in a smooth logical flow from one idea to the next.

Lastly, a perfect-scoring Argument essay must be precise and effective in its discussion of ideas, with few if any errors . The author of this essay successfully meets this standard by using purposeful language to efficiently and clearly get her point across, as can be seen in this example from paragraph three:

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 author contrasts the prompt’s assumption (“a polluted, smelly river would likely cut down on river sports”) with the “concrete connection” that is not present. The essay as a whole is not completely devoid of errors (for example, the author writes “afffected” instead of “affected”), but the errors are few and do not have a negative impact on the clarity of the writing.

The last of the GRE essay examples I’ll be analyzing at is written in response to this “Analyze an Argument” prompt:

The following is taken from a memo from the advertising director of the Super Screen Movie Production Company.

“According to a recent report from our marketing department, during the past year, fewer people attended Super Screen-produced movies than in any other year. And yet the percentage of positive reviews by movie reviewers about specific Super Screen movies actually increased during the past year. Clearly, the contents of these reviews are not reaching enough of our prospective viewers. Thus, the problem lies not with the quality of our movies but with the public’s lack of awareness that movies of good quality are available. Super Screen should therefore allocate a greater share of its budget next year to reaching the public through advertising.”

Write a response in which you discuss what questions would need to be answered in order to decide whether the recommendation and the argument on which it is based are reasonable. Be sure to explain how the answers to these questions would help to evaluate the recommendation.

The essay written in response to this “Analyze an Argument” prompt raises and evaluates questions about how many viewers and reviews of Super Screen productions there actually were, if there is a strong relationship between how movie reviewers and general audiences react to movies, and whether or not the percentage of positive reviews about a movie reflects how much of an impact reviews have on audiences.

The full text of this GRE essay sample can be found on p. 112 of this PDF . Read through the essay first, then check below for an analysis of its positive (and negative) qualities.

The first aspect of the essay we’ll analyze is how it succeeds in identifying and examining the parts of the argument that are relevant to the task . In the essay’s introduction, the author mentions that there are questions that need to be asked (“Before this plan is implemented, however, Super Screen needs to address some questions about its possible flaws”), but he really hammers it home in the conclusion by specifying which questions need to be answered:

In conclusion, there are many questions Super Screen needs to answer before using this advertising director’s plan. They need to look carefully at actual numbers, both of viewership and of positive reviews. The also need to identify the relationship that their target audience has with movie reviewers and determine how their target audience feels about their movies. Fianlly they need to take a nuanced look at the movie reviews that they use in their advertising.

With this conclusion, the author hits the three main points that need to be considered before agreeing to the advertising director’s plan : viewer and review numbers, audience reactions to reviews, and whether or not reviews are a useful metric by which to measure movie success.

An instance of the author identifying a particular argument can be found in the third paragraph of this GRE essay sample. The paragraph starts by clearly stating the question that needs to be answered (what the number of positive reviews was and how it compared to past reviews). After this initial identification of the question, the author also explains how answering this question would have an impact on the usefulness of the recommendation: if the increase in positive reviews was from 1% to 2%, allocating more money to advertising to emphasize this fact is likely to have less impact than if the money were instead budgeted towards improving film quality.

Another quality all perfect-scoring Argument essays must contain is strong and thorough support for each point discussed . The author of the GRE essay sample we’re analyzing fulfills this requirement, supporting every question she raises about the argument in the prompt by showing how its answer would affect the recommendation.

A good example of this all coming together happens in paragraph five of the essay:

Finally the studio must ask whether the percentage of positive reviews is really a relevant way to measure the potential impact of movie reviews. There are dozens of movie reviewers but when deciding whether to not to go to a movie, the general public will usually pick from among the 10 most popular movie reviews. These are the reviews that will impress the public if they are included in advertising. If the most popular movie reviewers disliked Super Screen movies that a larger number of small time film bloggers reviewed positively, Super Screen needs to think of a new advertising strategy.

In this paragraph, the author opens by identifying the element of argument to be discussed (are positive reviews a useful way to measure the impact of movie reviews in general?). She then develops this point through reasoning about why the answer to this question might contradict the assumption made in the argument (people mostly use popular reviews to decide on what movies to see, rather than the ratio of popular to negative reviews).

The author ends this paragraph by conclusively showing that the answer to the question raised in this paragraph is crucial for determining whether or not Super Screen should follow the advertising director’s plan: if the percent of positive reviews isn’t a good way to measure movie impact and the real issue is that relatively few popular movie reviewers liked Super Screen movies, then the recommendation of the advertising department is unreasonable.

The third requirement for a perfect-scoring Argument essay is that it must develop and connect ideas in a clear and logical fashion. The organization of this GRE argument essay sample helps accomplish this by routing the author’s thoughts into an introduction, four body paragraphs, and a conclusion . Each body paragraph of the essay is centered around one or two related questions. A good example of this can be found in paragraph four, which contains two related questions about the relationship between audiences and movie reviewers:

Finally, Super Screen needs to ask what the relationship is between its viewers and the movie reviewers cited in the memo. Using a survey distributed to its target audience, Super Screen could determine if movie reviews have an effect on their audience’s decision to go see a movie, whether movie reviewers tended to have the same taste as the target audience and exactly whether or not movie reviews are reaching the audience. Super Screen also needs to consider how its movie choices have affected the separate movie reviewer and audience populations. If the studio has switched from making mega- blockbuster action movies to more nuanced dramas, the general public may be less willing to go see their movies even though movie critics prefer the dramas to the action movies.

The above paragraph starts out by discussing if Super Screen’s target audiences are affected by reviews and whether their audiences and movie reviewers have the same taste, then segues into discussing if the studio’s film-making choices have affected audiences and movie reviews. The transition between the two different questions being discussed is effected by the simple use of the word “also” in the third sentence of the paragraph:

Super Screen also needs to consider how its movie choices have affected the separate movie reviewer and audience populations. [bolded for emphasis]

The last sentence of the paragraph again links back to the discussion of audience taste vs. reviewer taste, reinforcing the close and logical connection between the two questions discussed in the paragraph.

Finally, a perfect-scoring Argument essay must employ varied and precise language, with few errors . Earlier, we discussed paragraph four as a particularly strong example of the author’s effective development of ideas. The last sentence of this paragraph contributes to this efficacy through the use of specific language :

“If the studio has switched from making mega-blockbuster action movies to more nuanced dramas, the general public may be less willing to go see their movies even though movie critics prefer the dramas to the action movies.”

The use of the descriptor “mega-blockbuster” to describe the action movies preferred by the masses effectively conjures up something that is the diametric opposite of a “nuanced drama.” In addition, the author’s contrasting of the “mega-blockbuster action movies” with “more nuanced dramas” parallels the second half of the sentence’s contrasting of the preferences of the general public vs. those of the (possibly) more refined movie reviewer.

There are a few minor spelling errors (e.g. in “attendence” instead of “attendance”), and the last two body paragraphs both start with “finally” (which is a little repetitive), but in general, this is a skillfully written essay. It’s not perfectly polished like an essay you’d turn in for school, but that’s absolutely OK. In the grand scheme of the GRE essay scoring rubric, writing flourishes matter much less than clarity of thought and precision of language.

6 Tips for a Perfect-Scoring GRE Essay

To wrap up this article, I’ll go over some of the key points you should take from the four GRE sample essays I analyzed in this article.

#1: Include an Introduction and a Conclusion

One thing that all these perfect-scoring GRE sample essays had in common was an introduction and a conclusion . It doesn’t have to be a full paragraph, but you need to at the very least introduce your ideas at the beginning of your essay and wrap up your conclusions at the end of it.

#2: State Your Position Clearly

In my notes to myself on one of the GRE Issue essay examples I analyzed above, I observed that the author “states her thesis early and often” because of the way her position was made clear throughout the essay. While obviously you don’t want to just repeat the same sentence over and over again, it is imperative that you include at least one clear statement of your position in your essay , preferably in your introduction paragraph.

The importance of clearly stating your position varies between the two GRE essay tasks somewhat. For the Argument essay, you might be able to get away with a vague summary of the points you’ll cover and still get a 4.0 or above on the essay; by contrast, it’s nearly impossible to get above a 3.0 on the Issue essay if you do not clearly state your position on the issue, as that is integral to the essay task itself.

Whatever the prompt or essay type, if you want to get a perfect score on your essay, you’ll need to include a clear statement of your position on the issue or what points you’ll be analyzing in regards to the argument in the prompt.

#3: Be Specific in Your Support

All of the perfect-scoring GRE essay examples analyzed in this article contained specific and relevant support for the claims made by the authors. In the Issue essay examples, the authors drew upon well-defined examples and concise examples that directly supported the author’s position on the issue. In the Argument essay samples, the authors focused in on several specific parts of the arguments and debated their validity using specific hypothetical scenarios and questions.

The takeaway of this for your own writing is that the specific is always more persuasive than the general when it comes to supporting a point. And if you can’t find specific support for your position or for the flaw you’ve found in an argument, then that’s a good sign that you need to consider changing your position or finding another part of the argument to critique.

#4: Explain Your Support Clearly

As I discussed in my analyses of the four GRE Writing samples, whether or not your writing is polished and perfectly worded and spelled is not nearly as important as your successful communication of your ideas and how they are supported . In the GRE essay, all is precision, and analyses of issues that use clearly-explained compelling examples or analyses of arguments that cut to the very heart of why an argument is flawed with supporting explanations will ultimately score higher than beautifully crafted but logically imprecise essays.

#5: Use Transitions

All of the authors of the GRE essay examples analyzed in this article are able to maintain focus and organization in their essays by employing multi-level transitions that link ideas between and within paragraphs on both content and linguistic levels. In your own writing, be conscious of when you are changing from discussing one idea to another and make sure the transition is smooth. Even just adding transition words like “additionally” or “in contrast” to the beginning of new ideas can help your writing flow better.

#6: Stay Organized

While all of the GRE essay examples used in this article were written in response to different prompts, they all adhered to basically the standard five-paragraph , introduction-body paragraphs-conclusion format.

There’s no reason to take extra time away from your analysis of the questions to figure out a unique organizational structure for each essay when the five paragraph essay will get it done just as well (if not better). This is not because other forms are not possible; as the ETS website says, “You are free to organize and develop your response in any way you think will enable you to effectively communicate your ideas about the issue.”

But the utility of the five paragraph form is that it’s a tried-and-true way to keep your essay organized . Using it will save you the time of having to figure out a new organizational strategy for every essay you write. And the more consistently you stick to a simple (but clear) organizational structure, the faster you’ll get at it, until organizing your thoughts logically comes as second-nature (especially important in a timed essay environment when every second counts).

What’s Next?

Now you know what it takes to get a perfect essay score. But do you actually need to get a perfect 6.0 on GRE Writing? Find out with our discussion of what a good GRE Writing score is .

Curious about how the criteria mentioned in this article translate into numerical scores? Read our article on how the GRE essay is scored to learn more!

Need to boost your essay score quickly? We have 15 great tips and strategies that help you improve your Analytical Writing score .

Ready to dive into practice essays with some practice topics? Use our guide to the 328 official GRE essay topics to get started.

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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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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

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GRE Essay Prompts

The GRE Analytical Writing section requires you to write two essays—one will be an analysis of an issue and the other will be an analysis of an argument. You will have 30 minutes for each essay. Try your hand at these GRE essay prompts, and read our explanations for what makes a great GRE essay. We pulled these sample questions from our book GRE Premium Prep and from our GRE prep course  materials.

The GRE Issue Essay

The Issue Essay of the GRE requires you to present your opinion on the provided topic.

Issue Topic

You will be given a brief quotation that states or implies an issue of general interest and specific instructions on how to respond to that issue. You will have 30 minutes to plan and compose a response in which you develop a position on the issue according the specific instructions. A response to any other issue will receive a score of zero.

A high-scoring Issue essay accomplishes four key tasks: (1) considers the complexities of the issue; (2) supports the position with relevant examples; (3) is clear and well organized; (4) demonstrates superior facility with the conventions of standard written English. Make sure that you respond to the specific instructions and support your position on the issue with reasons and examples drawn from such areas as your reading, experience, observations, and/or academic studies.

[+] See the Answer

The GRE Argument Essay

The Argument Essay of the GRE asks you to examine and critique the logic of an argument.

Argument Topic

You will be given a short passage that presents an argument, or an argument to be completed, and specific instructions on how to respond to that passage. You will have 30 minutes to plan and compose a response in which you analyze the passage according to specific instructions. A response to any other issue will receive a score of zero.

A high-scoring Argument essay accomplishes these tasks: (1) clearly identifies and insightfully analyzes important features of the argument; (2) develops ideas clearly and logically with smooth transitions; (3) effectively supports the main points of the critique; (4) demonstrates superior facility with the conventions of standard written English. Note that you are NOT being asked to present your own views on the subject. Make sure you that you respond to the specific instructions and support your analysis with relevant reasons and/or examples.

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GRE Analytical Writing Sample Essays

Introduction

The GRE ® essay section is also referred to as the AWA or the GRE ® Analytical Writing Assessment which experts believe is one of the most neglected sections of the GRE ® test. Most test-takers believe that they can master the section in a few days at the most. A couple of GRE ® sample essays should be sufficient. The outcome is not desirable with an average global score of 4.0 with the Indian score even lower.

GRE ® Essay Sections

This Analytical Writing Assessment (AWA) portion is made up of two parts:

• Issue essays
• Argument essays

It is aimed at measuring the following:

• Communicate intricate thoughts distinctly and effectually
• Back notions with appropriate explanations and illustrations
• Scrutinize claims and supplementary proof
• Maintain a well-focused, articulate argument
• Command the components of standard written English

The structure of the GRE ® essay has been designed to test your ability to write a cogent thesis statement that you must defend over the course of several paragraphs.

• You are allocated a time limit of 30 minutes to complete each section. The is the first section and the structure of the test does not allow you to skip it and come back to it later.
• The GRE ® Essay expects you to analyze your critical thinking abilities.
• This allocated topic is usually a statement that is rather broad in nature.
• You will be evaluated for your capabilities to reason analytically and to debate the given topic from your perspective.
• You will need to support your viewpoint with appropriate instances and substantiation and structure your answer according to the precise guidelines that will be associated with the task.
• It is difficult to understand the requirements of this task without first going through relevant GRE ® sample essays.

How to use this Guide for AWA Passage Writing?

• There are two ways by which you can make use of this guide not just to improve your essay but also to master essay grading.
• Begin by taking a look at some of these perfectly scored sample essays.
• Remember that these samples that you go through will help you understand sentence structures, body paragraphs, etc. You should never ever think of copy-pasting direct sentences when you are writing your test as that will be considered as plagiarism.
• Use the guide in a manner that helps to incorporate features that help to highlight your position on the issue.
• The secondary objective of using this guide is to overcome your writing weaknesses in conjunction with essay grading.
• To ensure that you score high, begin the process with the rubrics for the Issue and Argument Tasks and subsequently zero in on the section that you find most difficult to meet.
• The idea is for you to identify the areas that you have trouble with the most. By taking adequate GRE ® prep, and going through samples and essay responses from experts, you will be able to overcome these difficulties.

What’s new?

Knowing how to get that perfect score is important. Find out more about GRE ® Score and the grading system.

How does the GRE ® essay work?

• With two parts to the GRE ® Analytical Writing Assessment (AWA), you are allotted 30 minutes for each essay.
• This is aimed to test your ability to write a thesis statement that is cogent, which you should be able to support with adequate evidence over the course of the essay.

What is the difference between the Issue and Argument essays?

• A sample topic reads like – “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.
• 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.”
• You are expected to respond by analyzing this general statement by taking a stance over a matter that is understandably complex.
• You may get similar topics encompassing several different areas such as politics, education, or culture.
• A sample topic reads – “SuperCorp recently moved its headquarters to Corporateville. The recent surge in the number of homeowners in Corporateville proves that Corporateville is a superior place to live then Middleburg, the home of SuperCorp’s current headquarters. Moreover, Middleburg is a predominantly urban area and according to an employee survey, SuperCorp has determined that its workers prefer to live in an area that is not urban. Finally, Corporateville has lower taxes than Middleburg, making it not only a safer place to work but also a cheaper one. Therefore, Supercorp clearly made the best decision.

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.”

• In contrast to the Issue essay, the Argument essay will ask the author to dissect the logic behind the stance or position taken by him or her.

Where can I find sample topics?

• You can log on to the ETS website where they publish pools of Issue and Argument essay topics.
• These topics have been taken from previous tests.

How are the essays scored?

• There is an initial human grader of the essay who has received rigorous training to qualify to be a grader.
• He or she is typically a university literature/writing professor.
• Additionally, there is an ‘E-rater’ which is an automated essay grader.
• This system ensures that the human grader has justifiably scored the essays without bias or prejudice.
• The final score is an average of the two scores and the result rounded off to fit the half point scale.

How does the GRE ® AWA scoring range work?

• Take a look at the scoring guidelines that will help you understand where you stand with the score that you have received.Compare the essays that you have written with sample essays in order for you to get a sense of what score you might receive for them.
• Compare the essays that you have written with sample essays in order for you to get a sense of what score you might receive for them.

Is there anywhere I can get my essays graded?

• You can have someone that you trust give you their honest feedback.
• Alternatively, ETS offers a service to grade your sample GRE ® AWA essays but that does not give you any feedback, only the score.
• You can also access forums where you can upload your sample essays to get insights and analysis.

What do the graders look for?

• When your essays are graded, the three key pillars that graders look for that determine your score are clarity, coherency, and cogency.
• You must communicate your ideas as clearly as you can which should be logically connected to one another as you transition between sentences and paragraphs.
• Whatever be your claims, it should be supported by sufficient evidence and examples that are sustainable.
• Style of writing is important which means you should avoid essay with choppy sentences, bad grammar, misspellings and unsophisticated vocabulary.
• A typical grader takes 30 seconds to score your essay if he or she is satisfied with clear organization of your information, check if your paragraphs start with a topic sentence and flow into specific examples that support your analysis.

How long does my essay have to be?

• The substance in your essay is of paramount importance as long as it has been clearly bifurcated into a five-paragraph format including an introduction, three body paragraphs, and a conclusion.
• Keep a lookout for your paragraph lengths as long paragraphs minus logical matter will not grab you better scores.

How do I practice for GRE ® Analytical Writing?

• Practice makes it perfect and it is no different for the GRE ® Analytical Writing Assessment.
• Get a better command and facility on the language by writing more.
• Create an outline and brainstorm on your position and think of a relevant example to support your claim.
• Set aside time to edit your practice essays.
• Look through tons of approved sample essays and correlate it with the grades that they have received.
• While grammar is not of top priority as clarity of thought, it still holds weight and must be given its due importance in the scheme of things.

How do I improve my grammar and style?

• You can improve your grammar by going through books such as William Zinsser’s On Writing Well.
• To improve on your writing style, a book that comes highly recommended is Strunk and White’s Elements of Style.
• You may consult other resources to complement these books and help in an overall improvement of grammar and style.

Are there any sample essays I can read?

• Sample Issue Essays from ETS
• Sample Argument Essays from ETS
• The essays on the ETS website have been written by students.
• You can use these essays as benchmarks to assess your own levels of writing.

GRE ® Sample Essays for the Issue Task

ETS provides brief information about an issue of common interest and tells the test taker to evaluate and analyze it. The candidate is required to essentially develop a sound argument for the issue and support it with examples.

ETS Essay Pool for Issue Essays (1 to 10):

The GRE ® Issue essay is similar in structure to the classic 5-paragraph short essay. You can go through the following links for familiarizing yourself with GRE ® sample essays pertaining to the Issue task.

• GRE ® Issue Essay-1: "We learn through direct experience; to accept a theory without experiencing it is to learn nothing at all."
• GRE ® Issue Essay-2: "Laws should not be rigid or fixed. Instead, they should be flexible enough to take account of various circumstances, times, and places."
• GRE ® Issue Essay-3: "People are too quick to take action; instead, they should stop to think of the possible consequences of what they might do."
• GRE ® Issue Essay-4: "It is possible to pass laws that control or place limits on people's behavior, but legislation cannot reform human nature. Laws cannot change what is in people's hearts and minds."
• GRE ® Issue Essay-5: "Success in any realm of life comes more often from taking chances or risks than from careful and cautious planning."
• GRE ® Issue Essay-6: "Originality does not mean thinking something that was never thought before; it means putting old ideas together in new ways."
• GRE ® Issue Essay-7: "It is always an individual who is the impetus for innovation; the details may be worked out by a team, but true innovation results from the enterprise and unique perception of an individual."
• GRE ® Issue Essay-8: "The study of an academic discipline alters the way we perceive the world. After studying the discipline, we see the same world as before, but with different eyes."
• GRE ® Issue Essay-9: "If people disregard the great works of the past, it is because these works no longer answer the needs of the present."
• GRE ® Issue Essay-10: "As we acquire more knowledge, things do not become more comprehensible, but more complex and more mysterious."

GRE ® Sample Essays for the Argument Task

The GRE ® Argument Essay asks you to change perspective from the one you had for the Issue Essay. Your essay should be about 5-6 paragraphs in which you will criticize an argument, describe how it could be improved, and reiterate that it is overall weak and unconvincing.

ETS Essay Pool for Argument Essays (1 to 10):

Take a look at the following sample argument essay topics:

• GRE ® Argument Essay-1: "Seven years ago, homeowners in nearby Brookville community adopted a set of restrictions on how the community's yards should be landscaped and what colors the exteriors of homes should be painted. Since then, average property values have tripled in Brookville. In order to raise property values in Deerhaven Acres, we should adopt our own set of restrictions on landscaping and house painting."
• GRE ® Argument Essay-2: "Of the two leading real estate firms in our town, Adams Realty, and Fitch Realty, Adams is clearly superior. Adams has 40 real estate agents. In contrast, Fitch has 25, many of whom work only part-time. Moreover, Adams' revenue last year was twice as high as that of Fitch and included home sales that averaged $168,000, compared to Fitch's $144,000. Homes listed with Adams sell faster as well: ten years ago, I listed my home with Fitch and it took more than four months to sell; last year when I sold another home, I listed it with Adams, and it took only one month. Thus, if you want to sell your home quickly and at a good price, you should use Adams."
• GRE ® Argument Essay-3: "A jazz music club in Monroe would be a tremendously profitable enterprise. Currently, the nearest jazz club is 65 miles away; thus, our proposed club, the C Note, would have the local market all to itself. Plus, jazz is extremely popular in Monroe: over 100,000 people attended Monroe's jazz festival last summer, several well-known jazz musicians live in Monroe, and the highest-rated radio program in Monroe is 'Jazz Nightly,' which airs every weeknight. Finally, a nationwide study indicates that the typical jazz fan spends close to $1,000 per year on jazz entertainment. It is clear that the C Note cannot help but make money."
• GRE ® Argument Essay-4: "Mesa Foods, a manufacturer of snack foods that currently markets its products within a relatively small region of the country, has strong growth potential. Mesa enjoyed a 20 percent increase in profits last year, and its best-selling product, Diabolique Salsa, has had increased sales over each of the past three years. Since Omni Inc. is interested in reaching 14-to-25-year-olds, the age group that consumes the most snack food, we should buy Mesa Foods, and concentrate in particular on marketing Diabolique Salsa throughout the country."
• GRE ® Argument Essay-5: "During the past year, Alta Manufacturing had thirty percent more on-the-job accidents than nearby Panoply Industries, where the work shifts are one hour shorter than ours. Experts believe that a significant contributing factor in many on-the-job accidents is fatigue and sleep deprivation among workers. Therefore, to reduce the number of on-the-job accidents at Alta and thereby increase productivity, we should shorten each of our three work shifts by one hour so that our employees will get adequate amounts of sleep."
• GRE ® Argument Essay-6: "Previous experience has shown that our stores are most profitable in areas where residents are highly concerned with leading healthy lives. We should, therefore, build our next new store in Plainsville, which has many such residents. Plainsville merchants report that sales of running shoes and exercise clothing are at all-time highs. The local health club, which nearly closed five years ago due to lack of business, has more members than ever, and the weight training and aerobics classes are always full. We can even anticipate a new generation of customers: Plainsville's schoolchildren are required to participate in a 'fitness for life' program, which emphasizes the benefits of regular exercise at an early age."
• GRE ® Argument Essay-7: “In Megalopolis, the number of law school graduates who went to work for large, corporate firms declined by 15 percent over the last three years, whereas an increasing number of graduates took jobs at small, general practice firms. Even though large firms usually offer much higher salaries, law school graduates are choosing to work for smaller firms most likely because they experience greater job satisfaction at smaller firms. In a survey of first-year students at a leading law school, most agreed with the statement that earning a high salary was less important to them than job satisfaction. This finding suggests that the large, corporate firms of Megalopolis will need to offer graduates more benefits and incentives and reduce the number of hours they must work.”
• GRE ® Argument Essay-8: "Given that the number of people in our country with some form of arthritis is expected to rise from 40 million to 60 million over the next twenty years, pharmaceutical companies that produce drugs for the treatment of arthritis should be very profitable. Many analysts believe that in ten years Becton Pharmaceuticals, which makes Xenon, the best-selling drug treatment for arthritis, will be the most profitable pharmaceutical company. But the patent on Xenon expires in three years, and other companies will then be able to produce a cheaper version of the drug. Thus, it is more likely that in ten years the most profitable pharmaceutical company will be Perkins Pharmaceuticals, the maker of a new drug called Xylan, which clinical studies show is preferred over Xenon by seven out of ten patients suffering from the most extreme cases of arthritis."
• GRE ® Argument Essay-9: "In the next mayoral election, residents of Clearview should vote for Ann Green, who is a member of the Good Earth Coalition, rather than for Frank Braun, a member of the Clearview town council, because the current members are not protecting our environment. For example, during the past year, the number of factories in Clearview has doubled, air pollution levels have increased, and the local hospital has treated 25 percent more patients with respiratory illnesses. If we elect Ann Green, the environmental problems in Clearview will certainly be solved."
• GRE ® Argument Essay-10: "Two years ago, our consultants predicted that West Egg's landfill, which is used for garbage disposal, would be completely filled within five years. During the past two years, however, town residents have been recycling twice as much aluminum and paper as they did in previous years. Next month the amount of material recycled should further increase since charges for garbage pickup will double. Furthermore, over ninety percent of the respondents to a recent survey said that they would do more recycling in the future. Because of our residents' strong commitment to recycling, the available space in our landfill should last for considerably longer than predicted."

Issue Essay 1: Technology and Human Ingenuity

The topic assigned here is: “As people rely more and more on technology to solve problems, the ability of humans to think for themselves will surely deteriorate.

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.”

• The essay on this specific issue prompts the author to take a position instead of deterring their ability to reason about how technology will stimulate the human race to reach greater goals in life.
• The sample essay looks at a number of possible avenues by which it strikes the right chord with the GRE ® essay rubric criteria to attain that perfect score.
• The primary rubric criteria are the way in which the author adopts an insightful and clear stance on the given issue in the essay.
• Over the entire course of the essay, the author articulates his or her position about the possibilities of embracing new technology as opposed to being fearful of it.
• Paragraph 1: The author recognizes the fact that “technology has revolutionized the world.”
• Paragraph 2: The author elucidates the thinking behind the declaration in the prompt - “The assumption is that an increased reliance on technology negates the need for people to think creatively to solve previous quandaries”.
• Paragraph 3: The author refutes the rationale that was deliberated in paragraph 2, writing that “reliance on technology does not necessarily preclude the creativity that marks the human species.”
• Paragraph 4: The author progresses with her counterclaim one step further, stating that “technology frees the human imagination.”
• Paragraph 5: The author additionally cultivates the notion from Paragraph 4, stating “By increasing our reliance on technology, impossible goals can now be achieved.”
• Paragraph 6: This final paragraph successfully ends the essay with a fully expressed thesis that also computes to what went before: “There is no need to retreat to a Luddite attitude to new things, but rather embrace a hopeful posture to the possibilities that technology provides for new avenues of human imagination.”
• The author’s clear-cut rationalizations of her opinion and logic augment the lucidity of her position, while the nuanced content of the position itself establishes perception into the issue.

Issue Essay 2: Cooperation Vs. Competition

The topic assigned here is: “The best way for a society to prepare its young people for leadership in government, industry, or other fields is by instilling in them a sense of cooperation, not competition.”

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 or examples that could be used to challenge your position.

• The author of this sample Issue essay has decided on a position on the issue by siding with the cooperation and not competition which is the preferred value to inculcate in young adults in preparation for government
• The last line of the first paragraph “I would have to agree that the best way to prepare young people for leadership roles is to instill in them a sense of cooperation,” makes a clear declaration that absolutely fulfills the first part of the criteria.
• The conclusion, particularly the last two sentences reiterates this stance.
• Just being clear on your stance alone will not help you achieve that perfect score as you need to complement it with demonstrable insights into the core issue.
• In the second part, the author takes on a two-pronged approach in order to answer the essay question as opposed to just clarifying how cooperativeness spearheads optimistic results in government, industry, and other fields and competitiveness results in negative consequences.
• In the opening and closing paragraphs, the author makes this position even more categorical.
• The following rubric criteria deal with how successfully the author fosters his standpoint with examples and reasoning, for example, by reviewing the downsides of competition.
• Opening with general perceptions of human behaviors at school and the office to present his argument, the author then deftly segues into precise instances of competitiveness gone bad.
• Each illustration is used by the author to drive his point down deeper with a final round off that competitiveness can help people only up to a certain point, but the price is that it is also “damaging and in due course quite disparaging.”
• The logical interlinking of notions through paragraphs is the third parameter that makes this a perfectly scoring essay.
• The manner in which the paragraphs are connected, the core focus still remains on the issue.
• The author’s skill of using accurate language to communicate precise meaning epitomizes the author’s grasp of the language.

Argument Essay 1: Mason City Riverside Recreation

The topic assigned here is: “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. The 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.

• The outcome of the survey is binding and demonstrative.
• The explanation of why Mason River is not being used is by reason of its smell and contamination.
• Getting rid of the contamination in the river will help free you from the smell thus leading to more residents using it.
• The author recognizes the supposition that complaints point to countless people wanting to use the river and scrutinizes it by interpretation across potential situations other than the one exhibited in the prompt.
• The understanding comes from the information that the exact opportunities deliberated by the author are exceedingly believable alternative clarifications for the facts that would transform the validity of the prompt’s assumption.
• The outcome of her assessment concludes that there are unsatisfactory data to back the theory that Mason River is not used due to its smell and contamination.
• The author of this sample GRE ® essay accomplishes the prerequisites of a textbook scoring Argument essay is by delivering wide-ranging support for each of her key points.
• All through the essay, the author is able to illuminate accurately why every single assumption made is challenging by sourcing instances that exactly validate her argument.
• What makes this sample Argument essay achieve a perfect score is how it has been organized logically, with clear transitions between ideas.
• The author of this GRE ® essay sample is able to meet the first part of this requirement with a simple five-paragraph organizational structure: an introduction, one paragraph for each assumption discussed, and a conclusion.
• Additionally, an Argument essay must be detailed and actual in its argument of notions, with minimum errors that the author successfully met with using purposeful language to efficiently and clearly get her point across.

Argument Essay 2: Super Screen Movie Advertising

The topic assigned here is: “According to a recent report from our marketing department, during the past year, fewer people attended Super Screen-produced movies than in any other year. And yet the percentage of positive reviews by movie reviewers about specific Super Screen movies actually increased during the past year. Clearly, the contents of these reviews are not reaching enough of our prospective viewers. Thus, the problem lies not with the quality of our movies but with the public’s lack of awareness that movies of good quality are available. Super Screen should, therefore, allocate a greater share of its budget next year to reaching the public through advertising.”

Write a response in which you discuss what questions would need to be answered in order to decide whether the recommendation and the argument on which it is based are reasonable. Be sure to explain how the answers to these questions would help to evaluate the recommendation.”

• The first aspect of the essay examines how it successfully the content recognizes and assesses the portions of the argument that bears a close resemblance to the demands of the task.
• As part of the conclusion, there are many queries that Super Screen is answerable to prior to making use of this advertising director’s plan.
• There is a need to closely look into the actual numbers for viewership and positive reviews and ascertain the relationship that their target audience has with movie reviewers and establish how their target audience feels about their movies.
• The author strikes on the three key points that should be taking into consideration prior to reaching an agreement with the advertising director’s plan: viewer and review numbers, audience reactions to reviews, and whether or not reviews are a useful metric by which to measure movie success.
• An example that the author puts forward in relation to a particular argument can be found in the third paragraph of this GRE ® essay sample.
• The paragraph begins by asserting the question that requires an answer – “What the number of positive reviews was and how it compared to pass reviews?”
• Subsequently, post this preliminary recognition of the question, the author also justifies how responding this question would have an influence on the effectiveness of the recommendation: “If the increase in positive reviews was from 1% to 2%, allocating more money to advertising to emphasize this fact is likely to have less impact than if the money were instead budgeted towards improving film quality.”
• The author of the GRE ® essay sample fulfills the requirement of sustaining every question she elevates the argument in the prompt by presenting how its reaction would shape the recommendation.
• The author has also developed and connected notions in a clear and logical fashion.
• The organization of this GRE ® argument essay sample facilitates in accomplishing this by steering the author’s views into an introduction, four body paragraphs, and a conclusion.
• A perfect-scoring Argument essay must make use of complex and precise language, with few errors that the author of this essay has achieved.

Introduction – GRE ® Analytical Writing Sample Essays

Just like your verbal and Quant sections, you need tons of practice to master the essay section too. Go through these GRE ® sample AWA and response essays that will help test your ability.

Essay Response Score 6

The statement linking technology negatively with free thinking plays on the recent human experience over the past century. Surely there has been no time in history where the lived lives of people have changed more dramatically. A quick reflection on a typical day reveals how technology has revolutionized the world. Most people commute to work in an automobile that runs on an internal combustion engine. During the workday, chances are high that the employee will interact with a computer that processes the information on silicon bridges that are .09 microns wide. Upon leaving home, family members will be reached through wireless networks that utilize satellites orbiting the earth. Each of these common occurrences could have been inconceivable at the turn of the 19th century.

The statement attempts to bridge these dramatic changes to a reduction in the ability for humans to think for themselves. The assumption is that 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.

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.

In contrast to the statement, we can even see how technology frees the human imagination. Consider how the digital revolution and the advent of the internet have allowed for an unprecedented exchange of ideas. WebMD, a popular internet portal for medical information, permits patients to self-research symptoms for a more informed doctor visit. This exercise opens pathways of thinking that were previously closed off to the medical layman. With increased interdisciplinary interactions, inspiration can arrive from the most surprising corners. Jeffrey Sachs, one of the architects of the UN Millenium Development Goals, based his ideas on emergency care triage techniques. The unlikely marriage of economics and medicine has healed tense, hyperinflation environments from South America to Eastern Europe.

This last example provides the most hope in how technology actually provides hope for the future of humanity. By increasing our reliance on technology, impossible goals can now be achieved. Consider how the late 20th century witnessed the complete elimination of smallpox. This disease had ravaged the human race since prehistorical days, and yet with the technology of vaccines, free-thinking humans dared to imagine a world free of smallpox. Using technology, battle plans were drawn out, and smallpox was systematically targeted and eradicated.

Technology will always mark the human experience, from the discovery of fire to the implementation of nanotechnology. Given the history of the human race, there will be no limit to the number of problems, both new and old, for us to tackle. There is no need to retreat to a Luddite attitude to new things, but rather embrace a hopeful posture to the possibilities that technology provides for new avenues of human imagination.

• Rater Commentary for Essay Response — Score 6
• The instances are convincing, have been developed with careful thought are logically aligned and well supported.
• The transitions within ideas and paragraphs are smooth.
• With a complex and varied sentence structure, the essay adheres to all standard norms of written English, i.e., grammar, usage, and mechanics.
• Even though there are periodic errors visible, the essay still meets all the requirements thus attaining 6 which is the top GRE ® score for analytical writing.

Essay response score 5

Surely many of us have expressed the following sentiment, or some variation on it, during our daily commutes to work: "People are getting so stupid these days!" Surrounded as we are by striding and strident automatons with cell phones glued to their ears, PDA's gripped in their palms, and omniscient, omnipresent CNN gleaming in their eyeballs, it's tempting to believe that technology has isolated and infantilized us, essentially transforming us into dependent, conformist morons best equipped to sideswipe one another in our SUV's.

Furthermore, hanging around with the younger, pre-commute generation, whom tech-savviness seems to have rendered lethal, is even less reassuring. With "Teen People" style trends shooting through the air from tiger-striped PDA to zebra-striped PDA, and with the latest starlet gossip zipping from juicy Blackberry to teeny, turbo-charged cell phone, technology seems to support young people's worst tendencies to follow the crowd. Indeed, they have seemingly evolved into intergalactic conformity police. After all, today's tech-aided teens are, courtesy of authentic, hands-on video games, literally trained to kill; courtesy of chat and instant text messaging, they have their own language; they even have tiny cameras to efficiently photo-document your fashion blunders! Is this adolescence, or paparazzi terrorist training camp?

With all this evidence, it's easy to believe that tech trends and the incorporation of technological wizardry into our everyday lives have served mostly to enforce conformity, promote dependence, heighten consumerism and materialism, and generally create a culture that values self-absorption and personal entitlement over cooperation and collaboration. However, I argue that we are merely in the inchoate stages of learning to live with technology while still loving one another. After all, even given the examples provided earlier in this essay, it seems clear that technology hasn't impaired our thinking and problem-solving capacities. Certainly it has incapacitated our behavior and manners; certainly, our values have taken a severe blow. However, we are inarguably more efficient in our badness these days. We're effective worker bees of ineffectiveness!

If technology has so increased our sense of self-efficacy that we can become veritable agents of the awful, virtual CEO's of selfishness, certainly it can be beneficial. Harnessed correctly, technology can improve our ability to think and act for ourselves. The first challenge is to figure out how to provide technology users with some direly-needed direction.

• Rater Commentary for Essay Response — Score 5
• The strengths and weaknesses of this essay are clearly evident in the language used.
• While some of the flowery representations do have a powerful impact, at times the descriptions are awkwardly placed, with the comparisons often being stressed.
• The author has used complex vocabulary and syntax consistently – “Surrounded as we are by striding and strident automatons with cell phones glued to their ears, PDA's gripped in their palms, and omniscient, omnipresent CNN gleaming in their eyeballs, it's tempting to believe..."
• Too much reliance on abstractions in the essay has not borne the desired effect as it lacks appropriate reasoning.
• On the whole, the essay demonstrates credible ideas with examples with thoughtful analysis, taking an overall complex approach to the issue, thus earning a score 5.

Essay Response Score 4

In all actuality, I think it is more probable that our bodies will surely deteriorate long before our minds do in any significant amount. Who can't say that technology has made us lazier, but that's the keyword, lazy, not stupid? The ever-increasing amount of technology that we incorporate into our daily lives makes people think and learn every day, possibly more than ever before. Our abilities to think, learn, philosophize, etc. may even reach limits never dreamed of before by average people. Using technology to solve problems will continue to help us realize our potential as a human race.

If you think about it, using technology to solve more complicating problems gives humans a chance to expand their thinking and learning, opening up whole new worlds for many people. Many of these people are glad for the chance to expand their horizons by learning more, going to new places, and trying new things. If it wasn't for the invention of new technological devices, I wouldn't be sitting at this computer trying to philosophize about technology. It would be extremely hard for children in many poorer countries to learn and think for themselves without the invention of the internet. Think what an impact the printing press, a technologically superior machines at the time, had on the ability of the human race to learn and think.

Right now we are seeing a golden age of technology, using it all the time during our everyday lives. When we get up there's instant coffee and the microwave and all these great things that help us get ready for our day. But we aren't allowing our minds to deteriorate by using them, we are only making things easier for ourselves and saving time for other important things in our days. Going off to school or work in our cars instead of a horse and buggy. Think of the brainpower and genius that was used to come up with that single invention that has changed the way we move across this globe.Using technology to solve our continually more complicated problems as a human race is definitely a good thing. Our ability to think for ourselves isn't deteriorating, it's continuing to grow, moving on to higher though functions and more ingenious ideas. The ability to use what technology we have is an example.

• Rater Commentary for Essay Response — Score 4
• Developing a clear position, the author presents appropriate reasons to hold true and explain in support of the issue.
• The point on technology usage is supported with relevant concepts that show how it enables users to access data and information and their potential that users would not normally have access to.
• The ‘golden age’ point has also been appropriately supported by the basic description of our technologically saturated social condition.
• Paragraph 3 on coffee pots to the benefits of technology to cars does showcase that the overall development and organization of this essay does live through the rare bouts of misdirection.
• The essay seamless flows from one idea to another but often only scratching the surface level of the core issue rather than probing in-depth.
• Taking the analysis further, the author creates a marked distinction between the essay and the level 3 response that supports the idea of technology advancing to help progress human thinking abilities, drawing an intelligent parallel between the promise of the modern sophisticated technology (computer) and the actual "impact" of equally "promising" and pervasive technologies of the past (printing press).
• The reason why this essay has received a score of 4 as the language meets the expectations and the author has demonstrated a satisfactory control over it.
• Overall, the mistakes are minor in nature and do not really hinder with the clarity of the notions being presented.

Essay Response Score 3

There is no current proof that advancing technology will deteriorate the ability of humans to think. On the contrary, advancements in technology had advanced our vast knowledge in many fields, opening opportunities for further understanding and achievement. For example, the problem of debilitating illnesses and diseases such as Alzheimer's disease is slowing being solved by the technological advancements in stem cell research. The future ability to grow new brain cells and the possibility to reverse the onset of Alzheimer's is now becoming a reality. This shows our initiative as humans to better our health demonstrates the greater ability of humans to think.

One aspect where the ability of humans may initially be seen as an example of deteriorating minds is the use of the internet and cell phones. In the past humans had to seek out information in many different environments and aspects of life. Now humans can sit in a chair and type anything into a computer and get an answer. Our reliance on this type of technology can be detrimental if not regulated and regularly substituted for other information sources such as human interactions and hands-on learning. I think if humans understand that we should not have such a reliance on computer technology, that we as a species will advance further by utilizing the opportunity of computer technology as well as the other sources of information outside of a computer. Supplementing our knowledge with internet access is surely a way for technology to solve problems while continually advancing the human race.

• Rater Commentary for Essay Response — Score 3
• The author has been able to transcend beyond the superficial strata of the core issue.
• How technology has advanced overall human know-how in multiple domains and the way forward is to supplement the usage to “surely a way for technology to solve problems while continually advancing the human race."
• However, the author has failed to offer sufficient evidence to support this point.
• Point two is where the author has created an outline by citing the need for regulation/supplementation and cautions of the flipside of depending on technology heavily which is vague and restrictive - "Our reliance ... can be detrimental. If humans understand that we should not have such a reliance ... we will advance further."
• Much of the second paragraph is filled with loosely connected generalizations which need more groundwork.
• Some minor language errors are also present in this essay. However, the author’s meaning and implications are clear, thus earning this essay a score of 3.

Essay Response Score 2

In recent centuries, humans have developed the technology very rapidly, and you may accept some merit of it, and you may see a distortion in society that occurred by it. To be lazy for humans in some meaning is one of the fashion issues in these days. There are many symptoms and reasons for it. However, I can not agree with the statement that technology makes humans be reluctant to think thoroughly.

Of course, you can see the phenomena of human laziness along with developed technology in some places. However, they would happen in specific conditions, not general. What makes human to be laze of thinking is not merely technology, but the tendency of humans that they treat them as a magic stick and a black box. Not understanding the aims and theory of them courses the disapproval problems.

The most important thing to use thechnology, regardless of the new or old, is to comprehend the fundamental idea of them and to adapt suit tech to tasks in need. Even if you recognize a method as an all-mighty and it is extremely over-spec to your needs, you can not see the result you want. In this procedure, humans have to consider as long as possible to acquire adequate functions. Therefore, humans can not escape from using their brains.

In addition, the technology as it does not vain automatically is created by humans. Thus, the more developed tech and the more you want a convenient life, the more you think and emit your creativity to breakthrough some banal method sarcastically.

Consequently, if you are not passive to the new tech, but offensive to it, you would not lose your ability to think deeply. Furthermore, you may improve your ability by adopting it.

• Rater Commentary for Essay Response — Score 2
• This essay is no better than a score 2 simply because of the language used.
• Serious errors in grammar, only specific moments of clarity, sentence mechanics and usage of terms minus meanings contribute to this.
• If one were to overlook the obvious flaws, the author has made an effort to respond to the prompt - "I can not agree with the statement that the technology makes humans be reluctant to thinking thoroughly."
• However, the author has not been successful in his assertion of - "Not understanding the aims and theory of them [technology] courses the disapproval problems" and "The most important thing to use the technology ... is to comprehend the fundamental idea of them."
• Overall, the essay presents a badly inconsistent but not essentially lacking in an endeavor to produce and sustain its statements.

Essay Response Score 1

Humans have invented machines but they have forgotten it and have started everything technically so clearly their thinking process is deteriorating.

• Rater Commentary for Essay Response — Score 1
• The author’s manner of using significant terms from the prompt "technically" (technologically), "humans," "thinking" (think) and "deteriorating" (deteriorate) clearly demonstrates that the essay is topic and offers evidence of understanding.
• It also shows the author’s inability to create an appropriate response that is in adherence to the instructions and guidelines provided - ("Discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the statement above and explain your reasoning for the position you take."
• The language used also demonstrates that the essay is no better than a level 1 as the sentences formed are not coherent.

6 Tips for a Perfect-Scoring GRE ® Essay

Go over these fundamental pointers that should help you get that perfect score on your four GRE ® essays.

• The common factor in all perfect-scoring GRE ® sample essays is an introduction and a conclusion.
• Ideally, you need to introduce the core ideas in the first few lines, not necessarily a paragraph and ensure that you wrap them up at the end of the essay.
• It is imperative that the author states their position on the issue clearly.
• While you may scrape through a vague standpoint in an Argument essay and still score a 4.0, the same approach will not work in an Issue essay where you may just get a 3.0.
• Regardless of the essay type or prompt, in order to get that perfect score, you will need to include a statement that clarifies your position and the extent to which you agree or disagree with it.
• From the sample essays and their analysis, one aspect that is clearly identifiable is the need for the author to concentrate on relevant support for any claims or statements being made.
• It is always more persuasive if the essay demonstrates claims that have been backed up by sufficient evidence than just making general points.
• Therefore, going backward, if you are unable to find sufficient support for your arguments, then in all probability, that is a sign that you need to rethink your position or draw inspiration from another part of the argument that will withstand critique.
• The communication of your notions and ideas and the support that you provide transcends polished writing, perfectly worded or spelt essays.
• Issues that have been clearly-explained with compelling examples, evaluations and assessments by cutting through the heart of the argument is bound to get a higher score in comparison to imprecise essays that have been skillfully crafted.
• A key factor in any of the essays getting a high score is a seamless and smooth transition of ideas between paragraphs that have been linked at multiple levels.
• Even ideas within paragraphs should have linguistic transition levels.
• All of the GRE ® essay samples adhere to the basic standard five paragraph routine that includes an introduction, body paragraphs and a conclusion.
• The ETS website states, “You are free to organize and develop your response in any way you think will enable you to effectively communicate your ideas about the issue.”
• But having your essay organized across these five paragraph formats it will save you the time of having to figure out a new organizational strategy for every essay you write.
• And the more consistently you stick to a simple (but clear) organizational structure, the faster you’ll get at it until organizing your thoughts logically comes as second-nature.

Download your FREE eBook on AWA essay writing, now!

1) corresponding or agreeing; suitable 2) marked or enhanced by harmonious agreement among constituent elements

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The New GRE AWA: Tips to Approach the GRE Essay

The content in this post applies in 2024 to the new, shorter GRE!

The shorter GRE introduced a faster, more streamlined experience for test-takers. As part of the changes, the shorter GRE AWA section was reduced to one essay (instead of two). Great news! So, how do you prepare for the new GRE essay? Read on to find out.

How does the new GRE AWA work?

The new GRE Analytical Writing Assessment (AWA) consists of the Issue essay . You are allotted 30 minutes for your essay. The GRE essay tests your ability to write a cogent thesis statement that you must defend over the course of several paragraphs.

What is the Analyze an Issue essay?

Gre issue essay topics.

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.

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

The Issue essay asks you to respond to and analyze a general statement, like the ones above, that relates to politics, education, or culture. Essentially, you are taking a position on a complex matter.

Where can I find sample GRE AWA topics?

Good news! ETS publishes the entire pools of Issue topics and Argument topics on its site. The topics you see on your test will be drawn from those pools , so this is an essential resource. Learn more about the seven types of topics you might encounter in our GRE Essay Topics post.

How is the GRE AWA scored?

Deep in a dark room far, far away resides a poor soul who must sort through an interminable stack of GRE AWA essays. In a mere thirty seconds, that person must award a score from a 0.0 – 6.0, based on 0.5 increments. The grader is typically a university literature/writing professor who, according to ETS, has undergone rigorous training in order to qualify.

But that’s only half of the story.

This next part sounds a little nefarious — so hold onto your seats. Over the course of the last decade or so, ETS has developed–and it would say refined–the “E-rater”, an automated essay grader.

While it may seem that HAL , the diabolical talking computer from Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey , has been unleashed to wreak grading havoc on your essays, the “E-rater” is only used as a second “grader” to ensure that the human grader isn’t napping at the job. If the “E-rater’s” score differs by 1.5 points or more from the human grader’s score, then a second human grader will look at your essay, the master grader–who, presumably, resides in an even darker room.

Your final score is calculated by taking the two essays, averaging them, and then rounding the result to fit on the half point scale. At least for now, HAL has not completely taken over — the “E-rater” serves only as a check on human error. That is not to say that one day the two human graders will emerge from their dark rooms as anachronisms (as far as GRE AWA grading goes). Let’s hope that such a day never comes, the day in which admission to a top-notch grad school hangs in the precarious balance of a robot grader.

How does the GRE AWA scoring range work?

What exactly does it mean to get a 0.0, or for that matter a 6.0 on GRE Analytical Writing? Well, a 0.0 means you fell asleep, your forehead planted firmly on the keyboard, an endless series of gobbledygook forming on screen. A 6.0 is a consistently insightful and well-crafted essay, running a good 80-plus lines.

You may think I’m jesting with the 0.0, but really I’m not: those essays are deemed “Ungradeable.” Hence, very few students end up getting a 0.0, or, for that matter, a score below a 2.0. Indeed, the vast majority of students fall between a 3.0 and a 5.0.

So what exactly does it mean to get a 3.0 vs. 4.0, or a 4.5 vs. a 5.0? For me to really answer that it would take at least several pages, including example essays. Instead, have a look at the AWA scoring guidelines from ETS. The links to the sample essays are included below.

Is there anywhere I can get my essays graded?

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 grade your GRE AWA essays. But that is all you will get. A simple score. No feedback. People have tried, apparently, but nobody at ETS will provide feedback (apparently, the “E-rater” has not yet evolved to this level of sophistication).

Luckily, things aren’t quite as bleak as that. Over the years, I’ve seen many students asking for feedback on the forums ( urch.com , thegradcafe.com ) and 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.

More creative ideas on how to get your essay graded here , plus we have a downloadable GRE essay rubric . Let us know if you have any others, we’d love to hear them! 🙂

What do the graders look for?

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.

There are some other factors that play into the human grader’s assessment. 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 doesn’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.

I should note that the 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.

How long do my GRE essays have to be?

Believe it or not, out of two 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 six paragraphs a long essay do not make. Paragraph length matters too. And, of course, don’t forget that each of those paragraphs has to flow logically and clearly from your thesis.

How do I practice for GRE Analytical Writing?

Essay writing is tough. Practicing for the GRE Analytical Writing Assessment–given that it’s difficult to get feedback–makes things even more unpleasant: you write and write without knowing if you are really improving. But do not despair–there are sample essays, friends and family, and the ETS essay grading service, as well as many GRE writing tips you can use.

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 hippocampus, but will 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, 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 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’, then focus on getting to a ‘4.’ Once you think you’ve done so, shoot your essay over to the ETS grading service. Check out this sample essay to see what it takes to achieve your ideal GRE writing score:

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. So 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.

How do I improve my grammar and style?

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. 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 are short on teaching writing style, which is a great skill to have for the GRE (and beyond!).

Are there any sample essays I can read?

It is one thing to read the guidelines for what constitutes a ‘6’ essay. In essence you are interpreting the information. But by actually reading you learn what the grader (and the robot) are looking for.

While sample essays abound in prep books, some of them appear written and polished over time, and thus don’t reflect the work of someone who is under the constraints for the essay.

The best source for sample essays are the released sample essays (completed with grader comments!) from ETS:

Sample Issue Essays from ETS

Sample Argument Essays 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.

Chris Lele is the Principal Curriculum Manager (and vocabulary wizard ) at Magoosh. 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 . In his time at Magoosh, Chris has taught countless students how to tackle the GRE , GMAT, SAT, ACT, MCAT (CARS), and LSAT exams with confidence. Some of his students have even gone on to get near-perfect scores. You can find Chris on YouTube , LinkedIn , Twitter and Facebook !

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11 responses to “The New GRE AWA: Tips to Approach the GRE Essay”

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.

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Nail the GRE Analytical Writing with Sample Issue Essays

• Introduction

The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is a standardized test required by many graduate schools in the United States and other English-speaking countries.

One of the most challenging sections of the GRE is the analytical writing section, which consists of two tasks: the issue task and the argument task.

This blog will focus on the issue task, providing GRE issue essay examples, tips, and strategies to help you nail the GRE analytical writing section.

• GRE Analytical Writing Section

The analytical writing section is the first part of the GRE and is designed to assess your critical thinking and analytical writing skills. It consists of two 30-minute tasks: the ‘Analyze an Issue’ task and the ‘Analyze an Argument’ task.

In the issue task, you are given a statement on a general issue, and you are required to write a response in which you discuss your views on the issue. You will need to provide reasons and examples to support your position.

The quality of your essay, your ability to present a clear and well-reasoned response, and your writing skills will all contribute to your GRE analytical writing score.

• Preparing for the GRE Issue Essay

The issue essay requires you to take a position on an issue and to support your position with reasons and examples. It is important to practice writing essays on various topics to develop your writing skills and to understand the types of topics that may appear in the actual GRE exam.

Analyzing the Prompt

The first step in preparing for the issue essay is to analyze the prompt. The prompt will present a statement, and you will need to discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the statement.

It is important to carefully read and understand the prompt and to identify the key issues that need to be addressed in your essay.

Planning Your Response

Once you have analyzed the prompt, it is important to plan your response. Start by deciding on your position on the issue. Do you agree or disagree with the statement?

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To what extent do you agree or disagree? Then, think about the reasons for your position and the examples that could be used to support your reasoning.

Writing the Essay

When writing the essay, start with an introduction that clearly states your position on the issue and provides a brief overview of the reasons for your position.

In the body of the essay, discuss your reasons and provide examples to support your position. Be sure to address the most compelling reasons and examples that could be used to challenge your position. Finally, in the conclusion, summarize your position and the reasons for your position.

• GRE Issue Essay Examples

Below are some sample issue essay topics and responses to help you prepare for the GRE analytical writing section.

Sample Issue Essay 1:

Prompt : “In today’s world, it is more important to work quickly and risk making mistakes than to work slowly and make sure that everything is perfect.”

Introduction : In today’s fast-paced world, there is often a trade-off between speed and accuracy. While it is important to work quickly to meet deadlines and stay competitive, it is also important to ensure that the work is of high quality and free of mistakes. I partially agree with the statement that it is more important to work quickly and risk making mistakes than to work slowly and make sure that everything is perfect. While speed is important in some situations, accuracy is also crucial, and it is important to strike a balance between the two.

Body : On one hand, working quickly is important in many situations. In today’s competitive business environment, companies often face tight deadlines and need to respond quickly to changes in the market. Being able to work quickly can lead to increased productivity, faster decision-making, and a competitive advantage. Additionally, in some situations, it is better to make a decision quickly, even if it is not perfect than to delay and miss out on an opportunity.

On the other hand, it is also important to ensure that the work is of high quality and free of mistakes. Making mistakes can lead to wasted time and resources, and can damage a company’s reputation. In some industries, such as healthcare or aviation, making mistakes can have serious consequences and can even be life-threatening.

Conclusion : In conclusion, while it is important to work quickly in some situations, it is also important to ensure that the work is of high quality and free of mistakes. It is important to strike a balance between speed and accuracy, and to consider the potential consequences of making mistakes. Ultimately, the best approach will depend on the situation and the potential consequences of making mistakes.

Sample Issue Essay 2:

Prompt : “The best way to solve environmental problems caused by consumer-generated waste is for towns and cities to impose strict limits on the amount of trash they will accept from each household.”

Introduction : Environmental problems caused by consumer-generated waste are a growing concern worldwide. Landfills are overflowing, and pollution from waste is impacting air and water quality. While imposing strict limits on the amount of trash accepted from each household may be part of the solution, I do not believe it is the best way to solve the problem. A more comprehensive approach that includes reducing, reusing, and recycling waste, as well as educating the public about the importance of reducing waste, is needed to effectively address the issue.

Body : Imposing strict limits on the amount of trash accepted from each household may encourage people to reduce their waste and recycle more. However, it may also lead to illegal dumping or to people finding other ways to dispose of their waste that may be even more harmful to the environment. Additionally, it does not address the root causes of the problem, which include overconsumption and the production of non-recyclable or non-biodegradable products.

A more comprehensive approach is needed to effectively address the issue. This could include implementing policies that encourage the production and use of recyclable or biodegradable products, promoting recycling and composting programs, and educating the public about the importance of reducing waste. Additionally, providing incentives for households and businesses to reduce their waste and recycle, as well as imposing penalties for illegal dumping, could also be part of the solution.

Conclusion : In conclusion, while imposing strict limits on the amount of trash accepted from each household may be part of the solution, it is not the best way to solve the problem. A more comprehensive approach that includes reducing, reusing, and recycling waste, as well as educating the public about the importance of reducing waste, is needed to effectively address the issue.

• Tips for Writing a High-Scoring GRE Issue Essay
• Analyze the Prompt : Make sure you understand the prompt and the issue it presents. Identify the key issues that need to be addressed in your essay.
• Plan Your Response : Decide on your position on the issue and think about the reasons for your position and the examples that could be used to support your reasoning.
• Write a Clear and Well-Reasoned Response : Start with an introduction that clearly states your position on the issue and provides a brief overview of the reasons for your position. In the body of the essay, discuss your reasons and provide examples to support your position. Be sure to address the most compelling reasons and examples that could be used to challenge your position. Finally, in the conclusion, summarize your position and the reasons for your position.
• Practice, Practice, Practice : Practice writing essays on various topics to develop your writing skills and to understand the types of topics that may appear in the actual GRE exam.
• Revise Your Essay : After writing your essay, take some time to revise it. Check for any grammatical or spelling errors, and make sure that your ideas are clearly and logically presented.

Understanding the GRE Issue Task Scoring Criteria

Understanding the criteria on which your essay will be evaluated can help you write a high-scoring essay. ETS, the organization that administers the GRE, evaluates the issue essay on the following criteria:

• Articulation of Ideas : This criterion assesses the clarity and fluency with which you present your ideas. Your essay should be well-organized, with a clear and logical progression of ideas.
• Development and Support : This criterion assesses the reasons and examples you provide to support your position on the issue. Your reasons should be well-developed, and your examples should be relevant and compelling.
• Analytical Writing Skills : This criterion assesses your ability to analyze the issue, consider different perspectives, and present a well-reasoned and thoughtful response.
• Control of Language : This criterion assesses the quality of your writing, including your vocabulary, sentence structure, and grammatical correctness.

To score high on the GRE issue essay, make sure to address all of these criteria in your essay.

Developing a Strong Thesis Statement

Your thesis statement is one of the most important parts of your essay. It should clearly state your position on the issue and provide a brief overview of the reasons for your position.

Your thesis statement should be specific and debatable, and it should provide a roadmap for your reader. Here are some tips for developing a strong thesis statement:

• Take a Clear Position : Your thesis statement should clearly state your position on the issue. Avoid vague or neutral statements that do not take a clear position.
• Be Specific : Your thesis statement should be specific and focused. Avoid broad or general statements that do not clearly articulate your position.
• Provide a Roadmap : Your thesis statement should provide a brief overview of the main points that you will discuss in your essay. This will help your reader understand the structure of your essay and the main ideas that you will be discussing.

Addressing Opposing Views

It is important to address opposing views in your essay. This shows that you have considered different perspectives on the issue and helps to strengthen your argument. Here are some tips for addressing opposing views in your essay:

• Be Respectful : Acknowledge the validity of opposing views, even if you do not agree with them. Avoid dismissive or derogatory language.
• Be Fair : Present opposing views accurately and fairly. Do not misrepresent or distort opposing views to make your own argument seem stronger.
• Provide a Counterargument : After presenting an opposing view, provide a counterargument that explains why you do not agree with that view and why your position is more persuasive.

Using Evidence Effectively

Using evidence effectively is crucial for writing a persuasive essay. Your evidence should be relevant, compelling, and should directly support your thesis statement. Here are some tips for using evidence effectively in your essay:

• Be Specific : Provide specific examples and details to support your thesis statement. Avoid vague or general statements that do not directly support your argument.
• Be Relevant : Make sure that the evidence you provide is directly relevant to your thesis statement and the main points of your essay.
• Be Persuasive : Use compelling evidence that persuades your reader to accept your position on the issue. This could include facts, statistics, anecdotes, or expert opinions.

Crafting a Strong Conclusion

Your conclusion is the final opportunity to persuade your reader to accept your position on the issue. It should summarize your main points, restate your thesis in a new way, and provide a closing thought that leaves a lasting impression on your reader. Here are some tips for crafting a strong conclusion:

• Summarize Your Main Points : Briefly summarize the main points of your essay. This helps to reinforce your argument and reminds your reader of the key reasons for your position.
• Restate Your Thesis : Restate your thesis in a new way. This helps to reinforce your argument and provides a sense of closure to your essay.
• Provide a Closing Thought : End your essay with a closing thought that leaves a lasting impression on your reader. This could be a call to action, a prediction about the future, or a final insight about the issue.
• Practice is Key

Practicing writing essays on various topics is crucial for developing your writing skills and for understanding the types of topics that may appear in the actual GRE exam.

Practice writing essays on different topics, and seek feedback from others to improve your writing. Additionally, you can find sample issue essay prompts on the ETS website or in official GRE prep books.

Practice writing essays on these prompts to familiarize yourself with the types of topics that may appear in the actual exam and to develop your ability to write a well-reasoned and thoughtful response.

The GRE issue essay is an important part of the GRE analytical writing section. By understanding the scoring criteria, developing a strong thesis statement, addressing opposing views, using evidence effectively, and crafting a strong conclusion, you can write a high-scoring GRE issue essay.

Remember to practice writing essays on various topics to develop your writing skills and to familiarize yourself with the types of topics that may appear in the actual GRE exam. With practice and preparation, you can nail the GRE analytical writing section and achieve a high score.

What is the GRE analytical writing section?

The GRE analytical writing section is the first part of the GRE and is designed to assess your critical thinking and analytical writing skills. It consists of two 30-minute tasks: the ‘Analyze an Issue’ task and the ‘Analyze an Argument’ task.

How is the GRE issue essay scored?

The GRE issue essay is scored on a scale of 0 to 6, with 0 being the lowest score and 6 being the highest score. ETS evaluates the issue essay on four criteria: articulation of ideas, development, and support, analytical writing skills, and control of language.

What are some tips for writing a high-scoring GRE issue essay?

Some tips for writing a high-scoring GRE issue essay include understanding the scoring criteria, developing a strong thesis statement, addressing opposing views, using evidence effectively, and crafting a strong conclusion.

How can I practice for the GRE issue essay?

Practice writing essays on various topics to develop your writing skills and to understand the types of topics that may appear in the actual GRE exam. Additionally, you can find sample issue essay prompts on the ETS website or in official GRE prep books. Practice writing essays on these prompts to familiarize yourself with the types of topics that may appear in the actual exam and to develop your ability to write a well-reasoned and thoughtful response.

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Table of Contents

• • Introduction
• • GRE Analytical Writing Section
• • Preparing for the GRE Issue Essay
• • GRE Issue Essay Examples
• • Tips for Writing a High-Scoring GRE Issue Essay
• • Practice is Key
• • Conclusion

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GRE sample essays to nail the GRE Analytical writing section!

Worried about your performance in the gre analytical writing section follow the instructions, tips, and methods in this blog, and learn from these 8 gre sample essays to nail your exam, table of contents, gre sample essays | an overview, gre analytical writing section, issue essay, sample topics, gre sample essay response with the highest score (6):, gre sample essays response with a medium score (3):, argument essay, what do graders look for, how is the gre analytical writing section scored, how to practice for the gre analytical writing section, key takeaways.

A lot of students find the Quants and the Verbal sections of the GRE (Graduate Record Examination) exam fairly easy to deal with. It’s the GRE Analytical Writing section that gives almost everybody a run for the woods. To reduce your nervousness and help you prepare for the GRE Analytical Writing section, I have included in-depth details about each question type and shared tips on how to nail it. Along with that, you will also find some GRE sample essays to help you. So, what are you waiting for? Dive in!

Before we begin, it’s important to understand what the GRE Analytical Writing section is all about and why it’s so important.

The GRE Analytical Writing section tests a student’s critical thinking and analytical writing skills.

In simpler words – universities want to make sure that their students know how to construct complex ideas, analyze them, and express their thoughts on paper.

So the Analytical Writing score helps them see if a student will perform well while giving presentations, doing projects, or writing papers and assignments for a class.

Consequently, the Analytical Writing section in GRE consists of two tasks-

• The “Analyze an Issue” task – 30 minutes
• The “Analyze an Argument” task – 30 minutes

Below, we talk about each of these tasks, what they test, and look at a few sample

The “Analyze an Issue” task will present an opinion to you. This opinion can be about any general topic, like technology, economics, health, etc.

But don’t worry about not knowing too much about these topics. If you usually keep up with the news, it will be straightforward to come up with a response.

Now, after reading the opinion, you will go through a set of instructions on how to respond to that issue.

All you have to do is evaluate the issue, come up with an opinion, and use clear arguments and examples to support your opinion.

Give it a whirl and see how you’re performing-

• A nation should require all of its students to study the same national curriculum until they enter college. Write a response in which you discuss your views on the policy and explain your reasoning for the position you take. In developing and supporting your position, you should consider the possible consequences of implementing the policy and explain how these consequences shape your position.
• 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 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 and explain how these considerations shape your position.
• In any field of inquiry, the beginner is more likely than the expert to make important contributions. 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 and explain how these considerations shape your position.

GRE sample essays with analysis

Now that you have practiced writing a couple of essays, take some time to look at this GRE sample essay for the “Analyze an Issue” task.

Not only will it help you see which areas you can improve on, but it will also help you look at the same topic from a different perspective.

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

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 and explain how these considerations shape your position.

The statement linking technology negatively with free thinking plays on the recent human experience over the past century. Surely there has been no time in history when the lived lives of people have changed more dramatically. A quick reflection on a typical day reveals how technology has revolutionized the world. Most people commute to work in an automobile that runs on an internal combustion engine. During the workday, chances are high that the employee will interact with a computer that processes information on silicon bridges that are .09 microns wide. Upon leaving home, family members will reach through wireless networks that utilize satellites orbiting the earth. Each of these common occurrences could have been inconceivable at the turn of the 19th century.

The statement attempts to bridge these dramatic changes to a reduction in the ability of humans to think for themselves. The assumption is that 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 shortcircuits this thinking by making the problems obsolete.

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 not only to 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.

In contrast to the statement, we can even see how technology frees the human imagination. Consider how the digital revolution and the advent of the internet have allowed for an unprecedented exchange of ideas. WebMD, a popular internet portal for medical information, permits patients to self-research symptoms for a more informed doctor visit. With increased interdisciplinary interactions, inspiration can arrive from the most surprising corners. Jeffrey Sachs, one of the architects of the UN Millenium Development Goals, based his ideas on emergency care triage techniques. The unlikely marriage of economics and medicine has healed tense, hyperinflation environments from South America to Eastern Europe.

This last example provides the most hope in how technology actually provides hope for the future of humanity. By increasing our reliance on technology, we can now achieve impossible goals. Consider how the late 20th century witnessed the complete elimination of smallpox. This disease had ravaged the human race since prehistorical days, and yet with the technology of vaccines, free-thinking humans dared to imagine a world free of smallpox. Using technology, battle plans were drawn out, and smallpox was systematically targeted and eradicated.

Technology will always mark the human experience, from the discovery of fire to the implementation of nanotechnology. Given the history of the human race, there will be no limit to the number of problems, both new and old, for us to tackle. There is no need to retreat to a Luddite attitude to new things but rather embrace a hopeful posture to the possibilities that technology provides for new avenues of human imagination.

There is no current proof that advancing technology will deteriorate the ability of humans to think. On the contrary, advancements in technology have advanced our vast knowledge in many fields, opening opportunities for further understanding and achievement. For example, the problem of debilitating illnesses and diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease is slowly being solved by technological advancements in stem cell research. The future ability to grow new brain cells and the possibility of reversing the onset of Alzheimer’s is now becoming a reality. This shows our initiative as humans to better our health and demonstrates the greater ability of humans to think.

One aspect where the ability of humans may initially be seen as an example of deteriorating minds is the use of the internet and cell phones. In the past, humans had to seek out information in many different environments and aspects of life. Now humans can sit in a chair, type anything into a computer, and get an answer.

Our reliance on this type of technology can be detrimental if not regulated and regularly substituted for other information sources, such as human interactions and hands-on learning. I think if humans understand that we should not have such a reliance on computer technology, we as a species will advance further by utilizing the opportunity of computer technology as well as other sources of information outside of a computer. Supplementing our knowledge with internet access is surely a way for technology to solve problems while continually advancing the human race.

The “Analyze an Argument” task, on the other hand, will ask you to analyze both sides of an argument about an issue according to specific instructions.

So rather than agreeing or disagreeing with a given issue, you will have to consider the logical strength of an argument.

Again, the argument can be on any general topic of interest, like technology, economics, health, etc. But if you usually keep up with the news, it will be effortless to come up with a response.

Now that you know what this task expects of you, you can get to writing-

1. “To reverse a decline in listener numbers, our owners have decided that WWAC must change from its current rock-music format. The decline has occurred despite population growth in our listening area, but that growth has resulted mainly from people moving here after their retirement. We must make listeners of these new residents. We could switch to a music format tailored to their tastes, but a continuing decline in local sales of recorded music suggests limited interest in music. Instead, we should change to a news and talk format, a form of radio that is increasingly popular in our area.”

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.

2. “A jazz music club in Monroe would be a tremendously profitable enterprise. Currently, the nearest jazz club is 65 miles away; thus, the proposed new jazz club in Monroe, the C-Note, would have the local market all to itself. Plus, jazz is extremely popular in Monroe: over 100,000 people attended Monroe’s annual jazz festival last summer; several well-known jazz musicians live in Monroe; and the highest-rated radio program in Monroe is ‘Jazz Nightly,’ which airs every weeknight at 7 P.M. Finally, a nationwide study indicates that the typical jazz fan spends close to $1,000 per year on jazz entertainment.”

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

3. “In an effort to improve our employees’ productivity, we should implement electronic monitoring of employees’ Internet use from their workstations. Employees who use the internet from their workstations need to be identified and punished if we are to reduce the number of work hours spent on personal or recreational activities, such as shopping or playing games. By installing software to detect employees’ Internet use on company computers, we can prevent employees from wasting time, foster a better work ethic at Climpson, and improve our overall profits.”

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 these assumptions and what the implications are for the argument if the assumptions prove unwarranted.

Now that you have practiced writing a couple of essays, take some time to look at this GRE sample essay for the “Analyze an Argument” task.

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. The use of the river for water sports is therefore sure to increase. The city government should, for that reason, devote more money to this year’s budget for 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.

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.

Citing surveys of city residents, the author reports city residents’ love of water sports. It is not clear, however, the scope and validity of that survey. For example, the survey could have asked residents if they preferred using the river for water sports or would like to see a hydroelectric dam built, which may have swayed residents toward river sports. The sample may not have been representative of city residents, asking only those residents who live on the river. The survey may have been 10 pages long, with 2 questions dedicated to river sports. We just do not know. Unless the survey is fully representative, valid, and reliable, it can not be used to back the author’s argument effectively.

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 effective. 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. To strengthen his/her argument, the author would benefit from implementing a normed survey asking a wide range of residents why they do not currently use the river.

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.

If the river’s water quality and smell result from problems that can be cleaned, this may be true. For example, if pollution causes decreased water quality and aroma by factories along the river, there is certainly a solution for this. But if the quality and aroma result from the natural mineral deposits in the water or surrounding rock, this may not be true. There are some bodies of water that emit a strong smell of sulfur due to the geography of the area. This is not something that a clean-up can resolve. Consequently, a river clean-up may have no impact on river usage. Regardless of whether the river’s quality is able to improve or not, the author does not effectively show a connection between water quality and river usage.

A clean, beautiful, safe river often adds to a city’s property values, leads to increased tourism and revenue from those who come to take advantage of the river, and a better overall quality of life for residents. For these reasons, the city government may decide to invest in improving riverside recreational facilities. However, this author’s argument is not likely significantly persuade the city government to allocate increased funding.

Surveys speak for the people; however, surveys do not always speak for the whole community. A survey completed by Mason City residents concluded that the residents enjoy water sports as a form of recreation.

If that is so evident, why has the river not been used? The blame can not solely be placed on the city park department. The city park department can only do as much as they observe. The real issue is not the resident’s use of the river but their desire for a more pleasant smell and more pleasant sight.

If the city government cleans the river, it might take years for the smell to go away. If the budget is changed to accommodate the clean-up of the Mason River, other problems will arise. The residents will then begin to complain about other issues in their city that will be ignored because of the great emphasis being placed on the Mason River.

If more money is taken out of the budget to clean the river, an assumption can be made. This assumption is that the budget for another part of city maintenance or building will be tapped into. In addition, to the budget being used to clean up Mason River, it will also be allocated to increase riverside recreational facilities.

The government is trying to appease its residents, and one can warrant that the role of the government is to please the people. There are many assumptions being made; however, the government can not make the assumption that people want the river to be cleaned so that they can use it for recreational water activities. The government has to realize the long-term effects that its decision will have on the monetary value of its budget.

While both the Issue and the Argument essays seem similar, graders look at both these tasks differently.

When it comes to the “Analyze an Issue” task, they see if a student-

• Forms a clear and thoughtful opinion on the issue
• Comes up with cogent arguments and examples to support the opinion
• Is able to sustain a well-focused, well-organized analysis, connecting ideas coherently
• Conveys ideas using effective vocabulary and sentence variety

For the “Analyze an Argument” task, they see if a student-

• Forms a clear understanding of the argument
• Develops ideas cogently , organizes them logically, and connects them well
• Comes up with coherent arguments and examples to support the opinion

However, as you can see, the main idea stands out clearly – the graders are looking for students with good vocabulary, clear decision-making ability, cogent (you might want to Google that :P) thought processes and coherent expression.

Although the GRE Analytical Writing section consists of two essays, they are not scored separately.

You will be scored anywhere between 0 and 6, in 5-point increments, for both the essays you write.

Almost nobody gets a score below 2-2.5 because most students are able to write down something sensible.

However, a score of 4 or greater is considered to be a good score for this section (go through the GRE sample essays on the ETS website and read graders’ comments on essays that have been scored 4 and above).

Moreover, your GRE Analytical Writing Score will be separate from your GRE overall score, which comprises the Quantitative and Verbal section reports.

Here’s a step-by-step process (with tips) on how to prepare for the GRE Analytical Writing section-

• Pick up a random essay question and write about it
• Read the GRE sample essays for that question and gauge what your score might be
• Go through graders’ comments on these GRE sample essays and find out where you went wrong
• Take up another essay and write

Keep on doing this on a loop until you feel you have reached the score you are aiming for.

• Keep a standard essay structure in mind – Introduction, Problem Statement, Solution, Benefits of the solution, Drawbacks of the solution, and Conclusion.
• Dedicate each para to one heading, and understand that they do not necessarily have to be in this order.
• Make sure you use examples to support your argument – you can either use an extended example or multiple ones. But without them, your argument will seem flimsy.
• Write the entire essay first. Don’t listen to the critical side of your brain just now. Once you’ve finished your first draft, you can always come back and edit.
• If there is one writing tip one could never give enough of, it’s this – practice, practice, practice!

There you have it! Everything you need to know about the GRE Analytical Writing section is here – pattern, scoring, GRE sample essays, sample answers, and GRE Analytical Writing question tips.

If you feel like we missed out on something or have any doubts, feel free to drop a comment or reach out to us ! We’d be very happy to help.

Like this blog? Then read the blog on GRE sample test | Everything you need to know about this exam!

Question 1: What is a good GRE Writing score?

Answer: Anything about 4.5 is considered a good score. 

Question 2: How do I start my introduction?

Answer: Provide your reader with a clear understanding of what your topic is about and what direction you will take it in. 

Question 3: Do essays matter for GRE?

Answer: Yes, the GRE essays are scored on a separate scale; they are not part of your total GRE score.

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GRE Sample Issue Essays: Introduction to the Types of Topics Covered

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Updated on 23 May, 2023

Mrinal Mandal

Study abroad expert.

The Analytical Writing section of GRE measures your ability to think critically and assesses how well you can support and articulate complex ideas arguments and sustain a focused and coherent discussion. Since the Verbal and Quantitative sections are objective-based, the Analytical Writing Section gives you a chance to prove your analytical and critical thinking. AWA consists of two areas which are as follows:

a) An "Analyze an Issue" task for 30 minutes

b) An "Analyze an Argument" task for 30 minutes

An issue essay is a section of the Analytical Writing Measure of GRE. Each question claims a topic of general interest that can be discussed from different perspectives and applied in different scenarios. A GRE sample issue essay will help you develop reasoning for the stance you take for a given condition.

The Analytical Writing section of GRE measures your ability to think critically. It assesses how well you can support and articulate complex arguments and sustain a focused and coherent discussion. Since the Verbal and Quantitative sections are objective-based, the Analytical Writing Section gives you a chance to prove your analytical and critical thinking.

Table of Contents

Types of topics included in gre issue essays.

• Dos and Don'ts During GRE Issue Essay Preparation

Structure of GRE Issue Essays and Tips to Frame a Strong One

Tips to write an impressive gre issue essay, download these useful guides to ace your gre preparation, frequently asked questions, important resources for pte/sat/act exam.

Usually, the ideas and topics on which a student will be probed in the GRE issue essay are drawn from everyday life and requires you to rely on your experiences to answer them. The topics for issue essays are taken from various domains such as business, politics, technology, art, education, and more etc. The GRE issue essay consists of a statement or statements, along with specific task instructions which require you to respond to the task in a certain way. 

Dos and Don'ts During GRE Issue Essay Preparation

The better you organize your essay, the clearer it becomes to the examiner as they want to assess how you develop an argument to support your evaluation of the issue. You can structure your essay into five paragraphs which are as follows:

a) Introduction

Develop your points so that the analysis guides the examiner through the argument you are trying to make. 

b) Body Paragraph 1

Use your most specific and most important reason at first and support it with logical analysis and examples.

c) Body Paragraph 2

Launch into your second reason by using a transition phase and supporting example. 

d) Final Body Paragraph

Transition into your third stance along with an example and explain how it supports your thesis. You can also bring a solid counterargument for the view and explain why it is incorrect. 

e) Conclusion

Summarizing the points you made in brief, your conclusion should reflect your introductory paragraph.

Here are a few tips on writing a good GRE issue essay. 

i) Choose a side and stick to it

ii) Keep your examples specific and relevant to the real world

iii) Use strong, declarative sentences as they add distinction and confidence

iv) Refute the other position by introducing an opposite point of view

iii) Use strong, declarative sentences as they add distinction and confidence to your writing

Recommended Reads:

GRE Sample Issue Essay

Now that you have understood the structure and got the tips to write a good one, here's a GRE sample essay that would help you improve and enable you to see the topic from a different perspective.

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

The statement linking technology negatively with people's ability to think freely reflects the recent human experience over the past century. A glance at a typical day of a human being shows how technology has revolutionized the world. From commuting to work in an automobile that runs on an internal combustion engine, interacting with a computer that processes information on silicon bridges that are 0.09 micrometers wide, to reaching out to family members on leaving home through wireless networks, technology is involved with almost everything. In the 19th century, each of these common occurrences was unimaginable.

The statement attempts to bridge these dramatic changes that were considered inconceivable once to a reduction in the ability of humans to think for themselves. It assumes that increased reliance on technology has reduced the need for people to think creatively. Looking back in time, without a mobile phone, computer, or car, humans would need to find alternate methods of communication, information processing, and transport. Still, the developments in technology made these problems outdated.

However, this dependence on technology does not necessarily debar humans from being creative. While technological development has made things convenient, it has also made people live more efficiently. This efficiency did not preclude the need for humans to think for themselves. Though it has freed the human species from tackling new problems, it has created issues that did not exist without technology. For example, the need for fuel conservation has increased globally with the proliferation of automobiles, making global warming a significant concern with growing energy demands from emerging markets. In the same way, increased demand for oil has created nation-states that do not pay taxes, and the ruling parties oppress minority groups such as women. Only maverick scientists and politicians' unfettered imaginations can solve these complex problems.

Let's consider the digital revolution and the advent of the internet, which contradicts the statement. We can witness how technology frees the human imagination, allowing for an unprecedented exchange of ideas. WebMD, a popular internet portal for medical information, has opened pathways of thinking for a layman by permitting patients to self-research symptoms for a more informed doctor visit. As Jeffrey Sachs developed the UN Millenium Development Goals, the unlikely union between economics and medicine has healed hyperinflation and tension from South America to Eastern Europe. The latter example provides a ray of hope for how technology will enlighten the future of humanity. Though too much dependence on technology is harmful, at the same time, it helps us to achieve impossible goals. Consider how the technology of vaccines created a world free from smallpox in the late 20th century. Using technology, a disease that ravaged the human race since prehistoric days were systematically targeted and eradicated.

From the discovery of fire to the implementation of nanotechnology, technology will permanently mark the human experience. There will be no limit to the number of old and new problems we can tackle. Therefore, it is better to embrace a hopeful attitude to technology's possibilities for new avenues of human imagination.

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Sample 2: 

Passion is necessary for a truly great idea to take hold among a people—passion either

on the part of the original thinker, the audience, or ideally both. The claim that the most lucrative subject matter for inspiring great ideas is “commonplace things” may seem initially to be counterintuitive. After all, aren’t great ideas usually marked by their extraordinary character? While this is true, their extraordinary character is as often as not directly derived from their insight into things that had theretofore gone unquestioned. While great ideas certainly can arise through seemingly pure innovation... say, for

example, Big Bang cosmology, which developed nearly all of its own scientific and philosophical

precepts through its own process of formation, it is nevertheless equally true that such groundbreaking thought was, and is, still largely a reevaluation of previous assumptions to a radical degree... after all, the question of the ultimate nature of the universe, and man’s place in it, has been central to human thought since the dawn of time. Commonplace things are, additionally, necessary as material for the generation of “the best ideas” since certainly the success among an audience must be considered in evaluating the

significance and quality of an idea.

The advent of Big Bang cosmology, which occurred in rudimentary form almost immediately upon Edwin Hubble’s first observations at the Hooker telescope in California during the early 20th century, was the most significant advance in mankind’s understanding of the universe in over 400 years. The seemingly simple fact that everything in the universe, on a very large scale, is moving away from everything else betrays nearly all of our scientific knowledge of the origins and mechanics of the universe. This

slight, one might even say commonplace, distortion of tint on a handful of photographic plates carried with it the greatest challenge to Man’s general, often religiously reinforced, conception of the nature of the world to an extent not seen since the days of Galileo. Not even Charles Darwin’s theory, though it created more of a stir than Big Bang cosmology, had such shattering implications for our conceptions of the nature of our reality. Yet it is not significant because it introduced the question of the nature of what lies beyond Man’s grasp. Many megalithic ruins, including the Pyramids of Mexico and Egypt, Stonehenge, and others, indicate that this question has been foremost on humankind’s mind since immemorial. Big Bang cosmology is incredibly significant in this line of reasoning because it changed the direction of this generally held, constantly pondered, and very ancient train of thought. 

Additionally, there is a diachronic significance to the advent of Big Bang cosmology, which is that disregarding limitations such as the quality of optical devices available and the state of theoretical math, it could have happened at any point in time. That is to say; all evidence points to roughly the same raw intellectual capacity for homo sapiens throughout our history; our progress has merely depended upon the degree of it that a person happens to inherit, a pace that has been increasing rapidly since the industrial revolution. Yet this discovery had to happen at a certain point in time or another—it cannot have been happening constantly or have never happened yet still be present—and this point in time does have its own significance. That significance is precisely the fact that the aforementioned advent must have occurred at precisely the point in time at which it truly could have occurred—that is to say, it marks the point in our history when we had progressed sufficiently to begin examining, with remarkable substantiated acuity, the workings of the universe across distances that would take millions of human lifetimes to reach or to traverse. The point for the success of this advent must necessarily have been the point at which the audience concerned was capable and prepared to accept such a radical line of reasoning. 

Both factors, a radical, passionate interpretation of the commonplace and the preparedness to accept such an interpretation, are necessary for the formulation of a truly great idea. If the passion is absent from an inquiry by the thinker or by the bulk of an audience, the idea will die out if it comes to fruition at all. If the material is not sufficiently commonplace to be considered by an informed audience of sufficient size, the same two hazards exist. Given these two factors, the idea must still be found palatable and interesting by the audience if it is to hope to gain a foothold and eventually establish itself in a significant fashion. 

Source: ETS

How can I prepare for the issue essay on the GRE exam?

To ace the GRE exam, aspirants should opt for practice tests. Aspirants can practice with ScoreItNow!™. It is one of the most essential GRE issue essay tips. It is an impeccable web-based tool that helps aspirants enhance their writing skills.

What kind of topics can I expect for the issue essay on the GRE exam?

You can expect a topic from these categories: Technology and Society, Education, Cities, Government and Power, and Philosophical & Intellectual Endeavors. 

What is the format of the issue essay on the GRE exam?

The structure of the GRE Issue Essay is comparable to the conventional 5-paragraph short essay. It will include an introduction, body paragraph (2), final body, and conclusion.

How many sample issue essays should I practice before taking the GRE exam?

Make sure to practice with at least three essays. You can also study by looking up the AWA prompts and increasing your speed while writing a multitude of them within 30-minute guidelines. So, if you want to ace the exam, ensure to practice.

PTE Examination Eligibility Criteria

There are no specific PTE exam eligibility criteria set by Pearson VUE – the organizers of the test.

PTE Academic Syllabus

PTE syllabus includes various sections such as Speaking and Writing, Reading, and Listening.

The PTE exam pattern is designed to test whether candidates can study at international institutions that have English as the main language for instructions.

PTE exam fees in India are INR 14,700, including taxes. You can choose your slot with this fee two days in advance.

Here is a list of PTE exam centers in India that you can check out. Please note that owing to the COVID pandemic, several centers are still closed.

PTE Exam Dates 2022

The PTE 2022 examination list has been released officially by the authorities conducting the examination.

PTE Accepted Universities in USA

After all, America is home to some world-class universities. Let’s discuss PTE-accepted universities in USA.

PTE Accepted Universities in Canada

Canada is a country that is renowned for the quality of its educational infrastructure. As a result, it is no surprise that a list of PTE accepted universities in Canada is sought-after.

SAT Exam Dates & Deadlines for 2022

The SAT exam dates fall on Saturdays and the test is generally conducted on 7 Saturdays every year; the deadline for registration is four weeks prior to the date of the test.

• SAT Exam Syllabus

According to the latest update on SAT syllabus 2022, SAT Subject Tests and the SAT optional essays have been discontinued which has now reduced the duration of the exam by 50 minutes.

Understanding the SAT exam pattern is of paramount importance for all those who want to study undergraduate courses from universities or colleges abroad.

SAT Scholarship for Indian Students

The College Board India Scholars Program offers the SAT scholarship for Indian students. This scholarship helps students receive education from renowned institutes worldwide.

How to Register for SAT Exam

How to register for the SAT examination? Stay assured that the procedure is not at all complex. Students desirous of obtaining admission into bachelor’s or undergraduate courses in the US or Canada will find this to be an important examination.

ACT exam syllabus

It is very important for ACT aspirants to be aware of the complete ACT exam syllabus, as it will help them to avoid any surprises on the day of the examination.

ACT exam pattern

The ACT is a widely accepted and standardized examination in the U.S. and several other countries. It is used majorly for undergraduate admissions into several colleges and universities.

ACT Test Centres in India

Due to its relevance and popularity, there are various ACT centres. Moreover, the ACT test centres in India are spread across multiple states.

ACT Exam Registration

Registration of the ACT examination is done through the official website online. Applicants need to register for the test at least two months before the test date.

The American College Testing– ACT score is a part of the college applications in the United States of America (USA), depending on the institution students apply to. There are no fixed passing marks for this examination.

Let's take a close look at the ABCs of the ACT exam and help you prepare with some essential ACT study tips.

ACT Exam Dates 2022

It is important to know the ACT dates for the year 2022 if you are planning to appear anytime soon.

SAT Preparation Books

Carefully curated list of the top SAT prep material can prove invaluable to reducing aspirants' efforts. So, to simplify your research, here are 10 SAT exam books to consider for thorough preparation.

PTE Exam Accepted Countries

Here you will find the complete list of PTE exam accepted countries.

Important Exams

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• How to download IELTS Scorecard
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The GRE ® General Test

One test for graduate, business and law school

Select a step to learn more about your GRE ® General Test journey.

Overview of the Analytical Writing Measure

Analytical writing measure (beginning september 22, 2023).

The Analytical Writing measure of the GRE General Test administered beginning September 22, 2023, assesses your critical thinking and analytical writing skills by assessing your ability to:

• articulate and support complex ideas
• construct arguments
• sustain a focused and coherent discussion

It doesn’t assess specific content knowledge.

The Analytical Writing measure consists of a 30-minute “Analyze an Issue”  task. This task presents an opinion on an issue and instructions on how to respond. You’re required to evaluate the issue, consider its complexities and develop an argument with reasons and examples to support your views.

You’ll use a basic word processor developed by ETS to type your essay responses. The word processor contains the following functionalities: insert text, delete text, cut-and-paste and undo the previous action. Tools such as a spellchecker and grammar checker are not available.

Analytical Writing Measure before September 22, 2023

The Analytical Writing measure of the GRE General Test administered before September 22, 2023, assesses your critical thinking and analytical writing skills by assessing your ability to:

• construct and evaluate arguments

The Analytical Writing measure consists of two separately timed analytical writing tasks:

• The "Analyze an Issue" task presents an opinion on an issue and instructions on how to respond. You’re required to evaluate the issue, consider its complexities and develop an argument with reasons and examples to support your views.
• The "Analyze an Argument" task requires you to evaluate an argument according to specific instructions. You’ll need to consider the logical soundness of the argument rather than agree or disagree with the position it presents.

The two 30-minute tasks are complementary. The Issue task requires you to construct your own argument, while the Argument task requires you to evaluate someone else's argument.

Preparing for the Analytical Writing measure

Everyone — even the most practiced and confident of writers — should spend time preparing for the Analytical Writing measure to understand the skills measured and how the tasks are scored. It may also be useful to review the scoring guides, sample topics, scored sample essay responses and rater commentary for each task.

The tasks in the Analytical Writing measure relate to a broad range of subjects — from the fine arts and humanities to the social and physical sciences — but don’t require specific content knowledge. Each task has been tested by actual GRE test takers to ensure that it possesses several important characteristics, including the following:

• GRE test takers, regardless of their field of study or special interests, understood the task and could easily respond to it.
• The task elicited the kinds of complex thinking and persuasive writing that university faculty consider important for success in graduate school.
• The responses were varied in content and in the way the writers developed their ideas.

Published topic pools for the Analytical Writing measure

To help you prepare for the Analytical Writing measure, the GRE Program has published the entire pool of tasks from which your test tasks will be selected. You might find it helpful to review the Issue and Argument pools:

• Issue Topic Pool (PDF)
• Argument Topic Pool (PDF)  (the Argument task was removed from the General Test beginning September 22, 2023)

Test-taking strategies for the Analytical Writing measure (in the General Test beginning September 22, 2023)

• Before taking the GRE General Test, review the strategies, sample topics, sample essay responses with rater commentary, and scoring guide for the task. This will give you a deeper understanding of how raters evaluate essays and the elements they're looking for in an essay.
• It is important to budget your time. Within the 30-minute time limit, allow sufficient time to consider the issue and the specific instructions, plan a response, and compose your essay. You want your essay response to be the best possible example of your writing that you can produce under the testing conditions.
• Save a few minutes at the end of the timed task to check for obvious errors. An occasional spelling or grammatical error won’t affect your score, but serious and persistent errors detract from the overall effectiveness of your writing and lower your score accordingly.

Get GRE Prepared with Yocket Prep

Take a diagnostic test, set up your personalized dashboard, and find a pool of practice tests. Explore our packages to learn more!

Table of Content

What are types of GRE AWA Essays?

Gre issue essay samples, gre argument essay samples, tips to use gre awa sample essays, prepare for gre with yocket prep, frequently asked questions about gre awa sample essays, gre awa sample essays: analytical writing examples.

The GRE analytical writing sample essays serve as a guide to tackle different topics asked in the GRE exam. You will find GRE AWA sample essays along with topics, scoring guides and preparation tips for both issue and argument essays on the official GRE website. But how to use them wisely and score high in this section?

The first step is to have an in-depth understanding of the GRE AWA essays, and everything related to them. This is what this blog is all about. Here we have discussed the meaning and importance of AWA GRE samples and their nitty-gritty to kickstart your preparation.

As it has been mentioned earlier, the AWA essays of the GRE are divided into two parts: Issue and Argument essays. Both these GRE essay examples are complementary to each other. While one needs a personal argument with evidence, the other expects you to evaluate someone else's argument by assessing its claims and evaluating the evidence it provides. 

You will be given 30 minutes for each of the essays. The GRE analytical writing samples for each essay need to be approved differently. Hence it is important to have a clear understanding and solve several AWA GRE samples before appearing for your actual test. Moreover, rigorous practice is a crucial part of GRE preparation . 

Suggested: What is GRE Syllabus 2023?

Now let us dive deeper into the types of GRE AWA essays and some GRE analytical writing sample essays:

The GRE issue essay evaluates your ability to think critically about a given topic of general interest and clearly express your views about it in writing. Each issue statement provides a claim that can be seen and analyzed from different perspectives and is applicable to multiple situations or conditions. 

GRE issue sample essays from the official GRE website is mentioned below:

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

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.

• The luxuries and conveniences of contemporary life prevent people from developing into truly strong and independent individuals.

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.

• Society should make efforts to save endangered species only if the potential extinction of those species is the result of human activities.

Write a response in which you discuss your views on the policy and explain your reasoning for the position you take. In developing and supporting your position, you should consider the possible consequences of implementing the policy and explain how

these consequences shape your position.

In such GRE AWA sample essays, you must discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the statement. Your responses may either be strong agreement or strong disagreement, a qualified agreement or even a qualified disagreement. Whatever your opinion is, it must be supported by valid reasons. 

Suggested: GRE Issue Essay Preparation Tips

The GRE argument essay tests your ability to understand, analyze and evaluate arguments. Your task here is to depict your thoughts in writing vividly. You will be given a short passage that demands a definite course of action and interpretation backed by reasons and evidence. You must be keen enough to 

critically examine the line of reasoning and present logical and convincing evidence. 

There are several GRE argument essay samples on the GRE website. Some of them is mentioned below:

• The following is part of a memorandum from the president of Humana University.

"Last year the number of students who enrolled in online degree programs offered by nearby Omni University increased by 50 percent. During the same year, Omni showed a significant decrease from prior years in expenditures for dormitory and

classroom space, most likely because online instruction takes place via the Internet. In contrast, over the past three years, enrollment at Humana University has failed to grow and the cost of maintaining buildings has increased. Thus, to increase

enrollment and solve the problem of budget deficits at Humana University, we should initiate and actively promote online degree programs like those at Omni."

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 these assumptions and

what the implications are for the argument if the assumptions prove unwarranted

• The vice president of human resources at Climpson Industries sent the following recommendation to the company's president.

"In an effort to improve our employees' productivity, we should implement electronic monitoring of employees' Internet use from their workstations. Employees who use the Internet from their workstations need to be identified and punished if we are to reduce the number of work hours spent on personal or recreational activities, such as shopping or playing games. By installing software to

detect employees' Internet use on company computers, we can prevent employees from wasting time, foster a better work ethic at Climpson, and improve our overall profits."

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 these assumptions and what the implications are for the argument if the assumptions prove unwarranted.

• The following is a letter to the head of the tourism bureau on the island of Tria.

"Erosion of beach sand along the shores of Tria Island is a serious threat to our island and our tourist industry. In order to stop the erosion, we should charge people for using the beaches. Although this solution may annoy a few tourists in the short term, it will raise money for replenishing the sand. Replenishing the sand, as was done to protect buildings on the nearby island of Batia, will help protect buildings along our shores, thereby reducing these buildings' risk of additional

damage from severe storms. And since beaches and buildings in the area will be preserved, Tria's tourist industry will improve over the long term."

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.

Here you are required to examine the argument's stated and/or unstated assumptions and analyze if the assumptions prove unwarranted. Your response must discuss both the argument's assumptions as well as the implications of the assumptions for the argument. 

The GRE AWA sample essays with answers available on the GRE official website are beneficial in polishing your preparation and tracking your overall progress to determine your GRE scores later. But you must equally be keen enough to use those GRE essay examples to your maximum advantage. Let us see how:

• Always start by skimming through the well-scored GRE analytical writing sample essays. 
• Try to observe the body of the essay, the flow of sentences, etc., to get an idea of how to structure your essay. 
• Carefully go through the GRE AWA sample answers to understand how to put forward your viewpoints.
• Emphasize the areas with which you struggle the most. With extra effort in going through GRE AWA sample essays, you will gain the much-needed expertise to tackle GRE AWA topics .

Suggested: What are GRE Scholarships?

Be it studying for AWA or quants or the verbal section, we can help you ace all of it!! 

With Yocket’s GRE Prep platform you can get hold of a whole lot of things - FREE mock & diagnostic tests , FREE resources , more than 40 personalised difficulty-level subject practice tests with instant performance report and detailed solutions, and much much more! 

And well, not just that, Yocket Prep will offer you: 

• Instant solutions and performance analysis based on your diagnostic tests
• Focussed and prioritised GRE learning and practice schedule, to keep you ahead of time 
• Custom priority-based study planner, which focuses on the most important & marks-fetching topics practice by volume
• 7 GRE style tests (which are very difficult to get tbh), 40+ topic-wise tests, access to Priority Dashboard and much more than you can imagine through Yocket Prep+

So, that was all about GRE AWA sample essays and the ways to use them in polishing your GRE essay writing skills. For better performance and score in this section, it is advisable to start your preparation in advance. For any guidance and assistance, do get in touch with our counselors at Yocket . 

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