GRE Prep – The Analytical Writing Assessment

Added to the GRE in 2002 the analytical writing portion demands that test takers be able to do more than choose correct answers they must also be able to articulate your own ideas and arguments in a coherent way.

The analytical writing section has two separately timed short essays.

“Present Your Perspective on an Issue” (45 minutes)

“Analyze an Argument” (30 minutes)

For the first essay you will have a choice between topics upon which to write. This is an opinion essay and requires you to discuss the issue from any perspective as long as you include relevant support and explanation for the views expressed.

The second essay provides you with an argument statement that you must assess. Based on the argument given you have to discuss who supportable the argument is by measuring its logical soundness. In this case the opinion that you take should be influenced by the construction of the argument presented not by your personal beliefs.

So, I know some of you are reading this and thinking phew no sweat! I can write two short essays no problem. Stop thinking that! It’s a trap. I too thought I would have had no problem on the writing part of the GRE, but was wrong. It was my lowest score on the exam not because I’m a poor writer, but because I hadn’t bothered to study what the writing section was actually testing. With that in mind its important for everyone taking the GRE to take time to prepare for the writing portion. Thankfully, this preparation can be done in the few days immediately before the exam and primarily consists of learning the correct structure for your essays.

To construct a 6 worthy response for the issue essay this is a good approach. First read the prompt then organize your essay as the following.

Paragraph 1 – summarize the issue and the two generally points of view regarding the issue. Then at the end of the paragraph identify which position you are taking (thesis).

Paragraph 2 – describe ONE reason for your position and why it reinforces your belief.

Paragraph 3 – describe ONE reason for your position and why it reinforces your belief.

Paragraphy 4 – describe the strongest reason for your position and why it reinforces your belief.

Paragraph 5 – summarize the reasons you stated in the above paragraphs and reassert how they support your position.

Be focused. Do not deal with more than one main idea per paragraph. Make sure to bookend your essay with a reassertion of your position. You can also modify this general template if you’d like. Here are a few other options (link). Once you’ve locked down your approach just practice writing a few essays prior to the exam. One excellent technique is to use the ETS official intro to the analytical writing section. In it they give sample prompts and then sample response essays and the related score. Try writing on one of the prompts before reading the sample essays and then self score by comparing your essay to the high scoring sample essay.

The “Analyze an Argument” essay is testing a different skill than the issue essay and as we’ve discussed understanding what you’re being tested on is key to doing well with the ETS scorers. The argument essay is looking for the test taker to evaluate and critique someone else’s argument rather than advance an argument. A basic way to approach this essay is with a template in a similar fashion as the issue essay.

Paragraph 1 – summarize the argument that is being advanced and assert that it lacks strength owing to particular assumptions or omissions.

Paragraph 2 – Discuss one assumption of the argument.

Paragraph 3 – Discuss a flaw in the assumption of the argument.

Paragraph 4 – Discuss and omission in the argument.

Paragraph 5 – Reassert that the argument is not compelling as evidenced by paragraphs 2,3, and 4 then suggest a way that the argument might have been strengthened.

The key to doing well on this essay is to make clear claims about the argument. Do not worry about innovation or creativity. You are not being scored on style, but rather on your ability to clearly criticize the argument through logic.