All About the GRE Essays

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• The Two GRE Analytical Writing Tasks
• The Official Pool of Essay Questions
• Procedural Rules You Should Know
• Using the GRE Word Processor
• The GRE Essay "Readers" (Graders)
• The Scoring System for the GRE Essays
• Criteria for Scoring the GRE Essays
• Reporting of Scores to Test Takers and to the Schools
• How the Schools Use GRE Analytical Writing Scores

The GRE Analytical Writing section consists of two distinct writing tasks:

• Present Your Perspective on an Issue (45-minute time limit)
• Analyze an Argument (30-minute time limit)

The "Issue" Writing Task. This 45-minute portion of the test is designed to gauge your ability to present a position on an issue effectively and persuasively. Your task is to compose an essay in which you respond to a brief (1-2 sentence) opinion on an issue. You should consider various perspectives, take a position on the issue, and argue for that position. The testing system will present two Issue topics to you, and you will choose either one for your response.

(To see what a typical GRE Issue topic looks like, take a peek at a GRE-style Issue topic and sample response.)

(To see what a typical GRE Argument topic looks like, take a peek at a GRE-style Argument topic and sample response.)

The testing system's database currently contains about 245 distinct Issue topics and about 245 distinct Argument topics. The specific ones appearing on your test will be drawn randomly from these two official lists. The testing service provides the complete lists of Issue and Argument topics at its official GRE website (www.gre.org). The current edition of my book includes model responses to more than 100 Issue topics and more than 100 Argument topics (see Book Information).

NOTE: Preceding each essay in my book is a search phrase that allows you to quickly find the corresponding essay topic in the official pool. (The official pools of Issue and Argument topics are freely available at the official GRE website.)

Here are the key procedural rules for GRE Analytical Writing:

• Before the timed test begins, the testing system will lead you through a computer tutorial, during which you'll read the complete directions for each section, and learn how to use the built-in word processor and other computerized testing functions (e.g., how to scroll, use the mouse, etc.). You can also practice using the word processor before commencing the timed test.

• The testing system does not allow you to return to either of the two essays once you've moved on.

• If you've completed either essay before the time limit has elapsed, you can proceed immediately to the next section by clicking the EXIT SECTION button at the bottom of the screen.

• Expect to perform the Issue task before the Argument task (although your exam might put you to the Argument task first).

• No break is provided between the two writing tasks. However, a brief, 10-minute break is provided after you've completed both of these tasks, and before you move ahead to the other timed exam sections.

• Pencils and scratch paper are provided. (The exam supervisor will collect these materials at the conclusion of your exam.)

You'll record your essay responses electronically, using the word processor built into the GRE. During the computer tutorial that precedes that actual timed test, you'll practice using the GRE word processor. Here are its key features.

Navigation and editing — available keyboard commands. Here are the navigational and editing keys available in the GRE word processor:

Backspace removes the character to the left of the cursor
Delete removes the character to the right of the cursor
Home moves the cursor to the beginning of the line
End moves the cursor to the end of the line
Arrow Keys move the cursor up, down, left, or right
Enter inserts a paragraph break (starts a new line)
Page Up moves the cursor up one page (screen)
Page Down moves the cursor down one page (screen)

TAB — disabled (does not function)
Beginning/end of paragraph (not available)
Beginning/end of document (not available)

Selecting text you wish to cut or copy. You select text the same way as with standard word processing programs: either (1) hold down your mouse button while sweeping the I-beam on the screen over the desired text, or (2) hold down the SHIFT key and use the navigation keys to select text.

The CUT button. If you wish to delete text but want to save it to a temporary clipboard for pasting elsewhere, select that text (see above) then click on the CUT button. Cutting text is not the same as deleting it. When you delete text (using the DELETE key), you cannot paste it elsewhere in your document (but see UNDO below).

The PASTE button. If you wish to move text from one position to another, select and cut the text, then reposition your cursor where you want the text to go, and click on the PASTE button.

The UNDO button. Click on this button to undo the most recent delete, cut, or paste that you performed.

CAUTION: The GRE word processor stores only your most recent delete, cut, or paste. Also, Multiple Undo is not available.

Spell checking, fonts, attributes, hyphenation. The GRE word processor does not include a spell checker, nor does it allow you to choose typeface or point size. Neither manual nor automatic hyphenation is available. Attributes such as bold, italics, and underlining are not available.

NOTE: As for words that you would otherwise italicize or underline (such as titles or foreign words), it's okay to leave them as is. The readers understand the limitations of the GRE word processor..

Within two weeks after the test, your two GRE essays will be read and graded. Two readers will read and score your Issue essay, and two different readers will read and score your Argument essay. For either essay, if the two readers’ scores differ by more than one point, an additional, very experienced reader will read that essay and adjudicate the discrepancy. GRE readers are, for the most part, college or university faculty members drawn primarily from the academic areas of English and Communications.

Each reader evaluates your writing independently of any other reader, and no reader is informed of the other readers' scores. Each reader will employ a "holistic" grading method in which he or she will assign a single score from 0 to 6 (0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6) based on the overall quality of your writing. All readers employ the same specific ETS scoring criteria.

Your Analytical Writing score is the average of all four readers' scores. However, in the case of an adjudicating score, that score is given 50% weight in calculating your final score. Final scores are rounded to half-point intervals, and average scores falling midway between half-point intervals are rounded up.

Here's an example of how the scoring system works. Notice that an adjudicating reader read and graded the Issue essay, and that the weighted average of the readers' grades is 3¾, which has been rounded up to 4, since 3¾ is not a half-point interval.

 
Example
3  Reader A's evaluation of the Issue essay 
5  Reader B's evaluation of the Issue essay
4  Adjudicating reader's evaluation of the Issue essay
3 Reader C's evaluation of the Argument essay
4  Reader D's evaluation of the Argument essay
4  Final GRE Analytical Writing score
 

In evaluating the overall quality of your writing, GRE readers will consider four general areas of ability:

1. Content: your ability to present cogent, persuasive, and relevant ideas and arguments through sound reasoning and supporting examples

2. Organization: your ability to present your ideas in an organized and cohesive fashion

3. Language: your control of the English language, including your vocabulary and diction (word choice)

4. Mechanics: your facility with the conventions of Standard Written English (grammar, syntax, and effective expression), but not spelling or punctuation

Specific Scoring Criteria. GRE readers follow the scoring criteria that are printed in the official GRE Bulletin. Here are the essential requirements for top-scoring ("6") essays (notice that you can attain a top score of 6 even if your essays contain minor errors in grammar, word usage, spelling, or punctuation):

Present Your Perspective on an Issue
Requirements for a Score of 6 (Outstanding)

• The essay develops a position on the issue through the use of incisive reasons and persuasive examples.

• The essay's ideas are conveyed clearly and articulately.

• The essay maintains proper focus on the issue and is well organized.

• The essay demonstrates proficiency, fluency, and maturity in its use of sentence structure, vocabulary, and idiom.

• The essay demonstrates an excellent command of the elements of Standard Written English, including grammar, word usage, spelling, and punctuation — but may contain minor flaws in these areas.

Analyze an Argument
Requirements for a Score of 6 (Outstanding)

• The essay identifies the key features of the argument and analyzes each one in a thoughtful manner.

• The essay supports each point of critique with insightful reasons and examples.

• The essay develops its ideas in a clear, organized manner, with appropriate transitions to help connect ideas together.

• The essay demonstrates proficiency, fluency, and maturity in its use of sentence structure, vocabulary, and idiom.

• The essay demonstrates an excellent command of the elements of Standard Written English, including grammar, word usage, spelling, and punctuation — but may contain minor flaws in these areas.

6 — Outstanding
5 — Strong
4 — Adequate
3 — Limited
2 — Seriously flawed
1 — Fundamentally deficient

10-15 days after your test, ETS will provide you with your official GRE score report. The report will include your Analytical Writing score as well as your percentile ranking for Analytical Writing. At the same time, ETS will mail a score report to each school you’ve designated to receive your score report. (ETS does not report percentile rankings to the schools.) Score reports also include essay responses themselves.

Each graduate department will determine for itself how much weight to place on Analytical Writing scores relative to scores for the Quantitative and Verbal sections, as well as to other admission criteria (GRE subject-test scores, GPA, personal statements, recommendation letters, work and other experience, etc.). An admissions committee might use Analytical Writing scores as a preliminary screen for all applicants. More likely, however, a committee will use Analytical Writing scores to decide among similarly qualified candidates. Contact the individual academic departments for their particular policies.