Test Prep
       GRE Prep / GRE Essays
 
GRE — Answers to the  
Real Essay Questions  
      GRE Analytical Writing  >  All About the GRE Essays I N T E R N E T    E D I T I O N    
 

 
 

 
All About the GRE Essays
Here you'll learn all the basics about GRE Analytical Writing—what the essay questions look like, testing procedures, how the essays are scored, and so forth. Just click on the links or scroll down.

The Two GRE Analytical Writing Tasks

GRE Analytical Writing consists of two distinct sections, or writing "tasks":

  • Present Your Perspective on an Issue (45 Minutes)
  • Analyze an Argument (30 Minutes)
During each of these two sections, you'll compose an essay in which you respond to the specific question presented. You'll record your response using the word processor built into the GRE. (You may elect to submit handwritten responses instead. GRE readers are not predisposed to award different scores, either higher or lower, for handwritten essays.)
    The Issue-Perspective Section. This 45-minute section tests 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 about 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 an Issue question looks like, take a peek at a simulated Issue-Perspective question and sample response.)

    The Argument-Analysis Section. This 30-minute section is designed to test your critical reasoning and analytic (as well as writing) skills. Your task is to compose an essay in which you critique the stated argument and indicate how it could be improved, but not to present your own views on the Argument's topic. The testing system will present to you one Argument only, to which you must respond. (Contrary to the Issue-Perspective section, you will NOT be able to choose among Arguments.)

    (To see what an Argument question looks like, take a peek at a simulated Argument-Analysis question and sample response.)

The Official Pool of Essay Questions

The testing system's database currently contains about 245 distinct Issue-Perspective topics and about 245 distinct Arguments. The specific ones appearing on your test will be drawn randomly from these two official lists.

The testing service provides the complete lists of Issues and Arguments at its official website. (Link to the lists via my site's entry page.) My book includes model responses to 125 Issues and 125 Arguments (see Book Information).

    NOTE: The lists are not published in the official GRE Bulletin (free from ETS), and I am not permitted to reproduce any of the official Issues or Arguments either in my book or at this website.
Procedural Rules You Should Know

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.
  • You might encounter the two essay sections in either order.
  • No break is provided between the two sections.
  • Pencils and scratch paper are provided. (The exam supervisor will collect these materials at the conclusion of your exam.)
Using the GRE Word Processor

Unless you elect to provide handwritten responses, you'll record your essay responses electronically, with 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)
Common keyboard commands NOT available. Certain often-used features of standard word processing programs are not available in the GRE word processor. For example, no keyboard commands are available for:
    TAB—disabled (does not function)
    Beginning/end of paragraph (not available)
    Beginning/end of document (not available)
Mouse-driven editing functions. In addition to editing keys, the GRE word processor includes mouse-driven CUT, PASTE, and UNDO. Drag-and-drop cut-and-paste is 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.

The vertical scroll bar. Once you key in 10 lines or so, you'll have to scroll to view your entire response. If you don't know how to scroll, the computer tutorial preceding the test will show you how.

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..
The GRE Essay "Readers" (Graders)

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. All GRE essay readers are college or university faculty members, drawn primarily from the academic areas of English and Communications.

The Scoring System for the GRE Essays

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 addition to your score of 0–6, you'll receive a percentile rank (0% to 99%) for your performance. A percentile rank of 60%, for example, indicates that you scored higher than 60% of all other test-takers and lower than 40% of all other test-takers. Percentile ranks are based on the performance of all GRE test-takers, not just those responding to the same two essay questions.Criteria for Scoring the GRE Essays

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

  • Content: your ability to present cogent, persuasive, and relevant ideas and arguments through sound reasoning and supporting examples
  • Organization: your ability to present your ideas in an organized and cohesive fashion
  • Language: your control of the English language, including your vocabulary and diction (word choice)
  • Mechanics: your facility with the conventions of Standard Written English (grammar, syntax, and effective expression), but not spelling or punctuation
Which of these areas is most important? Official statements by ETS suggest that the first two areas are more important than the last two. However, my discussions with ETS readers suggest that writing style, grammar, and diction—i.e., your ability to communicate ideas effectively in writing—may influence the reader just as much as the ideas themselves. So the bottom line is that you should strive to demonstrate competency in all four areas. Of course, if you're weak in one area, you can still achieve a high overall score by demonstrating strength in other areas.

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.
The criteria for lower scores are based on the same factors as those suggested above; the only difference is that the standard for quality decreases for successively lower scores.

Reporting of Scores to Test-Takers and to the Schools

10-15 days after your test, ETS will mail to you an official score report for your GRE. 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.) Beginning in July, 2003, score reports will also include your essay responses.

How the Schools Use GRE Analytical Writing Scores

Each graduate department will determine for itself how much weight to place on Analytical Writing scores relative to scores for the multiple-choice 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.


<  GRE Home  <  GRE Analytical Writing