gre essay samples

Testimonials

Free Resources

PrepScholar GRE Prep

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 .

Quick side note: we've created the world's leading online GRE prep program that adapts to you and your strengths and weaknesses. Not sure what to study? Confused by how to improve your score? We give you minute by minute guide.

You don't NEED a prep program to get a great GRE score. But we believe PrepScholar is the best GRE prep program available right now , especially if you find it hard to organize your study schedule and don't know what to study .

Click here to learn how you can improve your GRE score by 7 points, guaranteed .

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.

Want to improve your GRE score by 7 points?  We have the industry's leading GRE prep program. Built by world-class instructors with 99th percentile GRE scores , the program learns your strengths and weaknesses through machine learning data science, then customizes your prep program to you so you get the most effective prep possible.

Try our 5-day full access trial for free:

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.

Want to improve your GRE score by 7+ points?

Check out our best-in-class online GRE prep program . We guarantee your money back if you don't improve your GRE score by 7 points or more.

PrepScholar GRE is entirely online, and it customizes your prep program to your strengths and weaknesses . We also feature 2,000 practice questions , official practice tests, 150 hours of interactive lessons, and 1-on-1 scoring and feedback on your AWA essays.

Check out our 5-day free trial now:

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.

Ready to improve your GRE score by 7 points?

Author: Laura Staffaroni

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

Table of Content

GRE Issue Essay: Elements, Structure, Strategies & Samples

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

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

What is the GRE Issue Essay?

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

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

Key Elements of a GRE Issue Essay Task

1. nature of the topic.

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

2. Type of writing

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

3. Agreeing and disagreeing

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

4. Perspectives

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

5. Reasoning vs. exposing

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

6. Freedom to express

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

Suggested: GRE Exam Pattern 2024

How to Structure the GRE Issue Essay?

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

Paragraph 1: Introduction

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

Paragraphs 2–4: Body paragraphs

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

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

Paragraph 5 (optional): Conclusion

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

Suggested: GRE AWA Sample Essays

5 Strategies to Ace the GRE Issue Essay

1. structure is key.

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

2. Engaging writing

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

3. Specificity is important

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

4. Stay on point

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

5. Choose a side and stick to it

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

5 Essay Prompts and Samples

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

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

Gre issue essay prompt 2: those who see their ideas through, regardless of doubts or criticism others may express, are the ones who tend to leave a lasting legacy., gre issue essay prompt 3: the luxuries and conveniences of contemporary life prevent people from developing into truly strong and independent individuals., gre issue essay prompt 4: it is no longer possible for a society to regard any living man or woman as a hero., gre issue essay prompt 5: governments should place few, if any, restrictions on scientific research and development..

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

From the Desk of Yocket

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

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

Continue Reading

Frequently Asked Questions about GRE Issue Essay

What kind of prompt is given in the gre issue essay, how is the gre issue essay scored, how long do i have to write the gre issue essay, a test-taking platform that helps for gre® preparation online., other links.

• Help Center
• Privacy Policy

OUR PRODUCTS

© 2024 Yocket Prep. All rights reserved.

GRE® is a registered trademark of Educational Testing Service (ETS). This website is not endorsed or approved by ETS.

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 !

View all posts

More from Magoosh

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.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

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!

showing no interest or enthusiasm

Looking For

Top ms admits, get a call back from an admissions expert.

Call me Back

Call me back.

• Forgot Password?

New to GRE edge ? Sign Up here

Have a GRE edge account ? Login

About AdmitEDGE

AdmitEDGE (... formerly GREedge), Guidance Platform for Admissions & Tests provides one-on-one counseling and study programs that help students get better Admits to Universities, better Scores in GRE, TOEFL and better Bands in all aspects of English tested by IELTS.

• Valued Epistemics Pvt Ltd. Unit:201, Floor 2, Indiqube Brigade Vantage, Kandanchavadi, Chennai - 600 096, India.
• +91 98844 12858
• [email protected]

AdmitEDGE - Our Products

Useful resources.

20+ PROVEN ways to boost your GRE essay score (backed by data!)

Looking for ways to improve your GRE Analytical Writing scores? In this post, we’ll teach you some simple GRE essay tips to give you an edge over the competition – backed by real graded essay data.

There are a lot of opinions out there on what makes a good GRE essay, but we wanted to know for sure. Studying for the GRE is stressful enough, and you deserve to know exactly how to ace every section. So, we paid several GRE instructors to hand score 1,000+ GRE essay examples and determined empirically, without a doubt, the keys to writing the perfect GRE essay.

Using these GRE analytical writing examples, we trained a machine learning model capable of accurately predicting your score and letting you know exactly how you can improve. 

Here are the top 5 keys our model said have the biggest impact on getting a top analytical writing GRE score:

• Total word count
• Total noun count
• Prompt keyword usage
• Total adjectives count

Sentence variety

In this article, we’ll outline the process we took to build the machine learning-backed essay grader and answer the question of how to write a great GRE essay once and for all.

The GRE analytical writing section

The gre essay grader, analyzing the ets gre resources, nlp and key entity extraction, machine learning, gre essay score analysis results, beeswarm plot, waterfall plot, top findings, prompt keywords, adjectives count, spelling error rate, average sentence count, thesis word count, thesis sentence average word count, thesis people count, body paragraph word count, body paragraph quotation count, body paragraph exclamatory sentence count, conclusion word count, conclusion sentence word count, case study: a high-scoring gre issue essay example, case study: a medium-scoring gre argument essay, summary of results: gre essay tips for a great gre analytical writing score.

Essay writing can be a difficult skill to master , and to ace the GRE you’ll need to write two: the argument essay and the issue essay. These essays test your critical thinking and analytical writing skills, your ability to communicate complex ideas, develop logical arguments, and maintain a focused discussion. Although the GRE issue essay and the GRE argument essay follow different GRE essay prompts, the criteria they’re graded on and the way to write these essays are basically the same.

With only 30 minutes to complete each essay, you need to be efficient. But what if you had analytical writing GRE tips that could basically guarantee a high essay score, because they were reverse-engineered using machine learning? It would make getting that perfect 6.0 GRE analytical writing score Achievable 😉

Each GRE analytical writing section consists of a topic of discussion and specific instructions on how to respond. In the allotted 30 minutes, GRE takers must be able to analyze the prompt, plan a relevant response, and write an organized and coherent issue essay or argument essay supported by evidence.

Needless to say, every second counts. To help set up Achievable’s GRE course customers for success, we’ve built a machine learning-based essay grading system trained on thousands of professionally graded GRE essays, using real GRE essay prompts. Let’s dig into how it works and how we learned the most important factors for getting that perfect 6.0 GRE essay score.

The Educational Testing Service (ETS), the creators of the GRE, provide some information on how to score a perfect 6.0 on the essay sections. They mention that writers should “articulate a clear and insightful position”, “develop the position fully”, give “compelling reasons and/or persuasive examples”, and “convey ideas fluently and precisely”. It’s great that ETS is trying to give students some direction on how to get a good GRE essay score, but none of these tips are quantifiable. How do you know if an argument position is “clear and insightful,” or if an example of an issue is persuasive?

We don’t like leaving things to chance or rule-of-thumbs, and in building our GRE essay grader we dug into the details to figure out what issue essay and argument essay characteristics are empirically, data-backed, and without a doubt, the keys to getting the best score on the GRE essay sections.

We hired professional GRE instructors from different firms to hand score our essays, and analyzed the results to determine the key features leading to a high GRE essay score. Using a variety of different technologies, we built a best-in-class GRE essay grading tool that can help take your GRE essay writing skills from a 0 to a 6. We want to share the details of our process so that you can feel confident in using the Achievable platform to pass your exam without breaking a sweat.  

Let’s take a look under the hood.

The first step in building our GRE essay grader was to comb through every resource the ETS had on GRE analytical writing. Since our GRE essay grader is tailor made to help you score high on the GRE writing sections, the information provided by the creator of the test is by far the most valuable. 

We poured through ETS GRE resources, looking for the characteristics that make up a great GRE essay. We did the boring work so you don’t have to, reading through every single line of their GRE issue essay examples, their GRE argument essay examples, and the result was a document almost twenty pages long detailing our findings.  

We looked at everything from the obvious characteristics (also called traits or features ) like word count, to details like the number of adjectives used. Of course, at this point we were making intelligent guesses about what was important. The real judge of what to focus on when writing a GRE essay response would be our machine learning model.

Having twenty pages of notes was a great start but the next step would be the major challenge. We needed a reliable way of extracting these traits from a piece of English writing. Unfortunately for us, computers don’t understand English, which meant we needed to dive into the field of Natural Language Processing (NLP). 

NLP is a subfield of linguistics, computer science, and artificial intelligence that is helping to bridge the gap between the language used by humans, and the way computers process information. 

Luckily, we love to learn here at Achievable, and after a whole lot more research we were ready to build software that could take an essay and dissect it into a list of features. This process, called key entity extraction , was fundamental to building our GRE essay grader. Now that we could reliably process GRE essays and get our feature data out the other end, we were almost ready to train our model.

The last step before training was to prepare the extracted data. Machine learning is very good at one thing, and that’s discovering relationships between sets of data – otherwise it’s not as smart as you’d think. Outliers in the dataset can skew the results, especially when the outliers are very large or very small compared to the average. This meant that the data provided to the ML algorithm had to be pre-processed, or normalized .  

Data normalization usually involves rescaling the data such that all values are between 0 and 1. Using the results of our previous analysis, we determined lists of trait values that could be used to normalize the data.  

For example, most GRE issue essay templates and GRE argument essay templates follow  the conventional essay writing advice of using a 5 paragraph essay structure. This GRE essay template format includes a thesis, 3 body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Normalizing the paragraph count by 5 would create a trait that the ML algorithm could use to work its magic. If we provided more traits to the model, such as the paragraph count normalized by 3, and also by 10, the model could give us more information, and a high degree of confidence, whether 5 paragraphs is the way to go to get a high score. Following this approach, we normalized our dataset of GRE essays and provided hundreds of traits for the machine learning model to analyze.  

With our key entity extraction software ready to go, and our sample GRE essay data normalized, we were ready to train a machine learning model using the thousands of hand scored, real-world GRE issue essay examples and GRE argument essay examples. 

We built our machine learning model using TensorFlow, and in the training stage, passed huge amounts of data through neural networks resulting in a model that could reliably predict the score of a GRE essay. Using a variety of data science tools we generated charts to help describe the results.  These charts help illustrate how each trait affects the predicted score of an GRE essay. We can see which traits have the most significant effect, and by how much, making it very clear how to write a GRE essay.

The chart shown below is called a beeswarm plot and it represents the combined results of the thousands of GRE essays graded by the machine learning model.  Here’s how to read it:

• Each row in the plot corresponds to a specific feature
• The rows are ordered from top to bottom starting with the feature that had the biggest impact
• Each colored dot in the row represents a single instance of the feature, i.e. the value of the feature for a specific GRE essay
• The dots are colored according to the size of their value, where the lowest values are blue and the highest values are red
• The gray line down the middle is the zero-impact-line, with values falling to the right having a positive impact on the predicted result and the values falling to the left having a negative impact

Now with that explained, here is the beeswarm plot results from our GRE essay research:

For example, we can see from the plot that the total number of words used in the essay had the biggest impact on the score. Because the impact of a feature increases as the distance of the dots from the zero-impact-line increases, the blue dots extending far to the left indicate that low essay word counts have a large negative impact on score. On the other hand, the red dots tend to cluster slightly to the right of the zero-impact-line, indicating that writing a longer essay can help, but the impact is much smaller. The takeaway here is that you should avoid writing too short an essay, rather than trying to write a very long one. 

The chart below is called a force plot and it gives a general idea of how each feature affects the machine learning model’s predicted result for a specific GRE essay.

• The base value (4.339) is the average predicted score across all graded GRE essay examples
• The actual prediction for this essay is shown at f(x) (5.00)
• Each feature has a positive contribution (red) or negative contribution (blue) to the final score

Examining the force plot quickly tells us about the rough impact of each feature and if any stand out. We can see that the weight distribution is fairly gradual, with no single feature having an extraordinary impact. The force plot gives us a good summary of a specific GRE essay scored feature results, but isn’t very actionable. Our next chart, the waterfall plot, gives us a much more detailed explanation.

The chart below is called a waterfall plot and it gives us a more detailed view of how each feature affects the predicted score for a specific GRE essay.

• The starting value E[f(x)] (4.339) is the average predicted score across all graded GRE essay samples
• The features are ordered from top to bottom by the magnitude of their impact, which can be either positive (red) or negative (blue)
• The final value f(x) (4.999) is the predicted score

For this GRE essay, we can see that a low spelling error rate, i.e. having a low number of spelling mistakes, had a significant positive impact on the score (+0.11). On the other hand, a low word count (-0.11) essentially neutralized the positive contribution of the low spelling error rate. Similarly, a good usage of nouns throughout the essay positively contributed (+0.07) to the score, while a low word count for the body paragraphs (-0.07) basically negated this impact.

Our top findings for what you can to do impact your GRE essay score, listed in priority order:

• Higher values for word count have a positive effect on the predicted score while low values have a significant negative effect. 
• Low word counts were more significant in their negative effect on score, so rather than trying to write a long essay, focus on not writing one that is too short. In fact, we can see that high values also had a negative effect for some essays, likely when the essay was long but low in quality. In other words, a short essay will tend to bring down your score .
• A higher value for noun count contributes positively while low values contribute negatively.  
• Since nouns identify a person, place or thing, an essay lacking in nouns would be unfocused and imprecise. It’s hard to score a 6.0 on a GRE essay if no one knows what you’re talking about! So, a low number of nouns contributes significantly to a lower score .  
• Measuring the presence of keywords found in the GRE essay prompt throughout the essay it was clear that an absence of prompt keywords contributed to a lower score .  
• This was especially true for the thesis paragraph, where the goal is to clearly specify your main position on the issue or argument topic. Using keywords from the GRE essay prompt guarantees that your response is focused on the given topic.  
• For the adjectives count we saw only a minor and somewhat ambiguous negative contribution by low values while higher values strongly contributed to a higher score.
• A higher number of adjectives indicates a more descriptive essay. Since being descriptive helps to develop and clarify your response, be sure to use lots of adjectives alongside your nouns.
• Looking at the number of short, long, and very long sentences, and the ratios between these values, we found that long sentences (16 to 49 words) were the optimal choice for sentence length. We also saw that a higher proportion of short sentences to long sentences contributed to a lower score .  
• This suggests that you should prefer more long sentences than short sentences in your writing . However, using solely long sentences can also lower your score, so be sure to include the odd short sentence to establish variety.
• A high spelling error rate contributed to a lower score.
• No surprises here, making spelling mistakes will bring your score down!
• Paragraphs with too few or too many sentences had a slight negative impact on the score.
• A GRE essay paragraph should strike a balance between accurately introducing and supporting a point, without rambling or going off topic. We found the sweet spot to be around 8 sentences per body paragraph and about 5 for the thesis and conclusion paragraphs.
• Thesis paragraphs under 100 words contributed to a lower score.
• The thesis paragraph should be long enough to describe the focus of your response and your main reasons for supporting it.
• Short sentences in the thesis paragraph showed a slight negative contribution.
• It is especially important that the thesis paragraph provides enough context to effectively introduce and focus the essay response.
• The GRE essay grader found a relationship between mentioning a person’s name in the thesis paragraph and a higher score.
• Whether you are repeating a name found in the GRE essay prompt, or trying to provide context, try to reference a person’s name in your thesis paragraph.
• Body paragraphs under 150 words contributed to a lower score.
• The body paragraph is the meat of your GRE essay and should be long enough to introduce a point, provide and analyze evidence, connect to the thesis statement, and transition to the next paragraph.
• Surprisingly, using quotations in body paragraphs contributed to a lower score.
• While quotations may help provide evidence in general essay writing, when writing a GRE essay, focus on concisely responding to the prompt.  
• The use of exclamatory sentences (those ending with an exclamation mark) contributed to a lower score.
• Exclamation marks are generally not used in academic writing. WHY??!?! They just don’t feel that professional!!!
• If you need to emphasize a point make sure you do so with your language.
• A concise conclusion (about 100 words) contributed to a higher GRE essay score.
• A conclusion should wrap up your GRE essay, and not introduce more information. Make sure to focus the conclusion on summarizing the GRE essay topic, the essay’s main points, and making the connection to your thesis clear.
• Conclusions composed of fewer but longer sentences contributed to a higher score.
• Sentence variety doesn’t play a big role when it comes to the conclusion paragraph. Focus on using long sentences to summarize your main points and tie everything together.

The following is an example of a high scoring GRE essay submitted by an Achievable user. Our human GRE instructors, as well as our machine-learning GRE essay grading system, score this as a perfect 6.0.

Here is the GRE issue essay prompt:

And the corresponding GRE essay example:

The names of the greatest rulers, artists, and scientists is what is taught in most history classes. Little attention is given to the common people. Despite the fact that the most prolific and talented members of a society have a profound effect on their nations, it is the common people that truly embody the nation and it is them who keep it running. From the plumber, to the lawyer, to the homeless person; they all contribute their grain of salt to the identity and strength of the nation. The purpose of a nation is to create a just society in which every individual can enjoy the wealth and resources of the nation. A nation without a solid base will never be able to allow artists and scientists to create their most innovative and creative master pieces. Without the combined effort of all its people, there will be no Albert Einstein or Mozart, because there will be no resources to encourage these geniuses to develop their talents to their highest potential. The only way a nation can have a solid base is by guaranteeing the well-being of all its citizens. With happy citizens, nations have the solid foundation needed to produce the greatest achievements humanity can accomplish. Thus, the greatest of all nations are those in which the general well-being of its population is at its highest because happy citizens are more productive, more generous to each other, and more knowledgeable. 

First, citizens living in a society that ensures their well being become much more productive than in a nation in which their well-being is not guaranteed. Dr. Friedman, in Berlin in the year 1975, conducted a controlled random experiment in which he tested the effects that well-being had in the production level of the subjects of the experiment. He created a control group and an experimental group, and assigned members to each group randomly. The experimental group was in a room that was very hot, whereas the control group was in a well ventilated room. Next, both groups were given simple tasks such as cutting squares out of circles and coloring an image. After 30 minutes had passes, Dr. Friedman evaluated who was able to complete most tasks in the 30 minute time window. He noticed that the experimental group completed only 80% of the tasks compared to the control group, which completed 100% of the tasks. As per Dr. Friedman: “the results of this experiment show how well-being has a negative effect on the productivity of individuals”. Less productive individuals are going to achieve less at work, meaning companies in general will be less productive and less competitive in the global market. In an increasingly competitive world, less productive companies will bring less resources to the nation, making it less likely to invest in the talent of its people. 

Second, well-being is directly related to generosity. The more generous citizens of a nation are to each other, the more likely they are to help those in need around them. This, in turn, leads to a collective effort to lift each other up, making the nation more productive and wealthy. Thomas Frank and Imelda Seo developed a randomized experiment in which they tested the relationship between well-being and generosity. The study was conducted in Seoul in 1994 in a public university. The subjects of the test were randomly selected from different levels of the class in an effort to eliminate as many confounding variables as possible. The experimental group was told the very bad news that they had just failed their most recent test. After receiving this news, they were given a limited amount of chocolate and they were told to pick as much as they needed but to think that someone else will come after them and pick what is left from the chocolate. The person that will come later will not know how much chocolate was in the box originally. In contrast, the control group was told the same regarding taking as much chocolate as needed and to be mindful of the person coming behind them, but they were not given the initial bad news that they had failed their test. The results of the experiment show that the experimental group was 70% more likely to take all of the chocolate in the box than the control group. As per Imelda Ser: “this is indicative that when a person’s well-being is jeopardized, they are less likely to be generous.” This study shows how well-being can have a positive impact on the citizens of a nation, and this generosity can lead to citizens helping each other out more and creating a more cohesive and productive society and nation. 

Third, citizens living in a nation in which their well-being is adequate are more knowledgeable. More knowledge can lead to greater discoveries. Great artists, scientists, and rulers all require proper education during their early years to achieve the success. If society as a whole is more educated, it is much more likely for a nation to be able to cultivate the talents of their next genius. For example, Amadeus Mozart was the son of a talented musical father that lived in Vienna, the classical music capital of the world at the time of this life. If Mozart would have been born in an empoverished family with no resources and no knowledge of music, who is to tell Austria would have produced such a notable musical expert. The father of Mozart lived a comfortable life that allowed him to develop his own talents, and later pass his new found knowledge to his son, who later took this knowledge to never before seen levels of musical prowess. To guarantee that the knowledge is passed on to the greatest individuals of a nation, it is necessary to ensure the general well-being of its citizens. Only then will a great nation be able to produce a Mozart, an Albert Einstein, or a Napoleon.

In conclusion, a nation can only be great if it can guarantee the well-being of all its citizenry. This is the only way a nation can ensure that the individual talents of certain prolific people can flourish. These individuals require a strong enough safety net that will allow them to pursue their dreams without having to worry about heating the house or finding the next meal. Also, citizens that are happy and living comfortable can produce more for the nation as a whole, and lift each other out of poverty, thus creating a great nation .

This GRE essay received a perfect score ( f(x) = 5.999 ) and the waterfall plot below describes what features had the biggest impact:

In this case, the feature with the biggest impact was the number of adjectives used . If you read the essay, you probably noticed how descriptive it was. The author provided plenty of detailed examples to support his thesis.  

At 1,083 words, the GRE issue essay was a good length, and this helped boost the score.

The author added excellent context to the thesis paragraph by including the names of two prominent creatives: Albert Einstein and Mozart . These names were relevant to the response and supported the idea that when a nation guards the well-being of its citizens it fosters creativity and innovation.

Using plenty of nouns relevant to the prompt, the author was able to keep the essay focused and coherent. We can also see a good use of long sentences, giving the author the space needed to elaborate on and support the thesis. An overall low spelling error rate contributed positively to the score. Interestingly, we can see that the use of places in the body paragraphs (e.g. Berlin ) helped to boost the score.

The author received a minor penalty for the overuse of verbs in the thesis paragraph as well as a few spelling mistakes throughout the GRE essay. These negative contributions were ultimately insignificant compared to everything else that the author did right, clearly illustrating how focusing on the right characteristics can guarantee you a high scoring GRE essay.

The following is an example of a medium-scoring GRE essay submitted by an Achievable user. Our human GRE instructors, as well as our machine-learning GRE essay grading system, score this as a 3.5 with room for improvement.

Here is the GRE argument essay prompt:

And the corresponding essay:

More information is needed to accurately determine if the recommendation from the regional manager of Hamburger House should be followed. Information detailing the reason for changing to canola oil, the cost of canola oil, the effect canola oil has on the taste of french fries and other foods, if the public was made aware of the switch to canola oil, public’s perception of canola oil, if the customer reviews over the past two months were about the taste of the fries, any operating changes made at the company that could have affected sales, other factors that could have increased sales, Hamburger house expanding their locations and customer base, the effects on net profits are needed. Additional evidence is necessary to evaluate Hamburger House’s internal memo to franchises.

The reason for why Hamburger House switched to canola oil is the first piece of missing information needed. If canola oil was chosen because it is cheaper than vegetable oil, it would be a sensical choice to reduce costs and choose the cheaper oil. If canola oil were the more expensive option, there must be non-cost-related reasons that justify the switch. In either of the aforementioned scenarios, one must examine if the canola oil makes the fries and other foods taste the same, better, or worse. If canola oil makes all foods taste better and has a net positive effect on profits, franchises should follow the recommendation. If canola oil makes some but not all foods taste better, franchises should only use canola oil in foods that taste better and if there will be a net positive effect on profits.

The second piece of information needed to evaluate Hamburger House’s recommendation is the public’s perception of canola oil and vegetable oil and whether the public was made aware of Hamburger House’s switch to canola oil. If canola oil is perceived to be a healthier option or vegetable oil is perceived as an unhealthier option, it can be expected that the public would react positively to Hamburger House’s use of canola oil and increase foot traffic to its locations. However, if the public was not made aware of the switch in oils, information regarding the content of the positive reviews that Hamburger House has received in the past two months and if those positive reviews were all for locations that switched to canola oil are needed. If the reviews mentioned that the foods that contained canola oil tasted better, it would be reasonable for franchises to switch to canola oil to make their food taste better and, thereby, increase sales.

The third piece of information needed is whether Hamburger House expanded its locations and customer base in the past two months. An increase in french fry sales and average unique customers would naturally increase french fry sales.

The most important aspect as a business is the impact that canola oil has on earnings. It is necessary for a business to be financially profitable to survive. Therefore, if the switch to canola oil allows franchises of Hamburger House to be financially viable, franchises should make the switch if doing so if there is a positive effect compared to keeping vegetable oil.

This essay received a low score ( f(x) = 3.503 ) and the waterfall plot below describes what features had the biggest impact:

The feature with the biggest impact for this GRE essay was the total word count (-0.29). At 526 words, this example illustrates how dramatically a short GRE essay can affect the predicted score. In fact, we can see that the argument essay is penalized for low word count in various ways by other features, such as the body paragraph average word counts, total sentence counts, etc. Writing a longer argument essay is a straightforward way to guarantee a higher score and gives you more space to elaborate on and support the position from your GRE essay topic.  

The second feature in the list measures the negative impact (-0.14) of the ratio of short to long sentences in the conclusion. In this case, the author used too many short sentences resulting in a lower score. The conclusion is meant to summarize the essay’s main points and tie them together with the thesis statement, a task that typically requires longer sentences. The conclusion of this argument essay could have been improved by using longer sentences to explain specifically how the thesis and supporting points are connected in addressing the issue laid out in the prompt.

The plot shows a high thesis noun count contributing to a lower score (-0.11). If we examine the thesis we can see the author uses an extremely long sentence that repeats many of the same nouns over and over again (e.g. canola oil). While using nouns is important to keep an essay focused on the topic, the nouns should be both relevant to the GRE essay topic and varied. Simply stuffing nouns into a paragraph will not have the desired effect. This thesis could have been improved by introducing fewer points while elaborating on how each point supports the thesis statement.

While the author did a few things right, it is clear that this GRE argument essay’s low score was majorly due to a low word count, weak use of nouns, poor sentence variety, and an overall lack of focus and specificity. Catching issues like these before the exam can help you improve your writing skills and boost your score by multiple points.

So if you want to improve your GRE analytical writing essay skills, what do you need to do?  

• Make sure your essay is long enough to avoid being penalized for a short essay
• Ensure your essay is focused by using plenty of nouns that relate to the topic
• Write a descriptive essay by using lots of adjectives to describe your position, evidence, and ideas
• Read the prompt carefully, highlight keywords, and use these keywords throughout your essay, most importantly in your thesis paragraph
• Vary your sentence length, but in general favor the use of longer sentences
• Avoid making spelling mistakes
• Aim for 8 sentences per body paragraph and 5 sentences for thesis and conclusion paragraphs
• Keep your thesis and conclusion paragraphs concise but use at least 100 words
• Reference a person’s name in your thesis paragraph if it’s relevant
• Keep your body paragraphs above 150 words
• Avoid the use of exclamation marks and quotations 

Our Achievable GRE course offers hundreds of GRE essay prompts and GRE essay topics for the GRE issue and argument essays, giving you the opportunity to practice your analytical writing skills until you are 100% confident in getting a top GRE essay score. Your work is automatically saved as you write and includes a timer to keep you on track. 

Achievable’s proprietary GRE essay grading system uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to analyze your GRE essay writing and provides instant feedback on exactly what you can do to boost your score. Backed by our vast amount of data from real-world GRE issue essay examples and GRE argument essay examples, we’ve created the smartest GRE essay grader that exists, included with your purchase of Achievable GRE .

Discover more from Achievable Test Prep

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Type your email…

Continue reading

• Executive Assessment
• Bocconi Test
• Testimonials

GRE Issue Essay Template and Sample Issue Essay

• April 6, 2023

The first essay you’ll have to write when you sit down to take the GRE is the GRE Issue Essay. It’s only 30 minutes and can be a bit of a challenge…

So you need a strong game plan.

But should you really worry about the essays since they don’t factor into your quantitative and verbal scores?

Absolutely!

We tell our students that while the essay scores may not be of importance to graduate programs, the ease of writing them should be important to you. The Analysis of an Issue and Argument essays are the first sections of the GRE. You don’t want to go into them frazzled and anxious. You definitely don’t want to finish them feeling like you could have done better. Unfortunately, this anxiety will carry into the rest of the test and NOT pave the road to earning your best GRE score.

To help you relax into the essays and the rest of the test, we’re sharing the exact template and sample essay we show our GRE students. Before you take a look, read these tips on how to practice with them.

GRE Issue Essay Practice Tips

1. Words to use in every issue essay are in blue on the template.

You want to have these transitions and links well practice so that you can use them automatically on the test. Obviously, if you’re not Arab, you should change the Arabic saying part to your language or culture.

2. Your GRE issue essay should be 4 or 5 paragraphs depending on the question.

Some questions ask you to evaluate another opinion, discuss a disadvantage, or give an opposing viewpoint. Therefore, you need another body paragraph to respond to that part of the prompt.

3. The sample GRE issue essay is directly from ETS, so don’t copy the essay.

Think about how your examples and reasons can be used to respond to the prompt.

PEEL means Point – Example – Explanation – Link. The blue in the sample essay shows how well the body paragraphs conform to the PEEL writing format.

5. Always outline your essay first.

It is very obvious to a trained reader when students don’t outline their essays first. You just have to jot down your opinion and reasons or examples in a quick list. This quick outline will help keep you focused and make your writing more cohesive.

6. Check out the full list of GRE issue essay prompts .

You shouldn’t write essays for each prompt (there are a lot). However, you should read over the whole list looking for differences in the ways questions are asked. Then, pick 10 prompts to practice outlining. Of those 10, pick 5 essays to write fully.

7. For extra practice, work on the parts, rather than the whole.

Just write an introduction, a body paragraph, or a conclusion for some of the essay prompts. After outlining, of course. This type of focused writing will improve the individual parts of the essay, resulting in an entire essay that is much better overall. You don’t have to write the parts for the same essay. Switch it up!

8. When you write a full essay, do it in 30 minutes.

Practice the way you are going to perform. By the time you write your second full essay, you should be writing in only 30 minutes. Set a timer and type the essay on the computer without using spell check or Grammarly. Ideally, you will write the essays when you do a full-length GRE practice test . It’s important to develop stamina for the full 4-hour test.

GRE Issue Essay Template

In Arabic we have a saying, “[relevant quote here even if you have to make it up].” Write your thesis as a direct response to the statement in the prompt. Preview your reasons in 1 sentence.

First, write your first reason here. For example, put your example here. Explain your example making sure to include as many vivid details as possible. [Example name] ’s example demonstrates that [reason 1 again].

Second, write your second reason here. For instance, put your example here. Explain your example making sure to include as many vivid details as possible.

[You may need another paragraph depending on what the prompt asks you to do.]

In summary, restate thesis. Restate your two reasons here. The examples of [example 1] and [example 2] show that [something profound related to the thesis].

GRE Issue Essay Sample 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.

Sample GRE Issue Essay

[Hook] Surely there has been no time in history where the lived lives of people have changed more dramatically. [Thesis] Over the past century, technology has positively affected free thinking and human experience. [Preview of reasons] Not only does technology offer humans the necessary efficiency to tackle big problems, but it also unlocks the imagination to design solutions.

[Point] First, technology releases additional time for people to live more efficiently. [Example] For example, 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 be reached through wireless networks that utilize satellites orbiting the earth. [Explanation] Without a car, computer, or mobile phone, the average worker would need to find alternate methods of transport, information processing and communication. [Link] Technology allows humans to spend time solving important high-level problems, rather than generating repetitive solutions to mundane issues.

[Point] Second, technology frees the human imagination to achieve once impossible goals. [Example] Consider how the late 20th century witnessed the complete elimination of smallpox. [Explanation]  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. [Link] By increasing reliance on technology, doctors were able to use it to provide hope to the future of humanity.

[This paragraph is necessary because the prompt asks to consider when your opinion might not hold true.]

[Point] The efficiency and imagination stimulated by technology 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, thereby requiring even more imagination to solve them. [Example] For instance, 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. [Explanation] Likewise, dependence on oil has created nation-states that are not dependent on taxation, allowing ruling parties to oppress minority groups such as women. [Link] Solutions to these complex problems require the unfettered imaginations of maverick scientists and politicians.

[Restatement of thesis] In summary, there is no need to fear the deleterious effects of technology on humans’ ability to think. [Restatement of reasons] Technology can free time and imagination for solving important problems. [Restatement of examples] Technology will always mark the human experience, from the invention of the automobile 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. [Closer] 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.

Need help preparing for the GRE?

Happy students are our business.

More from Apply Me

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

WhatsApp us

Guidance from our top admission experts — for free!

• Admit Finder

Discover Past Admits, Gauge Your Chances!

• Shortlist Builder

Personalized University Picks, Just a Click Away.

• Course Finder

Navigate Global Courses Tailored for You

• Scholarship Finder

Unlock Funding Opportunities Worldwide.

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?

Start Your University Applications with Ambitio Pro!

Get Ambitio Pro!

Begin your journey to top universities with Ambitio Pro. Our premium platform offers you the tools and support needed to craft standout applications.

Unlock Advanced Features for a More Comprehensive Application Experience!

Start your Journey today

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.

Spread the Word!

Share across your social media if you found it helpful

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

Recent Blogs

Economist GRE Tutor: Mastering the GRE in 2023 with Advanced AI Techniques

Navigating the GRE Cutoff for Duke University Engineering Management Program

Navigating the MBA Admission at HEC Paris: Insights into GRE and GMAT Requirements

Let us make sure you get into the best.

Phone Number

eg. Fall 2024

• 2024 Winter
• 2024 Spring
• 2024 Summer

Enter verification code

Code was sent to

Resend OTP (30s)

• Our Experts

Connect with us on our social media