The GRE Issue essay
Analytical Writing is now one task: Analyze an Issue, 30 minutes, scored 0 to 6 in half points. You read a claim and explain how far you agree.
A structure that works
- Position. Say how far you agree, limit included. "It is complex" is not a position.
- First reason. One reason, developed with a specific example.
- Second reason. A different reason with its own example.
- Where the claim might not hold. A real case where it fails, and how that shapes your view.
- Conclusion. What follows from the reasons and the limit.
Plan for about five minutes, write for twenty, and keep five to reread. Specific examples beat general ones.
How it is scored
ETS scores the essay holistically from 0 to 6, using a trained reader and its e-rater scoring engine. The average is about 3.5; a 4.5 beats about 85% of test takers in ETS's table.
Questions
How long should a GRE Issue essay be?
ETS sets no word limit. Most well-developed responses in 30 minutes run to several paragraphs; what counts is the reasoning, not the length.
Is there still an Argument essay?
No. Since 22 September 2023 the GRE has one essay, Analyze an Issue.