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GRE Analytical Writing study materials
GRE Analytical Writing study resources

GRE Analytical Writing practice questions

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Question 1Analyze an Issue

In the GRE Analyze an Issue task, which response best satisfies the instruction to address the extent to which you agree or disagree with a stated claim?

  1. Presenting a balanced discussion of both sides without ever stating the writer's own position
  2. Listing several unrelated examples that touch on the topic to show breadth of knowledge
  3. Restating the prompt's claim in different words and agreeing with it fully
  4. Stating a clear position and then defending it while acknowledging and engaging a serious counterargument Correct answer.

Explanation

The task explicitly asks for the extent of your agreement, so a defensible response must commit to a position and sustain it. Acknowledging a strong opposing view and answering it demonstrates the critical engagement the graders reward. Pure summary or unfocused listing fails to address the instruction.

Question 2Analyze an Issue

A candidate spends the first paragraph of an Issue essay defining every term in the prompt and never reaches a thesis. Which revision best fixes the problem?

  1. Cut the definitions to what the argument needs and end the opening with a clear thesis Correct answer.
  2. Move the definitions to the conclusion so the opening stays short
  3. Add a second definitional paragraph to make the terms fully precise
  4. Replace the definitions with a quotation from a famous thinker

Explanation

The opening should establish the issue and stake out a position quickly; excessive definition delays the argument and wastes scoring time. Trimming definitions to what the reasoning actually requires lets the thesis appear early. A quotation adds authority but does not supply the missing claim.

Question 3Analyze an Issue

Which sentence functions as a thesis for an Issue essay rather than as a mere restatement of the prompt?

  1. In this essay I will discuss the topic of competition and education in detail.
  2. Some people believe that competition improves education, while others disagree.
  3. The question of whether competition improves education is an important one that many people have debated.
  4. Competition, though it motivates some students, undermines learning when schools treat rankings as the goal rather than a byproduct. Correct answer.

Explanation

A thesis makes a contestable claim with a reason or qualification, giving the essay something to prove. The other sentences announce a topic or note that a debate exists without committing to a position. Only the qualified claim about rankings supplies an argumentative edge.

Question 4Analyze an Issue

Which use of an example would most strengthen an Issue essay arguing that governments should fund basic scientific research?

  1. A quotation claiming that science is valuable to society
  2. A statistic showing that scientists earn higher salaries than teachers
  3. A list of ten countries that have science budgets of various sizes
  4. A specific case in which publicly funded research produced a widely used technology that private firms would not have financed Correct answer.

Explanation

Effective examples are specific and directly support the causal claim that public funding yields benefits private actors would forgo. The case links funding to an outcome the market neglected. Lists, quotations, and tangential statistics do not establish that connection.

Question 5Analyze an Issue

Which transition most accurately signals that the sentence to follow concedes a point before the writer rebuts it?

  1. Similarly
  2. Admittedly Correct answer.
  3. Therefore
  4. In conclusion

Explanation

Concessive transitions such as admittedly or granted introduce an acknowledged counterpoint that the writer will then answer. Therefore marks a conclusion, similarly marks comparison, and in conclusion signals the end of the essay. Choosing the concessive marker keeps the logical structure visible to the reader.

Question 6Analyze an Issue

An essay argues that technology isolates people, then adds a paragraph noting that social media connects distant relatives. What is the best way to integrate that paragraph into the argument?

  1. Treat it as a concession and explain why the general claim about isolation still holds Correct answer.
  2. End the essay with it, leaving readers to draw their own conclusion
  3. Repeat the thesis after it without addressing the point
  4. Delete it, because a persuasive essay should never mention opposing evidence

Explanation

Counterevidence is strongest when framed as a concession and then subordinated to the main claim through reasoning. Simply deleting it weakens credibility, and dropping it in without commentary leaves the argument inconsistent. The concession-plus-rebuttal move preserves coherence.

Question 7Analyze an Issue

Which strategy best manages the thirty minutes allotted to the GRE Analyze an Issue essay?

  1. Draft the essay, then spend the remaining time rewriting the introduction repeatedly
  2. Reserve a few minutes to plan, most of the time to draft, and the final minutes to proofread Correct answer.
  3. Spend twenty minutes planning and ten minutes writing to ensure a strong outline
  4. Write continuously for thirty minutes and skip rereading entirely

Explanation

Balanced time allocation lets the writer plan a coherent argument, develop it fully, and catch errors. Overplanning starves the draft, and skipping proofreading leaves avoidable mistakes. The plan-draft-proofread split is the standard recommendation.

Question 8Analyze an Issue

Which sentence avoids the vague evaluative language that weakens Issue essays?

  1. This policy is obviously bad for everyone involved.
  2. This policy is something that people have strong feelings about.
  3. This policy is very interesting and has many pros and cons.
  4. This policy reduces access to childcare for the low-income families it was meant to help. Correct answer.

Explanation

Specific claims about who is affected and how give the reader something concrete to assess. Vague evaluators such as bad, interesting, or controversial assert judgment without support. The sentence naming low-income families and childcare access is precise and arguable.

Question 9Analyze an Issue

An Issue prompt asks whether the best leaders are those who listen to their followers. A writer argues that leaders must sometimes disregard popular opinion to protect long-term interests. Which evidence best supports that argument?

  1. A quotation defining leadership as the ability to inspire
  2. A survey showing that most employees say they enjoy their jobs
  3. A historical case in which a leader's unpopular decision prevented a foreseeable crisis Correct answer.
  4. A statistic about the average length of leadership tenures

Explanation

The argument claims that ignoring popular opinion can serve long-term interests, so evidence must show an unpopular decision producing a protective outcome. The historical case supplies exactly that causal link. The other options touch on leadership but do not demonstrate the value of resisting popular opinion.

Question 10Analyze an Issue

A body paragraph opens with a claim, presents a counterargument, and then rebuts it. Which order of sentences would make the paragraph's logic clearest?

  1. Rebuttal, claim, counterargument
  2. Counterargument, claim, rebuttal
  3. Counterargument, rebuttal, claim
  4. Claim, counterargument, rebuttal Correct answer.

Explanation

Stating the claim first gives the reader the position the paragraph defends; the counterargument then appears as an obstacle, and the rebuttal resolves it. This claim-counter-rebuttal sequence mirrors the paragraph's purpose. Beginning with the rebuttal or counterargument obscures what is being defended.

Question 11Analyze an Issue

Which revision most improves this sentence from an Issue essay: 'Because the government has failed to act, and because citizens are frustrated, so the problem continues.'

  1. The government has failed to act, citizens are frustrated, the problem continues.
  2. Because the government has failed to act and because citizens are frustrated, therefore the problem continues.
  3. Because the government has failed to act and citizens are frustrated, the problem continues. Correct answer.
  4. Because the government has failed to act, and because citizens are frustrated, so the problem continues to persist onward.

Explanation

The original pairs a because-clause with so, creating a redundant causal construction. Removing so and joining the two reasons with and produces a grammatical, single-cause sentence. The other revisions either retain the redundancy or create a comma splice.

Question 12Analyze an Issue

A writer wants to argue that mandatory community service benefits students. Which thesis is most defensible within a short essay?

  1. Mandatory service is always beneficial in every conceivable circumstance.
  2. Mandatory service benefits students chiefly by exposing them to civic institutions they would otherwise never encounter. Correct answer.
  3. Mandatory service is a topic that has generated considerable debate among educators.
  4. Mandatory service should be abolished because it is inconvenient.

Explanation

A defensible thesis is focused, arguable, and narrow enough to support in a brief essay. Naming a specific benefit through exposure to civic institutions gives the writer a clear line of reasoning. Absolute claims and topic announcements are either indefensible or empty.

Question 13Analyze an Issue

Which sentence most effectively qualifies a claim without undercutting it?

  1. Public transit funding is worthwhile, although its benefits accrue most clearly in dense cities. Correct answer.
  2. Public transit funding is worthwhile; some people disagree.
  3. Public transit funding is worthwhile, but maybe it is not, depending on the situation.
  4. Public transit funding is worthwhile in every city without exception.

Explanation

A good qualification narrows the claim's scope with a specific condition, making it more precise and defensible. Naming dense cities does exactly that. Hedging into uncertainty, overgeneralizing, or noting disagreement without analysis weakens rather than sharpens the claim.

Question 14Analyze an Issue

An essay asserts that standardized tests predict success. Which addition would most improve its reasoning?

  1. A longer conclusion summarizing the assertion
  2. An explanation of the mechanism by which test performance relates to later outcomes Correct answer.
  3. A stronger adjective describing how accurate the tests are
  4. A quotation from a teacher who likes the tests

Explanation

A predictive claim needs a plausible mechanism connecting the measure to the outcome, not just assertion. Explaining that mechanism gives the reader a reason to accept the correlation. Intensifying adjectives, lengthening the conclusion, or citing a sympathetic teacher adds no reasoning.

Question 15Analyze an Issue

Which opening sentence best avoids the formulaic 'Since the dawn of time' style that graders penalize?

  1. When a city council votes to fund a new transit line, it is deciding who can reach work and who cannot. Correct answer.
  2. Since the dawn of time, humans have debated the role of government.
  3. Throughout history, philosophers have considered whether government should intervene.
  4. In today's society, there are many opinions about government.

Explanation

Concrete openings that dramatize a specific situation engage the reader and set up the argument directly. Broad historical sweeps and vague references to many opinions are recognizable filler that delays the thesis. The city-council example immediately frames a real stakes question.

Question 16Analyze an Issue

A writer wants to strengthen an argument that arts education improves academic performance. Which source use is most appropriate for an Issue essay?

  1. A long quotation from a novelist about the value of beauty
  2. An assertion that everyone knows the arts help students
  3. A brief reference to a study finding that music training correlates with improved reading scores, followed by analysis of why Correct answer.
  4. A detailed statistical table from a single school district presented without commentary

Explanation

Issue essays reward evidence that is integrated and interpreted rather than dumped in. Citing a relevant finding and then explaining its significance connects evidence to the claim. Raw tables, appeals to common knowledge, and tangential quotations do not advance the reasoning.

Question 17Analyze an Issue

Which sentence uses a semicolon correctly in the context of an argumentative essay?

  1. The policy failed; and it lacked funding.
  2. The policy failed; which surprised no one.
  3. The policy failed; because it lacked funding.
  4. The policy failed; critics had warned that it would. Correct answer.

Explanation

A semicolon joins two independent clauses, and critics had warned that it would is a complete clause. The other sentences attach a dependent fragment or a coordinating conjunction that should not follow a semicolon. Correct punctuation keeps the argument's clauses readable.

Question 18Analyze an Issue

An essay argues that censorship of art is never justified. A reader points out that some art incites violence. Which revision best preserves the writer's position while acknowledging the objection?

  1. Ignore the objection and repeat that censorship is never justified.
  2. Add the objection to the conclusion without responding to it.
  3. Abandon the original position and argue that censorship is always justified.
  4. Refine the claim to oppose censorship of expression that does not incite imminent violence, and address the incitement case. Correct answer.

Explanation

Refining an absolute claim to exclude a genuinely harmful category preserves the writer's core position while accommodating the strongest objection. Ignoring the point looks dogmatic, and abandoning the position abandons the essay's argument. Acknowledging without responding leaves the objection unanswered.

Question 19Analyze an Issue

Which sentence best demonstrates the concise, declarative style that earns credit in Issue essays?

  1. Education funding, which is a matter that many people have discussed at length, matters.
  2. Education funding matters because underfunded schools cannot retain experienced teachers. Correct answer.
  3. It is important to note that there are many reasons why one might argue that education funding matters.
  4. There are numerous considerations that could be mentioned regarding education funding.

Explanation

Concise declarative sentences state a subject and a reason without padding. The sentence linking funding to teacher retention does this in one clause. The others bury a simple idea in empty framing phrases that dilute the argument.

Question 20Analyze an Issue

A candidate's Issue essay argues that remote work harms collaboration, but every paragraph discusses commuting time. What is the primary flaw?

  1. The essay is too short.
  2. The essay uses too many statistics.
  3. The body paragraphs address a different issue from the one the thesis claims to defend. Correct answer.
  4. The conclusion repeats the thesis.

Explanation

Coherence requires body paragraphs to develop the stated claim; discussing commuting time supports a different argument about remote work. This misalignment, not length or repetition, is the central weakness. Graders penalize essays whose parts do not serve the thesis.

Question 21Analyze an Issue

An essay asserts that 'society benefits when individuals pursue their own interests.' Which counterexample would most directly challenge that claim?

  1. A person who volunteers at a food bank on weekends
  2. A family that saves money for a house
  3. A student who studies hard to earn a scholarship
  4. A firm that dumps toxic waste into a river to cut costs and profits Correct answer.

Explanation

A counterexample must show self-interested action producing social harm. The polluting firm profits by imposing costs on others, which directly contradicts the claim that self-interest benefits society. The other examples either benefit others or are neutral.

Question 22Analyze an Issue

Two writers defend the same claim about universal basic income. Writer A offers three vivid anecdotes; Writer B offers one anecdote plus an analysis of how the policy changes incentives. Which response is likely to score higher, and why?

  1. Writer A, because multiple examples always outweigh analysis
  2. Writer B, because explaining a mechanism shows why the claim holds rather than merely illustrating it Correct answer.
  3. Writer A, because vivid details are the primary criterion for scoring
  4. Neither, because anecdotes are never acceptable in Issue essays

Explanation

Analytical writing rewards reasoning about why a claim is true, not just illustration. Writer B connects the policy to incentives, giving the reader a mechanism to evaluate, whereas Writer A stacks examples without explanation. Anecdotes can be used well but do not substitute for analysis.

Question 23Analyze an Issue

An essay claims that standardized testing should be abolished because it stresses students. Which revision most improves the argument's logical strength?

  1. Specifying which harms the stress causes and why alternatives would avoid them Correct answer.
  2. Adding that testing is also boring
  3. Adding that many students dislike tests
  4. Repeating the claim in the conclusion with more forceful language

Explanation

The original argument leaps from a harm to a sweeping remedy without showing that the harm matters or that abolition would help. Specifying the consequences and comparing alternatives supplies the missing reasoning. Additional complaints or emphatic repetition do not bridge the logical gap.

Question 24Analyze an Issue

A prompt asks whether people should rely on experts rather than their own judgment. Which thesis best sets up a nuanced, high-scoring argument?

  1. Experts and non-experts are equally reliable.
  2. People should never defer to experts because experts can be wrong.
  3. Expertise is valuable, but deference should be calibrated to the domain's complexity and the public's ability to evaluate competing claims. Correct answer.
  4. People should always defer to experts in every domain.

Explanation

A nuanced thesis identifies the conditions under which a claim holds, which gives the essay structure and room for analysis. Calibrating deference to complexity and evaluability does that. The absolute and equal-reliability claims are too blunt to sustain a sophisticated argument.

Question 25Analyze an Issue

An essay's conclusion reads: 'In conclusion, as I have shown, the argument is complex and has many sides, so both views have merit.' What is the main weakness?

  1. It is too specific about the writer's claim.
  2. It fails to restate a clear position and instead retreats into vagueness. Correct answer.
  3. It introduces a new piece of evidence.
  4. It uses the phrase in conclusion.

Explanation

A strong conclusion reaffirms the writer's position and explains its implications. This one dissolves the argument into both views have merit, signaling that no position was defended. Vagueness at the close undercuts whatever clarity the body achieved.

Question 26Analyze an Issue

In the GRE Analyze an Issue task, a writer is told to 'discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree' with a claim. Which response best satisfies that instruction?

  1. Summarizing arguments on both sides without stating where the writer finally stands
  2. Acknowledging that the claim holds under some conditions while arguing it fails under others, with reasons for the boundary Correct answer.
  3. Agreeing fully with the claim and restating it in different words across four paragraphs
  4. Rejecting the claim outright and listing every objection the writer can generate within the time limit

Explanation

The word 'extent' signals that a qualified position earns credit: the writer should define the conditions under which the claim holds and the conditions under which it does not. A position with reasons and a stated boundary satisfies the instruction more fully than blanket agreement or rejection.

Question 27Analyze an Issue

A candidate spends eight minutes reading the Issue prompt and brainstorming before writing. What is the main risk of this allocation within the thirty-minute task?

  1. Too little time remains for drafting and for reviewing what was written Correct answer.
  2. The essay will exceed the expected length and lose credit for verbosity
  3. The prompt will be misinterpreted because reading time was excessive
  4. The brainstorm will be too detailed to fit into the essay's structure

Explanation

The Issue essay is scored on the finished text, so time spent planning has value only if it leaves enough minutes to draft and check the response. Eight minutes of planning leaves roughly twenty-two minutes for composing and review, which is tight for a full essay.

Question 28Analyze an Issue

An Issue essay opens: 'Throughout human history, humanity has always faced challenges and overcome them.' Which revision best replaces this with a sentence that engages the specific prompt?

  1. When a society must choose between individual liberty and collective safety, the choice reveals what that society values. Correct answer.
  2. Since ancient times, people have struggled with difficult questions about how to live together.
  3. It is universally true that human beings have always had to deal with problems of many kinds.
  4. Challenges are a part of life, and every generation must confront them in its own way.

Explanation

A strong opening names the concrete tension the prompt raises and commits the writer to a line of analysis. Generic reflections on history or 'challenges' could introduce almost any essay and signal that the writer has not engaged the specific issue.

Question 29Analyze an Issue

A body paragraph in an Issue essay states a claim, then concedes an opposing point, then answers it. Which sequence of moves keeps the paragraph coherent?

  1. Rebuttal, claim, concession, and an anecdote that replaces the need for a rebuttal
  2. Claim, concession, rebuttal, and a closing sentence tying the rebuttal back to the thesis Correct answer.
  3. Claim, rebuttal, concession, and a final concession that reverses the rebuttal
  4. Concession, claim, rebuttal, and a new unrelated claim to broaden the paragraph

Explanation

The paragraph should move from the writer's claim through the strongest objection to a rebuttal that restores the claim, then link that result to the overall thesis. That order keeps the concession subordinate to the argument rather than letting it displace the claim.

Question 30Analyze an Issue

Which sentence uses a colon correctly to introduce an explanation within an argumentative paragraph?

  1. The policy failed; and the reason was: its funding expired.
  2. The policy failed for a simple reason: its funding expired before the program began. Correct answer.
  3. The policy failed: because its funding expired before the program began.
  4. The policy failed for one reason, namely: that its funding expired.

Explanation

A colon may follow an independent clause to introduce an explanation or elaboration, and here the clause before the colon is complete. The material after the colon then supplies the explanation directly.

Question 31Analyze an Issue

An Issue essay must argue that governments should fund space exploration. Which thesis is most defensible within a thirty-minute essay?

  1. Governments should fund space exploration rather than anything else they currently do.
  2. Governments should fund space exploration because the resulting research yields public benefits that private markets underprovide. Correct answer.
  3. Space exploration should be funded because it is inspiring and because everyone loves it.
  4. Space exploration is the single most important use of public money in the modern world.

Explanation

A defensible thesis is specific, arguable, and narrow enough to support with a few developed reasons in the time available. Naming a concrete rationale, such as underprovided public benefits from research, gives the essay a clear line of argument to develop.

Question 32Analyze an Issue

A writer's Issue essay argues that remote work damages collaboration, yet every body paragraph discusses commuting time. Which diagnosis best explains the essay's weakness?

  1. The evidence addresses a benefit of remote work rather than the claimed harm to collaboration Correct answer.
  2. The paragraphs lack topic sentences that announce their content
  3. The conclusion repeats the introduction instead of summarizing
  4. The thesis is too narrow to permit any supporting evidence

Explanation

The essay's stated claim concerns collaboration, but its paragraphs supply evidence about commuting, which supports a different (and largely opposing) point. The mismatch between claim and evidence, not surface features, is the core defect.

Question 33Analyze an Issue

Which sentence best exemplifies the concise, declarative style that readers of Issue essays reward?

  1. It could be said by some that the public, when relying on experts, may not always think for itself.
  2. It is arguably the case that, in many instances, experts may perhaps be somewhat overrelied upon.
  3. Overreliance on experts weakens public judgment. Correct answer.
  4. There are those who would suggest that reliance on experts can, in certain circumstances, be problematic.

Explanation

A short declarative sentence states a claim directly, with a clear subject and verb and no hedging clutter. This style makes the argument easy to follow and signals confidence in the position.

Question 34Analyze an Issue

An Issue essay claims that standardized tests accurately predict later success. Which addition would most strengthen the reasoning behind that claim?

  1. Evidence that test scores correlate with later academic and job outcomes across large samples Correct answer.
  2. A vivid story about one student who did well on a test and later succeeded
  3. An assertion that test critics have not themselves taken the tests
  4. A statement that many people feel anxious about standardized tests

Explanation

A predictive claim is supported by evidence of correlation between test performance and later outcomes across substantial samples. That kind of evidence speaks directly to whether the tests predict what the claim says they predict.

Question 35Analyze an Issue

Two writers defend the same claim about universal basic income. Writer A offers three vivid personal anecdotes; Writer B offers one hypothetical scenario plus a discussion of likely incentive effects. Which essay more likely earns a higher score on reasoning?

  1. Writer B, because reasoning about incentive effects engages the causal mechanism behind the claim Correct answer.
  2. Writer A, because three examples provide more evidence than one scenario
  3. Writer A, because concrete stories are more memorable to readers than abstract analysis
  4. Writer B, because hypotheticals are always stronger than real examples

Explanation

Scoring rewards the quality of reasoning about why a claim holds, not the sheer number of illustrations. Writer B examines a mechanism (incentives) that bears on the claim, whereas anecdotes illustrate without explaining.

Question 36Analyze an Issue

A prompt asks whether people should defer to experts rather than rely on their own judgment. Which thesis best sets up a nuanced essay?

  1. Experts and laypeople disagree, so the question cannot be answered.
  2. People should never defer to experts, because individual judgment is always superior.
  3. People should always defer to experts, because expertise is knowledge.
  4. People should defer to experts in technical domains where training confers real advantage, while retaining personal judgment on value-laden choices. Correct answer.

Explanation

A nuanced thesis draws a principled distinction, here between technical matters and value judgments, that the body paragraphs can develop on both sides. It takes a position while leaving room to concede and rebut.

Question 37Analyze an Issue

A writer wants to argue that arts education improves academic performance. Which use of a source is most appropriate for an Issue essay?

  1. Citing a study finding that students with arts coursework show higher attendance and grades, then noting the correlation may reflect other factors Correct answer.
  2. Reporting that a friend's school added art classes and its test scores rose the same year
  3. Claiming that 'research proves' the point without naming any study or finding
  4. Quoting a celebrity who says art changed their life and treating the quote as proof of the claim

Explanation

Appropriate source use reports a relevant finding and acknowledges its limits, which strengthens credibility and shows analytical control. Recognizing that correlation may reflect confounding factors demonstrates the kind of reasoning the task rewards.

Question 38Analyze an Issue

An essay argues that censorship of art is never justified. A reader objects that some art incites violence. Which revision best preserves the writer's position while answering the objection?

  1. Repeating that censorship is never justified and ignoring the objection
  2. Adding that art is subjective, so objections to it are meaningless
  3. Abandoning the thesis and arguing that censorship is usually justified
  4. Conceding that art which directly incites imminent violence falls outside protected expression, while arguing that offense alone never justifies censorship Correct answer.

Explanation

The strongest revision narrows the claim to meet the objection at its strongest point, distinguishing incitement to violence from mere offense. This preserves the writer's core position while showing the writer can handle a serious counterargument.

Question 39Analyze an Issue

Which sentence most effectively qualifies a claim without undermining it?

  1. Public libraries are valuable, but they might not be, and it is hard to say.
  2. Public libraries remain valuable in most communities, though their value depends on how well they adapt to digital needs. Correct answer.
  3. Public libraries are valuable, although some people dislike them.
  4. Public libraries are valuable, except when they are not.

Explanation

An effective qualification specifies the condition under which the claim holds, which sharpens rather than weakens it. Naming adaptation to digital needs gives the qualification content and keeps the main claim intact.

Question 40Analyze an Issue

An essay asserts that society benefits when individuals pursue their own interests. Which counterexample would most directly challenge that claim?

  1. A person who pursues a hobby that others find boring
  2. A factory owner who maximizes profit by dumping waste into a river that a town relies on for drinking water Correct answer.
  3. A worker who negotiates for a higher salary
  4. A student who chooses a major their parents dislike

Explanation

A direct counterexample shows self-interested pursuit producing a clear social harm, which contradicts the claim that society benefits. The pollution case imposes costs on third parties who never consented, making the conflict between private interest and public good explicit.

Question 41Analyze an Issue

An essay claims standardized testing should be abolished because it stresses students. Which revision most improves the argument?

  1. Standardized testing should be abolished because stress is bad.
  2. Standardized testing should be replaced, not merely abolished, because its stress harms learning while its comparability serves real needs. Correct answer.
  3. Standardized testing is stressful and therefore bad and should be abolished.
  4. Standardized testing should be abolished because students dislike it.

Explanation

The revision converts a thin causal claim into a position that names a harm, acknowledges a competing benefit, and proposes a proportionate remedy. That structure gives the essay something to develop and defend rather than a single unsupported assertion.

Question 42Analyze an Issue

An essay's conclusion reads: 'In conclusion, as I have shown, the argument is complex and has many sides, so both views have merit.' What is the main problem for an Analyze an Issue response?

  1. It is too short to count as a conclusion
  2. It uses the phrase 'in conclusion,' which is forbidden
  3. It introduces new evidence that should have appeared earlier
  4. It restates the prompt instead of stating what the essay has established Correct answer.

Explanation

A conclusion should state the position the essay has established and why the reasoning supports it. Retreating to 'both views have merit' erases the writer's argument and reads as a refusal to commit.

Question 43Analyze an Issue

A writer has five minutes left and an unfinished third body paragraph. Which action best protects the score?

  1. Insert a long quotation to fill space in the unfinished paragraph
  2. Add a brief sentence completing the paragraph's point, then write a one-sentence conclusion Correct answer.
  3. Delete the unfinished paragraph and submit the two complete ones
  4. Start a fourth paragraph to show breadth of thinking

Explanation

Completing the paragraph's idea in a sentence and closing with a short conclusion preserves the essay's structure and shows a finished argument. A coherent, complete response scores better than one that trails off or is padded.

Question 44Analyze an Issue

A writer plans to argue that technological change inevitably destroys community. Which move would most improve the essay's analytical depth?

  1. Defining what counts as community and identifying the specific mechanisms by which technology might weaken it Correct answer.
  2. Adding more examples of technologies that people use daily
  3. Increasing the essay's length with a history of the internet
  4. Repeating the word 'inevitably' to emphasize the claim

Explanation

Analytical depth comes from defining key terms and tracing the mechanisms that connect a cause to its alleged effect. Specifying how technology might weaken community turns a sweeping assertion into a testable argument.

Question 45Analyze an Issue

An essay must respond to the claim that the best leaders are those who listen to their followers. Which approach best avoids the error of merely restating the prompt?

  1. Arguing that listening matters but that leaders must sometimes act against majority preference when they possess information followers lack Correct answer.
  2. Explaining that leaders who listen are good leaders because listening is good
  3. Listing several leaders who were known for listening to people
  4. Agreeing that listening is important and that followers are important too

Explanation

Restating the prompt in different words produces no argument; the writer must add a claim of their own about when or why the prompt's view holds. Introducing a condition under which listening should not govern gives the essay an independent thesis to defend.

Question 46Analyze an Issue

A writer's Issue essay contains a strong thesis, three relevant reasons, and no acknowledged counterargument. Which revision would most improve the score on analysis and reasoning?

  1. Inserting a paragraph that presents the strongest objection and explains why the thesis survives it Correct answer.
  2. Adding a fourth reason that repeats the first in different words
  3. Replacing the thesis with a broader claim that covers more cases
  4. Adding a personal anecdote about the writer's own experience with the issue

Explanation

Engaging the strongest objection and showing why the thesis withstands it demonstrates the critical thinking the task rewards. A one-sided essay with good reasons still leaves its central vulnerability unaddressed.

Question 47Analyze an Issue

Two candidates address the same prompt. Candidate A writes a balanced essay that lists pros and cons of each side without choosing. Candidate B takes a clear position, concedes the strongest opposing point, and explains why the position still holds. Which describes the scoring difference most accurately?

  1. Candidate B scores higher because a defended position with concession demonstrates reasoning Correct answer.
  2. Candidate A scores higher because listing more points shows thoroughness
  3. Candidate A scores higher because balance shows objectivity
  4. The essays score equally because both discuss both sides

Explanation

The task asks the writer to take and defend a position, and conceding then rebutting the strongest objection shows control of the argument. A neutral inventory of pros and cons reports the debate without contributing to it.

Question 48Analyze an Issue

An essay argues that compulsory voting would improve democracy. Its only support is that turnout is currently low. Which criticism most precisely identifies the gap in reasoning?

  1. The essay assumes that higher turnout improves democracy without defending that link Correct answer.
  2. The essay does not define the word 'democracy' before using it
  3. The essay fails to mention countries that use compulsory voting
  4. The essay relies on a single statistic rather than several

Explanation

The argument moves from low turnout to a conclusion about improving democracy while leaving the connecting premise unstated and unsupported. Identifying that missing link pinpoints exactly where the reasoning fails.

Question 49Analyze an Issue

A writer wants the essay to sound authoritative without overclaiming. Which sentence best achieves that balance?

  1. The evidence suggests the policy has fallen short of its stated goals in several measurable respects. Correct answer.
  2. The policy has definitely failed in every possible way.
  3. No reasonable person could deny that the policy has failed.
  4. Some might say the policy has not entirely succeeded.

Explanation

Authority comes from precise, evidence-anchored claims rather than from intensifiers or sweeping dismissal. Hedging with 'the evidence suggests' while specifying measurable shortfalls keeps the claim strong yet defensible.

Question 50Analyze an Issue

An Issue prompt asks whether a society should prioritize economic growth over environmental protection. Which opening paragraph best sets up an essay that can be developed in thirty minutes?

  1. Growth and protection are often framed as rivals, but the framing hides a choice about time: growth pursued at the expense of environmental capacity borrows from future prosperity, so the real question is which forms of growth a society should pursue. Correct answer.
  2. Since the industrial revolution, the world has changed enormously in many ways that affect us all.
  3. Environmental protection is obviously more important than economic growth, and anyone who disagrees is mistaken.
  4. Economic growth and environmental protection are both important, and this essay will discuss both of them in detail.

Explanation

The strongest opening reframes the prompt's dichotomy into a sharper question the essay can actually answer, which sets up developed analysis rather than a survey. It commits to a line of reasoning while leaving room for concession and rebuttal.