GRE Analytical Writing study guide

GRE Analytical Writing · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.

The Analytical Writing measure is one of the three sections of the GRE General Test, which is used for admission to graduate, business, and law school. ETS describes the measure as assessing critical thinking and analytical writing skills - specifically your ability to articulate and support complex ideas, construct arguments, and sustain a focused and coherent discussion. It does not assess specific content knowledge, so you are not expected to bring expertise in philosophy, policy, or science. The measure consists of a single 30-minute "Analyze an Issue" task. It presents an opinion on an issue along with instructions on how to respond, and asks you to evaluate the issue, consider its complexities, and develop an argument with reasons and examples supporting your views. You type your response in a basic ETS word processor that supports inserting and deleting text, cut-and-paste, and undoing the previous action; no spellchecker or grammar checker is available. Topics on this exam: Analyze an Issue. The GRE Analytical Writing study guide has 1 section and about 482 words.

Analyze an Issue: Building a Nuanced, Well-Supported Position in 30 Minutes

The Analyze an Issue task gives you 30 minutes to write a persuasive essay on a brief statement about society, education, technology, or public policy. It tests whether you can take a position, reason from evidence, and address complexity-not whether you reach a particular conclusion. GRE Analytical Writing is scored holistically on a 0–6 scale in half-point increments, so the quality of your thinking and control of prose matter more than a formula. Each Issue prompt is followed by a specific instruction, such as discussing the extent to which you agree or disagree, the circumstances in which a recommendation would be advantageous, or the consequences of adopting a claim.

482 words, about 2 min

More study resources for GRE Analytical Writing

Practice questionsIn 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?
FlashcardsGRE Issue essay time limit. Thirty minutes to plan, draft, and proofread one essay chosen from two offered prompts; the score is reported separately from the Verbal and Quantitative sections.
Cheat sheetTask: 30 minutes, one prompt chosen from the two offered; the essay is scored holistically on a 0-6 scale, reported in half-point increments, and averaged with the Analyze an Argument score.
Key termsissue prompt. The short statement or claim that the Analyze an Issue task asks you to discuss.
Study planMap the full Issue prompt pool by theme (education, technology, government, arts, society) and tag each prompt with the reasoning strategy it invites.
Common mistakesCandidates carry over the five-paragraph essay habit from timed school tests, where a thesis-and-roadmap opening feels safe.
Exam-day guideCheck your appointment confirmation for whether you are taking the GRE General Test at a test center or at home, the exact reporting time, and the address or the at-home check-in window.