GRE Analytical Writing: Types of Questions, Tips & Samples

GRE’s Analytical Writing Assessment or AWA is designed to test your critical thinking and analytical writing abilities. The task is based on assessing your abilities to articulate your ideas and support complex ideas, to make and analyse arguments, and to maintain a focused and logically coherent discussion. You can easily score a 99 percentile in analytical writing with proper practice. The section is scored on a scale of 0 – 6 with an average score of 4.0. That being said, read the complete article to learn more about the GRE’s Analytical Writing section.

GRE Analytical Writing: An Overview

The Analytical Writing Assessment or AWA is a part of the GRE that entails students writing two essays within a timeframe of 30 minutes or less. The GRE analytical writing task consists of a two-part analysis which is an Analysis of an Issue and an Analysis of an Argument. The exam requires you to attempt the analytical writing first before moving on to the other sections, i.e., You will not be allowed to attempt other sections before completing the AWA or return to it later by attempting other sections first. AWA is designed to test essay-writing abilities so that you can present an essay logically and coherently.

Importance of Analytical Writing in GRE

As GRE scores are measured via the score of quantitative and verbal sections only. Most students believe that analytical writing is not of much importance as the admission committee does not consider the essay as the admission criteria. However, if you have scored poorly or below the average in the analytical writing section, it can seem to affect the decision of the admission committee. It is recommended to perform well in the analytical writing section and attempt it considerably to score well, reducing the chances of second judgements by the admission committee of a university. 

GRE Analytical Writing: Types of Questions  

As mentioned before, analytical writing has two essay tasks which include an analysis of an issue and an analysis of an argument. 

Analysis of an Issue – you will be given an issue and you will be required to assess its complexities and prepare an argument of your opinion explaining your views and provide examples to support your statements.

Analysis of an Argument – you will be given an argument and you will be required to assess the logical soundness of the argument presented under the specific instructions. You will have to justify the logic of the argument instead of agreeing or disagreeing with it. 

In this task, the student is evaluated based on various parameters of critical thinking and analytical writing skills. Here are these 3 pillars of scoring well in GRE Analytical Writing.

• Ability to express complex ideas through writing skills.
• Construct a rational and focused discussion.
• Assess and create arguments.

To prepare well for the Analytical Writing section in the upcoming GRE Exam, students will find this curated list of topics helpful. This list has been declared by the official website of ETS

GRE Analytical Writing: Computer vs Paper Based Test

The students taking the GRE test through computer-based format will get technical options like insert text, delete text, cut-and-paste and undo in the Analytical Writing section. There is no provision to use online tools like Grammarly or Spell Check tools.

Handwritten answers have to be written in the booklet itself, in the dedicated space for the section. Here the students have to take extra care in writing as there is no option to undo what has been written. For handwritten essays, it is advised that students dedicate a few minutes to formulate the answers before writing.

GRE Analytical Writing: Issues Vs Arguments

Refer to the data given below to go through the primary differences between issues and arguments in GRE’s Analytical Writing.

Issues: The issue-based essays given by GRE examiners expect the examinee to present their point of view and elaborate on the perspective that they chose to support or formulate. This essay depends upon building on what one chooses and how do they justify the viability of their choice. This task demarcates critical thinking and persuasive writing skills.

Argument: In the case of an argument essay, the examinee is asked to elaborate on the point made by someone. Students have to detail that particular perspective, and maybe also judge its pros and cons. The students can choose to disagree or agree with the argument after analysing its logical feasibility in detail.

GRE Analytical Writing: Issues & Arguments Sample (Download)

Here is a compiled list of topics by ETS to prepare for different suggested topics for GRE Analytical Writing.

Topic	Link
Issues	Click here
Arguments	Click Here

What Should You Include in your GRE Analytical Writing?

The following are the important factors to consider when writing your essay:

Clarity 

It is the most fundamental factor while writing your essay. Your opinions should be written clearly, keeping the complexities to a minimum. Avoid writing unnecessary statements to justify your views in the essay. Make sure you have the fundamental points to be written and then write it in a clear logical manner.

Structure

Make sure you have a structure in your mind while writing the essay to maintain coherency. Your essay must have coherence and cohesion that presents your thoughts in an organised manner. A well-structured essay makes it easier to assess the point of the statement and opinions and identify the meaningful context made by the writer. 

Sentence Variety 

Try to use a variety of sentences while writing the essay, do not just use the same phrasing over and over again as it gives a sense of monotony and redundancy in the essay. Choose to play with the sentence structure and words in it to make creative statements. Make sure to use proper transition words in your essay to make it look organized. 

Vocabulary 

Use a variety of words in the essay and try to use synonyms of commonly used words. Vocabulary is often a tricky aspect to sustain in the essay due to the preconceived notion which implies the use of heavy vocabulary in the writing assessment. On the contrary, use synonyms of common words rather than overcompensate them.

Language and Grammar

Using simpler sentences is the best way to avoid any grammatical mistakes when writing an essay. Use simple language and do not deviate from the command over the language you are writing in, this will reduce the chances of making any grammatical mistakes. Make sure to proofread your essay after completing it to check for any errors and rectify them. 

Tips to Ace Your GRE Analytical Writing

The following are the recommended tips to prepare for AWA:

• Practice a lot from the samples essay topics and read the given sample to understand your strengths and weaknesses
• Organize your thoughts before you start writing the essay to maintain a proper structure and coherency throughout the essay 
• You will have a time limit of 30 minutes for each task, make sure you manage your time for each task, also do not plan to write a lengthy essay and save time 
• After completing the essay, make sure you have some time to spare for proofreading to check and rectify any mistakes that were made

So that was all about GRE Analytical Writing. Hope the blog has answered your queries regarding the topic.

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