What Does the GRE Analytical Writing Section Assess?
The writing
section examines your ability to communicate complex ideas clearly and
effectively, support your ideas, examine claims and supporting evidence, sustain a focused and coherent
discussion, and effectively use the elements of standard written English.
Subsections
- Present Your Perspective on an Issue
This is a 45 minute task. You are presented with an issue of general interest and asked to address it from any perspective, providing reasons and examples to support your views. Your task is to construct an argument and support it.
- Analyze an Argument
A 30 minute task in which you are presented with an argument. Your task is to critique the argument and discuss whether it is a reasoned argument by assessing its claims.
How is the Writing Section Scored?
Two trained readers assess each essay on a 6-point scale. They use holistic
scoring, which means that they assign scores on the basis of the overall quality
of your essay in response to the assigned task. If the two scores differ by more
an one point, then a third reader is called in. Final scores on the two essays
are averaged and rounded up to the nearest half-point to provide a single score
for the section. The emphasis is on examining your critical thinking and
analytical writing skills rather than grammar.
