The GRE Writing Assessment

Since 2003, the GRE Writing Assessment is a mandatory part of the GRE.

The Analytical Writing Assessment (AWA) is how graduate schools evaluate your writing skills. The AWA section has two essay questions. One essay (45 minutes) is the "Present Your Perspective on an Issue," in which you state your opinion on an issue. The second essay (30 minutes) is the "Analysis of Argument," in which you analyze the reasoning in an argument. The two essays require completely different strategies.


How to tackle the GRE Writing Assessment

Students tend to underprepare for the Writing Assessment section. This is ironic because it is the one section on the GRE where a small amount of preparation can make a huge difference on test day. To beat the Writing Assessment, you must learn how to write in a highly disciplined and concise manner.

1. Be particularly concerned with structure. Clearly divide your essay into the introductory paragraph, two to three content paragraphs, and a conclusion. Take time out before you start writing to set up an organizational structure. Our Essay Guide includes sample essay templates for the Issue and Argument essays.
   
   
2. Use transitional phrases, such as "first," "therefore," and "because," to help identify concepts between and within the paragraphs.
   
   
3. Clearly state your critique in the Analysis of Argument essay. The Analysis of Argument question will show you an essay that is loaded with logical fallacies, such as the unwarranted assumption or the fallacy of equivocation. We include all the common logical fallacies in our Essay Guide's logic section (this makes for interesting reading regardless of whether you are taking the writing assessment).
   
   
4. Practice, Practice, Practice. Try to do the essays in the 30-minute time frame. That is half the challenge. Always practice under timed conditions on a computer or take our practice essays for grading.
   
   

The Essay Section Guide is designed to prepare you for the test. We've used experience from grading thousands of practice essays through our Essay Grading Service. Our essay guide is included free with the GRE Prep Package or may be bought separately.

Bonus section: Application Essay Writing Guide (New)
A 50-page guide to writing application essays to graduate programs. Learn how to write an appealing application, explain past failures and highlight your career successes.

>>Option #1: Start your preparation today; order the Essay Section Guide (15.95).>>

>>Option #2: (Recommended)
Complete GRE Prep Course ($51 value for $25.95) >>
includes:  > 5 GRE CAT Tests with Complete Explanations
               > GRE CAT Online Prep Guide
               > Essay Section Guide
               > 50-page section on application essays to graduate schools

---