Analytical Writing Essay Types

The Analytical Writing section of the GRE allows the test to evaluate your ability to plan and compose a logical, well-reasoned essay under timed conditions. You will complete two different essay tasks, and you’ll have 30 minutes for each essay. 

• The Analyze an Issue task will provide a brief statement on an issue of general interest and instructions on how to respond to the issue. You can discuss the issue from any perspective, making use of your own educational and personal background, examples from current or historical events, material that you’ve read, or even hypothetical situations. For this essay, you will develop your own argument.
• The Analyze an Argument task will present a short argument and instructions on how to respond to it. You will assess the cogency of the argument, analyzing the author’s chain of reasoning and evaluating the use of evidence. For this essay, you will not develop your own argument but instead will critique the argument presented in the prompt.

For each task, you’ll be given one topic and specific instructions. The instructions are not the same for each Issue essay or for each Argument essay, so be sure to read them carefully.