Chapter 1. About the Analytical Writing Section

The Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) General Test and the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) are produced and administered by the Educational Testing Service (ETS) as tools to assist in the screening of applicants for graduate schools (GRE) and business schools (GMAT). ETS introduced the Analytical Writing sections of the GRE and the GMAT in response to the perception that many otherwise well-qualified applicants lack adequate writing skills to cope with the demands of their degree programs. The score is intended to provide admissions personnel with a measure of an applicant’s ability to read analytically, reason logically, and write persuasively.

It is important to understand that, although the GRE and GMAT are used by a diverse group of institutions where students face a broad array of reading and writing tasks, the Analytical Writing section actually assesses a rather specific set of skills. Analytical reading entails the ability to critique an argument, isolating and evaluating the evidence as well as the unstated assumptions on which that argument is founded. Logical reasoning involves marshalling evidence to support your own argument, as well as evidence to refute alternative arguments under consideration. Persuasive writing means formulating complex ideas in a coherent, well-organized, and well-written essay of four to six paragraphs. Other kinds of reading, reasoning, and writing may be useful—even indispensable—in your field, but they are not tested by the Analytical Writing section.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION
OF THE ANALYTICAL WRITING SECTION

For both the GRE and the GMAT versions of the Analytical Writing section, you are required to write two essays. In one, you will be asked to present your perspective on an issue of a very general nature; in the other, you will be asked to critique an argument. Each prompt can be answered without the need for specialized knowledge of any particular subject, and great care is taken to ensure that the difficulty level of the prompts is consistent.

All of the prompts currently being used for both GRE and GMAT Analytical Writing sections are published on the ETS website. The GRE offers approximately 245 prompts for each essay type, while the GMAT offers approximately 150 Argument prompts and 170 Issue prompts.

Writing On the Computer

Analytical Writing essays must be composed on a computer at an authorized testing center. The software provides for simple text manipulation, such as cut-and-paste. There is no spell checker or any other of the tools you may be used to. A tutorial prior to the start of the test will give you an opportunity to familiarize yourself with the software, but if you are not accustomed to composing at the computer, or if your typing is particularly slow or inaccurate, you should make time to practice. (The computer labs at your local Kaplan center are equipped with equipment and software that simulate actual test conditions.)

GRE ESSAYS

The two writing tasks for the GRE Analytical Writing section are called “Present Your Perspective on an Issue” and “Analyze an Argument.” You will have 45 minutes to complete the Issue task and only 30 minutes to complete the Argument task.

Present Your Perspective on an Issue Task

The Issue task is presented as a brief statement of opinion expressed in one to three sentences—most often one. The accompanying instructions require you to give your views on the issue in question. As the name of the task suggests, your assignment is to “present your perspective on the issue.” You may agree, disagree, or take a position somewhere in between. You are also told to support your view with “relevant reasons and/or examples.”

Essentially, you will not be graded on your position or on the nature of the evidence you marshal in support of that position—as long as that evidence clearly supports your conclusion.

While the Issue task gives you quite a bit of freedom in shaping your response, do not presume upon the humor or good nature of the graders. Even if you may find the presented opinion completely inane, restrain yourself. At all costs, avoid frivolity. Dreams, gossip, and conjecture may be part of your “experience,” but they are not appropriate evidence for a serious discussion of an issue.

Remember, you will have a choice of two different prompts. Because the prompts are already posted online, you should not spend much of your time on test day deciding which prompt you will answer. Also, be sure to follow test instructions on identifying for readers to which essay you’re responding.

Analyze an Argument Task

The Argument task is presented as a passage of three to seven sentences (usually four or five) that is generally preceded by a single-sentence “contextualizer” which defines the source of the text. (Some of the GRE prompts do not provide context.) Here are some typical contextualizers:

 The following appeared as a memo from…

 The following appeared in a press release issued by…

 The following appeared as part of an article published in…

The “argument” in the Argument prompt is a theory, proposal, or prediction, with supporting evidence. Some of the prompts are proposals to improve the performance of a commercial enterprise; others relate to community development, educational policy, and health or safety. You are not expected to have any specific expertise in any of these fields.

The instructions only ask you to “discuss how well reasoned you find this argument.”

A primary consideration in scoring is “focus”: you will be penalized if you stray from the task of critiquing the given argument. Do not be tempted by a provocative prompt to give your own opinions on the topic, or to offer alternative proposals, or to raise other (more important) questions. Absolutely everything in your essay must bear directly on the strength or weakness of the argument presented in the prompt.

GMAT ESSAYS

The two writing tasks for the GMAT Analytical Writing section are called “Analysis of an Issue” and “Analysis of an Argument.” You will have 30 minutes to complete each of the essays.

Analysis of an Issue Task

The Issue task is presented as a brief statement of opinion expressed in one to three sentences—most often one. The accompanying instructions require you to give your views on the issue in question. The GMAT instructions specify that you may draw your “reasons and/or examples” from your personal “experience, observations, or reading.” You will not be graded on your position or on the nature of the evidence you use in support of that position—as long as that evidence clearly supports your conclusion.

While the Issue task gives you quite a bit of freedom in shaping your response, do not presume upon the humor or good nature of the graders. Even if you may find the presented opinion completely inane, restrain yourself. At all costs, avoid frivolity. Dreams, gossip, and conjecture may be part of your “experience,” but they are not appropriate evidence for a serious discussion of an issue.

Analysis of an Argument Task

The Argument task is presented as a passage of three to seven sentences (usually four or five), generally preceded by a single-sentence “contextualizer” which defines the source of the text. Here are some typical contextualizers:

 The following appeared as a memo from…

 The following appeared in a press release issued by…

 The following appeared as part of an article published in…

The “argument” in the Argument prompt is a theory, proposal, or prediction, with supporting evidence. Most of the prompts are proposals to improve the performance of a commercial enterprise; others relate to community development, educational policy, and health or safety. You are not expected to have any specific expertise in any of these fields.

Timing

According to ETS researchers, the amount of time allotted for impromptu essay writing does not significantly affect validity: an individual may produce a better essay if allowed more time, but the order of ranking of individuals in tested groups remains essentially the same regardless of the time factor. However, as you are practicing writing essays under the pressure of limited time, you should definitely apply the time limit accorded by the exam you will be taking.

What Is an E-rater^®?

GMAT essays are now graded by one human grader and one automatic grader. Human graders are trained to apply “holistic grading” guidelines according to which the entire essay is assessed without reference to a strict checklist of criteria. The E-rater is a computerized system that calculates a score based on more than fifty quantifiable characteristics of each essay. ETS researchers claim that the E-rater arrives at scores that are as reliable as those assigned by human graders; studies find that 90% of the essay scores given by humans and the E-rater are identical or adjacent, a figure that compares favorably with results involving two human graders. In those cases where the human grader and the E-rater disagree by two or more points, a second human grader is called in to make a final decision.

The instructions first ask you to “Discuss how well reasoned you find this argument.” They elaborate on this requirement with the following points:

1. You must analyze the line of reasoning, evaluating the pertinence and effectiveness of evidence that is presented in support of the argument’s conclusion or recommendation.

2. You must point out the unstated assumptions that underlie the argument. If those assumptions are questionable, you should explain why.

3. You must cite alternative explanations, facts, counterexamples, or other evidence that would weaken the argument’s conclusion.

4. You must discuss what kinds of additional evidence or changes in the line of reasoning would make the argument stronger as well as those that would make it weaker.

The instructions do not actually state that “you must” do all of these things: most are presented as suggestions. However, if you want to achieve a top score you should consider these points non-negotiable.

Not only must you attend to all four of the advisory points, but you must also rigorously avoid any other considerations. A primary consideration in scoring is “focus”: you will be penalized if you stray from the task of critiquing the given argument. Do not be tempted by a provocative prompt to give your own opinions on the topic, or to offer alternative proposals, or to raise other (more important) questions. Absolutely everything in your essay must bear directly on the strength or weakness of the argument presented in the prompt.

What about Scoring?

Scoring varies slightly between the GRE and GMAT. To learn about how your essays are scored, be sure to read chapter two.

THE NEXT STEP

At this point you may be feeling reassured and confident. After all, the analytical writing tasks are relatively simple and straightforward. Strategically, this confidence is ill-advised. Simply writing a grammatically correct essay on a topic does not guarantee you a top score.

By reviewing the chapters in this book you will learn how to deal with the Analytical Writing tasks. You will be well prepared enough that you will feel comfortable with the time limits and secure in the knowledge that you know precisely what is expected of you.