Section guide · AWA
AWA: one essay, thirty minutes, no surprises
The GRE's Analytical Writing measure is a single Analyze an Issue task: take a position on a broad statement and defend it with reasons and examples. It is the most template-friendly part of the entire exam, which makes it the cheapest points you will ever earn with a little preparation.
The essay guides and templates on GMAT GRE Prep assume you have read theGRE overview; this page handles the writing task itself.
The task
You get one statement of opinion, for example a claim about education, technology, or public policy, plus instructions that specify how to respond: agree or disagree and explain, discuss the extent to which you agree, address circumstances where the claim holds or fails, and so on. Read the instruction line twice. Two essays with identical content can score differently if one answers the specific instruction and the other does not.
How it is scored
Each essay receives a human score and an e-rater engine score from 0 to 6 in half-point increments, averaged into your Analytical Writing score. Graders reward four things: a clear position, logical development, specific support, and control of language. A 4.5 is enough for most programs; 5.0 and above is a genuine asset for humanities and policy applications. The GMAT Focus Edition has no essay at all, which is one factor in theGMAT vs GRE choice.
A structure that holds up under pressure
- Introduction (3 to 4 sentences). Restate the issue in your own words, state your position, and preview your two reasons.
- Body paragraph one. Your strongest reason, one specific example, and two sentences of analysis connecting the example back to your position.
- Body paragraph two. Your second reason with its own example. Depth beats breadth: one developed example outscores three name-drops.
- Counterargument paragraph. Grant the strongest point on the other side, then explain why your position survives it. This single paragraph is the most reliable marker of a 5+ essay.
- Conclusion (2 to 3 sentences). Restate the position in new words. No new arguments.
Examples do not need to be historical or impressive. A well-analyzed example from everyday life, a local business, a school policy, a personal observation, outperforms a half-remembered reference to a Roman emperor.
The 30-minute budget
| Minutes | Task |
|---|---|
| 0–4 | Unpack the prompt, pick a side, outline two reasons and one counterpoint |
| 4–10 | Introduction and first body paragraph |
| 10–18 | Second body paragraph |
| 18–24 | Counterargument paragraph |
| 24–27 | Conclusion |
| 27–30 | Proofread for subject-verb agreement and missing words |
Practice protocol
- Write your first two practice essays untimed, following the structure above.
- Write the next four at 30 minutes exactly, on the ETS topic pool (all official prompts are published in advance).
- Score yourself against the ETS rubric, or trade essays with a study partner.
- Fix one category of error per essay. Trying to fix everything at once fixes nothing.