GRE Essay Examples: Your Complete Guide to Acing the Analytical Writing Section

The Issue Essay presents a statement on a broad topic—anything from technology and education to government policy and human behavior—and asks you to respond according to specific instructions. Unlike the now-retired Argument Essay, this task wants your opinion, backed by evidence.

You’ll encounter one of six instruction sets:

1. Discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the statement
2. Discuss whether you agree or disagree with the recommendation
3. Discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the claim, addressing counterarguments
4. Discuss which of the two views more closely aligns with your position
5. Discuss your agreement or disagreement with both a claim and its underlying reason
6. Discuss your views on a policy and its potential consequences

The key takeaway? Read the instructions carefully. Your response needs to address the specific directive, not just the general topic.

Nothing teaches quite like seeing the real thing. Below, we’ve broken down what GRE essays look like at different score levels, based on ETS’s official scoring criteria and published sample responses.

Score 6 Essay Example: What Excellence Looks Like

A score of 6 represents an “outstanding” response that demonstrates superior analytical writing skills. According to ETS, these essays present a “cogent, well-articulated analysis of the issue” and convey meaning skillfully.

Prompt Example: “The best way to teach is to praise positive actions and ignore negative ones.”

What a 6-Score Essay Does Right:

• Takes a clear, nuanced position: Rather than simply agreeing or disagreeing, top essays often acknowledge complexity. A strong response might argue that while positive reinforcement is valuable, completely ignoring negative behaviors can create blind spots in learning.
  
• Uses specific, compelling examples: High-scoring essays don’t rely on vague generalities. They pull in concrete illustrations—perhaps referencing research on behavioral psychology, classroom management techniques, or historical examples of effective mentorship.
  
• Demonstrates sophisticated reasoning: The writer anticipates counterarguments and addresses them proactively. For instance: “Critics might argue that ignoring negative behavior allows it to persist. However, research from educational psychologists suggests that attention—even negative attention—can inadvertently reinforce unwanted behaviors.”
  
• Maintains excellent language control: Sentence variety, precise word choice, and smooth transitions all contribute to readability. Minor errors may exist, but they don’t interfere with meaning.
  

Score 5 Essay Example: Strong but Not Perfect

A score of 5 indicates a “generally thoughtful, well-developed analysis” that conveys meaning clearly. These essays are solid performers—they just lack the polish or depth of a 6.

What Distinguishes a 5 from a 6:

• Position is clear, but may not explore the issue’s full complexity
• Examples are relevant but might be less developed or less specific
• Organization is logical, though transitions could be smoother
• Language demonstrates competence with occasional lapses in precision

Common Characteristics:

Imagine an essay on technology’s impact on critical thinking. A score-5 response might persuasively argue that technology weakens attention spans, citing smartphones and social media as examples. The reasoning is sound, but the essay might not fully address how technology could also enhance critical thinking—a nuance that would push it toward a 6.

Score 4 Essay Example: Competent but Limited

A score of 4 reflects “competent analysis” with “acceptable clarity.” These essays get the job done, but they won’t stand out.

Typical Score-4 Issues:

• Position is identifiable but not vigorously defended
• Examples exist, but may be generic or underdeveloped
• Some organizational weaknesses—ideas might not flow logically
• Language control is adequate but inconsistent

Example Pattern:

A score-4 essay responding to a prompt about government funding for the arts might state a position (governments should fund the arts) and offer reasons (arts enrich society, support employment). But the examples might be vague (“Many artists depend on grants”), and the essay might not fully address the counterargument about limited government budgets.

Score 3 Essay Example: Obviously Flawed

A score of 3 “demonstrates some competence” but is “obviously flawed.” The essay might have a discernible position, but its development is weak, its organization is problematic, or its language errors interfere with meaning.

Warning Signs:

• The thesis is unclear or only partially addressed
• Examples are missing, irrelevant, or poorly explained
• Paragraphs lack a clear focus or logical connection
• Frequent grammatical errors distract from the content

Scores 2, 1, and 0: Serious Problems

Essays at these levels show fundamental weaknesses. A score of 2 indicates “seriously limited writing skills,” while a 1 suggests the response is “fundamentally deficient.” A score of 0 is reserved for off-topic essays, in a foreign language, or simply blank.

If you’re preparing for graduate school and scoring below a 3 on practice essays, focus on building foundational writing skills before tackling advanced strategies.

ETS publishes the complete pool of Issue topics on its website, meaning your test-day prompt will come directly from this list. Here are some representative examples across common theme categories:

Education and Learning

“Educational institutions should dissuade students from pursuing fields of study in which they are unlikely to succeed.”

This prompt invites debate about the role of guidance versus freedom in education—fertile ground for examples from career counseling, personal growth stories, or economic data about job markets.

Technology and Society

“The human mind will always be superior to machines because machines are only tools of human minds.”

With AI dominating headlines, this topic feels particularly relevant. Strong responses might reference current developments in artificial intelligence while considering the philosophical dimensions of human creativity and consciousness.

Government and Policy

“Governments should focus on solving the immediate problems of today rather than on trying to solve the anticipated problems of the future.”

This prompt tests your ability to weigh short-term practicality against long-term planning—think infrastructure investment, climate policy, or public health funding.

Arts and Culture

“A nation should require all of its students to study the same national curriculum until they enter college.”

Education policy topics like this invite examples from various national systems, allowing you to discuss standardization versus individualized learning.

Philosophical and Abstract

“The best way to understand the character of a society is to examine the character of the men and women that the society chooses as its heroes or its role models.”

More abstract prompts require careful definition of terms. What do we mean by “heroes”? How do we measure “character”?

While there’s no single “correct” structure, high-scoring essays typically follow a logical organizational pattern. Here’s a template that works well for most test-takers:

Introduction (50-75 words)

• Hook or context-setting statement
• Clear thesis stating your position
• Brief preview of your main arguments

Example Opening:

“The claim that praise alone creates effective learning environments oversimplifies a far more nuanced reality. While positive reinforcement certainly plays a crucial role in education, completely ignoring negative behaviors can inadvertently enable harmful patterns and deprive learners of the corrective feedback they need to grow.”

Body Paragraph 1 (100-150 words)

• Topic sentence introducing your first main argument
• Specific example or evidence
• Analysis connecting the example to your thesis

Body Paragraph 2 (100-150 words)

• Second main argument with supporting evidence
• Different example or perspective
• Clear connection to the overall thesis

Body Paragraph 3 (Optional, 75-100 words)

• Counterargument acknowledgment
• Refutation or qualification
• Reinforcement of your position

Conclusion (50-75 words)

• Restatement of thesis (without copying verbatim)
• Synthesis of main points
• Broader implication or final thought

Target Word Count: 500-600 words. Research from test prep organizations suggests that essays in this range tend to score higher, though quality always trumps quantity.

1. Read the Instructions—Seriously

This sounds obvious, but many test-takers skim the specific instructions and write a generic response. If the prompt asks you to “address counterarguments,” you need actually to address counterarguments. If it asks about “consequences of implementing a policy,” don’t just discuss whether you agree with the policy in principle.

2. Take 3-5 Minutes to Plan

Resist the urge to start typing immediately. Jot down your thesis, main arguments, and key examples before writing. A clear outline prevents mid-essay wandering and ensures you address all required components.

3. Use Specific, Concrete Examples

Vague references like “many experts agree” or “throughout history” weaken your argument. Instead, cite specific examples:

• Historical events (the Industrial Revolution, civil rights movement)
• Scientific studies or concepts (behavioral psychology, economic theories)
• Literary or cultural references (relevant novels, documented case studies)
• Personal observations (when clearly relevant and well-analyzed)

4. Acknowledge Complexity

The prompts are intentionally debatable—that’s the point. Essays that recognize nuance and address counterarguments demonstrate more sophisticated thinking than those that stake out extreme positions.

5. Vary Your Sentence Structure

Monotonous sentences (“Technology is good. Technology helps people. Technology improves lives.”) make for tedious reading. Mix short, punchy sentences with longer, more complex ones. Use transition words to guide readers through your logic.

6. Save Time for Proofreading

Budget 2-3 minutes at the end to review your essay. You won’t catch everything, but you can fix obvious typos, missing words, and sentence fragments that might distract readers.

7. Practice Under Timed Conditions

Writing a thoughtful 500-word essay is one thing. Writing it in 30 minutes with no spell-check is another. Practice with actual prompts from the ETS pool, using a basic text editor to simulate test conditions.

Understanding the scoring process can help you target your efforts effectively. Here’s what happens to your essay after you click “Submit”:

Human + Machine Scoring:

Each essay receives two independent scores. One comes from a trained human rater who reads the response holistically (focusing on overall quality rather than counting errors). The second comes from e-rater, ETS’s computerized scoring engine, which evaluates features like essay length, organization, and vocabulary.

If the human and computer scores agree (or are close), your final score is the average. If they disagree significantly, a second human rater is brought in, and your score becomes the average of the two human ratings.

Holistic Evaluation:

Raters assess four key dimensions:

1. Clarity and strength of your position
2. Development and support (quality of examples and reasoning)
3. Organization (logical flow and clear structure)
4. Language use (grammar, vocabulary, and sentence variety)

A few minor errors won’t tank your score—ETS expects some imperfection given the time pressure. But persistent errors that interfere with meaning will hurt you.

Wondering what your score actually means? Here’s how AWA scores translate to percentiles based on recent ETS data:

For most online master’s programs, a score of 4.0 or above demonstrates adequate writing skills. Competitive programs in the humanities, education, or fields requiring strong communication skills often prefer scores of 4.5 or higher.

Mistake 1: Writing a Template Response

Yes, templates help with organization. But if your essay reads like a fill-in-the-blank exercise (“In conclusion, the evidence clearly shows…”), it lacks authenticity. Adapt your structure to each specific prompt.

Mistake 2: Choosing Extreme Positions

Claiming that something is “always” or “never” true invites easy counterexamples. Nuanced positions (“While X is often true, circumstances Y and Z present important exceptions…”) demonstrate more sophisticated thinking.

Mistake 3: Relying on Hypotheticals

“Imagine a student who…” is weaker than “Research from Stanford’s education department found that students who…” Concrete, specific examples carry more weight than made-up scenarios.

Mistake 4: Ignoring the Counterargument

Even if you strongly agree with a position, acknowledging opposing viewpoints and explaining why they’re insufficient shows critical thinking skills.

Mistake 5: Running Out of Time

Many test-takers spend too long on their introduction or first body paragraph, then rush through the conclusion. Practice pacing to ensure balanced development throughout.

If you’re planning your graduate school application, here’s a realistic preparation schedule:

Weeks 1-2: Diagnosis and Familiarization

• Take a diagnostic practice essay under timed conditions
• Read ETS’s official scoring criteria and sample responses
• Identify your baseline score and primary weaknesses

Weeks 3-4: Building Skills

• Review 10-15 prompts from the ETS pool
• Practice brainstorming arguments for topics across different categories
• Write 2-3 timed practice essays

Weeks 5-6: Refinement

• Focus on your weakest areas (organization? example development? grammar?)
• Write 2-3 more timed essays with conscious attention to weak points
• Have essays reviewed by a peer, tutor, or online community

Week 7: Final Preparation

• Write 1-2 final practice essays
• Review scoring criteria one more time
• Trust your preparation