0'1&2''0 GRE General Test

work” for that section. The supervisor is authorized todismiss you from the center for doing so. All answersmust be recorded in the test book.BreaksThere is a 10-minute break following the secondAnalytical Writing section.Scoring and Score ReportingAnalytical Writing MeasureFor the Analytical Writing measure, each essayreceives a score from two readers using a six-pointholistic scale. In holistic scoring, readers are trainedto assign scores based on the overall quality of anessay in response to the assigned task. If the twoscores differ by more than one point on the scale, thediscrepancy is adjudicated by a third G R E reader.Otherwise, the two scores on each essay are averaged.The final score on the two essays are thenaveraged and rounded to the nearest half-pointinterval on the 0-6 score scale. A single score isreported for the Analytical Writing measure.The primary emphasis in scoring the AnalyticalWriting measure is on your critical thinking andanalytical writing skills. Scoring guides for theIssue and Argument prompts are included in thispublication in Appendix A on pages 91–94 andavailable at www.ets.org/gre/scoreguides.Independent Intellectual ActivityDuring the scoring process for the G R E General Test,essay responses on the Analytical Writing measureare reviewed by ETS essay-similarity-detectionsoftware and by experienced essay readers. In lightof the high value placed on independent intellectualactivity within graduate schools and universities,ETS reserves the right to cancel test scores of anytest taker when an essay response includes any of thefollowing: Text that is unusually similar to that found inone or more other G R E essay responses Quoting or paraphrasing, without attribution,language that appears in published orunpublished sources, including sources from theInternet and/or sources provided by any thirdparty. Unacknowledged use of work that has beenproduced through collaboration with otherswithout citation of the contribution of others Essays submitted as work of the test taker thatappear to have been borrowed in whole or inpart from elsewhere or prepared by anotherpersonWhen one or more of the above circumstancesoccurs, ETS may conclude, in its professionaljudgment, that the essay response does not reflectthe independent writing skills that this test seeksto measure. When ETS reaches that conclusion, itcancels the Analytical Writing score, and becauseAnalytical Writing scores are an integral part of theG R E General Test scores, those scores are canceledas well.Verbal Reasoning and Quantitative ReasoningMeasuresScoring of the Verbal Reasoning and QuantitativeReasoning measures is essentially a two-step process.First a raw score is computed for each measure. Theraw score for each measure is the number of questionsanswered correctly.The Verbal Reasoning and Quantitative Reasoningraw scores are then converted to scaled scores througha process known as equating. The equating processaccounts for minor variations in difficulty among thedifferent test editions. Thus, a given scaled score for aparticular measure reflects the same level of performanceregardless of which edition of the test that was taken.Score ReportingThe scores for the G R E General Test include: A Verbal Reasoning score reported on a130–170 score scale, in one-point increments A Quantitative Reasoning score reported on a130–170 score scale, in one-point increments An Analytical Writing score reported on a 0–6score scale, in half-point incrementsIf no questions are answered for a specific measure(e.g., Verbal Reasoning), then you will receive a NoScore (NS) for that measure.Descriptions of the analytical writing abilitiescharacteristic of particular score levels are availablein Appendix A on page 95.Score-Reporting TimeframesScores on the paper-delivered G R E General Test arereported approximately five weeks after the test date.For specific information on score reporting datesfor paper-delivered administrations, visitwww.ets.org/gre/score/dates.5

For tests taken on or after July 1, 2016, scores arereportable for five years following your test date. Fortests taken prior to July 1, 2016, scores are reportablefor five years following the testing year in whichyou tested. For more information about G R E scorereporting, visit www.ets.org/gre/scores/get.Introduction to theAnalytical Writing MeasureThe Analytical Writing measure tests your criticalthinking and analytical writing skills. It assessesyour ability to articulate and support complex ideas,construct and evaluate arguments, and sustain afocused and coherent discussion. It does not assessspecific content knowledge.The Analytical Writing measure consists of twoseparately timed analytical writing tasks: A 30-minute “Analyze an Issue” task A 30-minute “Analyze an Argument” taskThe Issue task presents an opinion on an issue ofgeneral interest followed by specific instructionson how to respond to that issue. You are requiredto evaluate the issue, consider its complexities anddevelop an argument with reasons and examples tosupport your views.The Argument task requires you to evaluate agiven argument according to specific instructions.You will need to consider the logical soundness ofthe argument rather than agree or disagree with theposition it presents.The two tasks are complementary in that onerequires you to construct your own argument bytaking a position and providing evidence supportingyour views on an issue, and the other requires youto evaluate someone else’s argument by assessing itsclaims and evaluating the evidence it provides.Analyze an Issue TaskThe Analyze an Issue task assesses your ability tothink critically about a topic of general interest andto clearly express your thoughts about it in writing.Each Issue topic makes a claim that test takers candiscuss from various perspectives and apply to manydifferent situations or conditions. Your task is topresent a compelling case for your own position onthe issue. Before beginning your written response, besure to read the issue and the instructions that follow6the Issue statement. Think about the issue fromseveral points of view, considering the complexity ofideas associated with those views. Then, make notesabout the position you want to develop and list themain reasons and examples you could use to supportthat position.It is important that you address the central issueaccording to the specific instructions. Each IssueTopic is accompanied by one of the following sets ofinstructions: Write a response in which you discuss theextent to which you agree or disagree with thestatement and explain your reasoning for theposition you take. In developing and supportingyour position, you should consider ways in whichthe statement might or might not hold true andexplain how these considerations shape yourposition. Write a response in which you discuss theextent to which you agree or disagree with therecommendation and explain your reasoningfor the position you take. In developingand supporting your position, describespecific circumstances in which adoptingthe recommendation would or would not beadvantageous and explain how these examplesshape your position. Write a response in which you discuss the extentto which you agree or disagree with the claim.In developing and supporting your position, besure to address the most compelling reasonsand/or examples that could be used to challengeyour position. Write a response in which you discuss whichview more closely aligns with your own positionand explain your reasoning for the positionyou take. In developing and supporting yourposition, you should address both of the viewspresented. Write a response in which you discuss the extentto which you agree or disagree with the claimand the reason on which that claim is based. Write a response in which you discuss your viewson the policy and explain your reasoning for theposition you take. In developing and supportingyour position, you should consider the possibleconsequences of implementing the policy andexplain how these consequences shape yourposition.

The G R E readers scoring your response are notlooking for a “right” answer—in fact, as far as theyare concerned, there is no correct position to take.Instead, the readers are evaluating the skill withwhich you address the specific instructions andarticulate and develop an argument to support yourevaluation of the issue.Understanding the Context for Writing:Purpose and AudienceThe Analyze an Issue task is an exercise in criticalthinking and persuasive writing. The purpose ofthis task is to determine how well you can develop acompelling argument supporting your own evaluationof an issue and then effectively communicate thatargument in writing to an academic audience. Youraudience consists of G R E readers who are carefullytrained to apply the scoring criteria identified in thescoring guide for the Analyze an Issue task inAppendix A on pages 91–92.To get a clearer idea of how G R E readers applythe Issue scoring criteria to actual responses, youshould review scored sample Issue essay responsesand reader commentary. The sample responses,particularly at the 5 and 6 score levels, will showyou a variety of successful strategies for organizing,developing and communicating a persuasiveargument. The reader commentary discusses specificaspects of evaluation and writing, such as the use ofexamples, development and support, organization,language fluency and word choice. For eachresponse, the commentary points out aspects thatare particularly persuasive as well as any that detractfrom the overall effectiveness of the essay.Preparing for the Issue TaskSince the Issue task is meant to assess the persuasivewriting skills you have developed throughout youreducation, it has been designed neither to require anyparticular course of study nor to advantage studentswith a particular type of training.Many college textbooks on composition offeradvice on persuasive writing and argumentation thatyou might find useful, but even this advice might bemore technical and specialized than you need for theIssue task. You will not be expected to know specificcritical thinking or writing terms or strategies;instead, you should be able to respond to the specificinstructions and use reasons, evidence and examplesto support your position on an issue.Suppose, for instance, that an Issue topicasks you to consider a policy that would requiregovernment financial support for art museums andthe implications of implementing the policy. If yourposition is that government should fund art museums,you might support your position by discussing thereasons art is important and explain that governmentfunding would make access to museums available toeveryone. On the other hand, if your position is thatgovernment should not support museums, you mightpoint out that art museums are not as deserving oflimited governmental funding as are other, moresocially important institutions, which would suffer ifthe policy were implemented. Or, if you are in favorof government funding for art museums only undercertain conditions, you might focus on the artisticcriteria, cultural concerns or political conditionsthat you think should determine how, or whether,art museums receive government funds. It is not yourposition that matters as much as the critical thinkingskills you display in developing your position.An excellent way to prepare for the Issue task isto practice writing on some of the published topics.There is no “best” approach: some people prefer tostart practicing without regard to the 30-minute timelimit; others prefer to take a “timed test” first andpractice within the time limit. Regardless of whichapproach you take, you should first review the taskdirections and then follow these steps: Carefully read the claim and the specificinstructions and make sure you understandthem; if they seem unclear, discuss them with afriend or teacher. Think about the claim and instructions inrelation to your own ideas and experiences, toevents you have read about or observed and topeople you have known; this is the knowledgebase from which you will develop compellingreasons and examples in your argument thatreinforce, negate or qualify the claim in someway. Decide what position on the issue you want totake and defend. Decide what compelling evidence (reasons andexamples) you can use to support your position.Remember that this is a task in critical thinking andpersuasive writing. The most successful responseswill explore the complexity of the claim and followthe specific task instructions. As you prepare for the7

Issue task, you might find it helpful to ask yourself thefollowing questions: What precisely is the central issue? What precisely are the instructions asking me todo? Do I agree with all or any part of the claim?Why or why not? Does the claim make certain assumptions? If so,are they reasonable? Is the claim valid only under certain conditions?If so, what are they? Do I need to explain how I interpret certainterms or concepts used in the claim? If I take a certain position on the issue, whatreasons support my position? What examples—either real or hypothetical—could I use to illustrate those reasons andadvance my point of view? Which examples aremost compelling?Once you have decided on a position to defend,consider the perspectives of others who might notagree with your position. Ask yourself: What reasons might someone use to refute orundermine my position? How should I acknowledge or defend againstthose views in my essay?To plan your response, you might want to summarizeyour position and make notes about how you willsupport it. When you’ve done this, look over yournotes and decide how you will organize your response.Then write a response developing your position onthe issue. Even if you don’t write a full response, youshould find it helpful to practice with a few of theIssue topics and to sketch out your possible responses.After you have practiced with some of the topics, try writing responses to some of them within the30-minute time limit so that you have a good idea ofhow to use your time in the actual test.It would probably be helpful to get some feedbackon your response from an instructor who teachescritical thinking or writing or to trade essays onthe same topic with other students and discuss oneanother’s responses in relation to the scoring guide.Try to determine how each essay meets or misses thecriteria for each score point in the guide. Comparingyour own response to the scoring guide will help yousee how and where to improve.8The Form of Your ResponseYou are free to organize and develop your responsein any way you think will enable you to effectivelycommunicate your ideas about the issue. Yourresponse may incorporate particular writing strategieslearned in English composition or writing-intensivecollege courses. G R E readers will not be looking for aparticular developmental strategy or mode of writing;in fact, when G R E readers are trained, they reviewhundreds of Issue responses that, although highlydiverse in content and form, display similar levels ofcritical thinking and persuasive writing.Readers will see some Issue responses at the 6score level that begin by briefly summarizing thewriter’s position on the issue and then explicitlyannouncing the main points to be argued. Theywill see others that lead into the writer’s positionby making a prediction, asking a series of questions,describing a scenario or defining critical terms inthe quotation. The readers know that a writer canearn a high score by giving multiple examples or bypresenting a single, extended example. Look at thesample Issue responses, particularly at the 5 and 6score levels, to see how other writers have successfullydeveloped and organized their arguments.You should use as many or as few paragraphs asyou consider appropriate for your argument; e.g.,you will probably need to create a new paragraphwhenever your discussion shifts to a new cluster ofideas. What matters is not the number of examples,the number of paragraphs or the form your argumenttakes, but the cogency of your ideas about theissue and the clarity and skill with which youcommunicate those ideas to academic readers.Sample Issue TaskFollowing is a sample Issue task of the sort that youmight see on the test:As people rely more and more on technology tosolve problems, the ability of humans to think forthemselves will surely deteriorate.Discuss the extent to which you agree or disagreewith the statement and explain your reasoningfor the position you take. In developing andsupporting your position, you should considerways in which the statement might or might nothold true and explain how these considerationsshape your position.

Strategies for This TopicIn this task, you are asked to discuss the extent towhich you agree or disagree with the statement.Thus, responses may range from strong agreementor strong disagreement to qualified agreement orqualified disagreement. You are also instructed toexplain your reasoning and consider ways in whichthe statement might or might not hold true. Asuccessful response need not comment on all or anyone of the points listed below and may well discussother reasons or examples not mentioned here insupport of the position taken.Although this topic is accessible to respondentsof all levels of ability, for your response to receive atop score, it is particularly important that you remainfocused on the task and provide clearly relevantexamples and/or reasons to support the point ofview you are expressing. Lower level responses maybe long and full of examples of modern technology,but those examples may not be clearly related to aparticular position. For example, a respondent whostrongly disagrees with the statement may choose touse computer technology as proof that thinking abilityis not deteriorating. However, the mere existence ofcomputer technology does not adequately prove thispoint; e.g., perhaps the ease of computer use inhibitsour thinking ability. To receive a higher level score,the respondent should explain in what ways computertechnology may call for or require thinking ability.This topic could elicit a wide variety of approaches,especially considering the different possibleinterpretations of the phrase “the ability of humansto think for themselves.” Although most respondentsmay take it to mean problem solving, others couldinterpret it as emotional and social intelligence; i.e.,the ability to communicate/connect with others. Withany approach, it is possible to discuss examples suchas calculators, word processing tools such as spell/grammar check, tax preparation software, Internetresearch and a variety of other common household andbusiness technologies.You may agree with the topic and argue that: Reliance on technology leads to dependency; wecome to rely on problem-solving technologies tosuch a degree that when they fail we are in worseshape than if we didn’t have them Everyday technologies such as calculators andcash registers have decreased our ability toperform simple calculations, a “use it or lose it”approach to thinking abilityOr you may take issue with the topic and argue thattechnology facilitates and improves our thinkingskills, arguing that: Developing, implementing and using technologyrequires problem solving Technology frees us from mundane problemsolving (e.g., calculations) and allows us toengage in more complex thinking Technology provides access to informationotherwise unavailable Technology connects people at a distance andallows

6/4/12 jdb Preflight 6/07/12 ta [New Job] 81693-118089 Drft01 12/21/16 ew PDF Drft01 12/29/16 ew Drft02 2/6/17 ew PDF Drft02 2/7/17 ew Drft03 2/23/17 ew PDF Drft03 2/24/17 ew Preflight 3/7/17 ew Overview The GRE General Test measures verbal