What Does the GRE Analytical Writing Assessment Test?

October 16, 2008

Yesterday, we covered the background and training of the folks who grade the GRE AWA. What's more important to you isn't who they are, but what they're looking for in your essays. We can break that down into four major categories.

Analytical Skills

First, they must examine how deeply you were able to analyze the subject at hand. Your reasoning should be that of a graduate school-bound individual, and should reveal some complexity in your thinking process.

Next, the readers are interested in how fully the details and examples support the thesis. Asserting a point is not the same as illustrating a point. Know the difference! (The readers do!) It doesn't matter whether you dream up the best possible supporting examples, just that you have supporting examples and you use them in a logical manner.

Writing Skills

Third, the readers are looking for organization. How well did you plan your essay beforehand? Does each paragraph express a complete thought, and do you cover different material in each paragraph? The readers will be looking for paragraph breaks, transitions, and links back to the original thesis. Err on the side of being too obvious: Have a clear thesis statement, stand-alone topic sentences, and an uncomplicated conclusion.

Finally, the readers will be looking for command of the English language. Although a limited number of spelling and grammar mistakes are okay, the essay should reflect a solid understanding of the basics, such as subject/verb agreement.

Be Ready

Even though most students aren’t particularly worried about the essays, it is important to prepare for them. The AWA comprises the first 75 minutes of testing, and as such, it can be stress-inducing on test day. Knowing the task at hand can allow you to save vital mental resources for the math and verbal sections that come later on the test.

Jeff Sackmann is a test-prep tutor based in New York City and the author of Total GRE Math, among other GRE and GMAT resources.

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