The “Present Your Perspective on an Issue” section of the test assesses your ability to think critically about a topic of general interest and to clearly express your thoughts about it in writing. Each topic, presented in quotation marks, makes a claim about an issue that test takers can discuss from various perspectives and apply to many different situations or conditions. Your task is to present a compelling case for your own position on the issue. The best approach to this task is read the topic carefully. Think about the claim from several points of view, and then make notes about the position. | An Introduction to the GRE Writing Assessment Description of the GRE Writing Assessment Scoring Information Strategies for Each Task Scoring Guides Screen Directions Sample Essays with Reader Comments July 2000 TABLE OF CONTENTS Description PAGE 3 Scoring Information 3 Present Your Perspective on an Issue Task Screen Directions 4 Strategies 5 Scoring Guide 9 Sample Essays with Reader Comments 10 Analyze an Argument Task Screen Directions 17 Strategies 18 Scoring Guide 23 Sample Essays with Reader Comments 24 Copyright 2000 by Educational Testing Service. All rights reserved. EDUCATIONAL TESTING SERVICE ETS the ETS logo the modernized ETS logo GRADUATE RECORD EXAMINATIONS GRE and POWERPREP are registered trademarks of Educational Testing Service. DESCRIPTION OF THE GRE WRITING ASSESSMENT The GRE Writing Assessment consists of two analytical writing tasks a 45-minute Present Your Perspective on an Issue task a 30-minute Analyze an Argument task Test takers will be given a choice between two Issue topics. Each states an opinion on an issue of broad interest and asks test takers to discuss the issue from any perspective s they wish so long as they provide relevant reasons and examples to explain and support their views. Test takers will not have a choice of Argument topics. Instead the computer will present an argument for test takers to analyze. The Argument task presents a different challenge it requires test takers to critique a given argument by discussing how well reasoned they find it. Test takers are asked to consider the logical soundness of the argument rather than to agree or disagree with the position it presents. The two tasks are complementary in that one requires test takers to construct their own arguments by taking a position and providing evidence supporting their view on the issue whereas the other requires them to critique someone else s argument by assessing its claims and evaluating the evidence it provides. The GRE Writing Assessment is offered on
