Analytical Writing: Issue Essay for the GRE Exam

Common failure modes

These are the patterns that cause most candidates to lose marks on this topic. Recognising them in advance is half the work.

• !Writing a wishy-washy essay that takes no clear position — ETS explicitly rewards essays that "take a clear stance"
• !Using only abstract arguments without concrete evidence or examples to illustrate claims
• !Failing to address the strongest counterargument — top-scoring essays anticipate and rebut opposing views
• !Writing more than the allotted five paragraphs without depth — breadth without depth scores lower than depth with concision
• !Spending too long on introduction setup and leaving the conclusion undeveloped

Study tips

• 1Follow a consistent Issue Essay structure: (1) clear thesis with your position, (2) two body paragraphs with developed arguments and examples, (3) one paragraph acknowledging and rebutting the strongest counterargument, (4) brief conclusion restating the thesis.
• 2Build an example bank before test day: five or six versatile historical, scientific, and literary examples that can support arguments across many topic areas (e.g., the Scientific Revolution as evidence for institutional openness; the 2008 financial crisis for market regulation arguments).
• 3Practice timed writing: 5 minutes outlining, 20 minutes writing, 5 minutes revising for grammar and clarity. Consistently using this time allocation is more reliable than varying your approach.
• 4After practicing, score your own essay against ETS's official scoring rubric — or use ETS's ScoreItNow service for automated feedback before test day.

Sample GRE Analytical Writing: Issue Essay questions

These sample items mirror the format and difficulty of real GRE questions. Practice with thousands more on the free Koydo question bank.

1. 1

   ETS Issue Essay prompt: "Governments should place few, if any, restrictions on scientific research and development." Write a response in which you discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with this recommendation. In developing your position, be sure to address the most compelling reasons and/or examples that could be used to challenge your position.

   • AAgree entirely — all scientific research benefits society in the long run
   • BDisagree entirely — all scientific research should be controlled by ethical committees
   • CTake a nuanced position: support freedom for most research while acknowledging legitimate domains (e.g., bioweapons, gain-of-function research) where restrictions are warrantedCorrect
   • DAvoid taking a position and analyze both sides without a thesis
   Why this answer?

   ETS scorers reward nuanced positions that engage with complexity. A response that supports scientific freedom as the default while carving out specific exceptions (dual-use research, human subjects, environmental impact) demonstrates the kind of sophisticated reasoning ETS rewards. Absolute positions (A or B) are harder to defend robustly. Option D — no position — is explicitly penalized in ETS rubrics. (Illustrative exercise — ETS does not publish scored essay samples for specific prompts.)