• You are currently viewing our forum as a guest, which gives you limited access to view most discussions and access our other features. By joining our free community, you will have access to additional post topics, communicate privately with other members (PM), view blogs, respond to polls, upload content, and access many other special features. Registration is fast, simple and absolutely free, so please join our community today! Just click here to register. You should turn your Ad Blocker off for this site or certain features may not work properly. If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please contact us by clicking here.

GRE: Analytical Writing

Usehername

On a mission
Joined
May 30, 2007
Messages
3,794
Is there anyone else out there who is going to be writing the GRE? The analytical writing section is going to be an important score for what I plan to study in grad school, so I was trying to think of the best way to practice it.

If there was anyone else interested, I thought it would be helpful to form a thread where we regularly practice responses (with proper questions, while timing ourselves, etc.)

Then we could help each other see where our writing could use the most improvement (wordiness, clarity, whatever).

I'm going to do this on my own regardless, but I'd of course rather do it with others.

Note: Non-GRE writers would be more than welcome to participate to improve their analytical writing abilities in what could operate as a writing peer group, but I'd like to keep the goal of this thread focused on developing great GRE responses.
 

Rajah

Reigning Bologna Princess
Joined
Apr 23, 2007
Messages
1,774
MBTI Type
ENTP
Enneagram
7
I've never - in all of my standardized test experience - run out of time. Except the last time I took the GRE, I ran out of time on the second essay.

So my recommendation is to plan carefully. (And I hate using the word "plan," so I must really, really mean it.) A well-organized essay is really what they're looking for.

Read the topic, pick a side. Brainstorm. Make sure you frontload your essay with your strongest point. After your argument, introduce any counterarguments and downplay them. Then conclude.

Stick to that strategy, and you'll be fine.
 

antireconciler

it's a nuclear device
Joined
Apr 29, 2007
Messages
866
MBTI Type
Intj
Enneagram
5w4
Instinctual Variant
so
I took it about a year ago and did ok in this section. If you post something from the topics pool I'll join in for fun if I have time.
 

rhinosaur

Just a statistic
Joined
Apr 23, 2007
Messages
1,464
MBTI Type
INTP
My experience was like Rajah's. I almost never run out of time on exams, but the writing section of the GRE got me good. My first essay was well-done, but on the second, I spent way too much time brainstorming and didn't have time to finish.

To practice, you should set aside an appropriate amount of time and pick one of those topics randomly. Make sure you have never seen it before, and that when you sit down to write, you are reading it for the first time.
 

Halla74

Artisan Conquerer
Joined
Jan 20, 2009
Messages
6,898
MBTI Type
ESTP
Enneagram
7w8
Instinctual Variant
sx/so
I rule this section. :cheese:

Seriously, I've never had an issue with writing under a timed scenario.

I always stick to a standard 5 paragraph essay.

Outline your section headings first:
I. Introduction
II. Topic 1
III. Topic 2
IV. Topic 3
V. Conclusion

THEN...

Flesh each section out a bit with a few bullet points:
Outline your section headings first; here's a generic example:

I. Introduction
-Write high-level introduction and state your argument.
-Composed of summarized material from sctions II, III, and IV, I always do this last...
-Transition to body of paper.

II. Topic 1
-Summary
-Pros
-Cons

III. Topic 2
-Summary
-Pros
-Cons

IV. Topic 3
-Summary
-Pros
-Cons

V. Conclusion
-Restate argument
-Summarize reasons
-Closing statement

Such an outline is simple, organized, and allows you to keep on track while in a timed environment. Looking forward to seeing some example topics.

BTW, I took the GRE almost 2 years ago. I took the Kaplan prep course, it was helpful, but I didn't use any of their strategies for this section of the test. I'm halfway through my graduate program now, going part time, two classes per semester.
 

Jackmc1047

New member
Joined
Aug 20, 2012
Messages
2
This website had taken the entire pool of GRE Analytical Writing topics, removed all duplicate topics, and sorted them by how likely they are to appear on your test. Check it out. It's pretty helpful.

simplygre.weebly.com
 

Such Irony

Honor Thy Inferior
Joined
Jul 23, 2010
Messages
5,059
MBTI Type
INtp
Enneagram
5w6
Instinctual Variant
sp/so
I'm lucky to have taken the GRE before they had this section.
 

Savitri

New member
Joined
Aug 15, 2012
Messages
88
MBTI Type
ENTJ
Enneagram
1w9
Instinctual Variant
so/sx
This website had taken the entire pool of GRE Analytical Writing topics, removed all duplicate topics, and sorted them by how likely they are to appear on your test. Check it out. It's pretty helpful.

simplygre.weebly.com

Excellent. Thank you.

@ OP I'll join, I've scheduled to take in a month.
 

Orangey

Blah
Joined
Jun 26, 2008
Messages
6,354
MBTI Type
ESTP
Enneagram
6w5
I'm pretty sure usehername is well past the GRE at this point, but I'll just add that when I took it I fucked both essays up royally and ran completely out of time. I guess my opening paragraphs were well written enough to earn a 4, though? I thought that was odd.
 

Savitri

New member
Joined
Aug 15, 2012
Messages
88
MBTI Type
ENTJ
Enneagram
1w9
Instinctual Variant
so/sx
LMAO. Note to self: Check post date.
 

animenagai

New member
Joined
Aug 22, 2008
Messages
1,569
MBTI Type
NeFi
Enneagram
4w3
Yes, I'm practising for my GRE's. I'm not really worried about the analytic writing though, philosophy students are basically trained exclusively on that stuff.
 

Jackmc1047

New member
Joined
Aug 20, 2012
Messages
2
Prepare for the GRE with duplicate free Analytical Writing topic pools

This website had taken the entire pool of GRE Analytical Writing topics, removed all duplicate topics, and sorted them by how likely they are to appear on your test. Check it out. It's pretty helpful.

simplygre.weebly.com
 

sorenx7

New member
Joined
Nov 23, 2012
Messages
227
Now that I've already taken the GRE, they add something which would have been the easiest section of all for me. Great timing.
 
Top