GRE AWA Issue Essay: Samples, Structure, Topics, Tips

The GRE Analyze an Issue task evaluates your critical thinking ability about a topic of general interest and persuasive writing skills. In this GRE task, you’ll be given a prompt and instructions to write an essay. Each issue topic presents a claim that you have to agree or disagree with the statement and explain your reasons. The purpose of the GRE issue essay task is to determine how effectively you can develop and communicate an argument in writing to an academic audience by supporting your own position on the issue. 

As per the new shorter GRE 2026, the GRE Analytical Writing section includes only 1 essay task i.e. Analyze an Issue. This GRE essay task is evaluated by the audience, known as GRE raters. These raters evaluate responses based on the scoring guide specified by the ETS. The rater commentary highlights effective aspects of the essays, such as the use of examples, development, support, organization, language fluency, and word choice. ETS doesn’t specify any limit for words, it is recommended to write between 500 and 600 words with a minimum of 4-6 paragraphs within the 30-minute duration. Read this article completely as we have given the steps to structure the issue essay and also the sample essays from the pool of issue topics.

How to structure the GRE AWA issue essay?

The GRE issue essay follows a structure similar to the classic 5-paragraph short essay. You can also choose to write 4-6 paragraphs, as this is not a mandatory requirement given by ETS.

Below are the steps you need to follow to write your response to the GRE AWA Issue Essay:

• Carefully read the claim and instructions to ensure you fully understand them.
• Reflect on the claim and instructions with your own ideas, experiences, and events you’ve read about or observed. Utilize that to develop
• compelling reasons and examples that reinforce, negate, or qualify the claim.
• Decide on the position you want to take and defend.
• Determine the evidence (reasons and examples) you can use to support your position.

Template Paragraph 1: Introduction

The introductory paragraph of your GRE essay should begin by clearly restating the issue presented in the prompt, followed by a concise thesis statement that reflects your position. You need to ensure that your stance should be one of the many points of view about the topic, not more than one. Briefly introduce the specific reasons or examples you plan to give in the following paragraphs, dedicating one sentence to each. Also, use transition words like "although," "however," "furthermore," and "alternatively" to develop the argument effectively.

Template Paragraph 2: Body Paragraph 1

The 2-3 body paragraphs are crucial for analyzing the issue, with each paragraph ideally focusing on one example to support your thesis. The first body paragraph of the GRE issue essay should begin by presenting your strongest and most specific reason to support your thesis. You should give examples or logical analysis to support your reason. Your examples can be referred to history, science, politics, business, entertainment, current events, or even personal experience. Ensure that your paragraph demonstrates how this example supports your reason and also reinforces your overall thesis.

Template Paragraph 3: Body Paragraph 2

In the second body paragraph of the GRE Analyse an issue task, you need to use the transition phrase and start giving the second reason with examples. Use appropriate transitions and ensure your sentences link ideas cohesively. By the end of each body paragraph, you should have clearly and persuasively demonstrated how your example strengthens your overall thesis.

Template Paragraph 4: Final Body Paragraph

Again to start this paragraph you need to use a transition phrase. Now, you need to give the third example. In the final paragraph, it is important to address a strong counterargument to the thesis. Begin by describing the example and clearly explaining how it supports your thesis, making sure the connection to the topic is obvious. By doing so, you not only provide the validity of your position but also demonstrate why the opposing view is incorrect.

Template Paragraph 5: Conclusion

The conclusion of the GRE essay should be a recap of your thesis and supporting points. Reflect on the prompt and the instruction given and restate your position. Briefly summarize the key points you made in the body paragraphs. Though including a conclusion will be ideal for the structure of the essay, you can first prioritize completing your final body paragraph if you run out of time. A well-developed Issue Essay without a conclusion will not be penalized.

GRE Issue Essay Topics

The essay writing section of the GRE General Test often intimidates test takers, particularly in encountering a topic they know little or nothing about. In the GRE Analyse an Issue task, you'll be given one issue topic selected from the pool. ETS has made the set of tasks from which your issue topic will be chosen. Below we’ve given the sample essay prompts and instructions given by ETS.

1. A nation should require all of its students to study the same national curriculum until they enter college.
   Write a response in which you discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the recommendation and explain your reasoning for the position you take. In developing and supporting your position, describe specific circumstances in which adopting the recommendation would or would not be advantageous and explain how these examples shape your position.
2. Some people believe that government funding of the arts is necessary to ensure that the arts can flourish and be available to all people. Others believe that government funding of the arts threatens the integrity of the arts.
   Write a response in which you discuss which view more closely aligns with your own position and explain your reasoning for the position you take. In developing and supporting your position, you should address both of the views presented.
3. Some people believe that in order to be effective, political leaders must yield to public opinion and abandon principle for the sake of compromise. Others believe that the most essential quantity of an effective leader is the ability to remain consistently committed to particular principles and objectives. 
   Write a response in which you discuss which view more closely aligns with your own position and explain your reasoning for the position you take. In developing and supporting your position, you should address both of the views presented.
4. The best way to teach is to praise positive actions and ignore negative ones.
   Write a response in which you discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the statement and explain your reasoning for the position you take. In developing and supporting your position, you should consider ways in which the statement might or might not hold true and explain how these considerations shape your position. 
5. Teachers’ salaries should be based on their students’ academic performance.
   Write a response in which you discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the claim. In developing and supporting your position, be sure to address the most compelling reasons and/or examples that could be used to challenge your position.

Refer: ETS GRE Pool of Issue Topics

Some of the categories that GRE Essay Topics fall under are:

• Education
• Technology and Society
• Cities
• Arts
• Government and Power
• Intellectual Endeavors
• Philosophical

GRE Issue Essay Samples

Let’s explore some of the GRE issue essay samples to get a clear idea of how to write the essay with the given prompt and instructions. Keep in mind that these issue prompts are directly taken from the ETS (Educational Testing Service) website, the official administrator of the GRE. Check the given GRE sample essays to practice and score above 4 in the writing section.

GRE Issue Essay Sample 1

Prompt:

A nation should require all of its students to study the same national curriculum until they enter college.

Instructions

Write a response in which you discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the recommendation and explain your reasoning for the position you take. In developing and supporting your position, describe specific circumstances in which adopting the recommendation would or would not be advantageous and explain how these examples shape your position.

Sample Essay:

A national curriculum sounds like a good idea. It would be ideal if every student in a country had the same body of knowledge and set of skills upon graduation from high school. However, this is only possible if every student is the same as every other student. Some may argue that a ready-to-use curriculum would save individual school districts and teachers the time it takes to develop curriculum of their own. Others may point out the expense of purchasing textbooks and other materials needed to follow a national curriculum. In the case of the United States, there is a continuous comparison between what American students achieve and what students in other industrial nations achieve. On the surface, the US does not compare favorably to many of those countries. A national curriculum may be the solution to that problem. However, each of the fifty states must be convinced to give up control over its own educational philosophy.

The logistics of creating a national curriculum in the United States is daunting. The US has the third largest population in the world, divided among fifty separately governed states. It was and continues to be a nation of immigrants. Those immigrants come from all over the world, bringing their languages and customs with them. Immigrants have a greater impact on some states than on others. Schools are challenged to educate children who can't even speak English. A national curriculum may be the straw that breaks the camel's back, educationally. Under ideal conditions, school districts would need considerable financial and technical support to adopt a national curriculum; added to other obstacles that already tax the abilities of some districts, a national curriculum could cause a mutiny.

A national curriculum would be likely to focus on the core areas of education: math, science, language arts, and social studies. One would be hard put to find someone who disagrees with the idea that all children of a country should have the same math skills, the same understanding of science, the same abilities to read and communicate effectively, and the same knowledge of history, geography, and government. However, many would also argue that there is great benefit in participating in the arts, knowing how to cook a meal or sew on a button, and being physically active. Others may hope their children learn the basics of a vocational trade such as carpentry, auto mechanics, or welding. Would there be room for these elective programs in a national curriculum?

Two compromises come to mind. The first entails requiring a national curriculum through grade eight. From kindergarten through middle school, all teachers would adhere to a national curriculum. These are the grades in which students learn the fundamentals of reading, writing, math, and social studies. Every student would be well-prepared for high school, where teachers develop a curriculum that encourages students to further develop the skills they learned in the lower grades. The four years of high school would focus on the core areas but allow students the time to explore other areas of interest. The second compromise consists of a set of guidelines or standards that enumerate the skills and knowledge that every student must be able to demonstrate with proficiency before graduating from high school. Every teacher would know what his or her students must be able to do or understand and use instructional strategies and materials to make that possible.

A nation's desire to promote the educational well being of its children is laudable and, perhaps, necessary. In order to foster creativity and individuality, the means to accomplish this should be left to the practitioners who also have the best interests of children at heart.

GRE Issue Essay Sample 2

Prompt:

Some people believe that government funding of the arts is necessary to ensure that the arts can flourish and be available to all people. Others believe that government funding of the arts threatens the integrity of the arts.

Instructions:

Write a response in which you discuss which view more closely aligns with your own position and explain your reasoning for the position you take. In developing and supporting your position, you should address both of the views presented.

Sample Essay:

The National Endowment for the Arts supports programs all around the United States that promote exposure award process. There is little doubt that, without this organization, children in otherwise culturally-deprived to all of the creative arts. The NEA also funds grants for various artists and projects through an application and areas of the country would have no introduction to the creative arts. The struggling artist may be a popular stereotype in film and fiction, but the fact of the matter is that new artists in nearly every field do struggle, at
least for a time. The NEA allows these artists to apply for grants to help them get a start.

Some may say, "I don't care about painters or sculptors", but the creative arts encompass so much more. It is not strictly high-brow. The artists include writers of fiction, drama, poetry, and journalism. They include composers of country music, Broadway scores, and classical pieces. Many people don't realize the number of ways that they are exposed to art in their everyday lives.

Because it is funded by the government, the NEA budget varies depending on the whims of Congress. Senators and congressmen also feel entitled to attempt to place restrictions on the type of artwork or artist supported by NEA grants. There arises the paternalistic attitude that says," If I'm paying for it, I'll decide how it gets used." The congress has attempted to censor some forms of artistic expression by claiming that it is pornographic or demeaning to one group or another, even that it is unpatriotic. It is difficult, if not impossible, meaning public servants. for an artist to express his vision if that vision is clouded by requirements placed upon it by otherwise well-meaning public servants.

What are the alternatives to public funding of the arts? It used to be that gifted artists would have wealthy patrons who were individuals or even the Vatican itself in the case of the sculptor/architect, Bernini. Of course, the Catholic Church placed restrictions on the kinds of work completed. Other patrons generally made demands of the artists they supported as well. The artists, however, did stave off starvation and homelessness. Patrons of the arts still exist and invest in Broadway productions, pay for visiting musicians at local concert otherwise remote areas. halls, and donate paintings to museums. This still limits accessibility to the arts for those who live in rural or otherwise remote areas.

Does one require live experiences to say that he/she has been exposed to the arts? The World Wide Web allows anyone with an Internet connection to view works of the masters and hear recorded performances or see video of live performances. Nearly everyone with a cellular phone carries around a camera and a video recorder, and they upload their recordings to YouTube by the thousands every day. Those second-hand viewings and audios may not replace a visit to the Louvre or La Scala, but they do make the arts accessible. Local libraries have a service for their card holders that enables the patrons to download best sellers to their electronic readers or tablets, making a trip to the library, itself, unnecessary.

Men and women of ideas and artistic talent can create followings on the Internet by daily writing and uploading to their own blogs. There is a better opportunity for artists in every medium to retain their integrity on funds that may have strings attached. and freedom of expression if they let the public decide who shall succeed and who shall not rather than relying on funds that may have strings attached.

GRE Issue Essay Sample 3

Prompt:

Some people believe that in order to be effective, political leaders must yield to public opinion and abandon principle for the sake of compromise. Others believe that the most essential quantity of an effective leader is the ability to remain consistently committed to particular principles and objectives. 

Instructions:

Write a response in which you discuss which view more closely aligns with your own position and explain your reasoning for the position you take. In developing and supporting your position, you should address both of the views presented.

Sample Essay:

More than a century ago, Ralph Waldo Emerson said that a foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds. When one becomes enamored of an idea or principle, he or she becomes blind to alternatives. It is as though a hobgoblin or little monster has entered the imagination and blocked off new ideas or the ability to see a different perspective. When opposing parties in a debate refuse to acknowledge any value in their opponent, a hobgoblin or little monster has entered the imagination and blocked off new ideas or the ability to see ideas, nothing is accomplished. We certainly see this in the United States Congress today. Poll numbers are on the decline for the President and most senators and representatives because of their inability to get anything done. Compromise may seem like giving in or giving up, but the alternative is to leave problems unsolved. 

The United States may have been governed very differently than it is today if it were not for the Great Compromise. In the early days of America, there was heated debate about the manner in which states would be represented in the national government. One plan called for a unicameral congress where the number of representatives from each state would be based on the state's population. This plan favored states with larger populations. The other plan stated that each state should have the same number of representatives, again in a unicameral legislature. This would leave the people in states with larger populations underserved. The Great Compromise created the bicameral system we have today in America. One body, the Senate, is comprised of two senators from each state, creating a body in which each state, regardless of population, is represented equally. The lower house, the House of Representatives, is comprised of representatives from each state based on population. In this manner most citizens of the United States are served equally by their elected officials. 

The world has become increasingly complex since those early days of America, and debate still rages in the halls of government in Washington, DC. A flagging economy, rising unemployment, greater numbers of housing foreclosures, threats to entitlement programs, and bank failures have sparked contrasting ideas about fixes for these problems. Citizens watch while their President or senator or congressmen declare to the media that there will be no bill if their own ideas are not included. Those whose terms in congress next year are already making what, in essence, are campaign promises with no sufficient plan to pay for those promises. 

There must be compromise. After all, promise is part of compromise. Those who are retired or near retirement worry about proposed cuts to Social Security and/or Medicare, and the young workers worry about rising taxes to pay for those entitlements and wonder what will be left for them when they reach retirement age. Current and prospective workers worry about the exportation of jobs to other countries while they are trying to pay for their homes or save money to send their children to college. Students in college worry about the debt they will be saddled with after graduation and if there will be jobs for them once they have their sheepskin in hand. The President and Congress should look to the past and see that compromise was the vehicle that placed them in the positions they now have. They must combine their promises for the good of every citizen.

GRE Issue Essay Sample 4

Prompt:

The best way to teach is to praise positive actions and ignore negative ones.

Instructions:

Write a response in which you discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the statement and explain your reasoning for the position you take. In developing and supporting your position, you should consider ways in which the statement might or might not hold true and explain how these considerations shape your position. 

Sample Essay:

Every child's first school is his home, and his parents are his first teachers. Whether a child is raised by one or both parents, step-parents, grandparents, or foster parents, the child observes and, in most cases, imitates the behaviors of those adults. This imitation is so important that parents often say to their children, "Do as I say, not what I do" when they fear that they may be setting a bad example. A young child's undeveloped brain cannot rely on observation alone to understand how to behave; he or she will make mistakes and act inappropriately from time to time. Occasionally, children need to be corrected.

Children will move on to more formal education around the age of five. Teachers will act in loco parentis, in the place of their parents. Some children enter school with an innate understanding of how to act in this new environment; others will struggle. Teachers have the best interests of their young charges in mind at all times, but understand that some children need more direction than others. Ignoring negative actions can actually be dangerous. Running around a classroom, a child can trip and fall or run into a desk, a chair, or another student. Should the teacher be expected to wait until the child tires of running and praise him or her for stopping? 

These children will eventually enter the halls of high school where the potential for danger increases tremendously. Chemistry class, alone, has equipment and materials that have the potential to seriously injure those who handle them incorrectly. The teacher who ignores dangerous actions performed by students in this situation should probably be fired. Additionally, there are classes where children may use stoves, irons, pneumatic wrenches, or table saws. For their safety, students must be told when they are using those tools improperly.

Even in classes that are seemingly danger free, accidents can happen. In an otherwise tame English class, students throw pens across the room. These projectiles can end up in another student's eye. Let's not overlook the compasses that students use in math class. Any number of injuries can result from the sharp tip on that instrument.

Teaching continues after children have finished their educations. Employers are not likely to overlook negative actions in the workplace. The bottom line depends on everyone performing his or her job correctly. Children whose negative actions have been ignored throughout their lives will be in for a rude awakening after they leave the safe haven of home and school. Ignoring negative actions may, in the end, be setting children up future failure.

GRE Issue Essay Sample 5

Prompt:

Teachers’ salaries should be based on their students’ academic performance.

Instructions:

Write a response in which you discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the claim. In developing and supporting your position, be sure to address the most compelling reasons and/or examples that could be used to challenge your position.

Sample Essay:

Teacher salaries traditionally depend on a step or seniority system. First-year teachers all make the same salary, as do second-year teachers, and so on. The only way to increase one's salary on any step of the pay scale is to get an advanced degree. Some teachers supplement their salaries by serving as coaches or advisers to school clubs and organizations. All school systems have an evaluation system which does not have an impact on the amount of money an individual teacher makes. Although this system protects teachers from becoming victims of a popularity contest, it also enables incompetent teachers to continue to adversely affect the quality of education delivered to students. Although reform is long overdue, the criteria for evaluating a teacher's worth must be carefully considered and include more than one critical element. Local school systems, states, and countries are continuously compared with each other on the basis of standardized test scores and other measures of student achievement. Teachers and administrators feel pressured to raise test scores. The unfortunate result can be the cheating scandal that occurred in Georgia earlier this year. Teachers and principals in some districts actually changed student answers on a standardized test. The temptation to take this action could increase if teacher pay were based on student achievement.

In addition to standardized test scores, student grades are an indication of student achievement. The majority of school systems still use numerical averages and letter grades to demonstrate student success. These grades place students on honor rolls that are generally published in local newspapers which parents can point to with pride, and they determine class standing, a piece of information requested on college applications. If higher grades are a sign of teacher effectiveness and affect teacher pay, teachers may be tempted to lower their standards to make it easier for their students to earn those higher grades. Student achievement can be used to determine teacher effectiveness and, perhaps, pay, but there first needs to be a better means of measuring and reporting student success.

In the world of business, employees are often rewarded monetarily for their success in meeting or exceeding goals. In most of those cases, workers are producing or selling items that are easily made identical. Quality control is a matter of insuring that each item will perform in the way it was designed to. This is a process impossible to replicate when the product is a human being. Teachers can present the same lessons in the same way year after year and have different results in terms of student success every year. The characteristics of each year's cohort are different. As a consequence, achievement will be different. Teachers do need to be held accountable for student learning. They also need to be evaluated in a manner that fosters and encourages professional growth. When teachers are given a clear direction in which to proceed, they will take their students along. Educational leaders would serve their schools, their states, and their countries well if they ceased comparing their achievements with others. Teacher pay cannot be based on achievement that is loosely defined or compared to test scores in other parts of the state, country, or world.

Also, refer ETS sample issue task that includes essays for different score ranges (1-6).

Strategies & Tips for GRE Analyse an Issue Essay Task 

1. Organize the essay - Ensure your response follows a clear format: an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion.
2. Focus on the main theme - Each paragraph should be centered around a single, well-defined idea. This helps maintain clarity and keeps your argument on track.
3. Avoid repetition - Monotonous sentence structures can make your essay difficult to read. Ensure you focus on the sentence style to keep the reader engaged and to showcase your writing skills.
4. Use specific examples - Hypotheticals are often vague, so rely on specific, concrete examples to strengthen your argument. Precise details resonate more with readers and make your points more convincing.
5. Stay relevant to the topic - The most important rule is to focus on the essay prompt. Ensure all your examples and arguments directly address the topic.
6. Structure your argument: When developing your argument, focus on the clarity of your ideas. It's essential to go with new paragraphs whenever you transition to a new cluster of ideas, which helps maintain coherence and guides the reader through your thought process.
7. Effective writing: The quality of your argument hinges more on the clarity of your ideas and the skill with which you express them than on the number of examples or paragraphs used.
8. Know GRE rater scoring: Before practicing the essay, ensure that you are aware of the scoring criteria that raters apply for the responses. You can refer to the scoring guide given by the ETS to draft the essay effectively.

FAQ

1. What are some common mistakes to avoid in an Analyze an Issue essay?

Common mistakes to avoid in the GRE Analyse an Issue Essay Task are:

1. Correct Tense and Articles: Ensure that you use the appropriate tense consistently throughout your essay. Also, use articles correctly to clarify meaning.
2. Avoid Casual Language: Avoid using slang, cliches, and informal expressions. Maintain a formal tone suitable for academic writing.
3. Minimize Rambling: Write 8 sentences per body paragraph, and limit the introduction and conclusion to about 5 sentences each.
4. Proofread Your Essay: Allocate time to review your essay for grammatical errors, clarity, and coherence before submission.
5. Outline Arguments in the Introduction: Use the introduction to briefly outline your main arguments in three concise sentences.
6. Incorporate Evidence and Examples: Support your arguments with relevant examples, facts, statistics, and real-life instances to enhance credibility and persuasion.
7. Avoid Plagiarism: Ensure that you are not copying phrases or sentences that you have referred to from any of the sources.

2. What is the GRE Analyze an Issue task?

The Analyze an Issue task on the GRE General Test's Analytical Writing Assessment (AWA) is a 30-minute exercise designed to evaluate your critical thinking and persuasive writing skills. In this essay task, you'll be required to develop and present a written argument supporting your position on a given issue to an academic audience. This audience consists of GRE raters who are specifically trained to evaluate the responses by using the ETS scoring guidelines.

3. What is the scoring rubric for the Analyze an Issue task?

The GRE Analyze an Issue task uses a scoring rubric which is evaluated on a scale of 0 to 6 in half-point increments. with 6 being the highest possible score. The evaluation criteria include four key aspects: clarity and conciseness, relevance and appropriateness, and the organization and coherence of the essay.

4. Do GRE essay topics come up repeatedly?

GRE essay topics may appear repeatedly as ETS has given a set of tasks in the GRE pool of essay topics. Therefore, it’s crucial to read the entire essay prompt, including the specific task, before starting to write your essay.

5. Is 300 words sufficient for a GRE Issue Essay?

It is better to write a longer essay for the GRE issue essay task. It is recommended to write a minimum of 500-600 words to get a high score in the AWA essay for the GRE.

6. What are the most common GRE issue essay topics?

The most common GRE issue essay topics are:

• Education
• Technology and Society
• Cities
• Arts
• Government and Power
• Intellectual Endeavors
• Philosophical

7. Is 5 a good GRE writing score?

Yes. Getting a 5.0 in the GRE analytical writing section is considered a good score. The GRE analytical writing section is measured on a scale of 0 to 6, with 6 being the highest score.