GRE Analytical Writing: one task, thirty minutes
Analytical Writing is one task of 30 minutes, scored 0 to 6 in half-point increments, and it comes first in the test. Since the GRE was shortened on 22 September 2023 there is only the "Analyze an Issue" task — the Argument essay was removed, and material still teaching two essays is describing the retired test.
What changed, and why it matters now
| Before 22 Sept 2023 | Now | |
|---|---|---|
| Tasks | Analyze an Issue and Analyze an Argument | Analyze an Issue only |
| Time | 30 minutes each, 60 in total | 30 minutes |
| Score | 0–6, the two averaged | 0–6 |
This is the most out-of-date corner of GRE preparation. Free guides, older books and a great deal of video material still teach the Argument essay. Practising it is not harmful in itself, but it is half your writing preparation spent on a task you will not be set.
How the score is used
Analytical Writing is reported separately from the 130–170 Verbal and Quantitative scores and is not part of any combined total. Programmes weigh it very differently: some read the essay, many use it only as a check against the rest of an application, and a few set a minimum.
It is still the first thing you do on test day, and thirty minutes of writing before two hours of reasoning sets the tone of the session. Treating it as unimportant tends to show up in the Verbal section that follows it rather than in the essay score.
Every Analytical Writing question type
GRE Analytical Writing — FAQs
3 questions
No. Since 22 September 2023 there is one task, Analyze an Issue, in 30 minutes.
0 to 6 in half-point increments, reported separately from the Verbal and Quantitative scores.
It is scored by a trained reader together with an automated scoring engine, with a second reader where the two disagree.
Sources
Written from the test board's own published material and checked on 1 October 2026.