PRACTICE GENERAL TEST

Graduate Record Examinations

This publication is provided FREE with test

registration for a paper-based General Test by the

Graduate Record Examinations Board.

PRACTICE

GENERAL

TEST

This practice book

contains

䡲 one full-length paper-based

GRE General Test

䡲 test-taking strategies

䡲 sample verbal and

quantitative questions with

explanations

䡲 sample analytical writing

topics, scored sample

essays, and reader

commentary

Become familiar with

䡲 test structure and content

䡲 test instructions and

answering procedures

Compare your practice test

results on the verbal and quanti-

tative sections with the perfor-

mance of those who took the

sections at a GRE test adminis-

tration. Compare your essay

responses on the analytical

writing section with responses

at each score level of individuals

who answered these topics at a

GRE pretest administration.

IMPORTANT NOTICE: The test-taking strategies in this publication are

appropriate for use at a paper-based administration and do not pertain

to the computer-based General Test. Individuals planning to take the

computer-based General Test are advised to prepare for the test using

GRE POWERPREP

software.

Visit the GRE Web site at www.gre.org for

additional test preparation information.

2003

2004

EDUCATIONAL TESTING SERVICE, ETS, the ETS logos, GRADUATE RECORD EXAMINATIONS,

GRE, and POWERPREP are registered trademarks of Educational Testing Service. ScoreItNow! is a trademark

Note to Test Takers: Keep this practice book until you receive your score report.

The book contains important information about scoring.

IMPORTANT

The verbal and quantitative sections in the GRE General Test in this publication contain questions

written and administered prior to 1995. For this reason, some of the material covered in the questions

may be dated. For example, a question may refer to a rapidly changing technology in a way that was

correct in the 1980s and early 1990s, but not now. In addition, Educational Testing Service

ETS

has

revised and updated its standards and guidelines for test questions so some questions may not meet

current standards. Questions that do not meet current ETS standards, and would not appear in GRE

tests administered today, are marked with an asterisk (see pages 35 and 44).

Table of Contents

Purpose of the GRE General Test ......................3

Structure of the GRE General Test ....................3

Scores Reported ..................................................4

Preparing for the GRE General Test ..................4

Test-Taking Strategies ........................................ 5

Review of the Verbal Section

Overview ................................................................ 6

How the Verbal Section is Scored ......................... 6

Antonyms ............................................................... 6

Analogies................................................................ 6

Sentence Completions ........................................... 7

Reading Comprehension Questions ...................... 7

Review of the Quantitative Section

Overview ................................................................ 9

How the Quantitative Section is Scored ............. 10

Quantitative Comparison Questions ................... 10

Problem Solving — Discrete

Quantitative Questions..................................... 10

Problem Solving — Data

Interpretation Questions................................... 11

Review of the Analytical Writing Section

Overview .............................................................. 12

How the Analytical Writing Section is Scored ... 12

Present Your Perspective on an Issue Task ........... 13

Analyze an Argument Task .................................. 20

Taking the Practice GRE General Test ............26

Evaluating Your Performance ........................... 27

Verbal and Quantitative Sections........................ 27

Analytical Writing Section .................................. 27

Additional Preparation ........................................ 27

Practice GRE General Test ..............................29

Appendices

A–Analytical Writing Scoring Guides and

Score Level Descriptions .............................. 51

B– Verbal and Quantitative

Interpretive Tables ........................................ 54

C– Analytical Writing Topics, Sample Scored

Essay Responses at Selected Score Points,

and Reader Commentary .............................. 56

Answer Sheets .................................................. 63

Purpose of the GRE

General Test

The GRE General Test is designed to help graduate

school admission committees and fellowship sponsors

assess the qualifications of applicants to their pro-

grams. It measures verbal, quantitative, and analytical

writing skills that you have acquired over a long

period of time.

Any accredited graduate or professional school, or

any department or division within a school, may

require or recommend that its applicants take the

GRE General Test. The scores can be used by admis-

sions or fellowship panels to supplement undergradu-

ate records and other qualifications for graduate

study. The scores provide common measures for

comparing the qualifications of applicants and aid in

the evaluation of grades and recommendations.

Structure of the GRE

General Test

The paper-based GRE General Test contains five

sections. In addition, one unidentified pretest section

may be included and this section can appear in any

position in the test after the analytical writing

section. Questions in the pretest section are being

pretested for possible use in future tests and answers

will not count toward your scores.

Total testing time is up to 3

hours. The direc-

tions at the beginning of each section specify the

total number of questions in the section and the time

allowed for the section. The analytical writing section

will always be first. The verbal and quantitative

sections may appear in any order, including an uniden-

tified verbal or quantitative pretest section. Treat each

section presented during your test as if it counts.

Typical Paper-Based GRE General Test

Sections

Section Number of Questions Time

Analytical Writing 1 Issue task* 45 min.

1 Argument task* 30 min.

Verbal 38 per section 30 min. per section

(2 sections)

Quantitative 30 per section 30 min. per section

(2 sections)

Pretest** Varies 30 min.

*For the Issue task, two essay topics will be presented and you will choose one. The Argument task does

not present a choice of topics; instead, one topic will be presented.

** An unidentified verbal or quantitative pretest section may be included and may appear in any order after

the analytical writing section.

Scores Reported

Three scores are reported on the General Test:

1. a verbal score reported on a 200–800 score scale,

in 10-point increments,

2. a quantitative score reported on a 200–800 score

scale, in 10-point increments, and

3. an analytical writing score reported on a 0–6

score scale, in half-point increments.

If you answer no questions at all in a section (verbal,

quantitative, or analytical writing), that section will

be reported as a No Score (NS).

Descriptions of the analytical writing abilities

characteristic of particular score levels are available

in the interpretive leaflet enclosed with your score

report, in the Guide to the Use of GRE Scores, and on

the GRE Web site at www.gre.org.

Beginning in the fall of 2003, essay responses on

the analytical writing section of the General Test will

be made available to designated score recipients. If

you test on or after July 1, 2003, your essay responses

from your current and previous General Test admin-

istrations will be made available as part of your

cumulative score record.

Preparing for the GRE

General Test

Preparation for the test will depend on the amount of

time you have available and your personal prefer-

ences for how to prepare. At a minimum, before you

take the GRE General Test, you should know what to

expect from the test, including the administrative

procedures, types of questions and directions, the

approximate number of questions, and the amount of

time for each section.

The administrative procedures include registra-

tion, date, time, test center location, cost, score-

reporting procedures, and availability of special

testing arrangements. You can find out about the

administrative procedures for the paper-based Gen-

eral Test in the Supplement to the Bulletin. Information

is also available online at www.gre.org, or by con-

tacting Educational Testing Service (see the GRE

Information and Registration Bulletin).

Before taking the practice General Test, it is

important to become familiar with the content of

each of the sections of the test. You can become

familiar with the verbal and quantitative sections by

reading about the skills the sections measure, how the

sections are scored, reviewing the strategies for each

of the question types, and reviewing the sample

questions with explanations. Determine which

strategies work best for you. Remember—you can do

very well on the test without answering every ques-

tion in each section correctly.

Everyone—even the most practiced and confident

of writers—should spend some time preparing for the

analytical writing section before arriving at the test

center. It is important to review the skills measured,

how the section is scored, scoring guides and score

level descriptions, sample topics, scored sample essay

responses, and reader commentary.

To help you prepare for the analytical writing

section of the General Test, the GRE Program has

published the entire pool of topics from which your

test topics will be selected. You might find it helpful

to review the Issue and Argument pools. You can

view the published pools on the Web at

www.gre.org/pracmats.html or you can obtain a copy

by writing to GRE Program, PO Box 6000,

Princeton, NJ 08541-6000.

The topics in the analytical writing section relate

to a broad range of subjects—from the fine arts and

humanities to the social and physical sciences—but

no topic requires specific content knowledge. In fact,

each topic has been field-tested to ensure that it

possesses several important characteristics, including

the following:

• GRE test takers, regardless of their field of study

or special interests, understood the topic and

could easily discuss it.

•The topic elicited the kinds of complex thinking

and persuasive writing that university faculty

consider important for success in graduate

school.

•The responses were varied in content and in the

way the writers developed their ideas.

Test-Taking Strategies

IMPORTANT NOTE: Test-taking strategies

appropriate for the verbal and quantitative

sections of the paper-based General Test are

different from those that are appropriate for

taking the verbal and quantitative sections of the

computer-based General Test. Be sure to follow

the appropriate strategies for the testing format in

which you will be testing. Paper-based testing

strategies should not be used if you take the

computer-based test.

Verbal and Quantitative Sections

When taking a verbal or quantitative section of the

paper-based General Test, you are free, within any

section, to skip questions that you might have

difficulty answering and to come back to them later

during the time provided to work on that section.

You may also change the answer to any question you

recorded on the answer sheet by erasing it completely

and filling in the oval corresponding to your desired

answer for that question.

Each of your scores will be determined by the

number of questions for which you select the best

answer from the choices given. Questions for which

you mark no answer or more than one answer are not

counted in scoring. Nothing is subtracted from a

score if you answer a question incorrectly. Therefore,

to maximize your scores on the verbal and quantita-

tive sections of the paper-based test, it is better for

you to answer each and every question and not to

leave any questions unanswered.

Work as rapidly as you can without being careless.

This includes checking frequently to make sure you

are marking your answers in the appropriate rows on

your answer sheet. Since no question carries greater

weight than any other, do not waste time pondering

individual questions you find extremely difficult or

unfamiliar.

You may want to work through a verbal or quanti-

tative section of the General Test quite rapidly, first

answering only the questions about which you feel

confident, then going back and answering questions

that require more thought, and concluding with the

most difficult questions if there is time.

During the actual administration of the General

Test, you may work only on the section the test

center supervisor designates and only for the time

allowed. You may not go back to an earlier section of

the test after the supervisor announces, “Please stop

work” for that section. The supervisor is authorized to

dismiss you from the center for doing so. All answers

must be recorded on your answer sheet. Answers

recorded in your test booklet will not be counted.

Given the time constraints, you should avoid waiting

until the last five minutes of a test administration to

record answers on your answer sheet.

Some questions on the General Test have only

four response options (A through D). All GRE

answer sheets for the paper-based test contain re-

sponse positions for five responses (A through E).

Therefore, if an E response is marked for a four-

option question, it will be ignored. An E response for

a four-option question is treated the same as no

response (omitted).

Analytical Writing Section

In the paper-based General Test, the topics in the

analytical writing section will be presented in the test

book and you will handwrite your essay responses on

the answer sheets provided. Make sure you use the

correct answer sheet for each task.

It is important to budget your time. Within the

45-minute time limit for the Issue task, you will need

to allow sufficient time to choose one of the two

topics, think about the issue you’ve chosen, plan a

response, and compose your essay. Within the 30-

minute time limit for the Argument task, you will

need to allow sufficient time to analyze the argument,

plan a critique, and compose your response. Although

GRE readers understand the time constraints under

which you write and will consider your response a

“first draft,” you still want it to be the best possible

example of your writing that you can produce under

the testing circumstances.

Save a few minutes at the end of each timed task

to check for obvious errors. Although an occasional

spelling or grammatical error will not affect your

score, severe and persistent errors will detract from

the overall effectiveness of your writing and thus

lower your score.

During the actual administration of the General

Test, you may work only on the particular writing

task the test center supervisor designates and only for

the time allowed. You may not go back to an earlier

section of the test after the supervisor announces,

“Please stop work,” for that task. The supervisor is

authorized to dismiss you from the center for doing so.

Following the analytical writing section, you will

have the opportunity to take a 10-minute break.

There is a one-minute break between the other test

sections.

Review of the Verbal Section

Overview

The verbal section measures your ability to analyze

and evaluate written material and synthesize informa-

tion obtained from it, to analyze relationships among

component parts of sentences, to recognize relation-

ships between words and concepts, and to reason

with words in solving problems. There is a balance of

passages across different subject matter areas: hu-

manities, social sciences, and natural sciences.

The verbal section contains the following ques-

tion types:

• Antonyms

• Analogies

• Sentence Completions

•Reading Comprehension Questions

How the Verbal Section is Scored

Scoring of the verbal section of the paper-based

General Test is essentially a two-step process. First, a

raw score is computed. The raw score is the number

of questions for which the best answer choice was

given. The raw score is then converted to a scaled

score through a process known as equating. The

equating process accounts for differences in difficulty

among the different test editions; thus, a given scaled

score reflects approximately the same level of ability

regardless of the edition of the test that was taken.

Antonyms

Antonyms measure your

• vocabulary

• ability to reason from a given concept to its

opposite

Directions*

Each question below consists of a word printed in

capital letters followed by five lettered words or

phrases. Choose the lettered word or phrase that is

most nearly opposite in meaning to the word in

capital letters. Since some of the questions require

you to distinguish fine shades of meaning, be sure

to consider all the choices before deciding which

one is best.

Sample Question

DIFFUSE:

(A) concentrate

(B) contend

(D) pretend

(E) rebel

Strategies for Answering

•Remember that antonyms are generally confined

to nouns, verbs, and adjectives.

• Look for the word that is most nearly opposite to

the given word.

•Try to define words precisely.

•Make up a sentence using the given word to

help establish its meaning.

• Look for possible second meanings before

choosing an answer.

•Use your knowledge of prefixes and suffixes to

help define words you don’t know.

Answer

The best answer is (A). Diffuse means to permit or

cause to spread out; only (A) presents an idea that is

in any way opposite to diffuse.

Analogies

Analogies measure your ability to recognize

• relationships among words and concepts they

represent

• parallel relationships

The directions are presented as they appear on the actual test.

Directions*

In each of the following questions, a related pair of

words or phrases is followed by five lettered pairs of

words or phrases. Select the lettered pair that best

expresses a relationship similar to that expressed in

the original pair.

Sample Question

COLOR : SPECTRUM :

(A) tone : scale

(B) sound : waves

(D) dimension : space

(E) cell : organism

Strategies for Answering

• Establish a relationship between the given pair

before reading the answer choices.

•Consider relationships of kind, size, spatial

contiguity, or degree.

•Read all of the options. If more than one seems

correct, try to state the relationship more

precisely.

•Check to see that you haven’t overlooked a

possible second meaning for one of the words.

• Never decide on the best answer without reading

all of the answer choices.

Answer

The relationship between color and spectrum is not

merely that of part to whole, in which case (E) or

even (C) might be defended as correct. A spectrum is

made up of a progressive, graduated series of colors, as

a scale is of a progressive, graduated sequence of tones.

Thus, (A) is the correct answer choice. In this

instance, the best answer must be selected from a

group of fairly close choices.

Sentence Completions

Sentence completions measure your ability to recog-

nize words or phrases that both logically and stylisti-

cally complete the meaning of a sentence.

Directions*

Each sentence below has one or two blanks, each

blank indicating that something has been omitted.

Beneath the sentence are five lettered words or sets

of words. Choose the word or set of words for each

blank that best fits the meaning of the sentence as

a whole.

Sample Question

Early ________ of hearing loss is ________ by the

fact that the other senses are able to compensate for

moderate amounts of loss, so that people frequently

do not know that their hearing is imperfect.

(A) discovery . . indicated

(B) development . . prevented

(D) treatment . . facilitated

(E) incidence . . corrected

Strategies for Answering

•Read the incomplete sentence carefully.

•Look for key words or phrases.

•Complete the blank(s) with your own words; see

if any options are like yours.

•Pay attention to grammatical cues.

• If there are two blanks, be sure that both parts of

your answer choice fit logically and stylistically

into the sentence.

•After choosing an answer, read the sentence

through again to see if it makes sense.

Answer

The statement that the other senses compensate

for partial loss of hearing indicates that the hearing

loss is not prevented or corrected; therefore, choices

(B) and (E) can be eliminated. Furthermore, the

ability to compensate for hearing loss certainly does

not facilitate the early treatment (D) or the early

discovery (A) of hearing loss. It is reasonable, how-

ever, that early detection of hearing loss is complicated

by the ability to compensate for it. The best answer

is (C).

Reading Comprehension Questions

Reading comprehension questions measure your

ability to

• read with understanding, insight, and

discrimination

• analyze a written passage from several

perspectives

Passages are taken from the humanities, social

sciences, and natural sciences.

Directions*

The passage is followed by questions based on its

content. After reading the passage, choose the best

answer to each question. Answer all questions

following the passage on the basis of what is stated or

implied in the passage.

The directions are presented as they appear on the actual test.

According to the passage, the two antithetical ideals

of photography differ primarily in the

(A) value that each places on the beauty of the

finished product

(B) emphasis that each places on the emotional

impact of the finished product

of the photographer

(D) extent of the power that each requires of the

photographer’s equipment

(E) way in which each defines the role of the

photographer

Strategies for Answering

•Read the passage closely, then proceed to the

questions.

Skim the passage, then reread the passage

closely as you answer the questions. You may

want to try it both ways with sample questions

to see what works best for you.

•Answer questions based on the content of the

passage.

• Separate main ideas from supporting ideas.

• Separate the author’s own ideas from informa-

tion being presented.

•Ask yourself...

–What is this about?

–What are the key points?

–How does the main idea relate to other ideas

in the passage?

–What words define relationships among ideas?

Answer

The best answer to this question is (E). Photography’s

two ideals are presented in lines 7–11. The main

emphasis in the description of these two ideals is on

the relationship of the photographer to the enterprise

of photography, with the photographer described in

the one as a passive observer and in the other as an

active questioner. (E) identifies this key feature in the

description of the two ideals—the way in which each

ideal conceives or defines the role of the photogra-

pher in photography. (A) through (D) present aspects

of photography that are mentioned in the passage,

but none of these choices represents a primary

difference between the two ideals of photography.

Picture-taking is a technique both for annexing the

objective world and for expressing the singular self.

Photographs depict objective realities that already exist,

though only the camera can disclose them. And they

depict an individual photographer’s temperament, dis-

covering itself through the camera’s cropping of reality.

That is, photography has two antithetical ideals: in the

first, photography is about the world, and the photogra-

pher is a mere observer who counts for little; but in the

second, photography is the instrument of intrepid,

questing subjectivity and the photographer is all.

These conflicting ideals arise from a fundamental

uneasiness on the part of both photographers and view-

ers of photographs toward the aggressive component in

“taking” a picture. Accordingly, the ideal of a photogra-

pher as observer is attractive because it implicitly denies

that picture-taking is an aggressive act. The issue, of

course, is not so clear-cut. What photographers do can-

not be characterized as simply predatory or as simply,

and essentially, benevolent. As a consequence, one ideal of

picture-taking or the other is always being rediscovered

and championed.

An important result of the coexistence of these two

ideals is a recurrent ambivalence toward photography’s

means. Whatever the claims that photography might

make to be a form of personal expression on a par with

painting, its originality is inextricably linked to the pow-

ers of a machine. The steady growth of these powers has

made possible the extraordinary informativeness and

imaginative formal beauty of many photographs, like

Harold Edgerton’s high-speed photographs of a bullet

hitting its target or of the swirls and eddies of a tennis

stroke. But as cameras become more sophisticated, more

automated, some photographers are tempted to disarm

themselves or to suggest that they are not really armed,

preferring to submit themselves to the limits imposed by

premodern camera technology because a cruder, less

high-powered machine is thought to give more interest-

ing or emotive results, to leave more room for creative

accident. For example, it has been virtually a point of

honor for many photographers, including Walker Evans

and Cartier-Bresson, to refuse to use modern equipment.

These photographers have come to doubt the value of the

camera as an instrument of “fast seeing.” Cartier-Bresson,

in fact, claims that the modern camera may see too fast.

This ambivalence toward photographic means deter-

mines trends in taste. The cult of the future (of faster and

faster seeing) alternates over time with the wish to return

to a purer past — when images had a handmade quality.

This nostalgia for some pristine state of the photographic

enterprise is currently widespread and underlies the

present-day enthusiasm for daguerreotypes and the work

of forgotten nineteenth-century provincial photographers.

Photographers and viewers of photographs, it seems, need

periodically to resist their own knowingness.

(5)

(10)

(15)

(20)

(25)

(30)

(35)

(40)

(45)

(50)

(55)

Sample Question

Review of the Quantitative

Section

Overview

The quantitative section measures your basic math-

ematical skills, your understanding of elementary

mathematical concepts, and your ability to reason

quantitatively and solve problems in a quantitative

setting. There is a balance of questions requiring

arithmetic, algebra, geometry, and data analysis.

These are content areas usually studied in high

school.

Arithmetic

Questions may involve arithmetic operations, powers,

operations on radical expressions, estimation, per-

cent, absolute value, properties of integers (e.g.,

divisibility, factoring, prime numbers, odd and even

integers), and the number line.

Algebra

Questions may involve rules of exponents, factoring

and simplifying algebraic expressions, understanding

concepts of relations and functions, equations and

inequalities, solving linear and quadratic equations

and inequalities, solving simultaneous equations,

setting up equations to solve word problems, coordi-

nate geometry, including slope, intercepts, and graphs

of equations and inequalities, and applying basic

algebra skills to solve problems.

Geometry

Questions may involve parallel lines, circles, triangles

(including isosceles, equilateral, and 30°–60°–90°

triangles), rectangles, other polygons, area, perimeter,

volume, the Pythagorean Theorem, and angle

measure in degrees. The ability to construct proofs is

not measured.

Data Analysis

Questions may involve elementary probability, basic

descriptive statistics (mean, median, mode, range,

standard deviation, percentiles), and interpretation of

data in graphs and tables (line graphs, bar graphs,

circle graphs, frequency distributions).

Math Symbols and Other Information

The following information applies to all questions in

the quantitative sections.

•These common math symbols may be used:

x < y (x is less than y)

⳱

y (x is not equal to y)

√

(the nonnegative square root of x,

where x ≥ 0)

|x| (the absolute value of x, where x is a

real number)

n!(n factorial: the product of the first n

positive integers)

m 㛳 n (line m is parallel to line n)

n (line m is perpendicular to line n)

(∠ABC is a right angle)

•Numbers: all numbers used are real numbers.

•Figures:

– the positions of points, angles, regions, etc.,

can be assumed to be in the order shown;

angle measures are positive

–a line shown as straight can be assumed to be

straight

– figures lie in a plane unless otherwise

indicated

– do not assume figures are drawn to scale

unless stated

It is important to familiarize yourself with the basic

mathematical concepts in the GRE General Test.

The publication Math Review is available for free

download on the GRE Web site at www.gre.org/

pracmats.html and provides detailed information on

the content of the quantitative section.

The quantitative section contains the following

question types:

•Quantitative Comparison Questions

•Problem Solving – Discrete Quantitative

Questions

•Problem Solving – Data Interpretation

Questions

Questions emphasize understanding basic principles

and reasoning within the context of given

information.

How the Quantitative Section is

Scored

The quantitative section of the paper-based General

Test is scored the same way as the verbal section.

First, a raw score is computed. The raw score is the

number of questions for which the best answer choice

was given. The raw score is then converted to a

scaled score through a process known as equating.

The equating process accounts for differences in

difficulty among the different test editions; thus a

given scaled score reflects approximately the same

level of ability regardless of the edition of the test

that was taken.

Quantitative Comparison Questions

Quantitative comparison questions measure your

ability to:

• reason quickly and accurately about the relative

sizes of two quantities

• perceive that not enough information is pro-

vided to make such a decision

Directions*

Each of the sample questions consists of two quanti-

ties, one in Column A and one in Column B. There

may be additional information, centered above the

two columns, that concerns one or both of the

quantities. A symbol that appears in both columns

represents the same thing in Column A as it does in

Column B.

You are to compare the quantity in Column A

with the quantity in Column B and decide whether:

(A) The quantity in Column A is greater.

(B) The quantity in Column B is greater.

(D) The relationship cannot be determined from the

information given.

Note: Since there are only four choices, NEVER

MARK (E).**

Sample Questions

Column A Column B

1. 9.8

100

√

2. (ⳮ6)

(ⳮ6)

Strategies for Answering

•Avoid extensive computation if possible. Try to

estimate the answer.

•Consider all kinds of numbers before deciding. If

under some conditions Column A is greater

than Column B and for others, Column B is

greater than Column A, choose “the relation-

ship cannot be determined from the information

given,” and go to the next question.

•Geometric figures may not be drawn to scale.

Comparisons should be made based on the given

information, together with your knowledge of

mathematics, rather than on exact appearance.

Answer to Question 1

100

√

denotes 10, the positive square root of 100. (For

any positive number x,

√

denotes the positive num-

ber whose square is x.) Since 10 is greater than 9.8,

the best answer is (B). It is important not to confuse

this question with a comparison of 9.8 and x where

⳱100. The latter comparison would yield (D) as

the correct answer because x

⳱100 implies that

either x⳱10 or x⳱ⳮ10, and there would be no way

to determine which value x would actually have.

Answer to Question 2

Since (ⳮ6)

is the product of four negative factors,

and the product of an even number of negative

numbers is positive, (ⳮ6)

is positive. Since the

product of an odd number of negative numbers

is negative, (ⳮ6)

is negative. Therefore, (ⳮ6)

is greater than (ⳮ6)

since any positive number

is greater than any negative number. The best

answer is (A). It is not necessary to calculate that

(ⳮ6)

⳱1,296 and that (ⳮ6)

⳱ⳮ7,776 in order to

make the comparison.

Problem Solving – Discrete

Quantitative Questions

Discrete quantitative questions measure

• basic mathematical knowledge

• your ability to read, understand, and solve a

problem that involves either an actual or an

abstract situation

Directions*

Each of the following questions has five answer

choices. For each of these questions, select the best of

The directions are presented as they appear on the actual test.

The answer sheet contains five choices for the verbal and quantitative sections.

the answer choices given.

Sample Question

When walking, a certain person takes 16 complete

steps in 10 seconds. At this rate, how many complete

steps does the person take in 72 seconds?

(A) 45

(B) 78

(D) 90

(E) 115

Strategies for Answering

•Determine what is given and what is being

asked.

• Scan all answer choices before answering a

question.

•When approximation is required, scan

answer choices to determine the degree of

approximation.

•Avoid long computations. Use reasoning

instead, when possible.

Answer

72 seconds represents 7 ten-second intervals plus 2/10

of such an interval. Therefore, the person who takes

16 steps in 10 seconds will take (7.2)(16) steps in 72

seconds.

(7.2)(16) ⳱ (7)(16) Ⳮ (0.2)(16)

⳱ 112 Ⳮ 3.2

⳱ 115.2

Since the question asks for the number of com-

plete steps, the best answer choice is (E).

Problem Solving – Data

Interpretation Questions

Data interpretation questions measure your ability

• to synthesize information and select appropriate

data for answering a question

• to determine that sufficient information for

answering a question is not provided

The data interpretation questions usually appear in

sets and are based on data presented in tables, graphs,

or other diagrams.

Directions*

Each of the following questions has five answer

choices. For each of these questions, select the best of

the answer choices given.

Sample Question

Number of Graduate Student Applicants

at University

, 1982–1991

In which of the following years did the number of

graduate student applicants increase the most from

that of the previous year?

(A) 1985

(B) 1986

(D) 1990

(E) 1991

Strategies for Answering

•Scan the set of data to see what it is about.

•Try to make visual comparisons and estimate

products and quotients rather than perform

computations.

•Answer questions only on the basis of data

given.

Answer

This question can be answered directly by visually

comparing the heights of the bars in the graph. The

greatest increase in height between two adjacent bars

occurs for the years 1985 and 1986. The best answer

200

400

600

800

1,000

1,200

1,400

1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991

The directions are presented as they appear on the actual test.

is (B).

Review of the Analytical

Writing Section

Overview

The analytical writing section tests your critical

thinking and analytical writing skills. It assesses your

ability to articulate and support complex ideas,

analyze an argument, and sustain a focused and

coherent discussion. It does not assess specific con-

tent knowledge.

The analytical writing section consists of two

separately-timed analytical writing tasks:

•a 45-minute “Present Your Perspective on an

Issue” task

•a 30-minute “Analyze an Argument” task

You will be given a choice between two Issue topics.

Each states an opinion on an issue of broad interest

and asks you to discuss the issue from any

perspective(s) you wish, as long as you provide

relevant reasons and examples to explain and support

your views.

You will not have a choice of Argument topics.

The Argument task presents a different challenge

from that of the Issue task: it requires you to critique

a given argument by discussing how well reasoned

you find it. You will need 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 you to construct your own argument by

taking a position and providing evidence supporting

your views on the issue, whereas the other requires

you to critique someone else’s argument by assessing

its claims and evaluating the evidence it provides.

How the Analytical Writing Section

is Scored

Each response is holistically scored on a 6-point scale

according to the criteria published in the GRE

analytical writing scoring guides (see Appendix A on

pages 51–52). Holistic scoring means that each

response is judged as a whole: readers do not separate

the response into component parts and award a

certain number of points for a particular criterion or

element such as ideas, organization, sentence struc-

ture, or language. Instead, readers assign scores based

on the overall quality of the response, considering all

of its characteristics in an integrated way. Excellent

organization or poor organization, for example, will

be part of the readers’ overall impression of the

response and will therefore contribute to the score,

but organization, as a distinct feature, has no specific

weight.

In general, GRE readers are college and university

faculty experienced in teaching courses in which

writing and critical thinking skills are important. All

GRE readers have undergone careful training, passed

stringent GRE qualifying tests, and demonstrated

that they are able to maintain scoring accuracy.

To ensure fairness and objectivity in scoring

• responses are randomly distributed to the readers

• all identifying information about the test takers

is concealed from the readers

• each response is scored by two readers

• readers do not know what other scores a re-

sponse may have received

• the scoring procedure requires that each re-

sponse receive identical or adjacent scores from

two readers; any other score combination is

adjudicated by a third GRE reader

The scores given for the two tasks are then averaged

for a final reported score. The score level descrip-

tions, presented in Appendix A on page 53, provide

information on how to interpret the total score on

the analytical writing section. The primary emphasis

in scoring the analytical writing section is on critical

thinking and analytical writing skills.

Your essay responses on the analytical writing

section will be reviewed by ETS essay-similarity-

detection software and by experienced essay readers

during the scoring process. Based on widely accepted

criteria of plagiarism within United States graduate

schools and universities, ETS reserves the right to

cancel test scores of any test taker when there is

substantial evidence that an essay response includes,

but is not limited to, any of the following:

• text that is substantially similar to that found on

one or more other GRE essay responses;

• quoting or paraphrasing, without attribution,

language, or ideas that appear in published or

unpublished sources;

• unacknowledged use of work that has been

produced through collaboration with others

without citation of the contribution of others;

• essays that are submitted as work of the exam-

inee when the ideas or words have, in fact,

been borrowed from elsewhere or prepared by

another person.

When one or more of these circumstances occurs,

your essay text, in ETS’s professional judgement, does

not reflect the independent, analytical writing skills

that this test seeks to measure. Therefore, ETS must

cancel the essay score as invalid and cannot report

the GRE General Test scores of which the essay score

is an indispensable part.

Test takers whose scores are canceled will forfeit

their test fees and must pay to take the entire GRE

General Test again at a future administration. No

record of score cancellations, or the reason for

cancellation, will appear on their future score reports

sent to colleges and universities.

Present Your Perspective on an

Issue Task

The “Present Your Perspective on an Issue” task

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 quota-

tion 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. Be sure to read the claim carefully and

think about it from several points of view, consider-

ing the complexity of ideas associated with those

perspectives. Then, make notes about the position

you want to develop and list the main reasons and

examples that you could use to support that position.

The Issue task allows considerable latitude in the

way you respond to the claim. Although it is impor-

tant that you address the central issue, you are free to

take any approach you wish. For example, you might

• agree absolutely with the claim, disagree com-

pletely, or agree with some parts and not others

• question the assumptions the statement seems to

be making

• qualify any of its terms, especially if the way you

define or apply a term is important to develop-

ing your perspective on the issue

• point out why the claim is valid in some situa-

tions but not in others

• evaluate points of view that contrast with your

own perspective

• develop your position with reasons that are

supported by several relevant examples or by a

single extended example

The GRE readers scoring your response are not

looking for a “right” answer—in fact, there is no

correct position to take. Instead, the readers are

evaluating the skill with which you articulate and

develop an argument to support your position on the

issue.

Understanding the Context for Writing:

Purpose and Audience

The Issue task is an exercise in critical thinking and

persuasive writing. The purpose of this task is to

determine how well you can develop a compelling

argument supporting your own perspective on an

issue and to effectively communicate that argument

in writing to an academic audience. Your audience

consists of college and university faculty who are

trained as GRE readers to apply the scoring criteria

identified in the scoring guide for “Present Your

Perspective on an Issue” (see page 51).

To get a clearer idea of how GRE readers apply the

Issue scoring criteria to actual responses, you should

review scored sample Issue essay responses and

readers’ commentaries. The sample responses, par-

ticularly at the 5 and 6 score levels, will show you a

variety of successful strategies for organizing, develop-

ing, and communicating a persuasive argument. The

readers’ commentaries discuss specific aspects of

analysis and writing, such as the use of examples,

development and support, organization, language

fluency, and word choice. For each response, the

commentary points out aspects that are particularly

persuasive as well as any that detract from the overall

effectiveness of the essay.

Preparing for the Issue Task

Because the Issue task is meant to assess the persua-

sive writing skills that you have developed through-

out your education, it has been designed neither to

require any particular course of study nor to advan-

tage students with a particular type of training.

Many college textbooks on composition offer

advice on persuasive writing that you might find

useful, but even this advice might be more technical

and specialized than you need for the Issue task. You

will not be expected to know specific critical think-

ing or writing terms or strategies; instead, you should

be able to use reasons, evidence, and examples to

support your position on an issue. Suppose, for

instance, that an Issue topic asks you to consider

whether it is important for government to provide

financial support for art museums. If your position is

that government should fund art museums, you might

support your position by discussing the reasons art is

important and explain that museums are public

places where art is available to anyone. On the other

hand, if your position is that government should not

support museums, you might point out that, given

limited governmental funds, art museums are not as

deserving of governmental funding as are other, more

socially important, institutions. Or, if you are in favor

of government funding for art museums only under

certain conditions, you might focus on the artistic

criteria, cultural concerns, or political conditions that

you think should determine how—or whether—art

museums receive government funds. It is not your

position that matters so much as the critical thinking

skills you display in developing your position.

An excellent way to prepare for the Issue task is to

practice writing on some of the published topics.

There is no “best” approach: some people prefer to

start practicing without regard to the 45-minute time

limit; others prefer to take a “timed test” first and

practice within the time limit. No matter which

approach you take when you practice the Issue task,

you should review the task directions, then

• carefully read the claim made in the topic and

make sure you understand the issue involved; if

it seems unclear, discuss it with a friend or

teacher

• think about the issue in relation to your own

ideas and experiences, to events you have read

about or observed, and to people you have

known; this is the knowledge base from which

you will develop compelling reasons and ex-

amples in your argument that reinforce, negate,

or qualify the claim in some way

• decide what position on the issue you want to

take and defend—remember you are free to

agree or disagree completely or to agree with

some parts or some applications but not others

• decide what compelling evidence (reasons and

examples) you can use to support your position

Remember that this is a task in critical thinking and

persuasive writing. Therefore, you might find it

helpful to explore the complexity of a claim in one of

the topics by asking yourself the following questions:

•What, precisely, is the central issue?

•Do I agree with all or with any part of the claim?

Why or why not?

•Does the claim make certain assumptions? If so,

are they reasonable?

• Is the claim valid only under certain conditions?

If so, what are they?

•Do I need to explain how I interpret certain

terms or concepts used in the claim?

• If I take a certain position on the issue, what

reasons support my position?

•What examples—either real or hypothetical—

could I use to illustrate those reasons and

advance my point of view? Which examples are

most compelling?

Once you have decided on a position to defend,

consider the perspective of others who might not

agree with your position. Ask yourself:

•What reasons might someone use to refute or

undermine my position?

•How should I acknowledge or defend against

those views in my essay?

To plan your response, you might want to summarize

your position and make brief notes about how you

will support the position you’re going to take. When

you’ve done this, look over your notes and decide

how you will organize your response. Then write a

response developing your position on the issue. Even

if you don’t write a full response, you should find it

helpful to practice with a few of the Issue topics and

to sketch out your possible responses. After you

have practiced with some of the topics, try writing

responses to some of the topics within the 45-minute

time limit so that you have a good idea of how to use

your time in the actual test.

Next, compare your response to the scoring guide.

Focus on seeing how your paper meets or misses the

performance standards and what you therefore need

to do in order to improve.

Deciding Which Issue Topic to Choose

Remember that the General Test will contain two

Issue topics from the published pool; you must choose

one of these two. Because the 45-minute timing

begins when you first see the two topics, you should

not spend too much time making a decision. Instead,

try to choose fairly quickly the issue that you feel

better prepared to discuss.

Before making a choice, read each topic carefully.

Then decide on which topic you could develop a

more effective and well-reasoned argument. In

making this decision, you might ask yourself:

•Which topic do I find more interesting or

engaging?

•Which topic more closely relates to my own

academic studies or other experiences?

•On which topic can I more clearly explain and

defend my perspective?

•On which topic can I more readily think of

strong reasons and examples to support my

position?

Your answers to these questions should help you make

your choice.

The Form of Your Response

You are free to organize and develop your response in

any way that you think will effectively communicate

your ideas about the issue. Your response may, but

need not, incorporate particular writing strategies

learned in English composition or writing-intensive

college courses. GRE readers will not be looking for a

particular developmental strategy or mode of writing;

in fact, when GRE readers are trained, they review

hundreds of Issue responses that, although highly

diverse in content and form, display similar levels of

critical thinking and persuasive writing. Readers will

see, for example, some Issue responses at the 6 score

level that begin by briefly summarizing the writer’s

position on the issue and then explicitly announcing

the main points to be argued. They will see others

that lead into the writer’s position by making a

prediction, asking a series of questions, describing a

scenario, or defining critical terms in the quotation.

The readers know that a writer can earn a high score

by giving multiple examples or by presenting a single,

extended example. Look at the sample Issue re-

sponses, particularly at the 5 and 6 score levels, to see

how other writers have successfully developed and

organized their arguments.

You should use as many or as few paragraphs as

you consider appropriate for your argument—for

example, you will probably need to create a new

paragraph whenever your discussion shifts to a new

cluster of ideas. What matters is not the number of

examples, the number of paragraphs, or the form your

argument takes but, rather, the cogency of your ideas

about the issue and the clarity and skill with which

you communicate those ideas to academic readers.

Directions*

Present your perspective on the issue below, using

relevant reasons and/or examples to support your

views.

Sample Topic

“In our time, specialists of all kinds are highly over-

rated. We need more generalists—people who can

provide broad perspectives.”

Strategies for this Topic

This claim raises several related questions: What does

it mean to be a generalist or a specialist, and what

value do they have for society? Does society actually

need more generalists, and are specialists, in fact,

“highly overrated”?

There are several basic positions you could take

on this issue: Yes, society needs more generalists and

places too high a value on specialists. No, the oppo-

site is true. Or, it depends on various factors. Or, both

groups are important in today’s culture; neither is

overvalued. Your analysis might draw examples from

a particular society or country, from one or more areas

of society, or from various situations. It might focus

on the role of generalists and specialists in relation to

communications, transportation, politics, informa-

tion, or technology. Any of these approaches is valid,

as long as you use relevant reasons and examples to

support your position.

Before you stake out a position, take a few mo-

ments to reread the claim. To analyze it, consider

questions such as these:

•What are the main differences between special-

ists and generalists? What are the strong points

of each?

•Do these differences always hold in various

professions or situations? Could there be some

specialists, for example, who also need to have

very broad knowledge and general abilities to

perform their work well?

•How do generalists and specialists function in

your field?

•What value do you think society places on

specialists and generalists? Are specialists

overvalued in some situations, and not in

others?

•Does society really need more generalists than it

has? If so, what needs would they serve?

Now you can organize your thoughts into two groups:

•Reasons and examples to support the claim

•Reasons and examples to support an opposing

point of view

If you find one view clearly more persuasive than the

The directions are presented as they appear on the actual test.

other, consider developing an argument from that

perspective. As you build your argument, keep in

mind the other points, which you could argue

against.

If both groups have compelling points, consider

developing a position supporting, not the stated

claim, but a more limited or more complex claim.

Then you can use reasons and examples from both

sides to justify your position.

Essay Response* – Score 6

In this era of rapid social and technological change

leading to increasing life complexity and psychologi-

cal displacement, both positive and negative effects

among persons in Western society call for a balance

in which there are both specialists and generalists.

Specialists are necessary in order to allow society

as a whole to properly and usefully assimilate the

masses of new information and knowledge that have

come out of research and have been widely dissemi-

nated through mass global media. As the head of

Pharmacology at my university once said (and I

paraphrase): “I can only research what I do because

there are so many who have come before me to

whom I can turn for basic knowledge. It is only

because of each of the narrowly focussed individuals

at each step that a full and true understanding of the

complexities of life can be had. Each person can only

hold enough knowledge to add one small rung to the

ladder, but together we can climb to the moon.” This

illustrates the point that our societies level of knowl-

edge and technology is at a stage in which there

simply must be specialists in order for our society to

take advantage of the information available to us.

Simply put, without specialists, our society would

find itself bogged down in the Sargasso sea of infor-

mation overload. While it was fine for early physicists

to learn and understand the few laws and ideas that

existed during their times, now, no one individual

can possibly digest and assimilate all of the knowl-

edge in any given area.

On the other hand, Over specialization means

narrow focii in which people can lose the larger

picture.No one can hope to understand the human

body by only inspecting one’s own toe-nails. What we

learn from a narrow focus may be internally logically

coherent but may be irrelevant or fallacious within

the framework of a broader perspective. Further, if we

inspect only our toe-nails, we may conclude that the

whole body is hard and white. Useful conclusions and

thus perhaps useful inventions must come by sharing

among specialists. Simply throwing out various

discovieries means we have a pile of useless discover-

ies, it is only when one can make with them a mosaic

that we can see that they may form a picture.

Not only may over-specialization be dangerous in

terms of the truth, purity and cohesion of knowledge,

but it can also serve to drown moral or universall issues.

Generalists and only generalists can see a broad enough

picture to realize and introduce to the world the

problems of the environment. With specialization, each

person focusses on their research and their goals. Thus,

industrialization, expansion, and new technologies are

driven ahead. Meanwhile no individual can see the

wholisitc view of our global existence in which true

advancement may mean stifling individual specialists

for the greater good of all.

Finally, over-specialization in a people’s daily lives

and jobs has meant personal and psychological

compartmentalization. People are forced into pigeon

holes early in life (at least by university) and must

conciously attempt to consume external forms of

stimuli and information in order not to be lost in

their small and isolated universe. Not only does this

make for narrowly focussed and generally pooprly-

educated individuals, but it guarantees a sense of loss

of community, often followed by a feeling of psycho-

logical displacement and personal dissatisfaction.

Without generalists, society becomes inward-

looking and eventually inefficient. Without a society

that recongnizes the impotance of braod-mindedness

and fora for sharing generalities, individuals become

isolated. Thus, while our form of society necessitates

specialists, generalists are equally important. Special-

ists drive us forward in a series of thrusts while

generalists make sure we are still on the jousting field

and know what the stakes are.

Reader Commentary for Essay Response – Score 6

This is an outstanding analysis of the issue—insight-

ful, well reasoned, and highly effective in its use of

language. The introductory paragraph announces the

writer’s position on the issue and provides the con-

text within which the writer will develop that

position: “In this era of rapid social and technological

change leading to increasing life complexity and

psychological displacement . . . .”

The argument itself has two parts. The first part

All responses in this publication are reproduced exactly as written, including errors, misspellings, etc., if any.

presents a compelling case for specialization, prima-

rily in the field of medicine. The second part presents

an equally compelling, well-organized case against

overspecialization based on three main reasons:

• logical (narrowly trained specialists often fail to

understand the whole)

•moral (usually generalists understand what is

needed for “the greater good”)

• personal (specializing/pigeonholing too early can

be psychologically damaging)

The argument’s careful line of reasoning is further

strengthened by the skillful use of expert testimony

(quotation from a prominent medical researcher) and

vivid metaphor (to inspect only one’s toenails is to

ignore the whole body).

It is not only the reasoning that distinguishes this

response. The language is precise and often figurative

(“bogged down in a Sargasso sea of information

overload,” “a pile of useless discoveries,” and “special-

ists drive us forward in a series of thrusts, while

generalists make sure we are still on the jousting

field”). The reader is constantly guided through the

argument by transitional phrases and ideas that help

organize the ideas and move the argument forward.

This is an exceptionally fine response to the topic.

Essay Response – Score 5

Specialists are not overrated today. More generalists

may be needed, but not to overshadow the specialists.

Generalists can provide a great deal of information

on many topics of interest with a broad range of

ideas. People who look at the overall view of things

can help with some of the large problems our society

faces today. But specialists are necessary to gain a

better understanding of more in depth methods to

solve problems or fixing things.

One good example of why specialists are not

overrated is in the medical field. Doctors are neces-

sary for people to live healthy lives. When a person is

sick, he may go to a general practitioner to find out

the cause of his problems. Usually, this kind of

“generalized” doctor can help most ailments with

simple and effective treatments. Sometimes, though,

a sickness may go beyond a family doctor’s knowledge

or the prescribed treatments don’t work the way they

should. When a sickness progresses or becomes

diagnosed as a disease that requires more care than a

family doctor can provide, he may be referred to a

specialist. For instance, a person with constant

breathing problems that require hospitalization may

be suggested to visit an asthma specialist. Since a

family doctor has a great deal of knowledge of medi-

cine, he can decide when his methods are not effec-

tive and the patient needs to see someone who knows

more about the specific problem; someone who

knows how it begins, progresses, and specified treat-

ments. This is an excellent example of how a

generalied person may not be equipped enough to

handle something as well as a specialized one can.

Another example of a specialist who is needed

instead of a generalist involves teaching. In grammar

school, children learn all the basic principles of

reading, writing, and arithematic. But as children get

older and progress in school, they gain a better

understanding of the language and mathematical

processes. As the years in school increase, they need

to learn more and more specifics and details about

various subjects. They start out by learning basic

math concepts such as addition, subtraction, division,

and multiplication. A few years later, they are ready

to begin algebraic concepts, geometry, and calculus.

They are also ready to learn more advanced vocabu-

lary, the principles of how all life is composed and

how it functions. One teacher or professor can not

provide as much in depth discussion on all of these

topics as well as one who has learned the specifics

and studied mainly to know everything that is

currently known about one of these subjects. Gener-

alized teachers are required to begin molding students

at a very early age so they can get ready for the future

ahead of them in gaining more facts about the basic

subjects and finding out new facts on the old ones.

These are only two examples of why specialists are

not highly overrated and more generalists are not

necessary to the point of overshadowing them.

Generalists are needed to give the public a broad

understanding of some things. But , specialists are

important to help maintain the status, health, and

safety of our society. Specialists are very necessary.

Reader Commentary for Essay Response – Score 5

This writer presents a well-developed analysis of the

complexities of the issue by discussing the need for

both the generalist and the specialist.

The argument is rooted in two extended ex-

amples, both well chosen. The first (paragraph 2)

begins with a discussion of the necessity for medical

generalists (the general practitioner) as well as

specialists and moves into an example within the

example (breathing problems and the need for an

asthma specialist). This extension from the general to

the specific characterizes the example in the next

paragraph as well. There, the discussion centers on

education from elementary to high school, from basic

arithmetic to calculus.

The smooth development is aided by the use of

appropriate transitions: “but,” “usually,” and “for

instance,” among others. The essay ends by revisiting

the writer’s thesis.

While the writer handles language and syntax

well, several lapses in clarity keep this otherwise well-

argued response out of the 6 category. The problems

vary from the lack of a pronoun referent (“When a

sickness progresses or becomes diagnosed, . . . he may

be referred to a specialist”) to an error in parallel

structure (“how it begins, progresses and specified

treatments”), to loose syntax and imprecise language

(“Generalized teachers are required to begin molding

students at a very early age so they can get ready for

the future ahead of them in gaining more facts about

the basic subjects.”)

Essay Response – Score 4

Specialists are just what their name says: people who

specialize in one part of a very general scheme of

things. A person can’t know everything there is to

know about everything. This is why specialists are

helpful. You can take one general concept and divide

it up three ways and have three fully developed

different concepts instead of one general concept that

no one really knows about. Isn’t it better to really

know something well, than to know everything

half-way.

Take a special ed teacher compared to a general ed

teacher. The general ed teacher knows how to deal

with most students. She knows how to teach a

subject to a student that is on a normal level. But

what would happen to the child in the back of the

room with dyslexia? She would be so lost in that

general ed classroom that she would not only not

learn, but be frustrated and quite possibly, have low

self-esteem and hate school. If there is a special ed

teacher there who specializes in children with

learning disabilities, she can teach the general ed

teacher how to cope with this student as well as

modify the curriculum so that the student can learn

along with the others. The special ed teacher can also

take that child for a few hours each day and work

with her on her reading difficulty one-on-one, which

a general ed teacher never would have time to do.

A general ed teacher can’t know what a special ed

teacher knows and a special ed teacher can’t know

what a general ed teacher knows. But the two of

them working together and specializing in their own

things can really get a lot more accomplished. The

special ed teacher is also trained to work on the

child’s self-esteem, which has a big part in how

successful this child will be. Every child in the

United States of America has the right to an equal

education. How can a child with a learning disability

receive the same equal education as a general ed

student if there was no specialist there to help both

teacher and child?

Another thing to consider is how a committee is

supposed to work together. Each person has a special

task to accomplish and when these people all come

together, with their tasks finished, every aspect of the

community’s work is completely covered. Nothing is

left undone. In this case there are many different

specialists to meet the general goal of the committee.

When you take into account that a specialist

contributes only a small part of the generalist aspect, it

seems ridiculous to say that specialists are overrated.

The generalists looks to the specialists any time they

need help or clarification on their broad aspect.

Specialists and generalists are part of the same system,

so if a specialist is overrated, then so is a generalist.

Reader Commentary for Essay Response – Score 4

This is an adequate analysis of the issue. After a

somewhat confusing attempt to define “specialists” in

the introductory paragraph, the writer presents a

pertinent example (the special education teacher) to

illustrate the importance of specialists. The example

dominates the response and contributes positively to

the overall score of 4.

The second example, how a committee works, is

less persuasive. However, it does seem to help clarify

the writer’s definition of “general” as an umbrella

term meaning the total collection of what specialists

know about a topic.

Although the writer’s views about the relationship

between “generalist” and “specialist” are unusual,

they do become clear in the conclusion of the essay.

Yet, these ideas are not developed in sufficient depth

or with enough logical control to earn a score higher

than 4.

The writing is generally error free. There are few

problems in sentence structure, grammar, and usage,

although the phrasing is at times imprecise and

wordy. Overall, this response displays clearly adequate

control of the elements of written English.

Essay Response – Score 3

To quote the saying, “Jack of all trades, master of none,”

would be my position on the statement. I feel specialists

in all areas of knowledge lead to a higher standard of

living for everyone. Specializing in different areas allows

us to use each others talents to the highest level and

maximize potential. As an example, if a person required

brain surgery, would they rather have a brain surgeon or

a general practitioner doing the work? Clearly a special-

ist would do the better job and give the patient a

chance at a better life.

A university education starts by laying the

groundwork for general knowledge but then narrows

down to a specific field. General knowledge and a

broad prospective are important, but if there was no

focus on specific areas, our overall knowledge as a

population would be seriously lessened.

Another example of specialists not being overated

would be international trade. Not every nation can

provide for themselves. They need to get products

and ideas from other parts of the world because they

are better at providing them. This allows for a

growing economy if two different nations can provide

each other with two different products. If one country

can produce oranges better than another, it should

trade the oranges for the fish that it can not produce.

If generalizing was the normal thing to do and both

countries tried to produce all kinds of products, the

countries would probably survive, but not have the

standard of living they presently have.

Reader Commentary for Essay Response – Score 3

The writer’s position is clear: specialists are important

and necessary. However, the position is not adequately

supported with reasons or logical examples.

Paragraph 1 presents an appropriate example of

the brain surgeon versus the general practitioner.

However, the example of an increasingly narrow

university education in paragraph 2, contains only

two sentences and is seriously undeveloped. It does

little to advance the writer’s position.

Paragraph 3 offers yet another example, the most

developed of all. Unfortunately, this example is not

clearly logical. The writer tries to argue that the “spe-

cialist” country (one that is a better producer of or-

anges) is superior to the “generalist” country (presum-

ably one that produces oranges as well as other prod-

ucts). This generalist country, the writer tells us, would

be inferior to the other. This conclusion does not

emerge logically from the writer’s argument, and it

seems to be at odds with everyday reality.

Although language is used with some imprecision

throughout the essay, the writer’s meaning is not

obscured. The main reasons for the score of 3 are the

lack of sufficient development and inappropriate use

of examples.

Essay Response – Score 2

In the situation of health I feel that specialists are

very important. For example if a person has heart

problems, choose a heart specialist over a genral

medicine Dr. However if a person is having a wide

range of syptoms, perhaps choose a Dr. with a wide

range of experience might be more helpful.

It also depends on the type of problem you are

having. For example I would not suggest taking a

troubled child to a theorpist who specializes in

marriage problems. In some cases have a specialists

helps to insure that you are getting the best possibly

treatment. On the other hand dealing with a person

who has a wide range of experience may be able to

find different ways of dealing with a particular

problem.

Since the quotation did not state exactely what

type of specialist we are dealing with it is also hard to

determine the importance of having a specialist is. For

example the could be health or problems with a car, or

basically anything else. I feel that this information

should not have been left out. I guess the bottom line

is that I feel sometimes a specialist is very important.

Reader Commentary for Essay Response – Score 2

This is a seriously flawed analysis of the issue. The

response argues in favor of specialists, but neither the

reasons nor the examples are persuasive. The example

of not taking “a troubled child to see a theropist who

specializes in marriage problems” is both simplistic

and off the mark since it differentiates between two

specialists, not between a generalist and a specialist.

The sentences are so poorly formed and phrased

that the argument is at times hard to follow. Never-

theless, this is not a 1 essay: the writer presents a

position on the issue, develops that position with

some very weak analysis, and communicates some

ideas clearly.

Essay Response – Score 1

I disagree with the statement about specialists, we

need specialists who take individual areas and

specialize. A generalists can pinpoint a problem. He

or she cannot determine the magnitude of the

problem. A specialist can find the root of the prob-

lem. When he or she has years working in that

specific field. For example, when i got sick i went to a

doctor. He did blood work, x-ray, talk to me, ect. He

prescribed me a medicine. I got worst. So i decided to

go another doctor. Now, i am doing great. A specialist

knows the facts right away. Otherwise, it will take

longer or not at all.

Reader Commentary for Essay Response – Score 1

This response presents a fundamentally deficient

discussion of the issue.

The first sentence states the writer’s position in

support of specialists, but that position is not followed

by a coherent argument. Some of the ideas seem

contradictory (e.g., “generalists can pinpoint a prob-

lem”) and the example is confusing. If the essay

explained that the first (unsuccessful) doctor was a

generalist and the second (successful) doctor was a

specialist, the example would be useful. However, as

written, the example is unclear and even misleading.

The concluding statement only adds to the confusion.

Since most of the sentences are short and choppy,

the ideas they try to communicate are also choppy.

The writer needs to provide transitional phrases and

ideas to bring logical cohesion to this response. Also,

basic errors in usage and grammar are pervasive, but it

is primarily the lack of a coherent argument that

makes this response a 1.

Analyze an Argument Task

The “Analyze an Argument” task assesses your ability

to understand, analyze, and evaluate arguments and

to clearly convey your analysis in writing. The task

consists of a brief passage in which the author makes

a case for some course of action or interpretation of

events by presenting claims backed by reasons and

evidence. Your task is to discuss the logical soundness

of the author’s case by critically examining the line of

reasoning and the use of evidence. This task requires

you to read the argument very carefully. You might

want to read it more than once and possibly make

brief notes about points you want to develop more

fully in your response. In reading the argument, you

should pay special attention to

•what is offered as evidence, support, or proof

•what is explicitly stated, claimed, or concluded

•what is assumed or supposed, perhaps without

justification or proof

•what is not stated, but necessarily follows from

what is stated

In addition, you should consider the structure of the

argument—the way in which these elements are

linked together to form a line of reasoning; that is, you

should recognize the separate, sometimes implicit

steps in the thinking process and consider whether

the movement from each one to the next is logically

sound. In tracing this line, look for transition words

and phrases that suggest that the author is attempting

to make a logical connection (e.g., however, thus,

therefore, evidently, hence, in conclusion).

An important part of performing well on the

Argument task is remembering what you are not

being asked to do. You are not being asked to discuss

whether the statements in the argument are true or

accurate; instead, you are being asked whether

conclusions and inferences are validly drawn from the

statements. You are not being asked to agree or

disagree with the position stated; instead, you are

being asked to comment on the thinking that under-

lies the position stated. You are not being asked to

express your own views on the subject being discussed

(as you were in the Issue task); instead, you are being

asked to evaluate the logical soundness of an argu-

ment of another writer and, in doing so, to demon-

strate the critical thinking, perceptive reading, and

analytical writing skills that university faculty con-

sider important for success in graduate school.

“Analyze an Argument” is primarily a critical

thinking task requiring a written response. Conse-

quently, the analytical skills displayed in your critique

carry great weight in determining your score.

Understanding the Context for Writing: Purpose

and Audience

The purpose of the task is to see how well equipped

you are to insightfully analyze an argument written by

someone else and to effectively communicate your

critique in writing to an academic audience. Your

audience consists of college and university faculty

who are trained as GRE readers to apply the scoring

criteria identified in the scoring guide for the “Ana-

lyze an Argument” task (see page 52).

To get a clearer idea of how GRE readers apply the

Argument scoring criteria to actual essays, you should

review scored sample Argument essay responses and

readers’ commentaries. The sample responses, par-

ticularly at the 5 and 6 score levels, will show you a

variety of successful strategies for organizing and

developing an insightful critique. You will also see

many examples of particularly effective uses of

language. The readers’ commentaries discuss specific

aspects of analytical writing, such as cogency of ideas,

development and support, organization, syntactic

variety, and facility with language. These commentar-

ies will point out aspects that are particularly effec-

tive and insightful as well as any that detract from

the overall effectiveness of the responses.

Preparing for the Argument Task

Because the Argument task is meant to assess analyti-

cal writing and informal reasoning skills that you

have developed throughout your education, it has

been designed so as not to require any specific course

of study or to advantage students with a particular

type of training. Many college textbooks on rhetoric

and composition have sections on informal logic and

critical thinking that might prove helpful, but even

these might be more detailed and technical than the

task requires. You will not be expected to know

methods of analysis or technical terms. For instance,

in one topic an elementary school principal might

conclude that the new playground equipment has

improved student attendance because absentee rates

have declined since it was installed. You will not

need to see that the principal has committed the post

hoc, ergo propter hoc fallacy; you will simply need to

see that there are other possible explanations for the

improved attendance, to offer some common-sense

examples, and perhaps to suggest what would be

necessary to verify the conclusion. For instance,

absentee rates might have decreased because the

climate was mild. This would have to be ruled out in

order for the principal’s conclusion to be valid.

Although you do not need to know special

analytical techniques and terminology, you should be

familiar with the directions for the Argument task in

the Practice Tests and with certain key concepts,

including the following:

• alternative explanation—a possible competing

version of what might have caused the events in

question; an alternative explanation undercuts

or qualifies the original explanation because it

too can account for the observed facts

• analysis—the process of breaking something (e.g.,

an argument) down into its component parts in

order to understand how they work together to

make up the whole; also a presentation, usually in

writing, of the results of this process

• argument—a claim or a set of claims with

reasons and evidence offered as support; a line of

reasoning meant to demonstrate the truth or

falsehood of something

• assumption—a belief, often unstated or

unexamined, that someone must hold in order

to maintain a particular position; something

that is taken for granted but that must be true in

order for the conclusion to be true

• conclusion—the end point reached by a line of

reasoning, valid if the reasoning is sound; the

resulting assertion

• counterexample—an example, real or hypo-

thetical, that refutes or disproves a statement in

the argument

An excellent way to prepare for the “Analyze an

Argument” topic is to practice writing on some of

the published Argument topics. There is no one way

to practice that is best for everyone. Some prefer to

start practicing without adhering to the 30-minute

time limit.

If you follow this approach, take all the time you

need to analyze the argument. No matter which

approach you take, you should

• carefully read the argument—you might want to

read it over more than once

• identify as many of its claims, conclusions, and

underlying assumptions as possible

• think of as many alternative explanations and

counterexamples as you can

• think of what additional evidence might weaken

or lend support to the claims

• ask yourself what changes in the argument

would make the reasoning more sound

Jot down each of these thoughts as a brief note.

When you’ve gone as far as you can with your analy-

sis, look over the notes and put them in a good order

for discussion (perhaps by numbering them). Then

write a critique by fully developing each of your

points in turn. Even if you choose not to write a full

essay response, you should find it very helpful to

practice analyzing a few of the arguments and sketch-

ing out your responses. When you become quicker

and more confident, you should practice writing some

Argument responses within the 30-minute time limit

so that you will have a good sense of how to pace

yourself in the actual test. For example, you will not

want to discuss one point so exhaustively or to

provide so many equivalent examples that you run

out of time to make your other main points.

Next, compare your response(s) to the scoring

guide. Focus on seeing how your paper meets or

misses the performance standards and what you

therefore need to do in order to improve.

How to Interpret Numbers, Percentages, and

Statistics in Argument Topics

Some arguments contain numbers, percentages, or

statistics that are offered as evidence in support of the

argument’s conclusion. For example, an argument

might claim that a certain community event is less

popular this year than it was last year because only

100 people attended this year in comparison with 150

last year, a 33 percent decline in attendance. It is

important to remember that you are not being asked

to do a mathematical task with the numbers, percent-

ages, or statistics. Instead you should evaluate these as

evidence that is intended to support the conclusion.

In the example above, the conclusion is that a

community event has become less popular. You

should ask yourself: does the difference between 100

people and 150 people support that conclusion? Note

that, in this case, there are other possible explana-

tions; for example, the weather might have been

much worse this year, this year’s event might have

been held at an inconvenient time, the cost of the

event might have gone up this year, or there might

have been another popular event this year at the

same time. Each of these could explain the difference

in attendance, and thus would weaken the conclu-

sion that the event was “less popular.” Similarly,

percentages might support or weaken a conclusion

depending on what actual numbers the percentages

represent. Consider the claim that the drama club at

a school deserves more funding because its member-

ship has increased by 100 percent. This 100 percent

increase could be significant if there had been 100

members and now there are 200 members, whereas

the increase would be much less significant if there

had been 5 members and now there are 10. Remem-

ber that any numbers, percentages, or statistics in

Argument topics are used only as evidence in support

of a conclusion, and you should always consider

whether they actually support the conclusion.

The Form of Your Response

You are free to organize and develop your critique in

any way that you think will effectively communicate

your analysis of the argument. Your response may, but

need not, incorporate particular writing strategies

learned in English composition or writing-intensive

college courses. GRE readers will not be looking for a

particular developmental strategy or mode of writing.

In fact, when faculty are trained to be GRE readers,

they review hundreds of Argument responses that,

although highly diverse in content and form, display

similar levels of critical thinking and analytical

writing. Readers will see, for example, some essays at

the 6 score level that begin by briefly summarizing

the argument and then explicitly stating and devel-

oping the main points of the critique. The readers

know that a writer can earn a high score by analyzing

and developing several points in a critique or by

identifying a central flaw in the argument and

developing that critique extensively. You might want

to look at the sample Argument responses, particu-

larly at the 5 and 6 score levels, to see how other

writers have successfully developed and organized

their critiques.

You should make choices about format and

organization that you think support and enhance the

overall effectiveness of your critique. This means

using as many or as few paragraphs as you consider

appropriate for your critique—for example, creating a

new paragraph when your discussion shifts to a new

point of analysis. You might want to organize your

critique around the organization of the argument

itself, discussing the argument line by line. Or you

might want to first point out a central questionable

assumption and then move on to discuss related flaws

in the argument’s line of reasoning. Similarly, you

might want to use examples if they help illustrate

an important point in your critique or move your

discussion forward (remember, however, that in

terms of your ability to perform the Argument task

effectively, it is your critical thinking and analytical

writing, not your ability to come up with examples,

that is being assessed). What matters is not the form

the response takes, but how insightfully you analyze

the argument and how articulately you communicate

your analysis to academic readers within the context

of the task.

Directions*

Discuss how well reasoned you find this argument.

Sample Topic

“Hospital statistics regarding people who go to the

emergency room after roller skating accidents indi-

The directions are presented as they appear on the actual test.

cate the need for more protective equipment. Within

this group of people, 75 percent of those who had

accidents in streets or parking lots were not wearing

any protective clothing (helmets, knee pads, etc.) or

any light-reflecting material (clip-on lights, glow-in-

the-dark wrist pads, etc.). Clearly, these statistics

indicate that by investing in high-quality protective

gear and reflective equipment, roller skaters will

greatly reduce their risk of being severely injured in

an accident.”

Strategies for this Topic

This argument cites a particular hospital statistic to

support the general conclusion that “investing in

high-quality protective gear and reflective equip-

ment” will reduce the risk of being severely injured in

a roller skating accident.

In developing your analysis, you should ask

yourself whether the hospital statistic actually

supports the conclusion. You might want to ask

yourself such questions as:

•What percentage of all roller skaters goes to the

emergency room after roller skating accidents?

•Are the people who go to the emergency room

after roller skating accidents representative of

roller skaters in general?

•Are there people who are injured in roller

skating accidents who do not go to the emer-

gency room?

•Were the roller skaters who went to the emer-

gency room severely injured?

•Were the 25 percent of roller skaters who

were

wearing protective gear injured just as severely

as the 75 percent who were not wearing the

gear?

•Are streets and parking lots inherently more

dangerous for roller skating than other places?

•Would mid-quality gear and equipment be just

as effective as high-quality gear and equipment

in reducing the risk of severe injury while roller

skating?

•Are there factors other than gear and equip-

ment—e.g., weather conditions, visibility, skill

of the skaters—that might be more closely

correlated with the risk of roller skating injuries?

Considering possible answers to questions such as

these will help you identify assumptions, alternative

explanations, and weaknesses that you can develop in

your critique of the argument.

Essay Response* – Score 6

The notion that protective gear reduces the injuries

suffered in accidents seems at first glance to be an

obvious conclusion. After all, it is the intent of these

products to either provent accidents from occuring in

the first place or to reduce the injuries suffered by the

wearer should an accident occur. However, the conclu-

sion that investing in high quality protective gear

greatly reduces the risk of being severely injured in an

accident may mask other (and potentially more signifi-

cant) causes of injuries and may inspire people to over

invest financially and psychologically in protective gear.

First of all, as mentioned in the argument, there

are two distinct kinds of gear—preventative gear

(such as light reflecting material) and protective gear

(such as helmets). Preventative gear is intended to

warn others, presumably for the most part motorists,

of the presence of the roller skater. It works only if

the “other” is a responsible and caring individual who

will afford the skater the necessary space and atten-

tion. Protective gear is intended to reduce the effect

of any accident, whether it is caused by an other, the

skater or some force of nature. Protective gear does

little, if anything, to prevent accidents but is pre-

sumed to reduce the injuries that occur in an acci-

dent. The statistics on injuries suffered by skaters

would be more interesting if the skaters were grouped

into those wearing no gear at all, those wearing

protective gear only, those wearing preventative gear

only and those wearing both. These statistics could

provide skaters with a clearer understanding of which

kinds of gear are more beneficial.

The argument above is weakened by the fact that

it does not take into account the inherent differences

between skaters who wear gear and those who do not.

If is at least likely that those who wear gear may be

generally more responsible and/or safety conscious

individuals. The skaters who wear gear may be less

likely to cause accidents through careless or danger-

ous behavior. It may, in fact, be their natural caution

and repsonsibility that keeps them out of the emer-

gency room rather than the gear itself. Also, the

statistic above is based entirely on those who are

skating in streets and parking lots which are relatively

dangerous places to skate in the first place. People

who are generally more safety conscious (and there-

fore more likely to wear gear) may choose to skate in

All responses in this publication are reproduced exactly as written, including errors, misspellings, etc., if any.

safer areas such as parks or back yards.

The statistic also goes not differentiate between

severity of injuries. The conclusion that safety gear

prevents severe injuries suggests that it is presumed

that people come to the emergency room only with

severe injuries. This is certainly not the case. Also,

given that skating is a recreational activity that may

be primarily engaged in during evenings and week-

ends (when doctors’ offices are closed), skater with

less severe injuries may be especially likely to come to

the emergency room for treatment.

Finally, there is absolutely no evidence provided

that high quality (and presumably more expensive)

gear is any more beneficial than other kinds of gear.

For example, a simple white t-shirt may provide the

same preventative benefit as a higher quality, more

expensive, shirt designed only for skating. Before

skaters are encouraged to invest heavily in gear, a

more complete understanding of the benefit provided

by individual pieces of gear would be helpful.

The argument for safety gear based on emergency

room statistics could provide important information

and potentially saves lives. Before conclusions about

the amount and kinds of investments that should be

made in gear are reached, however, a more complete

understanding of the benefits are needed. After all, a

false confidence in ineffective gear could be just as

dangerous as no gear at all.

Reader Commentary for Essay Response – Score 6

This outstanding response demonstrates the writer’s

insightful analytical skills. The introduction, which

notes that adopting the topic’s fallacious reasoning

could “. . . inspire people to over invest financially

and psychologically in protective gear,” is followed by

a comprehensive examination of each of the

argument’s root flaws. Specifically, the writer exposes

several points that undermine the argument:

• that preventive and protective gear are not the

same

• that skaters who wear gear may be less prone to

accidents because they are, by nature, more

responsible and cautious

• that the statistics do not differentiate by the

severity of the injuries

• that gear may not need to be high-quality to be

beneficial

The discussion is smoothly and logically organized,

and each point is thoroughly and cogently developed.

In addition, the writing is succinct, economical, and

generally error-free. Sentences are varied and com-

plex, and diction is expressive and precise.

In sum, this response exemplifies the very top of

the 6 range described in the scoring guide. If the

writer had been less eloquent or provided fewer

reasons to refute the argument, the paper could still

have received a 6.

Essay Response – Score 5

The argument presented is limited but useful. It

indicates a possible relationship between a high

percentage of accidents and a lack of protective

equipment. The statistics cited compel a further

investigation of the usefulness of protective gear in

preventing or mitigating roller-skating related

injuries. However, the conclusion that protective gear

and reflective equipment would “greatly reduce.risk of

being severely injured” is premature. Data is lacking

with reference to the total population of skaters and

the relative levels of experience, skill and physical

coordination of that population. It is entirely possible

that further research would indicate that most serious

injury is averted by the skater’s ability to react quickly

and skillfully in emergency situations.

Another area of investigation necessary before

conclusions can be reached is identification of the

types of injuries that occur and the various causes of

those injuries. The article fails to identify the most

prevalent types of roller-skating related injuries. It

also fails to correlate the absence of protective gear

and reflective equipment to those injuries. For

example, if the majority of injuries are skin abrasions

and closed-head injuries, then a case can be made for

the usefulness of protective clothing mentioned.

Likewise, if injuries are caused by collision with

vehicles (e.g. bicycles, cars) or pedestrians, then

light-reflective equipment might mitigate the

occurences. However, if the primary types of injuries

are soft-tissue injuries such as torn ligaments and

muscles, back injuries and the like, then a greater

case could be made for training and experience as

preventative measures.

Reader Commentary for Essay Response – Score 5

This strong response gets right to the work of critiqu-

ing the argument, observing that it “indicates a

possible relationship” but that its conclusion “is

premature.” It raises three central questions that, if

answered, might undermine the soundness of the

argument:

•What are the characteristics of the total popula-

tion of skaters?

•What is the usefulness of protective or reflective

gear in preventing or mitigating roller skating-

related injuries?

•What are the types of injuries sustained and

their causes?

The writer develops each of these questions by

considering possible answers that would either

strengthen or weaken the argument. The paper does

not analyze the argument as insightfully or develop

the critique as fully as required for a 6 paper, but the

clear organization, strong control of language, and

substantial degree of development warrant more than

a score of 4.

Essay Response – Score 4

Although the argument stated above discusses the

importance of safety equipment as significant part of

avoiding injury, the statistics quoted are vague and

inconclusive. Simply because 75 percent of the people

involved in roller-skating accidents are not wearing the

stated equipment does not automatically implicate the

lack of equipment as the cause of injury. The term

“accidents” may imply a great variety of injuries. The

types of injuries one could incur by not wearing the

types of equipment stated above are minor head inju-

ries; skin abrasions or possibly bone fracture of a select

few areas such as knees, elbows, hands, etc. (which are

in fact most vulnerable to this sport); and/or injuries

due to practising the sport during low light times of the

day. During any physically demanding activity or sport

people are subjected to a wide variety of injuries which

cannot be avoided with protective clothing or light-

reflective materials. These injuries include inner trauma

(e.g., heart-attack); exhaustion; strained muscles,

ligaments, or tendons; etc. Perhaps the numbers and

percentages of people injured during roller-skating, even

without protective equipment, would decrease greatly if

people participating in the sport had proper training,

good physical health, warm-up properly before begin-

ning (stretching), as well as take other measures to

prevent possible injury, such as common-sense, by

refraining from performing the activity after proper

lighting has ceased and knowing your personal limita-

tions as an individual and athlete. The statistics used in

the above reasoning are lacking in proper direction

considering their assertions and therefore must be

further examined and modified so that proper conclu-

sions can be reached.

Reader Commentary for Essay Response – Score 4

This adequate response targets the argument’s vague

and inconclusive “statistics.” The essay identifies and

critiques the illogical reasoning that results from the

misguided use of the argument’s statistics:

• that non-use of equipment may be “automati-

cally” assumed to be the cause of injury

• that “accidents” may refer to minor injuries

• that injuries may result from other causes —

skating in the dark, failure to train or warm-up

properly, failure to recognize one’s physical

limitations

The writer competently grasps the weaknesses of the

argument. The ideas are clear and connected, but the

response lacks transitional phrases. Development,

too, is only adequate.

Control of language is better than adequate. The

writer achieves both control and clarity and ably

conforms to the conventions of written English.

Overall, though, this 4 response lacks the more

thorough development that would warrant a score of 5.

Essay Response – Score 3

The arguement is well presented and supported, but

not completely well reasoned. It is clear and concisely

written. The content is logically and smoothly

presented. Statistics cited are used to develop support

for the recommendation, that roller skaters who

invest in protective gear and reflective equipment

can reduce their risk of severe, accidental injuries.

Examples of the types of protective equipment are

described for the reader. Unfortunately, the author of

the argement fails to note that merely by purchasing

gear and reflective equipment that the skater will be

protected. This is, of course, falacious if the skater

fails to use the equipment, or uses it incorrectly or

inappropriately. It is also an unnecessary assumption

that a skater need purchase high-quality gear for the

same degree of effectiveness to be achieved. The

argument could be improved by taking these issues

into consideration, and making recommendations for

education and safety awareness to skaters.

Reader Commentary for Essay Response – Score 3

The first half of this generally well-written but

limited response merely describes the argument. The

second half of the paper identifies two assumptions of

the argument:

• that people who purchase protective gear will

use the gear

• that high-quality gear is more effective than

other gear

These points are sufficient to constitute some analysis

and thus warrant a score of 3. However, neither of

these analytic points is developed sufficiently to merit

a score of 4.

Essay Response – Score 2

To reduce the accidents from roller skating we should

consider about it causes and effects concurrently to

find the best solution. Basically the roller-skating

players are children, they had less experiences to

protect themselves from any kind of dangerous.

Therefore, it should be a responsible of adult to take

care them. Adult should recommend their child to

wear any protective clothing, set the rules and look

after them while they are playing.

In the past roller-skating is limited in the skate

yard but when it became popular people normally

play it on the street way) Therefore the number of

accidents from roller-skating is increased. The skate

manufacturer should have a responsibility in produc-

ing a protective clothing. They should promote and

sell them together with skates. The government or

state should set the regulation of playing skate on the

street way like they did with the bicycle.

To prevent this kind of accident is the best

solution but it needs a coorperation among us to have

a concious mind to beware and realize its dangerous.

Reader Commentary for Essay Response – Score 2

This seriously flawed response, rather than critiquing

the argument, suggests ways for adults and skate

manufacturers to ensure that children wear protective

clothing. In essence, the writer is uncritically accept-

ing the argument.

The response exhibits serious and frequent

problems in sentence structure and language use.

Errors—word choice, verb tenses, subject-verb

agreement, punctuation—are numerous and some-

times interfere with meaning, e.g., “. . . it needs a

cooperation among us to have a concious mind to

beware and realize its dangerous.”

This essay earns a 2 because it demonstrates both

serious linguistic weaknesses and failure to construct

a critique based on logical analysis.

Essay Response – Score 1

the protective equipment do help to reduce the risk

of being severyly injuryed in an accident since there

are 75% Of those who had accidents in streets or

parking lots were not wearing any protectivel cloth-

ing. such as hemlets, kenn pads, etc. or any light-

reflecting materials such as clip-on lights, glow-in-

the-dark wrist pads ets. if they do have protective

eqipment that only a quarter accident may happen,

also that can greatly reduce their risk ofbeing severyly

injuryed in an accident, that can save some lives and

a lot of energy and money for the treatment. the

protective equipment do help to reduce the risk of

being severyly injuryed in an accident since there are

75% Of those who had accidents in streets or parking

lots were not wearing any protectivel clothing. such

as hemlets, kenn pads, etc. or any light-reflecting

materials such as clip-on lights, glow-in-the-dark

wrist pads ets. if they do have protective eqipment

that only a quarter accident may happen, also that

can greatly reduce their risk ofbeing severyly injuryed

in an accident, that can save some lives and a lot of

energy and money for the treatment. the protective

equipment do help to reduce the risk of being

severyly injuryed in an accident since there are 75%

Of those who had accidents in streets or parking lots

were not wearing any protectivel clothing. such as

hemlets, kenn pads, etc. or any light-reflecting

materials such as clip-on lights, glow-in-the-dark

wrist pads ets. if they do have protective eqipment

that only a quarter accident may happen, also that

can greatly reduce their risk ofbeing severyly injuryed

in an accident, that can save some lives and a lot of

energy and money for the treatment.

Reader Commentary for Essay Response – Score 1

This fundamentally deficient response uncritically

accepts the reasoning of the topic: “the protective

equipment do help to reduce the risk of being

severyly injuryed in an accident.” There is no evi-

dence, though, that the writer is able to understand

or analyze the argument; what follows, except for a

few additional words, merely copies the topic. This

two-sentence response is repeated—verbatim—two

more times.

Language and usage are equally problematic. The

few words that have been added, in combination with

the words of the topic, result in incoherence. In sum,

this essay fits all of the scoring guide descriptors for a 1.

Taking the Practice GRE

General Test

After you have become familiar with the three

sections of the General Test, it is time to take the

practice test in this book to see how well you do. Not

only will this help you become familiar with the

directions and types of questions, it will help you

determine how to pace yourself during an actual test.

The practice General Test begins on page 29. The

total time that should be allotted for this practice test

is 3

hours. The time that should be allotted for each

section appears at the beginning of the section. The

answer sheets are provided on pages 63–72.

Evaluating Your

Performance

After you have taken the practice General Test in

this book, it is time to evaluate your performance.

Verbal and Quantitative Sections

Appendix B on pages 54-55 contains information to

help you evaluate your performance on the verbal

and quantitative sections. A table of the correct

answers to the questions in the verbal and quantita-

tive sections is provided on page 54. Compare your

answer to each question to the correct answer given

in the list, crossing out questions you answered

incorrectly or omitted. You can also evaluate your

performance by looking at how you performed on

each test question compared to others who answered

the questions at an actual administration. In the table

on page 54, there is a number to the right of each

correct answer, PⳭ. The PⳭ is the percent of

examinees who answered the question correctly and

is based on the examinees who took that edition of

the test. This information enables you to see how

other examinees performed on each question. It can

also help identify content areas in which you need

more practice and review.

Next, add the number of correct answers in

Sections II and IV to obtain your raw verbal score.

Add the number of correct answers in Sections III

and V to obtain your raw quantitative score. Once

you have obtained your raw scores, you can look up

your scaled scores on both sections. The score

conversion table on page 55 provides the scaled

scores that correspond to the raw scores on each

section.

The score conversion table also allows you to

compare your scaled scores with those of others who

have taken the General Test. The table provides for

each scaled score, the percent of examinees who

earned lower scores, and is based on those examinees

who took the verbal and quantitative sections on

the General Test between October 1, 1998 and

September 30, 2001. For example, the column next

to the verbal scaled score 460 indicates 48 percent.

This means that 48 percent of the examinees tested

between October 1998 and September 2001 earned

verbal scores below 460. For each score you earned

on this practice test, note the percent of GRE exam-

inees who earned lower scores. This is a reasonable

indication of your rank among GRE General Test

examinees if you have taken the practice test under

standard timing conditions.

It may be helpful to compare your score to scores

of examinees whose intended graduate school major

field is similar to your own. The mean scores table on

page 55 shows you the average scores of people in

various categories of intended graduate major fields

who took the General Test between October 1998

and September 2001. You can evaluate your scores by

finding the major field category most closely related

to your career goals and see how your performance

compares with others who are striving for similar

goals.

Analytical Writing Section

One way to evaluate your performance on the Issue

and Argument topics you answered on the practice

test is to compare your essay responses to the scored

sample essay responses for these topics and review the

reader commentary for these sample essay responses.

Scored sample essay responses at selected score levels

and reader commentary are presented in Appendix C

on pages 56-62 for the two Issue topics and one

Argument topic presented in the analytical writing

section of the test.

The final scores on each of the two essays (Issue

and Argument) are averaged and rounded up to the

nearest half-point interval. A single score is reported

for the analytical writing section. You should review

the score level descriptions on page 53 to better

understand the analytical writing abilities character-

istic of particular score levels.

Additional Preparation

Once you have evaluated your performance on the

practice General Test in this book, you can determine

what type of additional preparation you might want

to do for the test.

Services and products available from Educational

Testing Service and the Graduate Records Examina-

tions Board include:

Enhanced Diagnostic Service

If you are preparing to take the General Test and you

want feedback on your verbal and quantitative skills,

you can answer a series of questions and receive

immediate feedback on your performance on each

question, an assessment of your strengths and weak-

nesses in the verbal and quantitative skill areas, and

much more. This service is available for $15 and is

payable by credit card. There are no refunds for this

service. To learn more about the GRE Diagnostic

Service, visit http://grediagnostic.ets.org.

GRE: Practicing to Take General

Test—10

Edition

This test preparation book contains verbal and quan-

titative sections from seven actual GRE General

Tests (different from those in POWERPREP), includ-

ing one test complete with explanations, test-taking

strategies, and score conversion tables. It also

includes a math review for the quantitative section.

The analytical writing section contains two tests, two

sample questions, test-taking strategies, scoring criteria,

sample essay responses, and reader commentary.

The price is $21 plus shipping. Order online at

http://www.ets.org/store/html or call 1-800-537-

3160 or 1-609-771-7243. The book is also available

in many bookstores.

GRE ScoreItNow!™

www.scoreitnow.org

This online service lets you test your analytical

writing skills using authentic GRE analytical writing

topics. It provides you with immediate scores on your

essay responses, general suggestions for improving

your writing skills, and sample essay responses on the

topics you select. Two options are available:

• Practice Option. Purchase two topics and

specify which type you want, “Present Your

Perspective on an Issue” or “Analyze an Argu-

ment.” Write your responses online or offline

and submit for scoring. You will receive a score

and feedback for each response submitted.

• Test Experience Option. Purchase one GRE

General Test analytical writing section. You will

receive one “Argument” task and can select one

of two “Issue” tasks presented. Write your

responses online using the same word processing

features as the GRE General Test and within

the same time allowed (75 minutes). You will

receive a score and feedback for each response

as well as a total score.

The cost for this service is $10 payable by credit card.

There are no refunds.

GRE Web Site

www.gre.org

Visit the GRE Web site regularly for the most up-to-

date information about GRE tests, products, and

services. The site contains information about registra-

tion, test centers, test preparation, and score reports.

You can also find a complete listing of test prepara-

tion materials that can be downloaded for free.

The following instructions appear on the back cover of the test book.

SECTION 1

THE GRADUATE RECORD

EXAMINATIONS

Analytical Writing 1

PRESENT YOUR PERSPECTIVE ON AN ISSUE

45 minutes

You will have a choice between two Issue topics. Each topic will appear as a brief quotation that

states or implies an issue of general interest. Read each topic carefully; then decide on which

topic you could write a more effective and well-reasoned response.

You will have 45 minutes to plan and compose a response that presents your perspective

on the topic you select. A response on any other topic will receive a zero. You are free to

accept, reject, or qualify the claim made in the topic you selected, as long as the ideas you

present are clearly relevant to the topic. Support your views with reasons and examples

drawn from such areas as your reading, experience, observations, or academic studies.

GRE readers, who are college and university faculty, will read your response and evaluate

its overall quality, based on how well you do the following:

• consider the complexities and implications of the issue

• organize, develop, and express your ideas on the issue

• support your ideas with relevant reasons and examples

• control the elements of standard written English

You may want to take a few minutes to think about the issue and to plan a response before

you begin writing. Because the space for writing your response is limited, use the next

page to plan your response. Be sure to develop your ideas fully and organize them coher-

ently, but leave time to reread what you have written and make any revisions that you think

are necessary.

Present your perspective on one of the issues below, using relevant reasons and/or examples to support your views.

Topic

No:

C100. “Both the development of technological tools and the uses to which humanity has put them have

created modern civilizations in which loneliness is ever increasing.”

C101. “Our declining environment may bring the people of the world together as no politician, philosopher,

or war ever could. Environmental problems are global in scope and respect no nation’s boundaries.

Therefore, people are faced with the choice of unity and cooperation on the one hand or disunity and

a common tragedy on the other.”

Write the topic number of the issue you choose on the line at the top right corner of the answer booklet

labeled “Analytical Writing 1: Issue.”

Plan your response on this page. This page will not be scored. WRITE YOUR RESPONSE IN THE

ANSWER BOOKLET LABELED “Analytical Writing 1: Issue.”

S T O P

IF YOU FINISH BEFORE TIME IS CALLED, YOU MAY CHECK YOUR WORK ON THIS SECTION ONLY.

DO NOT TURN TO ANY OTHER SECTION IN THE TEST.

Unauthorized copying or reuse of

any part of this page is illegal.

THE GRADUATE RECORD

EXAMINATIONS

Analytical Writing 2

ANALYZE AN ARGUMENT

30 minutes

You will have 30 minutes to plan and write a critique of an argument presented in the form of

a short passage. A critique of any other argument will receive a score of zero.

Analyze the line of reasoning in the argument. Be sure to consider what, if any, questionable

assumptions underlie the thinking and, if evidence is cited, how well it supports the conclusion.

You can also discuss what sort of evidence would strengthen or refute the argument, what

changes in the argument would make it more logically sound, and what additional information

might help you better evaluate its conclusion. Note that you are NOT being asked to present

your views on the subject.

GRE readers, who are college and university faculty, will read your critique and evaluate its

overall quality, based on how well you

• identify and analyze important features of the argument

• organize, develop, and express your critique of the argument

• support your critique with relevant reasons and examples

• control the elements of standard written English

Before you begin writing, you may want to take a few minutes to evaluate the argument

and plan a response. Because the space for writing your response is limited, use the next

page to plan your response. Be sure to develop your ideas fully and organize them

coherently, but leave time to reread what you have written and make any revisions that you

think are necessary.

Discuss how well reasoned you find this argument.

Topic

No:

C103. Six months ago the region of Forestville increased the speed limit for vehicles traveling on the

region’s highways by ten miles per hour. Since that change took effect, the number of automobile

accidents in that region has increased by 15 percent. But the speed limit in Elmsford, a region

neighboring Forestville, remained unchanged, and automobile accidents declined slightly during

the same six-month period. Therefore, if the citizens of Forestville want to reduce the number of

automobile accidents on the region’s highways, they should campaign to reduce Forestville’s speed

limit to what it was before the increase.

Write the topic number of the argument on the line at the top right corner of the answer booklet labeled

“Analytical Writing 2: Argument.”

Plan your response on this page. This page will not be scored. WRITE YOUR RESPONSE ON THE

ANSWER BOOKLET LABELED “Analytical Writing 2: Argument.”

S T O P

IF YOU FINISH BEFORE TIME IS CALLED, YOU MAY CHECK YOUR WORK ON THIS SECTION ONLY.

DO NOT TURN TO ANY OTHER SECTION IN THE TEST.

Unauthorized copying or reuse of

any part of this page is illegal.

Appendix A

GRE Scoring Guide: Present Your

Perspective on an Issue

Score 6

A 6 paper presents a cogent, well-articulated analysis

of the complexities of the issue and conveys meaning

skillfully.

A typical paper in this category

• presents an insightful position on the issue

• develops the position with compelling reasons

and/or persuasive examples

• sustains a well-focused, well-organized analysis,

connecting ideas logically

• expresses ideas fluently and precisely, using

effective vocabulary and sentence variety

• demonstrates facility with the conventions (i.e.,

grammar, usage, and mechanics) of standard

written English but may have minor errors

Score 5

A 5 paper presents a generally thoughtful, well-

developed analysis of the complexities of the issue

and conveys meaning clearly.

A typical paper in this category

• presents a well-considered position on the issue

• develops the position with logically sound reasons

and/or well-chosen examples

• is focused and generally well organized, connect-

ing ideas appropriately

• expresses ideas clearly and well, using appropriate

vocabulary and sentence variety

• demonstrates facility with the conventions of

standard written English but may have minor

errors

Score 4

A 4 paper presents a competent analysis of the issue

and conveys meaning adequately.

A typical paper in this category

• presents a clear position on the issue

• develops the position on the issue with relevant

reasons and/or examples

• is adequately focused and organized

• expresses ideas with reasonable clarity

• generally demonstrates control of the conventions

of standard written English but may have some

errors

Score 3

A 3 paper demonstrates some competence in its

analysis of the issue and in conveying meaning but is

obviously flawed.

A typical paper in this category exhibits ONE OR

MORE of the following characteristics:

• is vague or limited in presenting or developing a

position on the issue

• is weak in the use of relevant reasons or examples

• is poorly focused and/or poorly organized

• has problems in language and sentence structure

that result in a lack of clarity

• contains occasional major errors or frequent minor

errors in grammar, usage, or mechanics that can

interfere with meaning

Score 2

A 2 paper demonstrates serious weaknesses in analyti-

cal writing.

A typical paper in this category exhibits ONE OR

MORE of the following characteristics:

• is unclear or seriously limited in presenting or

developing a position on the issue

• provides few, if any, relevant reasons or examples

• is unfocused and/or disorganized

• has serious problems in the use of language and

sentence structure that frequently interfere with

meaning

• contains serious errors in grammar, usage, or

mechanics that frequently obscure meaning

Score 1

A 1 paper demonstrates fundamental deficiencies in

analytical writing.

A typical paper in this category exhibits ONE OR

MORE of the following characteristics:

• provides little or no evidence of the ability to

understand and analyze the issue

• provides little or no evidence of the ability to

develop an organized response

• has severe problems in language and sentence

structure that persistently interfere with meaning

• contains pervasive errors in grammar, usage, or

mechanics that result in incoherence

Score 0

Off topic (i.e. provides no evidence of an attempt to

respond to the assigned topic), in a foreign language,

merely copies the topic, consists of only keystroke

characters, or is illegible, or nonverbal.

Blank

GRE Scoring Guide: Analyze

an Argument

Score 6

A 6 paper presents a cogent, well-articulated critique

of the argument and conveys meaning skillfully.

A typical paper in this category

• clearly identifies important features of the argu-

ment and analyzes them insightfully

• develops ideas cogently, organizes them logically,

and connects them with clear transitions

• effectively supports the main points of the critique

• demonstrates control of language, including

appropriate word choice and sentence variety

• demonstrates facility with the conventions (i.e.,

grammar, usage, and mechanics) of standard

written English but may have minor errors

Score 5

A 5 paper presents a generally thoughtful, well-

developed critique of the argument and conveys

meaning clearly.

A typical paper in this category

• clearly identifies important features of the argu-

ment and analyzes them in a generally perceptive

way

• develops ideas clearly, organizes them logically,

and connects them with appropriate transitions

• sensibly supports the main points of the critique

• demonstrates control of language, including

appropriate word choice and sentence variety

• demonstrates facility with the conventions

of standard written English but may have minor

errors

Score 4

A 4 paper presents a competent critique of the

argument and conveys meaning adequately.

A typical paper in this category

• identifies and analyzes important features of the

argument

• develops and organizes ideas satisfactorily but may

not connect them with transitions

• supports the main points of the critique

• demonstrates sufficient control of language to

express ideas with reasonable clarity

• generally demonstrates control of the conventions

of standard written English but may have some

errors

Score 3

A 3 paper demonstrates some competence in its

critique of the argument and in conveying meaning

but is obviously flawed.

A typical paper in this category exhibits ONE OR

MORE of the following characteristics:

• does not identify or analyze most of the important

features of the argument, although some analysis

of the argument is present

•mainly analyzes tangential or irrelevant matters, or

reasons poorly

• is limited in the logical development and organiza-

tion of ideas

• offers support of little relevance and value for

points of the critique

• lacks clarity in expressing ideas

• contains occasional major errors or frequent minor

errors in grammar, usage, or mechanics that can

interfere with meaning

Score 2

A 2 paper demonstrates serious weaknesses in analyti-

cal writing.

A typical paper in this category exhibits ONE OR

MORE of the following characteristics:

• does not present a critique based on logical

analysis, but may instead present the writer’s own

views on the subject

• does not develop ideas, or is disorganized and

illogical

• provides little, if any, relevant or reasonable

support

• has serious problems in the use of language and in

sentence structure that frequently interfere with

meaning

• contains serious errors in grammar, usage, or

mechanics that frequently obscure meaning

Score 1

A 1 paper demonstrates fundamental deficiencies in

analytical writing.

A typical paper in this category exhibits MORE

THAN ONE of the following characteristics:

• provides little or no evidence of the ability to

understand and analyze the argument

• provides little or no evidence of the ability to

develop an organized response

• has severe problems in language and sentence

structure that persistently interfere with meaning

• contains pervasive errors in grammar, usage, or

mechanics that result in incoherence

Score 0

Off topic (i.e. provides no evidence of an attempt to

respond to the assigned topic), in a foreign language,

merely copies the topic, consists of only keystroke

characters, or is illegible, or nonverbal.

Blank

Analytical Writing Section Score

Level Descriptions

Although the GRE Analytical Writing measure

contains two discrete analytical writing tasks, a single

combined score is reported because it is more reliable

than is a score for either task alone. The reported

score, the average of the scores for the two tasks,

ranges from 0 to 6, in half-point increments.

The statements below describe, for each score

level, the overall quality of analytical writing demon-

strated across both the Issue and Argument tasks.

Because the test assesses “analytical writing,” critical

thinking skills (the ability to reason, assemble

evidence to develop a position, and communicate

complex ideas) weigh more heavily than the writer’s

control of fine points of grammar or the mechanics of

writing (e.g., spelling).

SCORES 6 and 5.5 – Sustains insightful, in-depth

analysis of complex ideas; develops and supports main

points with logically compelling reasons and/or

highly persuasive examples; is well focused and well

organized; skillfully uses sentence variety and precise

vocabulary to convey meaning effectively; demon-

strates superior facility with sentence structure and

language usage but may have minor errors that do not

interfere with meaning.

SCORES 5 and 4.5 – Provides generally thoughtful

analysis of complex ideas; develops and supports main

points with logically sound reasons and/or well-

chosen examples; is generally focused and well

organized; uses sentence variety and vocabulary to

convey meaning clearly; demonstrates good control

of sentence structure and language usage but may

have minor errors that do not interfere with meaning.

SCORES 4 and 3.5 – Provides competent analysis of

complex ideas; develops and supports main points

with relevant reasons and/or examples; is adequately

organized; conveys meaning with reasonable clarity;

demonstrates satisfactory control of sentence struc-

ture and language usage but may have some errors

that affect clarity.

SCORES 3 and 2.5 – Displays some competence in

analytical writing, although the writing is flawed in at

least one of the following ways: limited analysis or

development; weak organization; weak control of

sentence structure or language usage, with errors that

often result in vagueness or lack of clarity.

SCORES 2 and 1.5 – Displays serious weaknesses in

analytical writing. The writing is seriously flawed in

at least one of the following ways: serious lack of

analysis or development; lack of organization; serious

and frequent problems in sentence structure or

language usage, with errors that obscure meaning.

SCORES 1 and .5 – Displays fundamental deficien-

cies in analytical writing. The writing is fundamen-

tally flawed in at least one of the following ways:

content that is extremely confusing or mostly irrel-

evant to the assigned tasks; little or no development;

severe and pervasive errors that result in incoherence.

SCORE 0 – The examinee’s analytical writing skills

cannot be evaluated because the responses do not

address any part of the assigned tasks, are merely

attempts to copy the assignments, are in a foreign

language, or display only indecipherable text.

SCORE NS – The examinee produced no text

whatsoever.

Appendix B

Interpretive Data for the Verbal and Quantitative Sections

VERBAL ABILITY

Section II Section IV

Number Answer PⳭ Number Answer PⳭ

1A901A84

2B822E86

3B813B87

4E774C80

5D705A74

6C626B71

7C287C68

8D968C98

9C859D76

10 C 46 10 C 70

11 A 46 11 B 63

12 D 46 12 A 60

13 A 39 13 B 48

14 E 36 14 B 48

15 E 35 15 D 26

16 A 26 16 D 35

17 C 63 17 A 58

18 B 63 18 D 97

19 A 64 19 B 89

20 C 75 20 D 51

21 E 64 21 B 66

22 D 46 22 A 33

23 D 51 23 B 48

24 B 62 24 C 74

25 A 59 25 D 70

26 E 52 26 A 51

27 B 66 27 C 48

28 E 89 28 E 89

29 A 86 29 B 87

30 E 76 30 E 69

31 B 78 31 E 58

32 C 41 32 E 30

33 E 37 33 C 44

34 D 36 34 A 25

35 C 35 35 E 31

36 A 29 36 D 36

37 A 18 37 D 25

38 D 21 38 E 19

QUANTITATIVE ABILITY

Section III Section V

Number Answer PⳭ Number Answer PⳭ

1A851C94

2C842A80

3B793C85

4D764B76

5C575A64

6D706B67

7B697B72

8D528D69

9B529A34

10 A 50 10 C 38

11 A 42 11 D 19

12 D 26 12 D 59

13 C 57 13 C 42

14 B 52 14 D 28

15 A 35 15 B 40

16 E 75 16 B 88

17 E 86 17 E 80

18 D 81 18 B 77

19 A 83 19 A 74

20 B 63 20 C 71

21 B 92 21 B 84

22 C 90 22 D 58

23 B 71 23 D 54

24 E 58 24 E 63

25 D 71 25 A 34

26 C 47 26 D 51

27 D 32 27 C 52

28 E 44 28 B 32

29 A 19 29 E 49

30 E 47 30 D 57

* Estimated PⳭ is based on those examinees who took the General Test between October 1, 1989 and

September 30, 1992.

Answer Key and Percentages* of Examinees Answering Each Question Correctly

Score Conversions and Percents Below* for the Verbal and Quantitative Sections

*Percent scoring below the scaled score is based on the performance of all examinees who took the

General Test between October 1, 1998, and September 30, 2001.

Verbal and Quantitative Mean Scores Classified by Broad Intended Graduate Major Field

(Based on the performance of seniors and nonenrolled college graduates**

who tested between October 1, 1998, and September 30, 2001)

Approximate

Broad Intended Graduate Number of Verbal Quantitative

Major Field Examinees Ability Ability

Life Sciences 107,600 464 568

Physical Sciences 45,700 491 694

Engineering 46,600 474 721

Social Sciences 79,500 484 548

Humanities and Arts 39,300 541 549

Education 36,200 450 521

Business 6,500 444 570

** Limited to those who earned their college degrees up to two years prior to the test date.

Note that this table does not include summary information on the approximately 45,388

examinees whose response was invalid (misgrids, blanks, etc.) or the approximately

17,474 examinees whose response was “undecided.” Most of the standard deviations of

the score distribution represented by the means in this table are between 90 and 125.

39 430 39 610 53

38 420 36 600 50

37 410 33 580 46

36 400 30 570 44

35 390 27 560 42

34 380 25 550 40

33 380 25 540 37

32 370 22 530 36

31 360 19 520 34

30 350 17 500 29

29 340 14 490 27

28 340 14 480 25

27 330 12 470 23

26 320 9 450 20

25 310 7 440 18

24 310 7 420 15

23 300 5 410 14

22 290 4 390 11

21 280 3 380 10

20 280 3 370 9

19 270 2 350 6

18 260 1 340 6

17 260 1 320 4

16 250 1 300 3

15 240 1 290 2

14 230 1 270 1

13 220 1 260 1

12 210 1 240 1

11 210 1 220 1

10 200 1 200 1

9 200 1 200 1

8 200 1 200 1

7 200 1 200 1

6 200 1 200 1

5 200 1 200 1

0-4 200 1 200 1

VERBAL QUANTITATIVE

Raw Scaled % Scaled %

Score Score Below Score Below

74-76 800 99

73 790 99

72 780 99

71 760 99

70 750 99

69 740 99

68 730 99

67 720 98

66 710 97

65 700 97

64 680 95

63 670 94

62 660 93

61 650 92

60 640 91 800 94

59 630 89 800 94

58 620 88 800 94

57 600 85 800 94

56 590 82 790 91

55 580 80 780 89

54 570 78 770 86

53 560 76 760 84

52 550 73 740 80

51 540 70 730 78

50 540 70 720 75

49 530 67 710 73

48 520 65 700 71

47 510 62 690 69

46 490 57 680 68

45 480 54 670 66

44 470 51 660 64

43 460 48 650 61

42 460 48 640 59

41 450 45 630 57

40 440 42 620 55

VERBAL QUANTITATIVE

Raw Scaled % Scaled %

Score Score Below Score Below

Appendix C

Analytical Writing Topics,

Sample Scored Essay Responses*

at Selected Score Points, and Reader

Commentary

Issue Topic 1

“Our declining environment may bring the people of

the world together as no politician, philosopher, or

war ever could. Environmental problems are global in

scope and respect no nation’s boundaries. Therefore,

people are faced with the choice of unity and coop-

eration on the one hand or disunity and a common

tragedy on the other.”

Essay Response – Score 6

Cooperation—or Tragedy?

The solution to the world’s growing environmental

problems may have to wait awhile. It has been said

that “environmental problems are global and respect

no nation’s boundaries.” Unfortunately, pollution and

its consequences still fall to large measure on those

least likely to do anything about it: poor countries

willing to sacrifice anything in order to sit at the

table with the world’s wealthy.

As far as the industrialized nations of the world

are concerned, the world is a big place. Environmen-

tal destruction taking place outside their borders may

sometimes be fodder for government pronouncements

of concern, but few concrete actions. Deforestation of

the Amazon, for instance, is of vital concern to all

those who wish to continue breathing. But the only

effective deterrent to this activity, the restriction of

international aid money to those countries showing

net deforestation, has been stalled in the United

Nations by those unwilling to “interfere” in the

internal politics of other nations.

Because of the differential impact of polluting

activities around the world, and even in different

regions of a single country, many governments will

undoubtedly continue to promulgate only modest

environmental regulations. Costs to polluting compa-

nies will continue to carry as much weight as the

benefit of a pollution-free environment. Particularly

in the current political climate of the United States,

the well-documented expense of today’s pollution-

control measures will be stacked against the unknown

long-term effects of polluting actitivities. “Why

should I spend millions of dollars a year, which causes

me to have to raise the cost of my goods or eliminate

jobs, if no one really knows if air pollution is all that

harmful? Show me the proof,” an air polluting

company may demand.

Realistically, it won’t be until critical mass is

achieved that the hoped for “choice of unity and

cooperation” will be a viable one. Only when the

earth as a whole is so polluted that life itself becomes

increasingly difficult for a majority of the world’s

people will there likely be the political will to force

global environmental laws on governments world-

wide. But the optimists (read: environmental activ-

ists) among us continue to believe that the world can

be shown the error of its ways. They continue to

point out that the sky is probably falling—or at least

developing a big hole. The world, as a whole, ignores

them.

One would hope, however, that governments,

perhaps through a strengthened U.N., could some-

how be forced to realize that when the Earth reaches

the critical mass of pollution, it may be too late to do

anything about it. That would be a “common trag-

edy” indeed.

Reader Commentary for Essay Response – Score 6

This excellent response displays an in-depth analysis

of the issue, conveyed through the skillful use of

language.

While acknowledging that environmental prob-

lems are serious and of global dimensions, the discus-

sion explores the complexity of international coop-

eration. Such cooperation, the paper argues, runs into

a variety of problems, and the writer offers persuasive

examples to support that point:

• the unwillingness of nations to “interfere” with

other nations through political measures such as

restriction of foreign aid

• inadequate environmental regulations, which

are caused both by “the differential impact of

polluting activities” between countries and

regions and by the difficulty of comparing the

“long-term effects of polluting actitivities” with

the more easily documented, short-term costs of

reducing pollution.

Responses are reproduced exactly as written, including errors, misspellings, etc., if any.

The paper distinguishes itself in part by its excellent

organization. The first paragraph analyzes the claim

and announces the writer’s position; the second and

third paragraphs provide clear examples supporting

that position. The skillful use of a quotation from a

business person vividly illustrates the economic impact

of pollution controls. The last two paragraphs bring a

sense of closure to the essay by continuing the theme

announced in the first paragraph—that cooperation

must wait until more dire circumstances produce the

political will necessary to reduce pollution.

Transitional phrases—“because,” “however,” “for

instance”—help guide the reader through the argu-

ment. Also, effective sentence variety and the use of

precise vocabulary help clarify meaning and confirm

the score of 6.

Essay Response – Score 4

Our declining environment may bring the people of

the world together as no politician, philosopher, or

war ever could. Environmental issues are a growing

concern in our country today. It is an issue that

concerns every person, no one is excluded.

Facing and solving environmental issues calls for

unity and cooperation. Prejudices should be put aside

in this time of need. Without unity our world as we

know it will not exist in twenty-five years. People as a

whole need to take action. Without unity and

cooperation little will be accomplished.

There are many environmental issues we are

facing today. For example, recycling is a simple and

effective way to help the environment. If everyone

did a small part the results would be enormous.

Recycling is a good example because it is something

every single person is capable of doing.

There are many ways people of any age, race, or

sex can contribute to help the environment. Emis-

sions testing for exhausts on automobiles is one way

to help keep unnecessary pollutants from contami-

nating the air. Very few cities require emissions

testing for automobiles. Columbus, for example, does

not require emissions testing. My small hometown of

Amherst, Ohio does require this test.

I believe the government needs to implement

stricter regulations regarding environmental issues

and also increase the funding that is allotted for it.

Mandatory recycling laws with a stiff penalty for

breaking the law is one solution. Funding for groups

to do research is imperative. Without research there

is very little we would know about anything includ-

ing diseases and microorganisms.

People of the world need to understand the

situation our generation and generations to come are

faced with. This understanding needs to come from

education. The United States has always been a

forerunner in wars, peace talks, etc. It is now time for

the United States to be the leader in solutions to

environmental concerns. The greatest barrier in any

situation is communication. If we communicate with

each other and work together instead of apart results

would be seen. Education is another great concern,

especially in underdeveloped countries and third

world nations. There is a lack of education in many

of these countries. Education is the key to success.

In summary I would like to emphasize the impor-

tance in unity and cooperation on global concerns

such as the environment. Also education is very

important in making headway. I also believe the

government should get more involved in these issues.

Reader Commentary for Essay Response – Score 4

This paper presents and supports an adequate analysis

of the issue. After stating the need for cooperation on

the environment, the writer proposes several very

specific remedies for environmental problems:

recycling, emissions testing, research, education, and

communication. The detailed description of emis-

sions testing is useful; however, the other remedies

(recycling, research, etc.) are not developed fully or

persuasively.

In some areas the response suffers from needless

repetition. Paragraph six, for example, moves from

education to communication and back to education.

The conclusion, moreover, adds little, merely repeat-

ing earlier statements.

The control of grammar and usage is generally

competent, but the sentences tend to be choppy.

Although most of the ideas are stated clearly, the

relationship between the ideas is not always made

clear: “Also education is very important in making

headway. I also believe the government should get

more involved in these issues.”

Essay Response – Score 2

Environmental problems will require a joint efferct

amoung people to solve, however, environmental

problems may not cause people to come together.

Should the problems continue for an extended period

of time before any effert is made to solve them, they

will reach a point of no return no matter how people

come together to work on it. When this happens

there will be increased shortage in our natural

resouses. As supply of our resouces goes down and

demand remains the same or goes up there will be

increased presure to claim what resouces remain. So

instead of people working together to solve the

problem, they will be fighting for what’s left by the

problem.

To solve this, people need to come together before

the problem reaches a state of no return. This may be

hard to do since the effects of environmental prob-

lems are not yet felt by a large degree (if felt at all) by

everyone. At this point in time many feel it is not

there problem to worry about since it does not

immediatly effect them. To remidy this people should

become more aware of their current environment.

Reader Commentary for Essay Response – Score 2

This response is seriously flawed. Its strongest feature

is a fairly clear position: it agrees with the claim that

environmental problems will require cooperation and

presents a scenario for what will happen if there is no

cooperation—conflict over diminishing resources.

However, the writer offers little support for that

position. Threatened “resources” and the “effects of

environmental problems” are mentioned but not

specified, and the paper provides no examples of how

people might “come together” to address the problem

or how they might “become more aware of their

current environment.”

Some of the sentences are worded clearly (“So

instead of people working together . . .”), but others

are so flawed by imprecise word choice that the

meaning is difficult to understand: “. . . not yet felt by

a large degree (if felt at all) by everyone.”

Also, run-on sentences (the first sentence, for

example) and unclear pronoun references add to the

confusion, reinforcing the score of 2.

Issue Topic 2

“Both the development of technological tools and

the uses to which humanity has put them have

created modern civilizations in which loneliness is

ever increasing.”

Essay Response – Score 6

Technology, broadly defined as the use of tools, has a

long history. Ever since Erg the caveman first conked

an animal with a rock, people have been using

technology. For thousands of years, the use of tools

allowed people to move ever closer together. Because

fields could be cultivated and the technology to store

food existed, people would live in cities rather than

in small nomadic tribes. Only very lately have Erg’s

descendants come to question the benefits of tech-

nology. The Industrial Revolution introduced and

spread technologies that mechanized many tasks. As

a result of the drive toward more efficient production

and distribution (so the ever larger cities would be

supported), people began to act as cogs in the techno-

logical machine. Clothing was no longer produced by

groups of women sewing and gossiping together, but

by down-trodden automation’s operating machinery

in grim factories.

The benefits of the new technology of today,

computers and the internet, are particularly ambigu-

ous. They have made work ever more efficient and

knit the world together in a web of information and

phone lines. Some visionaries speak of a world in

which Erg need not check in to his office; he can just

dial in from home. He won’t need to go to a bar to

pick up women because there are all those chat

rooms. Hungry? Erg orders his groceries from an

online delivery service. Bored? Download a new

game. And yet...

Many people, myself included, are a little queasy

about that vision. Erg may be doing work, but is it

real work? Are his online friends real friends? Does

anything count in a spiritual way if it’s just digital?

Since the Industrial Revolution, we have been

haunted by the prospect that we are turning into our

machines: efficient, productive, souless. The newest

technologies, we fear, are making us flat as our

screens, turning us into streams of bits of

interchangable data. We may know a lot of people,

but we have few real friends. We have a lot of things

to do, but no reason to do them. In short, the new

technology emphasizes a spiritual crisis that has been

building for quite some time.

As I try to unravel which I believe about the

relative merits of technology, I think it is instructive

to remember technology’s original result. A better

plow meant easier farming, more food, longer lives,

and more free time to pursue other things such as art.

Our newest technology does not give us more free

time; it consumes our free time. We are terminally

distracted from confronting ourselves or each other.

We stay safe, and lonely, in our homes and offices

rather than taking the risk of meeting real people or

trying new things.

While I am certainly not a Luddite, I do believe

we need to look for a bit more balance between

technology and life. We have to tear ourselves away

from the fatal distractions and go out into the world.

Technology has given us long lives and endless

supplies of information. Now we need to apply that

information, use the time we’re not spending conking

our dinner with a club, and find our reasons for

living.

Reader Commentary for Essay Response – Score 6

This outstanding response displays cogent reasoning,

insightful, persuasive analysis, and superior control of

language. The response immediately identifies the

complexities of the issue and then playfully explores

both the benefits and the drawbacks of technological

developments over the course of human history. The

writer maintains that a “balance between technology

and life” is necessary if humans are going to abate the

loneliness that is part of modern existence.

In contrasting the intended purpose of technology

at the beginning of the Industrial Revolution with

the end result of the use of today’s technology, the

writer skillfully expands the initial position and

makes a sound point: While technological develop-

ments have helped society in a practical way, they

have contributed to a spiritual crisis that has been

building for quite some time.

The analysis is tightly organized. With well-

chosen examples and a character called Erg, the

response moves well beyond a listing of examples,

developing the analysis over five focused paragraphs,

each building on the previous one. The conclusion—

that as a result of technology the individual begins to

lose sight of the need to connect with fellow citizens

in a meaningful way—follows directly from the

preceding paragraphs, while adding substantive

analysis.

This writer is clearly in command of language and

syntax, varying the sentence structure to express

concepts succinctly. Word choice is generally precise

and often highly effective, as in the following ex-

amples: “down-trodden automation,” and “haunted

by the prospect that we are turning into our ma-

chines: efficient, productive, soulless.”

Essay Response – Score 4

Looking at the above statement, I see a lot of truth to

the statement. There are many ways that society has

used the advanced technology in order to isolate

themselves. It may or may not be a consious move,

but the results are all the same. The isolation occurs

in a variety of ways and in all different areas. By

computerizing factories, there are more and more

people working long hours by themselves, with there

only companion as a computer monitor. Although

the company may be getting better production, the

question that needs to be ask is at what cost to their

employees.

It is not only the management of big factories that

are responsible for this isolation. This lonliness can

be seen in many other settings. With the growing

popularity of the television, the nation is seeing a

decline in families talking and an increase in watch-

ing the television. Not only can this result in a

generation of “coach potatoes”, it is also causes less

communication and a feeling of isolation from

everyone that a person cares about.

So far technology has entered the work place and

the home, it has also entered the social relm. When

you go to order food in the drive-thru, who is or

better yet what is it that you talk to? It is a machine,

although there is a person on the other end, you are

still reciting your order to a machine. If it is ten

o’clock at night and you need money, there are

ATM’s. All of these gadgets may be very nice and

convient, but they result in lack of human contact.

Although it might be easy to blame technolgy for

our feelings of loneliness, it is just a cop out. By

looking at all the ways technology causes isolation, it

is still people who choose to use these convenient

methods. If a person wants to have human contact,

all they have to do is go inside to the bank or go

inside the resturaunt to order. What it basically boils

down to, is that it is our choice whether or not we use

technology. It is a scary thought to think maybe one

day we might live in a society where you will never

have to leave your house. That by using FAX ma-

chines, computers, modems, and the telephone a

person would never have to have human contact to

get their job done. The thing is that if that is not

what we as a society wants, we are the ones to speak

out and change the outcome.

Reader Commentary for Essay Response – Score 4

This is a competent discussion of the issue. The

position presented in the first paragraph—that “there

are many ways that society has used the advanced

technology in order to isolate themselves”—is

adequately sustained, but the examples are not always

clearly relevant (e.g., in the case of paragraph one’s

“computerizing” of factories, the decision to use the

technology is not made by the individual worker.)

Also, the reasoning is not developed as fully as it

would be in a response at the score level of 6 or 5.

While organization is adequate, the response lacks

the organized coherence of ideas that exemplify a 5

essay. Transitions, within and between paragraphs,

are not always logical. The last paragraph could be

much more clearly focused: since several sentences

repeat the same idea—that “it is our choice

whether or not we use technology”—and the

purpose or meaning of others (e.g., the last) is not

immediately clear.

In general, ideas are presented clearly, although

awkward phrasing sometimes contributes to vague-

ness (e.g., “By looking at all the ways technology

causes isolation, it is still people who choose to use

these convenient methods”). Lack of sentence variety

seems to inhibit the communication of ideas (e.g.,

many short sentences are often used where one or

two compound ones could make the points more

effectively). Overall, however, this is an adequate

response to the topic.

Essay Response – Score 2

Computers of all shapes and sizes, p.c.’s, laptops,

faxes, phones, the list never ends. All considered by

our society as great technological advances. Not

many would argue that the development of these

tools has not advanced our world in some ways.

However they certainly seem to be making our world

one in which contact with our fellow man is less and

less necessary. Though some may be more comfort-

able not having to engage in direct contact, it is

questionable whether this is beneficial to society as a

whole. The very least result could in fact be a very

lonely world, but it may result in more significant

problems.

Reader Commentary for Essay Response – Score 2

This response is seriously flawed. The analysis of the

issue is extremely limited, and there are serious

problems in sentence structure. The writer’s position,

never clearly stated, seems to be that as a result of

technological developments, “contact with our fellow

man is less and less necessary.” However, the implica-

tions of this statement (and others) are never

explored or developed. Furthermore, the list of

technological advancements does not support or

clarify the writer’s already tenuously held position.

Each new sentence could serve as a springboard to a

thoughtful analysis but instead takes the response

further from the apparent premise.

This response received a score of 2, not because of

language problems, but because reasoning, analysis,

and development are extremely thin and insubstantial.

Argument Topic

“Six months ago the region of Forestville increased

the speed limit for vehicles traveling on the region’s

highways by ten miles per hour. Since that change

took effect, the number of automobile accidents in

that region has increased by 15 percent. But the

speed limit in Elmsford, a region neighboring

Forestville, remained unchanged, and automobile

accidents declined slightly during the same six-

month period. Therefore, if the citizens of Forestville

want to reduce the number of automobile accidents

on the region’s highways, they should campaign to

reduce Forestville’s speed limit to what it was before

the increase.”

Essay Response – Score 6

The agrument is well-presented, but not thoroughly

well-reasoned. By making a comparison of the region

of Forestville, the town with the higher speed limit

and therefore automobile accidents, with the region

of Elmsford, an area of a lower speed limit and

subsequently fewer accidents, the argument for

reducing Forestville’s speed limits in order to decrease

accidents seems logical.

However, the citizens of Forestville are failing to

consider other possible alternatives to the increasing

car accidents after the raise in speed limit. Such

alternatives may include the fact that there are less

reliable cars traveling the roads in Forestville, or that

the age bracket of those in Elmsford may be more

conducive to driving safely. It is possible that there

are more younger, inexperienced, or more elderly,

unsafe drivers in Forestville than there are in

Elmsford. In addition, the citizens have failed to

consider the geographical and physical terrain of the

two different areas. Perhaps Forestville’s highway is in

an area of more dangerous curves, sharp turns, or has

many intersections or merging points where accidents

are more likely to occur. It appears reasonable,

therefore, for the citizens to focus on these trouble

spots than to reduce the speed in the entire area.

Elmsford may be an area of easier driving conditions

where accidents are less likely to occur regardless of

the speed limit.

A six-month period is not a particularly long time

frame for the citizens to determine that speed limit

has influenced the number of automobile accidents in

the area. It is mentioned in the argument that

Elmsford accidents decreased during the time period.

This may have been a time, such as during harsh

weather conditions, when less people were driving on

the road and therefore the number of accidents

decreased. However, Forestville citizens, perhaps

coerced by employment or other requirements, were

unable to avoid driving on the roads. Again, the

demographics of the population are important. It is

possible that Elmsford citizens do not have to travel

far from work or work from their home, or do not

work at all. Are there more people in Forestville than

there were sic months ago? If so, there may be an

increased number of accidents due to more automo-

biles on the road, and not due to the increased speed

limits. Also in reference to the activities of the

population, it is possible that Forestville inhabitants

were traveling during less safe times of the day, such

as early in the morning, or during twilight. Work or

family habits may have encouraged citizens to drive

during this time when Elmsford residents may not

have been forced to do so.

Overall, the reasoning behind decreasing

Forestville’s speed limit back to its original seems

logical as presented above since the citizens are

acting in their own best interests and want to protect

their safety. However, before any final decisions are

made about the reduction in speed limit, the citizens

and officials of Forestville should evaluate all possible

alternatives and causes for the increased number of

accidents over the six-month period as compared to

Elmsford.

Reader Commentary for Essay Response – Score 6

This outstanding response begins by noting that the

argument is “well presented.” It then proceeds to

discuss possible alternative explanations for the

increase in car accidents and provides an impressively

full analysis. Alternatives mentioned are that

•the two regions might have drivers of different

ages and experience;

• Forestville’s topography, geography, cars, and/or

roads might contribute to accidents;

• six months might be an insufficient amount of

time for determining that the speed limit is

linked to the accident rate;

•demographics might play a role in auto accidents;

• population and auto density should be consid-

ered; and

• the times of day when drivers in the two regions

travel might be relevant.

The points are cogently developed and are linked in

such a way as to create a logically organized critique.

Transitions together with interior connections create

a smoothly integrated presentation. For the most

part, the writer uses language correctly and well and

provides excellent variety in syntax. The minor flaws

(e.g., using “less” instead of “fewer”) do not detract

from the overall high quality of the critique. This is

an impressive 6 paper.

Essay Response – Score 4

At first look, this seems to be a very well presented

arguement. A logical path is followed throughout the

paragraph and the conclusion is expected. However,

upon a second consideration, it is apparent that all

possibilities were not considered when the author

presented his conclusion (or at least that s/he did not

present all of the possibilities). There are numerous

potential explanations for why the number of acci-

dents in Elmsford decreased while the number in

Forestville increased. Although it seems logical to

assume that the difference in the percentage of

accidents was due to the difference in whether or not

the speed limit had been increased during the speci-

fied month, this does not necessarily mean that the

speed limit should be reduced back to what it origi-

nally was in Forestville. The author does not state

two specific pieces of information that are important

before a conclusion such as the one the author made

is sound. The first is that it is not expressed whether

the speed limits in the two neighboring regions had

had the same speed limit before Forestville’s speed

limit had been increased. If they had originally been

the same, then it is reasonable to conclude that

Forestville’s speed limit should be reduced back to

what it was before the increase. However, if the two

region’s speed limits were initially different, then

such a conclusion can not be made. The second piece

of information that is necessary for the present

argument is the relative number of accidents in each

of the areas prior to the increase in speed limit. For

the author to make the presented conclusion, the

number of accidents should have been approximately

equal prior to the increase in the speed limit in

Forestville. If the two missing pieces of information

had been presented and were in the author’s favor,

then the conclusion that the author made would

have been much more sound than it currently is. In

conclusion, the argument is not entirely well rea-

soned, but given the information that was expressed

in the paragraph, it was presented well, and in a

logical order.

Reader Commentary for Essay Response – Score 4

This competent critique claims that there are “nu-

merous potential explanations for why the number of

accidents in Elmsford decreased while the number in

Forestville increased.” However, the author discusses

only two points:

•whether the speed limits in the two regions were

originally the same; and

• the number of accidents in each region prior to

Forestville’s raising the speed limit.

Although the response appears at first to be well

developed, there is much less analysis here than the

length would suggest. The first third and last third of

the essay are relatively insubstantial, consisting

mainly of general summary statements (e.g., “A

logical path . . . conclusion is expected” and “If the

two . . . more sound than it currently is”). The real

heart of the critique consists of minimal development

of the two points mentioned above. Therefore,

although two important features of the argument are

analyzed and the writer handles language and syntax

adequately, the lack of substantial development keeps

this critique from earning a score higher than 4.

Essay Response – Score 2

The argument gives statistics of increases in automo-

bile accidents since the speed limit increased six

months ago on the highways of Forestville. The

argument also gives a statement of how the neighbor-

ing region of Forestville, did not increase or decrease

the speed limit. It remained unchanged and automo-

bile accidents declined slightly during the same six-

month period. The argument may appeal to those

who have been effected by the increase in accidents,

but it does not give an emotional appeal overall. We

are relying on the authors statistics but we don’t

know where they came from and if they are reliable.

The argument needs more examples and illustrations

to get his point across to more people. It is suggested

that the citizens of Forestville campaign to reduce

Forestville’s speed limit to what it was before the

increase, but it is usually hard to start a campaign.

One person needs to take action. If the author is a

citizen of Forestville, maybe he should take the

initiative.

Reader Commentary for Essay Response – Score 2

This seriously flawed critique presents only one idea

relevant to an analysis of the argument: “The argu-

ment needs more examples and illustrations to get his

point across to more people.” Everything else in the

essay is either summarizing the argument, speculating,

or offering advice. The result is a response that is

clearly on topic but that provides no analysis of the

line of reasoning in the argument.

In addition to the lack of analysis, the writing is

weak. The organization is loose, although not illogi-

cal, and intended meaning is sometimes unclear (e.g.,

“. . . but it does not give an emotional appeal over-

all.”). For these reasons, the response deserves a score

of 2 according to the scoring guide.

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SECTION 1 SECTION 2 SECTION 3

1. NAME

Enter your last name, first name initial (given name), and

middle initial

if you have one.

Omit spaces, apostrophes, Jr., II., etc.

Last Name (Family Name or Surname) - First 15 Letters

First

Name

Initial

Use only a pencil with soft, black lead (No. 2 or HB) to complete this answer sheet.

Be sure to fill in completely the space that corresponds to your answer choice.

Completely erase any errors or stray marks.

Middle

Initial

DO NOT USE INK

GRADUATE RECORD EXAMINATIONS

- - GENERAL TEST SIDE 1

3. DATE OF BIRTH

Jan.

Feb.

Mar.

April

May

June

July

Aug.

Sept.

Dec.

Oct.

Nov.

4. SOCIAL SECURITY

NUMBER

(U.S.A. only)

Month Day Year

ABCDE

5. REGISTRATION

NUMBER

(from your admission ticket)

6. TITLE CODE

(on back cover of

your test book)

7. TEST NAME

(on back cover of

your test book)

FORM CODE

(on back cover of

your test book)

8. TEST BOOK SERIAL NUMBER

(red number in upper right corner

of front cover of your test book)

SHADED AREA FOR ETS USE ONLY

YOUR NAME:

MAILING ADDRESS:

CENTER:

SIGNATURE:

(Print)

Country C enter Number Room Number

City State or Province

Country

City State or Province

Zip or Postal Code

P. O. Box or Street Address

Last Name (Family or Surname)

First Name (Given) M.I.

2986-06,07 54703 • 011644 • TF53E163 CHW/MH03112

1 2 3 4

I.N. 997579

CDE

SECTION 4 SECTION 5

CDE

BE SURE EACH MARK IS DARK AND COMPLETELY FILLS THE INTENDED

SPACE AS ILLUSTRATED HERE: .

YOU MAY FIND MORE RESPONSE SPACES THAN YOU NEED. IF SO, PLEASE

LEAVE THEM BLANK.

GENERAL TEST

SIDE 2

IF YOU DO NOT WANT THIS TEST TO BE SCORED

If you want to cancel your scores from this test administration, complete A and B below. You will not receive scores for this test; however,

you will receive confirmation of this cancellation. No record of this test or the cancellation will be sent to the recipients you indicated, and

there will be no scores for this test on your GRE file. Once a score is canceled, it cannot be reinstated.

A. Fill in both ovals here . . . B. sign your full name here:

To cancel your scores from this test administration, you must:

Please write the following statement below, DO NOT PRINT.

"I certify that I am the person whose name appears on this answer sheet. I also agree not to disclose the

contents of the test I am taking today to anyone."

Sign and date where indicated.

CERTIFICATION STATEMENT

SIGNATURE:

Month Day Year

DATE:

FOR ETS

USE

ONLY

V1R V2R VTR VCS Q1R Q2R QTR QCS A1R A2R ATR ACS

DO NOT WRITE IN THIS AREA.

NOTES

54722-14614 • M63E100 • Printed in U.S.A.

I.N. 997796

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