The GRE® Argument essay was removed: what changed

The short answer

Yes, the Analyze an Argument task is gone. ETS announced a shorter GRE® General Test on May 31, 2023, and the new format applied to tests beginning September 22, 2023.

Analytical Writing now consists of one 30-minute Analyze an Issue task. If you are using prep materials printed before late 2023, you can skip any section on the Argument essay.

Everything that changed in the shorter GRE

ETS's announcement listed three structural changes: removal of the Analyze an Argument task from Analytical Writing, fewer questions in the Quantitative and Verbal Reasoning sections, and removal of the unscored section.

ETS's FAQ for schools adds more detail. Testing time was cut roughly in half, from nearly four hours to just under two. The scheduled break was eliminated. Official scores arrive faster, within 8 to 10 calendar days instead of the previous 10 to 15.

Without a scheduled break, you can still take an optional break at a test center, but ETS says the clock keeps running unless you have an approved accommodation. Optional breaks are not permitted during the at-home test.

The current test structure

According to ETS, the test takes about 1 hour and 58 minutes. Analytical Writing is one Issue task in 30 minutes, and it always comes first.

Verbal Reasoning has two sections: 12 questions in 18 minutes, then 15 questions in 23 minutes. Quantitative Reasoning also has two: 12 questions in 21 minutes, then 15 questions in 26 minutes. The Verbal and Quantitative sections can appear in either order after the essay.

Both measures remain section-level adaptive, meaning your performance on the first section determines the difficulty of the second.

ETS points out one side effect of the shorter format. Because there are fewer questions and the score scales did not change, each question counts more toward your Verbal or Quantitative score. ETS says the average time available per question is about the same as before.

What did not change

The score scales stayed the same: 130 to 170 for Verbal and Quantitative, and 0 to 6 in half-point steps for Analytical Writing. ETS said this was so programs could compare applicants who tested before and after September 2023.

ETS also told schools that the scoring processes for all three measures did not change. The difference for writing is that your Analytical Writing score is now based on one essay instead of two.

If you took the GRE before September 22, 2023, your scores are still usable. ETS told schools to keep using scores the same way for people who tested before and after the change, and said care was taken to maintain the technical properties of the score scales.

Other things held steady too. The test fee stayed the same when the shorter test launched, the retake policy is still once every 21 days and up to five times in any rolling 12-month period, and scores remain reportable for five years after your test date.

Same score scale and same Issue task, but your whole writing score now rides on one essay.

What it means for your writing prep

Before the change, the Argument task asked you to evaluate someone else's reasoning, spotting assumptions and missing evidence. That is no longer tested directly, so you can put all of your writing practice into building and defending your own position.

The critical-reading habits still help. Examining assumptions is exactly what you do when you test your own thesis for weak points or take on the strongest opposing view in an Issue essay.

With one essay, there is no second task to balance out an off day. Practicing full, timed Issue essays until your planning is automatic is the most direct way to reduce that risk.

Some sources still circulate old Argument prompts and templates. ETS publishes the current Issue topic pool on its website, and that is the pool you will draw from.

Practicing the one task that remains

Hopper Labs Essay Practice lets you practice this kind of essay with a timed test, example essays across six score levels, and a rubric report across response to the prompt, reasoning, evidence, organization and clarity. It is free, needs no sign-up, and runs entirely in your browser.

It gives a practice grade from an on-device model, not an official or predicted GRE score. Try it in Essay Practice.

GRE® is a registered trademark of ETS. This article and Hopper Labs Essay Practice are not endorsed or approved by ETS.