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How the GRE® Issue essay is scored (2026)
How the GRE Issue essay is scored: the 0–6 half-point scale, holistic rubric, human raters plus ETS e-rater, and what separates each score band in ETS's guide.
Project Raise the Floor · Project Top Gunguide 5 min readHow to go from a 4 to a 5 on the GRE® Issue essay
A 4 is competent; a 5 is thoughtful. The GRE essay differences in position, reasoning, examples and structure, plus a revision checklist and timed drills.
Project Raise the Floor · Project Top Gunguide 4 min readThe GRE® "two views" Issue prompts, and how to answer them
How to answer GRE Issue prompts that ask which view aligns with your own: what the task requires, a planning template, and four original practice prompts.
Project Raise the Floor · Project Top Gunguide 4 min readThe GRE® Argument essay was removed: what changed
ETS removed the GRE Argument essay on September 22, 2023. Here is the full list of changes in the shorter GRE and what they mean for Analytical Writing prep.
Project Raise the Floor · Project Top Gunguide 4 min readWhat is a good GRE® Analytical Writing score?
What is a good GRE AWA score? ETS percentile ranks for every Analytical Writing level (2022–2025 data), average scores by field, and how programs use the score.
Project Raise the Floor · Project Top Gunguide 4 min readFree GRE® essay practice vs ScoreItNow!
ETS ScoreItNow! and Hopper Labs Essay Practice compared: price, what each includes, how grading works and privacy, so you can pick the right GRE essay practice.
Project Raise the Floor · Project Top Gunprinciple 3 min readChoose a contest you can measure
Project Top Gun starts with the discipline to define what winning means.
Project Top Gun · Project Raise the Roof