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 structure,
or language. Instead, readers assign scores based
on the overall quality of the response, considering all
of its characteristics in an integrated way. Excellent
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 response
may have received
• the scoring procedure requires that each response
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 descriptions,
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.
Note: The GRE Program is investigating the use of
e-rater, ETS's ground breaking automated scoring
system, as part of the scoring process for the analytical
writing section. If e-rater is incorporated into the
scoring process during the 2004-05 testing year,
information will be available on the GRE Web site at
www.gre.org.
Your essay responses on the analytical writing
section will be reviewed by ETS essay-similaritydetection
software and by experienced essay readers
during the scoring process. In light of the high value
placed on independent intellectual activity 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 examinee
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.
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 structure,
or language. Instead, readers assign scores based
on the overall quality of the response, considering all
of its characteristics in an integrated way. Excellent
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 response
may have received
• the scoring procedure requires that each response
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 descriptions,
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.
Note: The GRE Program is investigating the use of
e-rater, ETS's ground breaking automated scoring
system, as part of the scoring process for the analytical
writing section. If e-rater is incorporated into the
scoring process during the 2004-05 testing year,
information will be available on the GRE Web site at
www.gre.org.
Your essay responses on the analytical writing
section will be reviewed by ETS essay-similaritydetection
software and by experienced essay readers
during the scoring process. In light of the high value
placed on independent intellectual activity 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 examinee
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.
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