You’ve reached the “Analyze an Issue” task and are presented with a topic of contention. It will look something like this:
Educational institutions have a responsibility to dissuade students from pursuing fields of study in which they are unlikely to succeed.
Write a response in which you discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the claim. In developing and supporting your position, be sure to address the most compelling reasons and/or examples that could be used to challenge your position.
Even the most seasoned writers will tell you one of the biggest challenges to writing is simply getting started. The blank page is intimidating enough of a challenge when you’re not under any time constraints, serving as a clear reminder that you haven’t even begun. When you factor in the amount of time you’ll be given on the GRE to write a strong essay – not to mention the overall pressure you’ll experience throughout the entire exam – the blank page will seem like an even more daunting obstacle.
The time constraints of the GRE Analytical Writing section often make test-takers think they need to dive right into a draft without a plan. However, while a handful of writers can organize their thoughts without writing anything down, most test-takers do benefit from a short brainstorming session in which they can collect themselves and organize their ideas.
Your brainstorming session can be as organized as you’d like, but no matter how you brainstorm best, take a few minutes to jot down a few of your initial responses to the prompt. Whether you start free-writing or simply list out your ideas, focus on accomplishing the following in your brainstorming session:
- Decide which side of the argument you will take in your essay.
- Generate ideas for the direction of your essay, meaning come up with reasons that support each side of the issue.
- Decide which ideas you’d like to use and which ideas you can discard.
- Identify supporting examples you can use to reinforce your argument.
If you’re not used to brainstorming before beginning an essay, it may feel awkward and frenetic at first. After all, you are taking precious minutes out of your allotted time to develop an initial plan of attack, so naturally you’ll feel like you need to finish your brainstorming session as quickly as possible. While this is a good thought, brainstorming sessions are also an event that you can (and should) train for. We’ll discuss a few ways that you can prepare yourself for quick and productive brainstorming sessions before you walk into a GRE testing room.
How to practice brainstorming
We’ve discussed what you should look to accomplish in a short brainstorming session, but here’s how you can practice brainstorming, even though you’ll be dealing with an entirely new prompt (or prompts) on test day.
1. On your next “Analyze an Issue” task practice for the Analytical Writing section, take five minutes to brainstorm as we outlined earlier. Then, step away for 30-45 minutes. When you sit back down to write your essay, evaluate the notes from your brainstorming session. If you still feel comfortable writing an essay – even after a considerable amount of time away from it – this is a good indication of how productive you were during your brainstorming time. Remember, this won’t happen overnight, so don’t be discouraged if you find that your notes are difficult to follow after your first few attempts.
2. Read, read, read. Like any persuasive essay you’ll write, you’ll need to back up any argument with supporting examples and details. However, you won’t have the luxury of Google searches during the GRE. Make it a priority to supplement your GRE materials with informative outside reading, which will equip you with real-world examples to support an essay on a variety of topics.
The art of brainstorming doesn’t always come naturally, even to the most accomplished writers. But rest assured, the benefits of taking just a few minutes to get your thoughts out of your head and onto a piece of paper is a great way to jumpstart your writing.