Transcript Title goes here

GRE Test Preparation Workshop
for Campus Educators
Preparing for the
Analytical Writing
Measure
Overview
• Introduction to the Analytical Writing Measure
• Helping Students Prepare
• Practice Test Experience
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Contents of the
Analytical Writing Section
• Consists of two complementary analytical
writing tasks:
– 45-minute “Present Your Perspective on an
Issue" task
– 30-minute “Analyze an Argument" task
• Essay responses are typed on computer
using a basic word processor that does not
have a spell checker or grammar checker.
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Skills Measured
Measures critical thinking and analytical writing
skills including the ability to:
• Construct and analyze arguments
• Articulate complex ideas clearly and effectively
• Examine claims and accompanying evidence
• Support ideas with relevant reasons and examples
• Sustain a well-focused, coherent discussion
• Control the elements of standard written English
ETS — Listening. Learning. Leading.®
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LEARNING. LEADING. and GRE are registered trademarks of Educational Testing Service (ETS).
What the Analytical Writing Measure
Adds to the General Test
• Measures candidates’ actual performance
• Allows considerable latitude for examinees to
construct their responses
• Integrates the assessment of critical thinking
and analytical writing
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How Essay Responses Are Evaluated
GRE readers, who are college and university faculty,
read each essay response and evaluate its overall
quality according to how well the test taker:
•Responds to the specific instructions
•Considers the complexities of the issue or identifies
and analyzes important features of the argument
•Organizes, develops, and expresses his/her ideas
•Supports his/her position with relevant reasons and/or
examples
•Controls the elements of standard written English
ETS — Listening. Learning. Leading.®
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LEARNING. LEADING. and GRE are registered trademarks of Educational Testing Service (ETS).
How the Analytical Writing Section Is
Scored
• Essay Responses are randomly distributed to readers via
an online scoring network
• Each essay is scored by two trained readers, using a 6point holistic scale
• Two scores that differ by more than one point are
adjudicated by a third reader
• Scores from the two readings of an essay are averaged
• The final scores on the two essays are then averaged
and rounded up to the nearest half-point interval
• A single score is reported for the section
• Scoring guides and score level descriptions are available
at www.ets.org/gre/stupubs.html.
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LEARNING. LEADING. and GRE are registered trademarks of Educational Testing Service (ETS).
General Structure of Scoring Guides
• Upper-half Scores:
– 6-Outstanding
– 5-Strong
– 4-Adequate
• All described in
terms of what is
done well
• Lower-half Scores:
– 3-Limited
– 2-Seriously flawed
– 1-Fundamentally
deficient
• All notable for what
is lacking
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Selected Score Level Descriptions
5.5 and 6 – Sustains insightful, in-depth analyses 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; demonstrates superior
facility with sentence structure and language usage but may have
minor errors that do not interfere with meaning
3.5 and 4 – 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 structure
and language usage but may have some errors that affect clarity.
1.5 and 2 – 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.
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LEARNING. LEADING. and GRE are registered trademarks of Educational Testing Service (ETS).
Helping Students
Prepare
Common Sense Test Preparation Rules
• Become familiar with the test structure and
timing
• Become familiar with each task type
• Become familiar with the scoring criteria for
each task
• Review published pools and practice writing
on each task type
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LEARNING. LEADING. and GRE are registered trademarks of Educational Testing Service (ETS).
Common Sense Test Preparation Rules
(continued)
• Review sample responses and reader
commentary for each task type
• Become familiar with key argument concepts
• Practice writing under timed conditions
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Task 1: Present Your Perspective on an
Issue
• Presents a brief quotation that states or implies an issue
of general interest and specific instructions on how to
respond to that issue.
• Requires candidates to analyze the issue and develop an
argument with reasons and/or examples to support that
position.
• Candidates are given a choice of two topics
• Candidates have 45 minutes to plan and compose their
responses.
• A response to an issue other than the one assigned will
receive a score of zero.
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About the Choice
• Topics have comparable difficulty
• Time for making the choice is included in 45
minutes, so decide quickly
• To make the choice, examinees should
consider:
– which topic they find more engaging
– which topic is more closely linked to their own
background and/or studies
– for which topic can they most readily think of
supporting examples and reasons
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LEARNING. LEADING. and GRE are registered trademarks of Educational Testing Service (ETS).
Strategies for the Issue Task
Questions to consider when approaching an
issue topic:
• What, precisely, is the central issue?
• What precisely are the instructions asking me
to do?
• Do I agree with all or with any part of the
claim? Why or why not?
• Do I agree with the claim only under certain
circumstances? What are those
circumstances?
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Strategies for the Issue Task (continued)
• Does the claim make certain assumptions? If
so, are they reasonable?
• 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?
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Strategies for the Issue Task (continued)
• What reasons might someone use to refute or
undermine my position?
• How should I acknowledge or defend against
those views in my essay?
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LEARNING. LEADING. and GRE are registered trademarks of Educational Testing Service (ETS).
Sample Issue Topic
Spend 2-3 minutes jotting down some ideas
about how you might approach the issue topic
below.
Present your perspective on the issue below,
using relevant reasons and/or examples to
support your views.
“In our time, specialists of all kinds are highly
overrated. We need more generalists—people
who can provide broad perspectives.”
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LEARNING. LEADING. and GRE are registered trademarks of Educational Testing Service (ETS).
Scored Responses to Sample Issue Topic
• Spend about 5 minutes reading the 6 sample
issue responses that appear on pages 9-15 of
the resource document.
• As you read, you may want to refer to the
Scoring Guide for the Issue Task that appears
on page 27 of the resource document.
ETS — Listening. Learning. Leading.®
Copyright © 2008 by Educational Testing Service. All rights reserved. ETS, the ETS logo, LISTENING.
LEARNING. LEADING. and GRE are registered trademarks of Educational Testing Service (ETS).
General Reminders About the Issue Task
• Candidates must respond to the assigned
issue using the specific task directions
• Candidates should feel free to accept, reject,
or qualify the claim
• There is no “right answer”
• Candidates must make it clear how their
reasons and/or examples support their
position on the issue
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LEARNING. LEADING. and GRE are registered trademarks of Educational Testing Service (ETS).
Task 2: Analyze an Argument
• Presents a short passage that presents an
argument and specific instructions on how to
respond to that passage.
• Requires candidates to assess the logical
soundness of the given argument according to
the specific task directions.
• Candidates have 30 minutes to plan and
compose their responses.
• A response to an argument other than the one
assigned will receive a score of zero.
ETS — Listening. Learning. Leading.®
Copyright © 2008 by Educational Testing Service. All rights reserved. ETS, the ETS logo, LISTENING.
LEARNING. LEADING. and GRE are registered trademarks of Educational Testing Service (ETS).
Strategies for the Argument Task
Questions to consider when approaching the
argument task:
• 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?
ETS — Listening. Learning. Leading.®
Copyright © 2008 by Educational Testing Service. All rights reserved. ETS, the ETS logo, LISTENING.
LEARNING. LEADING. and GRE are registered trademarks of Educational Testing Service (ETS).
Sample Argument Topic
Spend 2-3 minutes jotting down some ideas about how you
might approach the issue topic below.
Discuss how well reasoned you find this argument.
“Hospital statistics regarding people who go to the
emergency room after roller skating accidents indicate 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.”
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LEARNING. LEADING. and GRE are registered trademarks of Educational Testing Service (ETS).
Scored Responses to Sample Argument
Topic
• Spend about 5 minutes reading the 6 sample
argument responses that appear on pages
19-23 of the resource document.
• As you read, you may want to refer to the
Scoring Guide for the Argument Task that
appears on page 28 of the resource
document.
ETS — Listening. Learning. Leading.®
Copyright © 2008 by Educational Testing Service. All rights reserved. ETS, the ETS logo, LISTENING.
LEARNING. LEADING. and GRE are registered trademarks of Educational Testing Service (ETS).
General Reminders About the Argument
Task
• Candidates must respond to the argument
using the specific task directions
• Candidates must make it clear how their
specific analysis of the argument connects to
the assigned task
• Candidates are NOT being asked to present
their own views on the subject matter
ETS — Listening. Learning. Leading.®
Copyright © 2008 by Educational Testing Service. All rights reserved. ETS, the ETS logo, LISTENING.
LEARNING. LEADING. and GRE are registered trademarks of Educational Testing Service (ETS).
Approaching the Two Tasks
When approaching each task, candidates should :
• Spend a few minutes thinking about the topic and the
specific directions and planning a response.
• Pay close attention to the specific task directions!
• Support their position on the issue with reasons and
examples drawn from such areas as their reading,
experience, observations, and/or academic studies.
• Leave time to read what they have written and make any
revisions that you think are necessary.
• Avoid excessive irony or humor that may be
misinterpreted by readers
ETS — Listening. Learning. Leading.®
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LEARNING. LEADING. and GRE are registered trademarks of Educational Testing Service (ETS).
Practice Test Experience
Practice Test
• Practice test will begin with the Issue task (see
p. 24-25 of resource document).
• Take 5 minutes to read the Issue directions,
choose a topic, and jot down a few ideas. We
will break to discuss.
• Then take 5 minutes to read the Argument
directions, read the argument, and jot down a
few points of critique (see p. 26-27). We will
break to discuss.
ETS — Listening. Learning. Leading.®
Copyright © 2008 by Educational Testing Service. All rights reserved. ETS, the ETS logo, LISTENING.
LEARNING. LEADING. and GRE are registered trademarks of Educational Testing Service (ETS).
Issue Topic 1: Technological Tools
• Do all technologies have the same impact on
the “human condition?”
• Do some technologies promote communications
whereas others promote loneliness?
• Do technology and loneliness only apply to
“modern civilizations?”
ETS — Listening. Learning. Leading.®
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Issue Topic 2: Declining Environment
• What is the impact of certain specific
environmental problems on bringing people
together?
• Do certain environmental problems tend to
divide people instead of promoting unity?
• Is there a middle ground between unity and
cooperation, on the one hand, and disunity and
tragedy on the other?
ETS — Listening. Learning. Leading.®
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Argument Topic: Forestville Speed Limit
• Whether six months is a sufficiently long time to
evaluate the effect of the new speed limit
• What might have happened if the speed limit
had decreased?
• Whether other factors account for the increased
accident rate
• Whether Forestville and Elmsford are
comparable
ETS — Listening. Learning. Leading.®
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LEARNING. LEADING. and GRE are registered trademarks of Educational Testing Service (ETS).
Questions?
ETS — Listening. Learning. Leading.®
Copyright © 2008 by Educational Testing Service. All rights reserved. ETS, the ETS logo, LISTENING.
LEARNING. LEADING. and GRE are registered trademarks of Educational Testing Service (ETS).