GRE Analyze an Issue — Complete Official Prompt Bank
ETS publishes the complete pool of ~149 GRE Issue prompts, and your actual test prompt will be drawn from this list. Browse 30+ representative prompts organized by theme with strategy hints for each.
Last updated: 2026 · Official ETS source · ~15 min read
About the GRE Issue Prompt Pool
ETS (Educational Testing Service) publishes every possible GRE Analyze an Issue prompt on its official website. The pool contains approximately 149 prompts, and your actual test prompt will be selected from this exact list. This is one of the most significant advantages available to GRE test-takers: unlike the Verbal and Quant sections, you can read every possible topic before test day.
How to Use This Page
The goal is not to memorize responses to every prompt — that approach is neither practical nor effective. Instead, use this page to:
Identify recurring themes
Read through the prompts and notice the patterns. Roughly 85% of all GRE Issue prompts fall into six thematic clusters: Government & Policy, Education, Society & Culture, Technology & Science, Work & Leadership, and Arts & Creativity. Build a bank of specific examples for each cluster.
Practice 2–3 representative prompts fully
Choose one prompt from each major theme that challenges you. Write a full timed essay (30 minutes, ~450–550 words). After each practice essay, compare your approach to the strategy hints provided on this page.
Master the instruction types
Review the six instruction types below. Practice identifying which type each prompt uses — this skill is faster than reading every prompt and more valuable for test-day performance.
Build flexible examples
For each theme, identify 2–3 specific, named examples (historical figures, scientific discoveries, corporate case studies) that can be adapted across multiple prompts. An example like the Manhattan Project can support arguments about government funding, crisis collaboration, individual vs. community achievement, and science ethics.
6 Task Type Instructions
Every GRE Issue prompt comes with one of these six instruction sets. The instructions determine what your essay must do — writing a great essay for the wrong instruction type can drop your score by a full point. Study each instruction carefully.
| # | Type | What it requires | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Agree or Disagree | Take a clear position on the statement. Explain your reasoning. Acknowledge where the statement might or might not hold true. | ~40% |
| 2 | Specific Reasons | Name the specific reasons for your position. You must address the most compelling counterarguments — this is mandatory, not optional. | ~20% |
| 3 | Circumstances for Truth | Identify the conditions under which the recommendation would or would not be advantageous. Avoid simple agree/disagree — focus on when and why. | ~15% |
| 4 | Evidence Needed | Discuss what specific evidence would be needed to determine whether the claim is accurate. Do not argue a position — analyze what information is required. | ~10% |
| 5 | Alternative Views | Propose one or more alternative explanations that could rival the proposed explanation. Show how your alternatives account for the same facts. | ~8% |
| 6 | Policy Consequences | Discuss your views on the policy and explain your reasoning. You must consider the possible consequences of implementing the policy. | ~7% |
For a complete breakdown of each instruction type with sample opening approaches and common traps, see the GRE Writing Guide — All 6 Instruction Types.
Government & Policy Prompts
These prompts examine the role of government in regulating research, arts, economics, and public welfare. Strong examples include historical policy experiments, regulatory failures, and comparative government case studies. Build arguments around the tension between individual freedom and collective welfare.
“Governments should place few, if any, restrictions on scientific research and development.”
Strategy hint
Consider cases where unrestricted research caused harm (eugenics, bioweapons) versus cases where restrictions slowed life-saving treatments. A qualified position — restrictions only when risk is demonstrably high — tends to score well.
“In any society, the welfare of the general public should always take precedence over the interests of the individual.”
Strategy hint
Explore the tension between utilitarianism and individual rights. Use examples such as eminent domain, vaccine mandates, or taxation. Consider where the boundary lies.
“Government funding of the arts threatens the integrity and quality of the arts.”
Strategy hint
The BBC, NEA grants, and Soviet socialist realism offer three different case studies. Consider whether government creates, corrupts, or sustains artistic culture.
“The primary goal of technological advancement should be to increase people's efficiency so that they have more leisure time.”
Strategy hint
Challenge the premise — the Jevons Paradox shows that efficiency often increases consumption rather than reducing labor. Discuss whether leisure or human flourishing is the right goal.
“In order to achieve the best results, those in positions of authority should promote a spirit of competition rather than cooperation among their subordinates.”
Strategy hint
Distinguish contexts: competitive markets may benefit from internal competition, while scientific research teams and emergency responders typically do not. Context-dependence is a strong essay angle.
“Claim: Governments must ensure that their major cities receive the financial support they need to thrive. Reason: It is primarily in cities that a nation's cultural traditions are preserved and generated.”
Strategy hint
Evaluate the claim and reason separately — you can accept one and reject the other. The reason (cities as cultural centers) is historically questionable for rural traditions, folk art, and agriculture.
“Any nation that prioritizes economic development over environmental protection is likely to experience a decline in its standard of living.”
Strategy hint
The Environmental Kuznets Curve hypothesis provides relevant evidence. Countries like Norway and Germany suggest integration is possible; China's industrial growth offers a counterpoint.
Education Prompts
Education prompts often examine curriculum design, teaching methods, the purpose of higher education, and competition vs. cooperation in learning. Distinguish between primary, secondary, and university education in your arguments — policies that work at one level often fail at another.
“Universities should require every student to take a variety of courses outside the student's field of study.”
Strategy hint
The liberal arts model (Yale, Columbia Core) versus German research university specialization offers a natural structure. Consider whether breadth produces better citizens or dilutes expertise.
“In order to become well-rounded individuals, all college students should be required to take courses in which they read poetry, novels, mythology, or other types of imaginative literature.”
Strategy hint
Distinguish 'well-rounded' from 'employable.' Humanistic education's defenders (Nussbaum's 'Not for Profit') make a democratic argument; critics point to student debt and job market realities.
“Claim: The surest indicator of a great nation is represented not by the achievements of its rulers, artists, or scientists, but by the general welfare of all its people. Reason: Just as one's own physical health is the foundation for personal success, so, too, is the physical health of a nation's people the basis for national greatness.”
Strategy hint
The claim-reason structure invites you to accept the claim but question whether health (vs. education, freedom, opportunity) is the right proxy for welfare. Distinguish correlation from causation.
“Educational institutions have a responsibility to dissuade students from pursuing fields of study in which they are unlikely to succeed.”
Strategy hint
Define 'success' carefully — financial success, self-actualization, and contribution to knowledge may conflict. The analogy to medicine (do no harm) can cut both ways.
“The best way to teach is to praise positive actions and ignore negative ones.”
Strategy hint
Behaviorist research (Skinner) supports positive reinforcement, but ignoring negative behavior can allow misconceptions to calcify. Context — teaching young children vs. adults — matters.
“A nation should require all of its students to study the same national curriculum until they enter college.”
Strategy hint
Compare Finland (differentiated, teacher-driven) with Singapore (centralized curriculum) on outcomes. Consider whether a national curriculum reduces inequality or stifles regional diversity.
“Students should always question what they are taught instead of accepting it passively.”
Strategy hint
Distinguish domains — critical questioning improves reasoning but can delay foundational skills. Feynman vs. Confucian pedagogical traditions provide a rich contrast.
Society & Culture Prompts
These prompts address human behavior, leadership, cooperation, and cultural values. They tend to make broad claims about society that are easy to counter with specific examples. Look for the implicit assumptions in the claim — often they are contestable.
“The best way for a society to prepare its young people for leadership roles in government, industry, or other fields is by instilling in them a sense of cooperation, not competition.”
Strategy hint
Consider whether leadership contexts differ: startup founders may benefit from competitive drive, while diplomats and healthcare administrators may require cooperative instincts. Both/and is a defensible thesis.
“Some people believe that in order to be effective, political leaders must yield to public opinion and abandon principle when necessary. Others believe that the most essential quality of an effective political leader is to remain consistently committed to particular principles and objectives.”
Strategy hint
Churchill's wartime leadership versus Wilson's failed League of Nations offer historical contrast. Consider whether the question assumes leaders have correct principles to begin with.
“Society should make efforts to save endangered languages from extinction.”
Strategy hint
Languages encode unique cognitive structures and ecological knowledge (Linguistic Relativity). Welsh and Hawaiian revival efforts provide case studies. Counter: linguistic convergence enables global communication.
“The greatness of individuals can be decided only by those who live in later times, not by their contemporaries.”
Strategy hint
Van Gogh, Melville, and Mendel were unrecognized in their lifetimes; Napoleon and Hitler were celebrated before history reassessed them. Both directions of error suggest contemporaries and posterity both get it wrong.
“People's behavior is largely determined by forces not of their own making.”
Strategy hint
Social determinism versus agency is central. Milgram's obedience experiments, structural poverty research, and cognitive biases support the claim; growth mindset research and moral philosophy push back.
“The most important measures of success for any society are the accomplishments of its artistic and intellectual community.”
Strategy hint
Athens and Florence are supporting examples; Nazi Germany's cultural achievements amid political atrocity complicate the claim. Consider whether economic security, health, or freedom are better measures.
“The best leaders are those who encourage their followers to challenge prevailing conventions and to seek solutions to problems in innovative ways.”
Strategy hint
This is an empirical claim about leadership effectiveness. 3M's 15% time policy and Toyota's suggestion system support it; Boeing's mismanagement counterarguments are instructive.
“Some people argue that successful leaders in government, industry, or other fields must be highly competitive. Others claim that in order to be effective, a leader must be willing to cooperate and collaborate.”
Strategy hint
Frame as a false binary — the most effective leaders modulate between modes depending on the task. Lincoln's 'Team of Rivals' cabinet exemplifies collaborative leadership applied in a competitive political moment.
“The well-being of a society is enhanced when many of its people question authority.”
Strategy hint
Historical examples: civil rights movement, scientific revolutions, journalism, whistleblowing. Counter: excessive questioning can paralyze decision-making. Distinguish constructive critique from nihilism.
“In any given field, the most important discoveries or creations are made by young people.”
Strategy hint
Mathematics and physics show a youth bias (Fields Medal, Nobel Physics laureates). Literature, philosophy, and biology tend toward the opposite. Age-field interaction undermines the universal claim.
Technology & Science Prompts
Science and technology prompts often question the purpose and limits of progress, the relationship between research and application, and how technology reshapes social structures. The history of scientific discovery is a rich source of counterintuitive examples.
“Claim: Researchers should not limit their investigations to only those areas in which they expect to find results that will be useful to society. Reason: It is impossible to know in advance which areas of research will yield valuable, practical applications.”
Strategy hint
Basic research's track record (penicillin, transistor, CRISPR) powerfully supports the claim. The reason is independently valuable — evaluate whether it completely justifies unlimited research funding.
“The advance of science and technology has improved people's lives by enabling them to work more efficiently. It has not, however, increased the amount of free time they have.”
Strategy hint
Productivity statistics vs. leisure time data (OECD) show this is empirically complex. Email and smartphones have expanded working hours. Discuss whether efficiency's benefits are captured by workers or employers.
“In the sciences, self-doubt and a willingness to reconsider long-held ideas in the face of new evidence are essential to progress.”
Strategy hint
The history of science (plate tectonics, germ theory, the Big Bang) illustrates that scientific revolutions require iconoclasts. Distinguish productive self-doubt from paralysis.
“Some people claim that the goal of politics should be the pursuit of an ideal. Others argue that the goal should be finding practical solutions to real problems.”
Strategy hint
Though framed politically, this is also a science-relevant question. Utopian idealism drives reform movements (suffrage, abolition) while pragmatism prevents ideological overreach. Both framings have value.
“Technology will eventually destroy the cohesion of society by making it possible for individuals to bypass the institutions and social structures that bind people together.”
Strategy hint
Social media's role in political polarization, remote work's impact on urban communities, and algorithmic echo chambers support the claim. But technology also creates new communities (Wikipedia, open-source).
“The widespread use of computers and the Internet has made it easier for people to form connections with others who share their interests, but these connections are not as meaningful as those formed between people who interact face to face.”
Strategy hint
Distinguish types of connection: informational networks, support communities, and intimate relationships may differ. Dunbar's number and CMC (computer-mediated communication) research provide relevant evidence.
“All college and university students would benefit from spending at least one semester studying in a foreign country.”
Strategy hint
Cross-cultural exposure, language acquisition, and global workforce preparation support this. Barriers: cost, family obligations, incomplete credits. The qualifier 'all' makes this easy to attack with counterexamples.
“Claim: We can usually learn much more from people whose views we share than from people whose views contradict our own. Reason: We are more attentive and receptive to the ideas of people we like and trust.”
Strategy hint
The reason is psychologically valid (confirmation bias, selective attention) but undermines learning by making it comfortable rather than challenging. Socratic challenge and intellectual discomfort drive genuine understanding.
Work & Leadership Prompts
Leadership prompts examine management styles, competition, motivation, and the qualities that make individuals effective in organizational settings. Management research provides empirical grounding, while historical examples of leaders provide narrative power.
“The most effective managers are those who take on a nurturing role toward their employees rather than treating employees as competitors.”
Strategy hint
Management literature (McGregor's Theory X vs. Theory Y) is directly relevant. Distinguish high-stakes and routine environments — military units and startups may require different approaches.
“To be an effective leader, a person must be willing to change his or her plans when others in the group insist on a different course of action.”
Strategy hint
This is a strong false dilemma — effective leadership sometimes requires holding firm against group pressure (Churchill in 1940) and sometimes requires pivoting. Context and quality of dissent matter.
“Competition for high grades seriously limits the quality of learning at all levels of education.”
Strategy hint
Research on intrinsic vs. extrinsic motivation (Deci and Ryan) is central. Medical school grade inflation after pass/fail adoption and its effects provide a concrete example.
“The purpose of many advertisements is to make consumers want things they do not need. This practice should be considered unethical because it exploits consumers' emotions to serve businesses' interests.”
Strategy hint
Apply Mill's harm principle: does advertising create wants or fulfill latent ones? The tobacco advertising comparison is instructive — distinguish products with known harms from neutral choices.
“The luxuries and conveniences of contemporary life prevent people from developing into truly strong and independent individuals.”
Strategy hint
The Paradox of Tolerance / Paradox of Comfort: adversity produces resilience (post-traumatic growth research) but also trauma. Consider whether voluntary challenge (athletics, hard work) vs. imposed hardship differ.
“Claim: In any field — business, politics, education, government — those in power should step down after five years. Reason: The surest path to success for any enterprise is revitalization through new leadership.”
Strategy hint
Evaluate the claim and reason independently. Five-year term limits remove accumulated expertise (Warren Buffett at Berkshire, Merkel in Germany) while also preventing entrenched dysfunction.
“Young people should be encouraged to pursue long-term, realistic goals rather than to seek immediate fame and recognition.”
Strategy hint
Distinguish immediate fame (YouTube creators, reality TV) from long-term impact (scientists, writers, teachers). Consider survivorship bias: we celebrate the few who achieve both, not those who sacrificed one for the other.
“People who are the most deeply committed to an idea or policy are also the most critical of it.”
Strategy hint
This paradox — intellectual commitment producing internal critique — is visible in science (peer review as a form of love for truth), philosophy (Socratic method), and political reform movements.
Practice Tips
The 3-Practice-Essay Rule
Most test-takers who improve their AWA score by 0.5–1.0 point do so by writing 3–5 full timed essays before test day, not by reading 100 prompts passively. Choose prompts from different themes and different instruction types. After each practice, identify:
- ✓Did I take a clear, defensible position in the first paragraph?
- ✓Did I include at least two specific, named examples?
- ✓Did I write at least one sentence of analysis after each example?
- ✓Did I dedicate a full paragraph to the strongest counterargument?
- ✓Did I finish in 28–30 minutes with a complete conclusion?
Build Your Example Bank
Before test day, prepare 8–10 flexible examples — one for each major theme — that you understand deeply enough to deploy across multiple prompt contexts. Depth beats breadth: a well-developed Darwin example used correctly will outperform a vague mention of ten scientists.
Science
Darwin + Wallace (1858) — competition and collaboration in discovery
Politics
FDR New Deal — executive leadership, coalition-building, crisis response
Technology
Internet (ARPANET) — government investment, community standards, open systems
Education
Prussian school model — standardization, efficiency, and creativity trade-offs
History
The Enlightenment — intellectual communities, individual thinkers, paradigm shifts
Business
Toyota Production System — process improvement, community wisdom, individual vision
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