You have 30 minutes per essay (60 minutes total for both tasks), which requires a deliberate approach. Most successful test-takers spend 5-8 minutes planning, 18-22 minutes drafting, and 2-3 minutes reviewing. The planning phase is crucial—a clear outline prevents rambling and structural errors that cost points.

Varsity Tutors connects you with tutors who specialize in teaching efficient writing processes. They can help you develop a template for organizing your thoughts quickly, practice writing under timed conditions, and identify where you tend to lose time. Building speed through repeated practice—not by rushing—is what helps most students master the timing.

The most frequent issues are weak thesis statements, underdeveloped examples, and unclear argument structure. Many students try to sound overly formal, which actually makes their writing harder to follow. Another common trap is spending too much time on minor grammar issues instead of focusing on argument quality—the GRE rewards clear reasoning and supporting evidence far more than perfect mechanics.

Students also struggle with understanding exactly what each prompt is asking. The "Analyze an Argument" task requires critique, not agreement, but many test-takers miss logical fallacies or unsupported assumptions. Working with an expert tutor helps you decode what evaluators are looking for and practice identifying these issues before you sit for the test.

Quality matters far more than quantity. Writing 8-12 essays with detailed feedback typically produces better results than writing 30 essays on your own. The feedback loop is what drives improvement—understanding why an essay scored a certain way and specifically how to strengthen it for the next attempt.

A realistic study timeline is 6-8 weeks of focused preparation, with 1-2 practice essays per week. This allows time between essays for you to integrate feedback and refine your approach. Getting matched with a tutor who can review your essays and provide targeted coaching accelerates this process significantly, especially if you're working toward a specific deadline or score goal.

The best tutors have strong writing backgrounds and understand GRE scoring rubrics deeply. They should be able to evaluate your essays quickly, identify exactly why you're losing points, and teach you how to fix those issues. They also understand that different students have different weaknesses—some need help with thesis clarity, others with time management or understanding argument structure.

Varsity Tutors connects you with expert tutors who specialize in GRE test prep and have experience helping students just like you in Atlanta improve their Analytical Writing scores. Look for someone who will focus on developing your weakest areas rather than covering everything superficially, and who teaches you strategies you can apply to any prompt on test day.

They're challenging in different ways. Analytical Writing requires you to think critically and communicate clearly under time pressure—skills that take time to develop. The Quantitative section tests specific mathematical knowledge and problem-solving strategies that can sometimes be learned and drilled more quickly.

Many students find writing more frustrating because improvement feels slower and more subjective. However, the Analytical Writing section is also more predictable—the prompts follow consistent patterns, and essay quality is judged by clear criteria. This means targeted practice with expert feedback is especially effective for this section. Connect with a tutor who can help you understand the scoring criteria and apply them consistently to your own writing.

Test anxiety often increases when you don't feel confident in your approach. The best antidote is practice—writing multiple timed essays under realistic conditions builds confidence and makes the actual test feel familiar. When you know you have a solid strategy and have written successfully before, anxiety tends to decrease naturally.

Work with a tutor to develop a pre-writing routine that calms your nerves (like taking three deep breaths before you start planning). Practice positive self-talk grounded in your actual progress—after writing a few strong essays with feedback, you'll have evidence that you can handle this section. Taking full-length practice tests and reviewing your performance also helps you approach test day as another opportunity to apply what you've practiced, rather than a high-stakes unknown.