In the issue essay, a general topic from any field can be given. They are usually from politics, education or culture and don’t require you to have deep knowledge. Perhaps, this is why issue essays are easier to attempt.
In an Argument essay, a specific topic is presented by an author. The argument is generally complex in nature and requires you to have basic and decent knowledge about the topic. That is why Argument essays is not an easy task and zero knowledge about the topic means you just can’t properly construct an argument.

An issue essay requires you to reason with the statement.
An example of instruction includes: Write a response in which you discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the statement and explain your reasoning for the position you take. In developing and supporting your position, you should consider ways in which the statement might or might not hold true and explain how these considerations shape your position
An Argument essay requires you to analyze the logic behind an idea.
An example of instruction includes: Write a response in which you discuss what specific evidence is needed to evaluate the argument and explain how the evidence would weaken or strengthen the argument.

An issue essay measures your abilities to articulate your thoughts on a given topic and the ability to convince the reader to take sides and agree with you. Whereas, an Argument Essay measures your abilities to critique others' views and provide a logical explanation behind them. You have to comment on the flaws in the reasoning, unrevealed assumptions and conclusions of an argument.

The general tone of an issue essay which is presented in the second paragraph should be justifying your stand on an issue. You are supposed to agree or disagree with the topic and present your stand.
On the other hand, in an Argument Essay, the second paragraph starts with presenting faults in the argument made by the author.

An issue essay is like taking sides of a coin. You have the option to choose the side with which you relate more and understand well, and can provide better and persuasive explanations.
An argument essay is a single claim. You don’t have the option to choose a side, but you have to find the logical evidence behind the claim and comment on the flaws.

The issue essay is not presented with evidence. You can search and present your own evidence and decide your support or the opposite of the statement, backing your evidence with credible facts.
An Argument essay is presented with evidence which you have to analyze and critique. It is not a mere statement but an opinion of the author.

You get more browny points for supporting the point of view of an issue essay. The issue is mostly a general topic and you may have more evidence to support it than disagreeing with it. Although highly advised, you may choose to disagree with it, if you can provide worthy evidence.
The game with argument essay is always on the negative side. Since you have to criticize an argument, and not present your own perspectives, you should oppose the point of view of the author.

• Issue essay task test your persuasive writing skills. You have to develop a compelling argument supporting your evaluation, persuading readers to take your side.


• Carefully read the instructions and make sure you understand them before proceeding.


• Before starting to write your response, think about the issue from all perspectives. Then choose the side you want to take, list out the main reasons, and examples you would like to use.


• Discover the extent to which you agree or disagree with the issue statement and consider circumstances in which you may not stand with it.


• Find and address the most compelling reasons on why you agree or disagree with the issue.


• Discuss all the possible angels of the statement and explain your support for one.

• Argument essay task measures your analytical writing and reasoning skills.


• You have to discuss the logical accuracy of the claims being made in the essay by an author by critically examining the reasoning given and effectively communicate your evaluations.


• Discuss what evidence is needed to evaluate the argument and if the evidence will weaken or strengthen the claim.


• Discuss the assumptions on which the argument is being made, if any.


• To evaluate the soundness of an argument, discuss the supporting questions which need to be answered.

Other than these, the graders are looking for a few factors into consideration before scoring the whole essay. You do not have to write a very lengthy essay. The ideal essay length which gets the highest score is 600 words. Few factors which will help you in improving your writing and eventually your overall AWA scores are: 1. Clarity: This is the most fundamental factor which determines whether you have written a good essay or not. A grader should be able to understand what you are trying to say just by reading it once. Be clear in your writing and reasoning. What precisely are you trying to say and how effectively are you able to.
2. Reasoning: This is the second most factor that determines your essay’s quality. What reasoning are you presenting in supporting or refuting a topic? The ability to convince a reader with logical soundness makes your essay a compelling one. Make sure to write solid points with clear reasoning to make your essay more logical and easy to understand.
3. Coherency: You have found out what you want to say and have also gathered logical evidence for the same. Next in line is linking all your ideas together, present them with a paragraph flow and write a unified essay. The essay should make sense from start until the end, clearly making the distinction of what you are saying, what points you bring forth as evidence and what logical soundness are you providing.

Preparing for the AWA section is not as difficult as it seems to be. You can easily prepare for the task by diligently practicing well before in advance, writing as much as essays you can and getting it checked by your peers or elders.

Get your hands on some essay writing guide. There are many books that are specifically available to prepare for AWA. You should check out your local library for how many other books are available and choose the best option to get started.
The ETS website has a pool of issue and argument topics. You should try to write an essay on as many topics as you can. Most of the time, the topic is given out of these pools.
Ask others for feedback. You can post the essays in online forums, or show it to your peers or parents. Getting feedback helps in evaluating where are you going wrong and what all can you improve.
Strive to write an essay within 30 minutes. This is the time frame you are given to complete each task. It is better you prepare in beforehand which will save you from any extra pressure during the actual test.
Learn grammar. It is the best thing you can do especially if you are a non-native English speaker. Grammar mistakes in the assessment will disappoint the grader and will make your scores low.
Increase your vocabulary. Try to use and learn new words specifically those which are used multiples times in an essay. Learns sentence structuring. You have to structure all the essays according to your thoughts and persuade the reader to like it. Learning how to structure a proper sentence with logical explanations will help you in completing the task easily and will aid you in writing a compelling essay.
Read. Read good books, newspapers, and any other thing you like which is of substantial quality.
Practice. Many students do not really practice for the AWA. Remember, that there is a time limit. If you do not practice it, you will fail to write within the given time frame. Also, practicing will make you write better essays with more logical correctness and help you convey an idea clearly.