Argument考查考生根據具體的題目要求，理解、分析、評價論證的能力，以及考生在寫作中清晰表達自己評價的.能力。這項任務包含一篇簡短的文章，文章作者提出觀點，並用理由和論據來支援這個觀點，依次來解釋某些行為程序或說明事件。考生的任務是根據題目要求，批判性地檢查作者的推理思路，以此討論作者在文中體現出的邏輯合理性。此題型考查考生對於論證結構即把各元素聯立起來形成一條推理線並構建邏輯簡圖的能力，以此來體現批判性思維、洞察性閱讀和分析性寫作，而這些正是大學教師認為在讀研究生為取得成功需要具備的。
首先在此援引新GRE OG中的樣題，看看ETS給出的官方破題策略：
Sample Argument Task
In surveys Mason City residents rank water sports among their favorite recreational activities. The Mason River flowing through the city is rarely used for these pursuits, however, and the city park department devotes little of its budget to maintaining riverside recreational facilities. For years there have been complaints from residents about the quality of the rivers water and the rivers smell. In response, the state has recently announced plans to clean up Mason River. Use of the river for water sports is, therefore, sure to increase. The city government should for that reason devote more money in this years budget to riverside recreational facilities。
