Analytical Writing and Assessment (AWA)

1. Introduction 2. AWA Scoring 3. Evaluation Parameters 4. How to Write a Good Essay 5. How to tackle Issue essays 6. How to tackle argument essays

Introduction
Analytical Writing Assessment (AWA) essays are the first thing that you will encounter in GMAT. They assess your critical thinking and written communication abilities which are very important in a managerial career. You have to write two essays in 30 minutes each : Analysis of an Issue :You are expected analyze the given topic and present your opinion and justify that by giving suitable examples and reasons. Example: To be accepted as a leader, you must first demonstrate your ability to perform the tasks that you would expect others to perform. Discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your views with reasonsand/or examples from your own experience, observations, or reading. Analysis of an Argument: You are expected to read and understand the given argument and write a critique of the argument. Unlike in the case of analysis of an issue, you should not state your opinion but rather analyze the one given. You should look at flaws in the arguments, identify the circumstance in which the argu ment may fail and suggest additional evidence that could strengthen the argument. Example: Memo of the VP of a popular Chocolate Company: Our premium and most expensive line of chocolates got good feedback in the recent taste test and the sales also increased consequently. So I feel, we should focus on producing more lines of premium chocolates and should waste our resources on low -priced ordinary chocolates. In the current recession, luxury items like cars may be out of reach of m any customers. But they do not mind spending money on basic luxuries like our premium chocolates.

Discuss how well reasoned you find this argument. In your discussion, be sure to analyze the line of reasoning and the use of evidence in the argument. For example, you may need to consider what questionable assumptions underlie the thinking and what alternative explanations or counter examples might weaken the conclusion. You can also discuss what sort of evidence would strengthen or refute the argument, wha t changes in the argument would make it more logically sound, and what, if anything, would help you better evaluate its conclusion.
You need to type in your essay on a simple word processor that lets you perf orm simple functions like cut & paste, undo & redo, insert &delete text. No special computer skills are required for this. Spell check and grammar check are not available. So you must be careful to avoid blatant grammatical and spelling mistakes. A few minor mistakes here and there will not affect your score much. Logic and structure are of primary importance.

AWA Scoring
Scoring Process
The responses to each of the essays are scored on a 6 -point scale. The essays are evaluated by college and university faculty members from varioussubject matter areas . Your essay will be read holistically that is, you get rewarded for the overall structure and logic of the essay. The responses are alsorated by a computer program. If the difference in score given by the computer and human is more than 1 point, then a t hird person evaluates the essay. According to GMAC, such instances are very rare. The final AWA score is the average (rounded to the nearest half point) of the four scores (2 for issue and 2 for argument). The Analytical Writing Assessment scoreis computed and reported separately and it WILL NOT affect the score on the 800 scale. What is a Good AWA Score? About 20% of test takers get a score of 5.5 or 6 and about 45% get a score of above 5.0 or above. Hence a candidate looking for admission into a ny of the top-100 B-schools across the world must target a score of at least 5. This is not very difficult provided you prepare well, follow the basic guidelines and not panic on the D -day.

Evaluation Parameters
Evaluation Parameters for an ISSUE essay You should not think in terms of a correct answer there is nothing like a correct answer.You may address the topic in whichever you feel. More specifically, you may agree completely, or disagree completely or partly agree and partly disagree with the given comment. The key is how well you present your opinion and how well you support that with logic and evidence. The evaluator would be interested in ascertaining that you have
y y y y y

Given a clear-cut response to the given comment Supported your point of view with logic and/or relevant examples Discussed the consequences and exceptions and thereby demonstrated understanding of the complexities of the issue Organized and presented your ideas by sustaining a proper flow Demonstrated correctness in terms of grammar, syntax and vocabulary

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Primary criterion for evaluation in an issue essay is the ability to formulate, organize and develop a reasonably comprehensive response to the given comment. Evaluation Parameters for an Argument E ssay The argument essay is UNLIKE an issue task and you are not being asked to agree or disagree with the given argument. You are expected to CRITIQUE the given argument by examining the conclusion(s) in the light of the given evidence(s). More specifically, you must check whether the given evidence(s) actually lead(s) to the stated conclusion(s).Further, consider the underlying assumptions in the argument and check their validity.You can also discuss the type of information that will strengthen the argument. The evaluator will see how effective you are in: y Identifying the key elements of the argument ( conclusion, evidence and assumptions ) y Critiquing the argument and spotting the logical flaws in the writers reasoning y Suggesting ways in which the argument can be strengthened y Maintaining coherence in the narration

Howto Writea Good Essay

Any essay, whether it is a school-level essay or doctoral thesis, will have three basic parts. 1. An Introduction 2. A body (Development of Ideas) 3. A conclusion GMAT AWA essays are no different in this regard. The overall organization of both the essays will be in terms of one introductory paragraph, a few paragraphs in the body, and a concluding paragraph. DO'S AND DON'TS 1. Understand the issue to be discussed. Do not assume what has to be done. Instead, read the issue carefully and then address it with your opinions and reasoning. 2. Organize your ideas in a logical sequence before you start typing. 3. Allocate time to each of the sub -activity involved. y Read and unders tand the topic. y Jot down your points on the papers provided. y Organize and prioritize your ideas in a particular order. y Type the essay. y Final proof-reading/editing. 4. Keep the language simple and avoid long and complicated sentences. You are likely to make grammatical errors in a complicated sentence. You will not be rewarded for using complex language but penalized for making blatant grammatical errors . Avoid sentence structures which make the narration complex. However, it is good to have variety in your sentences.

Howto Tackle Issue Essay

The following 7 steps can be used to organize your thought process while tackling an ISSUE essay.

In an issue task adopt the following guidelines for each part of the essay I. The Introduction should
y Demonstrate that you have understood the issue to be addressed. y Announce the stance adopted by you. II. In the Body y y y

Each paragraph should (ideally) cater to one supporting idea. Some examples may be given. Evaluate different facets of the issue.

III. The Conclusion should y Re-phrase (not simply repeat) and summarize the key points. y Have a forceful concluding remark supporting your stance. After typing the ISSUE essay you may put these 6 questions to yourself. 1. Have your addressed the topic directly so that the reader is able to understand what your opinion is vis--vis the given comment? 2. Have you given forceful reasons backing your stated opinion? 3. Have you looked at the possibilities of exception(s) to your original stance? 4. Does your essay explore the different facets and also detail possible consequences? 5. Does your essay have a smooth flow to it and do you guide the readers thought process by carefully selected transitional words and phrases? 6. Does your essay demonstrate superior control over the norms of standard written English with no grammatical errors?

Howto Tackle Argument Essays

These steps can be used to organize your thoughts while writing an ARGUMENT essay.

In an ARGUMENT essay

y y y

The Introduction should demonstrate that you have spotted the correct conclusion and the various evidences. The Body must highlight at least 3 -4 major flaws. The Conclusion must summarize the main flaws.

You can tell how the given argument could b e made better (more convincing) and suggest additional information that can make the argument complete. COMMON FAULTS IN ARGUMENTS 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. Very little supporting evidence. Unreasonable assumptions. Assuming cause-and-effect relationship for a coincidence or correlation. One example, one anecdote, a survey or one experiment used to arrive at a conclusion. Sweeping generalization(s). Sometimes there may be more than one cause that can lead to an effect. Hence, all possible factors must be considered before jumping to a conclusion about the cause. An opposing point may be picked up and its drawbacks are highlighted or oversimplified resulting in deliberate misrepresentation. Attacking a person than the logical shortcoming of an argument Uncompromising adoption of extreme position thereby ignoring the middle -of-the path approach. Assumption that something, which is generally true for a group, i s true for every person who may be directly or indirectly related to that group. Remember, every generalization could have an exception too. Hence, stereotyped thinking must be avoided.

After typing the ARGUMENT essay you may put these 6 questions to yourself. 1. Does the introduction give a clear -cut indication that you have spotted the right conclusion(s) and the evidence(s) being used in the argument? 2. In the body do you expose the flaws in the argum ent and explain them adequately? 3. Did you suggest ways in which argument could be made better? 4. Did you maintain a smooth logical flow and organize the entire essay properly? 5. Is the language proper without too many major grammatical errors? 6. Do your sentences have sufficient variety in them?