THE GMAT ESSAY

Let’s start knowing about the Analytical Writing Assessment ("AWA") portion of
the GMAT, otherwise known as "the essays." Because they do not feed into the
overall score out of 800 (they are scored separately, on a scale of 6 points), they
are often neglected. They do serve a purpose, though, and you need to take them
seriously, even if they do not warrant the bulk of your study time.

The essays are the first section of the exam. You have 30 minutes for each of two
essays, for a total of one hour before the quantitative section begins. So if you do
not write essays during at least one of your practice exams, you will probably find
it surprisingly tiring the day of the exam when you have to head into the math
section after an hour of writing.

First, you should be aware of the two types of essay you will be required to write.
One is known as "Analysis of Issue." The other is known as "Analysis of
Argument." They demand different approaches and need to be understood in their
particularities. Let's talk first about "Analysis of Issue."

Analysis of Issue:

In "Analysis of Issue", you will be given a statement (the "issue"). For example,

"Responsibility for preserving the natural environment ultimately belongs to

each individual person, not to government." (This is an actual GMAT topic and
is property of GMAC)

Your task now is to decide whether you agree with the statement. There is no
"right" answer to this: either position (pro or con) is perfectly valid. The only
reaction that is not valid is to sit on the fence. You must take a side and defend it.
If you waffle or remain uncommitted, you will lose points. The point of "Analysis
of Issue" is to see how well you can defend a policy position. You must state a
clear opinion, but you must also back it up with relevant evidence. In other words,
your opinion does not speak for itself. You must show how you arrived at that
opinion. You may use facts or experiences (either your own or those you have
observed elsewhere) to explain your position. A good "Issue" essay brings up
three or so reasons in favor of OR against the statement and explains why each of
those reasons is grounded in fact or experience.

What if you do not have any relevant experience or do not know any relevant
facts? Make them up. The exam readers are not going to verify that your facts are
correct and they have no way to know whether your experiences are true.
Moreover, they do not really care. They simply want to see that you understand
the nature of the task at hand. You must also acknowledge the merits of the other
side, all the while maintaining your commitment to your own position. This is
basically a polite nod to your opponent. Even though the other side may have
some validity, it is still the wrong side.

Why is the "Issue" essay on the GMAT? The primary reason is that B-schools
want to see whether you can write coherently under time pressure without the
help of an editor. But beyond that, the "issue" essay specifically allows you to
demonstrate your ability to learn from experience, either your own or someone
else's. Good businesspeople learn their lessons and carry that knowledge into their
future endeavors. By the time you have been working for 20 or so years, you will
have accumulated a wealth of experience that can guide you through complicated
situations. Business schools want to see upfront that you have at least a glimmer
of this skill. People who do not learn from mistakes are destined to repeat them.

Analysis of Argument:
Let’s take a look at the second essay type: Analysis of Argument. This essay
differs significantly from the other type (Analysis of Issue) and needs to be
approached in a very different way.

In Analysis of Argument, you will be presented with - what else? - an argument

and asked to evaluate its merits. The argument will resemble a Critical Reasoning
argument: it will have premises and a conclusion. Your task is to determine
whether the premises (think of these as pieces of evidence) logically support the
given conclusion. Once you make your determination, you must explain your
stance. These arguments are always written so that one can argue that the
premises do NOT support the conclusion. In fact, it is wiser to take that position
rather than argue that the argument is valid. The test writers specifically created
their arguments to see whether you could spot the flaws. If you declare the
argument valid, you are basically admitting that you have not evaluated the
argument critically.

As mentioned above, the basic flaw in all these arguments is that the premises do
NOT support the given conclusion. The difference from one argument to another
is in the specifics of why not. The flaws generally fall into two categories: that the
author has made a suspect assumption - i.e., he relies on unstated information that
cannot be taken for granted; or that he misinterprets the information that he does
explicitly include. Your job is to figure out which of these scenarios - possibly
both - is going on in the given argument. Once you figure out the flaws, you must

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explain how they affect the argument and how they can be remedied. It is not
enough simply to point them out.
Imagine that your boss gives you a business plan for your company and asks for
your opinion. If you come back and simply say "No good", you probably will not
be seeing too many bonuses or promotions in your future there. Instead, your boss
will expect you to explain what the problems are and to offer ways to fix them.
This is exactly what is behind the Analysis of Argument essay. Business schools
want to see whether you can pick apart a flawed proposal and suggest
improvements to it. Stating only that a proposal (i.e., argument) is flawed without
explaining why and how to fix it does not demonstrate the skills that make
businesspeople successful.

Here is an example of an actual AWA argument from the GMAT. (This

argument is property of the Graduate Management Admissions Council):

The Cumquat Cafe began advertising on our local radio station this year and
was delighted to see its business increase by 10 percent over last year's totals.
Their success shows you how you can use radio advertising to make your
business more profitable.

Is this a logical argument? No, of course not. If it were, it would not be useful for
the AWA. But what specifically is wrong with it? There are many flaws in the
above argument. One of them is that the author assumes that the increase in
business was the direct result of the radio ads. We cannot know this from the
information given. We need to know whether the cafe also ran ads in local papers
or on local television. One way to find out whether the increase in business is the
result of the radio ads would be to ask customers where they heard about the cafe.
You get the point. Success on the Argument Essay hinges on your ability to
evaluate and rectify, not just criticize.

SCORING:
Let’s take a look at the scoring process. This process is necessarily different from
that used for the quantitative and verbal sections of the exam, since the nature of
the task in the AWA is quite different.

The two essays of the AWA are not included in your overall GMAT score out of
800. Instead, the essays receive their own separate score on a scale from 0 to 6
points, with 6 the best. According to the Official Guide for GMAT Review, the
point values correspond to the following assessments (details can be found in the
back of the Guide itself):

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6 - Outstanding
5 - Strong
4 - Adequate
3 - Limited
2 - Seriously Flawed
1 - Fundamentally Deficient
0 - Did Not Follow Assignment (wrong topic, in a foreign language, gibberish,
etc.)
NR - Did Not Submit Essays

Top business schools generally want to see at least a 4 on the AWA. Scores lower
than 4 will make admissions committees wonder about your ability to write at the
graduate level. This is especially true when your application essays are polished
but your AWA score is low - committees might wonder if you received help on
your application. Of course, the higher the score, the better, but schools are not
looking for the next Hemingway here: they simply want to see that you can write
a persuasive essay on an assigned topic. While it is not likely that a high AWA
will convince a committee to accept you if the rest of your application is
borderline, it is possible that a low AWA score will convince a committee to reject
you if the rest of your application is not totally up to snuff. Remember that
business schools receive so many applications that they need to weed people out
fairly quickly in the admissions process. Scoring poorly on the AWA can give
schools a reason to say no.

You do not receive your AWA score immediately upon finishing the exam, as you
do your overall GMAT score. You will have to wait until you receive your official
score report to find out how well you did on the AWA. After you finish the exam,
your essays are sent for grading. Each essay is graded twice: once by a human
grader and once by a computer program. Both look for structure and grammar, but
only the human can really know whether your arguments are persuasive. With that
in mind, you should gear your essays to the computer. This means making sure
that your essays have a clear structure and are grammatically sound.

Each grader assigns a score out of 6 points. If the two scores for an essay differ by
more than a point (say, 3 and 5), the computer's score is deemed suspect and the
essay is sent to a second human grader. When both essays have been scored, all
four scores (two for each essay) are averaged and rounded up to the nearest half-
point. So if you received scores of 6, 5, 4 and 4, for example, your overall score
for the AWA would be 19/4 = 4.75 = 5. It is possible to receive overall AWA
scores in half-point increments (3.5 or 5.5, for example).

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Essays that receive the highest marks are those that have a clear and logical
structure, a clear and well-supported position on the assigned topic, and are free
of grammatical and stylistic mistakes. As any one of these parameters weakens in
the essay, the score will drop accordingly. By far the main reason test takers lose
points in the AWA is failure to support their claims with evidence. Another
common flaw is failure to take and maintain a clear stance. Write your essays as if
your job depended on convincing someone of your position.

Backing up yourself:

How to back up your assertions with evidence? Failure to do so is one of the main
reasons test takers lose points on the AWA. It is not enough simply to state a
claim. You must also explain why that claim is valid. Keep in mind that your final
position on the issue or argument is not the totality of the task. The GMAT is
more interested in your thought process - how did you arrive at your conclusions?

In Analysis of Issue, your task is to decide whether you agree or disagree with a
given statement. It does not matter which position you take - in favor of or against
- as long as you are able to explain why you have chosen that side. You will be
expected to justify your position "using relevant reasons and/or examples from
your own experience, observations, or reading" (quoted from the Official Guide
for GMAT Review). In other words, back up what you say. If you cannot think of
anything in your life that seems relevant to the given issue, make something up. It
is only an exercise; no one really cares whether what you say is factually true. Try
not to go crazy with it (do not claim you were once Prime Minister of New
Zealand, for example), but feel free to create relevant evidence if you need to.

Let's say the topic is "Employees should not be allowed to smoke in the
workplace." Whatever your stance on the issue, you will have to explain how you
came to that position. It would not be enough to claim that it is "just rude," for
example. If your main objection to smoking at work is a perceived lack of
consideration on the part of the smokers, you could explain that you once worked
with someone who smoked all day despite your complaints and that it affected
your productivity. Or you could cite a study from the Royal Tobacco Institute of
Copenhagen that pointed out the harmful effects of secondhand smoke and
perhaps even claim you know of a nonsmoker who developed lung cancer from
working in a smoke-filled environment. If you disagree with the issue, your main

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contention may be that workers who feel oppressed by management are less
productive. But this would be a mere assertion. How do you know this is so? You
could claim that you once worked someplace where smokers were required to
stand outside in the cold in the winter and they all ended up resenting the
management, resulting in lower productivity and decreased revenues. Or you
could claim that smokers are addicts and forcing them to abstain during work
hours is medically harmful, as shown by an experiment conducted by the
University of West Podunk. The key here is to select examples from your
experience (or imagination) that directly and persuasively support your position.

In Analysis of Argument, by contrast, your task is a little simpler in that you do

not have to draw from your own life to support your assessment of the argument.
Instead, you must identify the flaws of the argument and explain how they fail to
support the conclusion. You cannot simply state that the author has made a false
assumption, or misconstrued the meaning of a key term, or whatever else may be
wrong with the argument. If the author has made a false assumption, you must
explain what that assumption is, how it harms the argument, and what could be
done to rectify the problem. Very often, people who receive low scores on this
essay fail to explain and correct the problems they point out. Remember, part of
your task is to strengthen the argument. If all you do is critique it, you will not
maximize your score. You must give the reader enough information to understand
why the assumption is flawed or why the term has been misconstrued. If the
readers have to guess at your intent, you have fallen short of the mark. Argument
essays that receive 5's and 6's are those that allow readers to draw the same
conclusions that the essay writers do, based on the writers' skill in pointing out,
explaining, and rectifying the arguments' shortcomings.

So, to maximize your AWA score, remember to back up all your claims with
reasons and/or examples. Do not let the reader wonder how you came to your
conclusions!

Common Mistakes:

This time we wrap up our discussion of the Analytical Writing Assessment

("AWA") with a look at common mistakes in grammar and structure. Remember
that your score on the AWA does not depend solely on your ability to craft a
persuasive argument (though that is the primary criterion); you will also be judged
on your essay's grammar and structure. There are several common mistakes test
takers make, all of which can be avoided.

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Let's start with grammar. A very common error is the use of "they", "them", and
"their" to designate a person of unknown gender, as in "Someone who enjoys their
job will be a good worker." Here, "someone" is singular, yet "their" must refer to a
plural noun. A better sentence would be "Someone who enjoys his or her job will
be a good worker." This sentence is longer, but grammatical. Although this use of
"they" is rampant in English speech, it is not acceptable in formal business
writing.

Another common grammar mistake is the incorrect use of modifiers. For example,
"For such a powerful company, Fizzy Cola's directors have been timid in their
plans for expansion." This sentence probably seems fine, because its error is
subtle. The opening phrase "for such a powerful company" is a modifier. That is,
it serves to describe the subject of the clause that follows it. However, the subject
of the main clause is "Fizzy Cola's directors," which clashes with the intended
subject of the modifier: the company itself. A better sentence would be "For such
a powerful company, Fizzy Cola has been timid in its plans for expansion."
Always pay attention to the relationship between modifiers and their intended
subjects. Often, test takers do not set up this relationship properly.

Test takers also misuse certain idiomatic phrases. A common example is the use of
"less" in contexts where "fewer" is needed. Remember that "less" is used only for
nouns that cannot be counted. "Fewer" is used for nouns that are countable. For
example, "The new regulations offer less opportunities for growth." Since
opportunities can be counted, we must use "fewer" instead: "The new regulations
offer fewer opportunities for growth." Keep in mind also that "amount of" and
"number of" are not interchangeable. "Amount of" is used for nouns that cannot
be counted, while "number of" is used for countable nouns. For example, "The
amount of bankruptcies this year is expected to set a new record." Since
bankruptcies can be counted, we must use "number of" instead: "The number of
bankruptcies this year is expected to set a new record."

As for structure, remember that your essay will be scored by a computerized

grading program that cannot use logic to deduce your intended meaning if the
structure of your essay does not make the flow of your argument clear. You need
to break your essay into easily digestible paragraphs that have a clear flow from
one to the next. You must have an introductory paragraph, two or three main
paragraphs where you make your case, and a concluding paragraph. By far the
most common mistake in structure is to cram everything into one giant paragraph.
Do not worry if it seems that your paragraphs are not very long; they do not need
to be.

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Another common structural mistake is to list examples in a way that does not
clearly set them apart from the rest of the argument. This does not mean you
should list them bullet-point style, just that you should advise the reader that he or
she is about to read a list of examples. Compare the following paragraphs:

There are three principal reasons that the proposal will not work. It is costly.
It is laborious. It offends the sensibilities of those who are fond of cheese.

There are three principal reasons that the proposal will not work. First, it is
costly. Second, it is laborious. And third, it offends the sensibilities of those
who are fond of cheese.

The second version offers the reader a clearer roadmap of the argument and is
thus preferable to the first version. The second version clearly ties each assertion
back to the original claim that there are three principal reasons that the proposal
will not work. The first version requires that the reader make the connection
unaided.

Pay attention to your grammar and structure on the AWA. Good grammar and
clear structure are simple ways to maximize your score.

A Template Approach to the GMAT Essay :

ISSUE:

You will be given an essay topic that GMAT expects to be debatable. In other
words, about half of the people will agree with one side, while the other half will
agree with the other side. GMAT will not give you a topic that most people agree
on. For example, you will not see a topic asking you to give your opinion on the
value of education for children, nor on whether or not the government should
have programs to decrease the number of the drug users.

However, you might see an essay topic asking you to give your opinion on school
vouchers, for example, or you might see a topic asking you to pick whether you
think it is primarily the government's or the family’s responsibility to prevent drug
use among children.

In general, do not take one side of the argument completely. A good rule of thumb
is to argue your opinion at about 60 percent or 70 percent. I should emphasize this

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—even if you believe you are one hundred percent correct, you should still
pretend that you are 60 or 70 percent correct.

Although the GMAT essay scorers are trained to forgive certain mistakes given
the time constraints of the essay, sometimes they may be very picky. Pay attention
to your grammar, spelling, and logical sequence, just to name a few. How can you
improve your score? Pearson VUE also looks for sentence variety and ability to
use language. I will show you some simple ways to do this—really, it's not that
hard!

OK, here we go.

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Prepare the main points you want to put:

First of all, you have to figure out why they chose this as a topic. Remember—not
everybody will agree, in fact it should be about 50/50. This is your hint. Try to
find about five points for and against each side (ten points total). Don't worry if
you think that your points are stupid or trivial. The important thing right now is
just to get some ideas down on paper, to start your brain working.

Second, figure out which side you are going to take.

Third, start writing! Don’t worry about an introduction or a conclusion right now
—they are the hardest to write and everybody gets hung up on them. Just get your
ideas down first.

Next, make sure you have about three or four paragraphs. You should be thinking
about adding some examples now. Try to make one personal, maybe from your
country and another one either international or American (the idea is that most
educated Americans will have heard about the topic before). Don’t make your
examples too personal! Imagine your prospective boss is reading this.

Now, go back and spice up your language—add something witty, an illustrative

anecdote, a rhetorical question, even sarcasm or irony. Also, try changing the
order of some of your sentences, i.e., put the subordinate clause first.

Almost done! Write your intro and conclusion!

Last, check grammar and spelling. Voila! A perfect essay!

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Template:

Okay, let’s try the essay now.

First Paragraph: Introduction

The issue/belief/idea/opinion that ______________________________________

is an interesting/controversial one. This issue is increasingly important in this age
of ______________________________________________. Many people believe
____________________________________________, but these people overlook
_______________________________________________________.
Furthermore, _______________________________________. In this essay, I
will argue that
_________________________________________________________________.

Second Paragraph: Support

There are many good reasons for ____________________________. However, it

cannot be ignored/overlooked that ___________________________. A classic
example of this is ___________________________________________ . Try to
add something interesting in this paragraph. Make sure you use a few
complicated structures—try putting a subordinate clause first. Like this: While
many type of professional promote the notion that
_________________________________, I believe the opposite should be argued
given the current situation/status/ of ____________________________________.

Conclusion

I have argued _______________________. This view will become increasingly

dominant in the coming century given ________________________________.
Many of these issues can never be resolved to everybody’s satisfaction, but in the
long run, promoting ________________________________ will lead to the
betterment of all involved. Finally, _____________________________ increased
something like global cooperation, cultural understanding, blah, blah, blah can
only result from this, resulting in ____________________________________ for
everybody.

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Here you have another template:

The issue of ___, which has aroused a heated debate in recent years, is quite an
interesting one, holding significant implications in this era of ____. In providing a
potential solution to this problem, several people maintain that ____, a stance that,
upon initial consideration, appears to provide an adequate solution. However,
when juxtaposed with the alternative of ___, the stance that ___ becomes far less
attractive. This second proposal provides a more comprehensive solution, not only
because of its ability to address the shortcomings of the opposing argument, but
also because of its strengths and advantages, which include ___, ___, and ___.

The first point that commands attention is…

Furthermore,…..

In addition….

There are many good reasons for the opposing side to argue that _____. However,
it cannot be ignored that this argument fails to understand/address _____. This
could prove crucial in its ability to provide an adequate solution, particularly since
_______. For example, _______. Blah Blah Blah. The proposal to ______, on the
other hand, understands and addresses this aspect of the issue, as evidenced by
_____. Consequently, it is much better able to serve as a resolution to the matter,
since it is much less likely to be undermined by potential drawbacks.

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ARGUMENT TEMPLATE:

The aforementioned argument, in asserting that …, appears at first glance to be a

coherent (could also say legitimate) and fairly convincing argument. However,
upon further examination of the argument and its underlying structure, a number
of flaws become evident to such an extent that one can take neither the argument
nor its conclusion seriously. Among the most pivotal shortcomings of the
argument is its inability to address—or even acknowledge—its assumptions, as
well as its negligence of the information necessary to substantiate its claims.

Or the topic sentence could be: Among the most pivotal shortcomings of the
argument are its inability to address—or even acknowledge—its assumption that
A, its assumption (or reliance on the faulty premise) that B, and its lack of
evidence necessary to substantiate the claim that C.

The argument, in its current state, contains a considerable number of defects, the
most blatant of which have been discussed above. Had the argument managed to
address the aforementioned concerns, both its persuasive ability and its apparent
legitimacy would have been greatly reinforced, perhaps to such an extent that it
would be difficult to refute. However, as it stands, one must necessarily conclude
that the argument is simply a hasty generalization, filled with overreaching
assumptions and deficiencies in information.

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Another one: ARGUMENT:

In drawing the conclusion that <blah... blah...blah...>, <xyz> uses the anecdotal
evidence <blah blah blah> and several unfounded assumptions. These
unsubstantiated assumptions, along with the flaws in the reasoning, leave the
argument less persuasive and weak.

The first questionable assumption stems from <blah blah...>. For Example, <blah
blah...>...

The second assumption that <blah blah...> leaves the possibility for <blah blah>
open.

Additionally, the logic that <... blah blah...> is weak because <blah blah>.

The argument could be strengthened by <blah blah...>. However, if the

information is <blah blah> the arguement falls apart.

As a result of the caveats in the premises and assumptions, the argument that
<blah blah> is weak. Before making a decision to <blah blah>, <xyz> must
consider <blah blah>.

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Take yet another one:
1 Para: The argument concludes that ...............mention the conclusion the author
has drawn from the argument. Avoid spelling mistakes of pronouns.
Make sure you mention all the premises and any assumption made by
the author. The augument is full of gaps and loop holes since it presents
fragmentary evidence. Neither are the premises convincing nor is the
conclusion compelling. The argument is very evidently the result of a
hasty generalization.

2 Para: Discuss the biggest fallacy in the argument. Mention all counter
arguments like what the author should have taken into consideration or
what he missed out.

3 Para: Same as above. Discuss second biggest fallacy.

4 Para: Mention other illogical assumtions. Do not state counter arguments.

5 Para: The argument is the result of a huge speculation in which the author has
comfortably assumed a considerable amount of data. Had the author
taken the above discussed factors into view, it would have rendered the
argument irrefutable. But whatever presented fails to provide a hololistic
picture to the superfluous claims being made.

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AN ESSAY DONE FOR U:
During her three years in office, Governor Riedeburg has shown herself to be
worthy leader. Since she took office, crime has decreased, the number of jobs
created per year doubled, and the number of people choosing to live in our state
has increased. These trends are likely to continue if she is re-elected. In
addition, Ms. Reideburg has promised to take steps to keep big companies here
thereby providing jobs for any new residents. Anyone who looks at her record
can tell that she is the best qualified candidate of governor.

The aforementioned argument, in asserting that Governor Riedeburg has shown

herself to be worthy leader, appears at first glance to be a coherent and fairly
convincing argument. However, upon further examination of the argument and its
underlying structure, a number of flaws become evident to such an extent that one
can take neither the argument nor its conclusion seriously. Among the most
pivotal shortcomings of the argument is its inability to address—or even
acknowledge—its assumptions, as well as its negligence of the information
necessary to substantiate its claims.

The argument concludes that Governor Reideburg should be re-elected into office
as she is the best qualified candidate. The author supports his decision by saying
that since Ms. Reideburg has taken over the office, crime has decreased, the
number of jobs created per year has doubled, and the number of people choosing
to live in that state has increased. In addition, the author claims that Ms.
Reideburg has promised to keep big companies here thereby providing jobs for
new residents. The author has conveniently assumed that these trends would
continue and that companies present in the state will provide jobs continuously to
all residents. The argument is full of gaps and loopholes since it presents
fragmentary evidence. Neither are the premises convincing nor is the conclusion
compelling. The argument is very evidently the result of a hasty generalization.

The argument clearly lacks sufficient evidence and statistical data to make such
supererogatory claims. While the author has stated that crime has decreased, there
is no statistical evidence to prove such a claim. It could just be a yearly trend, and
nothing is expressed for us to believe that this is a direct result of the governor
efforts. Similarly, even data about the residents moving to the state is ambiguous
as nothing about real estate values or quality of living is mentioned. Furthermore,
the author claims that number of jobs created per year have doubled, whereas the
quality of the jobs or the pay of the jobs is not mentioned.

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The argument takes various subjective factors into account. The author states that
the governor promises to take steps to keep big companies in the state that will
provide jobs to all new residents. These are only promises and whether they will
be fulfilled or not is a huge speculation. The author does not include the promises
made by the governor in her previous election and whether she kept to her word
or not. Also, it is not necessary that the companies present would continue to
provide jobs to all new residents. Likewise, the argument fails to mention what
steps the governor would take to improve the infrastructure of the state. Such a
claim is not sufficient to arrive at a conclusion.
The argument also fails to include any testimonials of the present denizens of the
state, and whether they are satisfied with the progress the governor has
accomplished or not. Similarly, the credibility of the newspaper in which the
article has appeared has to be taken into account. The argument is quite clearly a
propagandist motive to promote the governor. Finally, the article does not mention
credibility of the other candidates contesting for the governor's office, and one
cannot arrive at the conclusion that the Ms. Redeburg is the best suited candidate for
the job.

The argument, in its current state, contains a considerable number of defects, the
most blatant of which have been discussed above. Had the argument managed to
address the aforementioned concerns, both its persuasive ability and its apparent
legitimacy would have been greatly reinforced, perhaps to such an extent that it
would be difficult to refute. However, as it stands, one must necessarily conclude
that the argument is simply a hasty generalization, filled with overreaching
assumptions and deficiencies in information.

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