The Graduate Management Admission Test, or GMAT, is required for admission to business schools. The GMAT tests your understanding of basic arithmetic, algebra, geometry, multi-source data processing, and grammar.
The GMAT is divided into four sections: Analytical Writing Evaluation section, Integrated Reasoning section, Quantitative section, and Verbal section.
The GMAT AWA part of the GMAT exam assesses your analytical writing and critical-reasoning abilities. And, the best way to excel in this section is to practice rigorously.
In this blog, we will discuss the various GMAT essay topics and how to handle these GMAT writing prompts.
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GMAT Analytical Writing Section
Listed below are a few facts about GMAT AWA essay section:
- There are a variety of GMAT AWA topics in the GMAT exam out of which you are expected to compose an analytical essay by crtiquing the rationale of an argument.
- You will be graded on how well you evaluate the reason and evidence for the argument, defend your thoughts, and structure your answer. You are given 30 minutes in this section to assess an argument.
- The AWA score is not included in the overall GMAT score of 800. It is a different score in which the test-taker earns points from 0 to 6 in half-point scores.
- Your essay will be evaluated and graded by both a computer and the examiner. You will get your AWA score, along with GMAT sores, within 15 days of taking the test.
- All education institutions have cut-offs for the GMAT score out of 800, but the AWA score is out of 6. The cut-off range for the GMAT AWA section is between 4 to 4.5 for admission into universities.
GMAT analytical writing topics are marked based on the following skills:
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Presentation and Organization of the Essay
You will be marked based on how you portray your ideas while evaluating your work. If you have natural flows between concepts and a defined opening, body, and closing, your essay will be regarded as meaningful. However, your score will decline if your ideas are disorganised and erratic.
Linguistic Abilities
Linguistic abilities cover a variety of topics. The examiner assesses your technical command of conventional written English elements. The examiner will also evaluate whether your writing style contributes to a compelling or incorrect argument.
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Analytical Reasoning
Examiners will assess the quality of the notions and assertions you put forward when evaluating the level of your logical reasoning. They will also consider if your instances and relevant facts are pertinent to the case you are expressing.
There are various GMAT essay topics, let’s further look into what kinds of topics are asked in the AWA section of the GMAT exam:
GMAT AWA Topics
GMAT AWA prompts do not necessitate any prior understanding or prior knowledge of a certain field. They address a wide range of topics, including economics, politics, leadership, education, social issues, marketing, and the environment.
Here are a few sample GMAT essay prompts to help you guide how to write AWA in GMAT:
#1
“This past winter, 200 students from Waymarsh State College travelled to the state capitol building to protest against proposed cuts in funding for various state college programs. The other 12,000 Waymarsh students weren’t so concerned about their education: they either stayed on campus or left for winter break. Since the group who did not protest is far more numerous, it is more representative of the state’s college students than are the protesters. Therefore, the state legislature need not heed the appeals of the protesting students.”
#2
"While trucking companies that deliver goods pay only a portion of highway maintenance costs and no property tax on the highways they use, railways spend billions per year maintaining and upgrading their facilities. The government should lower the railroad companies’ property taxes, since sending goods by rail is a more appropriate mode of ground transportation than highway shipping. For one thing, trains consume only a third of the fuel a truck would use to carry the same load, making them a more cost-effective and environmentally sound mode of transport. Furthermore, since rail lines already exist, increases in rail traffic would not require building new lines at the expense of taxpaying citizens."
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#3
“Our total sales have increased this year by 20 percent since we added a pharmacy section to our grocery store. Clearly, the customer’s main concern is the convenience afforded by one-stop shopping. The surest way to increase our profits over the next couple of years, therefore, is to add a clothing department along with an automotive supplies and repair shop. We should also plan to continue adding new departments and services, such as a restaurant and a garden shop, in subsequent years. Being the only store in the area that offers such a range of services will give us a competitive advantage over other local stores.”
Question: 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 counterexamples might weaken the conclusion. You can also discuss what sort of evidence would strengthen or refute the argument, what changes in the argument would make it more logically sound, and what, if anything, would help you better evaluate its conclusion.
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Practising for the AWA section of the GMAT exam keeping in mind the kind of topics mentioned above will help you a great deal. You must begin your GMAT preparation in advance to obtain the necessary knowledge and confidence to perform well on the test. If you require further guidance and assistance, sign up for our Yocket Premium services now!
