+ doesn’t destroy property
+ no walks
– needs food twice per day
You’re familiar with cats and dogs, so it’s probably already obvious to you that a cat would be a good low-maintenance choice and a dog would be good for companionship. Keep in mind, however, that the scenario you will see on your exam will be much less familiar to you. Organizing the information in grid form will make it much easier for you to see the relative strengths and weaknesses of each choice.
Step 2: Decide on a “more important” consideration (5 minutes total for steps 1-3)
At this point, you want to make a decision. Is it more important for John that the pet be maintenance-free or that it be a loyal companion? Again, there’s no right answer. Even so, you need to decide which you will make more important. Choose one that you can easily justify (even if it’s a made-up justification). For example, we’ll decide:
“Having a loyal companion is more important than having a low-maintenance pet because true friendship trumps all else. If John has a true companion and friend, the daily maintenance will become a labor of love instead of a hassle.”
Step 3: Make your choice! (5 minutes total for steps 1-3)
Your decision in step 2 should lead you to a clear choice. In this case, if we deem companionship to be the more important consideration, then we’ll want to choose the dog (since the dog clearly has more compelling plusses in that part of the grid).
“John should pick the dog because it will serve as a more loyal companion than the cat will.”
Step 4: Write the essay (25 minutes)
Plan on structuring your essay the same way every time. Here’s an easy template to follow:
Essay Section Template Paragraph 1: A. Summarize the decision to be made. “The scenario presented above puts John in a position in which he will choose between purchasing a cat and purchasing a dog.” B. Acknowledge the complexity of the decision. “Given the considerations and characteristics of the choices at hand, this is a very difficult decision in that each choice has its merits.” C. State your opinion. “Even so, John would be better served by choosing the dog.” Paragraph 2: A. State why the primary consideration (the one you chose to be the primary consideration) is more important and how your choice satisfies this consideration. “First, it is more important to have a pet that serves as a loyal companion than it is to have a pet that is maintenance-free…” (justify this statement, even if it’s a made-up justification) or “The dog will be a loyal companion in that it will …” (use the information from the grid to show how) B. State why the other choice (cat) falls short in this regard. “The cat, on the other hand, is a poor match for anyone looking for a loyal pet …” (use the information from the grid to show how) Paragraph 3: State how your choice still does an okay job with the secondary consideration. “Furthermore, while the dog isn’t an ideal choice for someone wanting a maintenance-free pet, it can learn to be relatively self-sufficient…” (use any other information from the grid to support this) Paragraph 4: Summarize your argument
Step 5: Proofread! (5 minutes)
Spelling errors, misprints, grammatical errors, etc. will never go over well. While a few simple mistakes won’t kill you, you want to be sure your final essay is as clean as possible.
Practice this a few times on some real essay prompts and you should be all set. Good luck!
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Need a 6 on the GMAT Writing Sample section? Use the 800score guide.
The GMAT Writing Sample consists of one 30-minute section, the Analysis of an Argument essay. You will receive a grade from 1 to 6 on each and these will be sent with your GMAT scores.
The good news is that the GMAT Writing Sample can be beaten. The essay topics are available for you to review beforehand. The structures for the GMAT Writing Sample answers are simple and may be learned. In addition, while much GMAT preparation may appear “useless” and without any merit beyond test day, the skills, reasoning tools, and techniques you learn for the GMAT Writing Sample may be applied to any essay or persuasive writing. Don’t worry about over-preparing for the GMAT Writing Sample section, because you’ll actually use this for the real world!
800score has graded tens of thousands of essays from GMAT candidates and we have an unparalleled knowledge of where students go wrong.
The guide is divided into these sections:
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The only 20 gmat vocabulary words you must know.
Does the GMAT test you on vocabulary? What vocab words or phrases will you need to know to succeed on the GMAT? In this article, I’ll give you a foundational GMAT vocabulary list and study strategies for learning the GMAT vocab that will help you excel on the exam.
First and foremost, the GMAT does not test you directly on vocabulary words. While you need strong reading, writing, and communication skills to succeed in business school, sophisticated vocabulary is not as much of a focus as it would be in an academic grad program (say, in the humanities). You won’t be asked to provide definitions, find synonyms, complete analogies, or demonstrate your knowledge of highly sophisticated vocab. So don’t worry about memorizing any vocabulary for the GMAT!
You will, of course, need to have a good grasp of high-school and college-level English vocabulary in order to succeed in the Verbal section. Sentence Correction questions (which require you to correct errors in grammar and sentence structure) don’t require much knowledge of high-level vocab, though it certainly doesn’t hurt. The Reading Comprehension and Critical Reasoning question types don’t usually include very complex vocab, but you do need to know some key terms in order to understand what’s being asked of you. Let me show you what I mean.
Below are some common words that you’ll see in instructions, questions, and answer choices on the GMAT, especially in the Verbal section.
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You won’t need to know an exact definition of each of these words, but you do need to know how each of them will be used in the context of the exam. Even if you’re already familiar with the word itself, you may not know how it will be used on the GMAT. For each word, I’ve provided an explanation of how it’s used in the test and an example sentence. Use them as a starting point for your GMAT vocab prep.
Analyze: To examine something (usually a passage or argument, in the context of the GMAT) and break it down into its constituent parts; to inspect in detail. The Analytical Writing Assessment asks you to analyze and critique a given argument.
Assertion: A statement, usually backed up by some kind of solid proof or reasoning. Synonyms include ‘claim’ and ‘contention.’
Assumption: The underlying reasoning of an argument. ‘Premise’ is a synonym. You’ll be asked about the assumptions of various arguments frequently in Critical Reasoning questions in the Verbal section.
Cite: To refer back to your source or reasoning.
Claim: An assertion, argument, or statement.
Contention: Can mean a conflict or clash. In the context of the GMAT, usually refers to an argument or assertion, especially a controversial one. The verb form is ‘to contend.’
Corroborate: To support or validate an existing opinion, belief, or argument. Other synonyms include ‘verify’ and ‘confirm.’ Often used in the phrase ‘corroborating evidence.’
Faulty: Some Critical Reasoning questions may ask you if or how an argument is faulty. Faulty is a synonym for ‘flawed’ or ‘invalid.’ An argument is faulty if there’s a gap in its logic, or if the conclusion reaches doesn’t flow logically from its premise.
Imply: To imply is to suggest based on evidence (but not state explicitly). The adjective form is ‘implicit,’ which is the opposite of ‘explicit’ (overt or clear). Many students get confused between ‘imply’ and ‘infer.’ They are similar, but not exactly alike. An inference is a conclusion we can reasonably draw based on given evidence. An implication is a strong suggestion that is not directly stated.
Infer/Inference: To infer is to conclude based on given evidence/information. When a Critical Reasoning question asks you to draw a conclusion based on a passage, it is asking you to make an inference.
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Maintain: In the context of the GMAT, ‘maintain’ means to argue, assert, or contend, particularly repeatedly or after opposition.
Mitigate: To lessen, diminish, or render less extreme or severe. Often used in the phrase ‘mitigating circumstances,’ which refers to circumstances that make a crime more understandable but don’t entirely exonerate someone of his/her crime.
Paradox: This is common in Critical Reasoning questions on the Verbal section. A paradox is something that is seemingly contradictory or doesn’t make sense, or two facts that don’t seem to coexist logically. Clues that a GMAT question may be asking you to identify a paradox are words like ‘discrepancy’ and ‘contradiction.’
Posit: To posit is to present an argument or hypothesis about something that is currently unknown or uncertain.
Premise: A premise is a statement upon which an argument or theory is based.
Redundancy: ‘Redundancy’ refers to something (a word, phrase, or piece of information) that’s repetitive and thus meaningless or unnecessary. It comes up most commonly in Sentence Correction questions, which ask you to eliminate redundancy in the answer choice you choose.
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Sufficient: Data Sufficiency questions, on the Quant section, ask you if a given piece of information is ‘sufficient’ to solve a problem or complete an equation. ‘Sufficient,’ in the context of the GMAT, means ‘enough on its own.’ In other words, could you answer this question or solve this problem or equation with only that numerical value or piece of information?
Undermine: To weaken or invalidate (usually an argument, in the context of the GMAT).
Validate: Often used interchangeably with ‘corroborate.’ (See above entry).
Warranted: ‘Warranted’ means justified, deserved, or necessary.
If you struggle with the GMAT Verbal section, you’ll want to develop some study strategies to improve your GMAT vocabulary.
Particularly if you find in your prep that you find some of the vocabulary on your GMAT practice tests intimidating, it can be helpful to do some reading in similar styles to what you’ll see on the exam. The Economist, Popular Science, Psychology Today, and The New York Times can all be good resources for your GMAT prep. Reading magazines and newspapers like these will help you get familiar with the vocab you’ll see on the exam and allow you to practice your reading comprehension skills.
You can use resources like GMATPrep free software to take official GMAT prep tests and practice with GMAT vocabulary in action. When you review questions, even ones you got right, try to break down the questions into their relevant parts and determine where you tripped up. What is being asked of you? How is “conclusion” being used different in one question than it was in another? How did you figure out what an author’s “assumption” was? Thinking backwards like this can help you to identify gaps and confusion in your GMAT-specific vocabulary.
When you go over your practice tests, it can be helpful to create a GMAT vocabulary list of all the words you’re unsure of in instructions, questions, passages, and answer choices. Use this personalized GMAT vocabulary list to create vocabulary flashcards and then study a few each day. This strategy won’t be necessary for everyone, but it can make a big difference if you’re a non-native English speaker or just struggling with understanding the GMAT questions.
You might encounter some unfamiliar words on the GMAT, but since you aren’t asked to provide direct definitions or synonyms, you can usually interpret their meaning from the overall passage. When you go over your practice tests, pick out a few unfamiliar words and try to discern their meanings from context. This is an important skill to build, as you can 1) start to learn the most commonly used vocab words on the GMAT and 2) begin to define vocab words in context more quickly and easily, which will be helpful on exam day.
For tips on the Verbal section, check out our guide to mastering the three types of GMAT verbal questions.
To master the Analytical Writing Assessment, head over to our guide to acing the Analytical Writing Assessment for some strategies.
If you’d like a further breakdown of the overall GMAT structure, our guide to the GMAT format will unpack it all for you by section and question type.
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Laura Dorwart is a Ph.D. student at UC San Diego. She has taught and tutored hundreds of students in standardized testing, literature, and writing. View all posts by Laura Dorwart
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The GMAT Analytical Writing Assessment requires you to write an essay, using a basic word processor, that critiques a provided argument. It is the first section of the GMAT and is to be completed in 30 minutes. The AWA is scored by two readers in half-intervals on a scale of 0-6.
The Analytical Writing Assessment (AWA) is a 30-minute section of the in-person GMAT that consists of one essay task, an "analysis of an argument.". Depending on what section order you choose for your exam, you'll complete the AWA section either first or last when you sit for your GMAT. If you choose the default section order, the AWA ...
Invariably, every single GMAT argument will have flaws—faulty assumptions, inadequate evidence, sampling or statistical issues, vague words (such as "many" or "few"), unsuitable comparisons, information or considerations that have been overlooked, and so on. Many GMAT essay prompts will contain more than one of these flaws.
For one, you will write a better analysis if you imagine yourself tied to the argument in some way, and two, the prompt asks you to strengthen the argument. Find some general evidence that will make the argument more convincing or make it irrefutable. Suggest a change so that the logic stands on firmer ground.
Here are a few tips to prepare you for the GMAT AWA section. Step 1 - Understand the process of creating a well-rounded analysis of an argument. You can do that in two ways or rather with the help of two tools. Step 2 - Practice! Practice! Practice! the AWA questions.
The GMAT Analytical Writing Assessment (AWA) provides clear instructions on how you should plan and write your essay. Kaplan students learn these instructions long before Test Day and do not waste precious testing time reading them while the clock ticks. Kaplan GMAT students learn the Kaplan Method for AWA and the Kaplan template for structuring the essay into paragraphs.
Another one of the important GMAT writing tips is to take the time to set up your essay in a clear way. You don't need to write the most interesting or lengthy essay in the world to score well on the AWA section, but you do need to give your essay an easy-to-follow structure. Usually, that consists of an introduction, three to four well ...
01 Jul 2022. Also called the GMAT Essay, the Analytical Writing Assessment (AWA) overall is a single task, which is to evaluate an argument. You will have a total of 30 minutes to consider the argument, write your essay, and finally proofread your essay. It can either be the first or final sections in your variable exam order; that is, you can ...
620. The Analytical Writing Assessment (AWA) section of the GMAT is one that many students find the most intimidating. The fact that it asks candidates to write a free-form essay - in contrast to the multiple-choice natures of the Quant and Verbal sections - can seem overwhelming, particularly to the many non-native-speaking candidates of the GMAT.
Step 1: Understand the Issue. The first step towards strong essay examples is to understand the two sides of the issue. You must either strongly agree or strongly disagree with the presented issue. Unlike real life where most of your opinions are probably a mix of gray, the GMAT Issue essay requires you to take a strong stand on one side of the ...
The Analytical Writing Assessment (AWA) section, consisting of one 30-minute essay, measures the test taker's ability to formulate an appropriate and constructive critique of a specific conclusion based on a specific line of thinking. The AWA score is an average of the two independent ratings. Scores average from zero to six, in half-point ...
The easiest format to use in writing this essay is the classic 5-paragraph style, and a simple, effective format will look something like this: Paragraph 1: Brief recap of argument and statement that the argument has merit but also contains multiple flaws. Also include a "roadmap" of the points that you will make, in the order that you will ...
One way to stay fresh for the rest of the exam is to have a good idea of what a high-scoring essay looks like, so we have provided some GMAT sample essays to review. Below we look at a "6" and discuss why it would have likely received a perfect score, then we examine a "4" and discuss how it could have been strengthened.
The GMAT Analytical Writing Assessment (AWA) provides clear instructions on how to plan and write your essay. Students must learn these instructions long before Test Day and do not waste precious testing time reading them while the clock ticks. Given below are the tips for writing a great GMAT AWA: 1. Confine to Objectivity in Analytical Writing.
By the end of this part, you should have a draft of your essay. To hit around 500 words, you should have written about 30-35 sentences of 15-20 words each. ... practice writing at least 4-5 essays. Take advantage of the GMAT Write tool provided by GMAC. ... You should be able to type that many words in less than 20 minutes.
The essay section is NOT meant to test how many big vocabulary words you know, how much you know about the business or any other specific topic, or really even how creative you are. The writing sample is a much lower priority than GMAT prep, so we suggest that you jump ahead to the GMAT course. Otherwise, you can divert about 20 minutes to ...
Re: How many words in AWA? [ #permalink ] Wed Nov 11, 2009 1:17 pm. I would shoot for more than 300 words but fewer than 500. Essay readers often grade on the perception of effort, and effort is often, for better or worse, correlated with length.
At a 5 or above, you'll essentially be fine in that your GMAT essay score won't hinder your application. For the vast majority of schools, a 5 is a good score. However, if you're applying to some top 10 business schools, you might want to push yourself further. To be safe, you should aim to score a perfect 6, or at least a 5.5.
Here are the three ways to order the GMAT: Analytical Writing, Integrated Reasoning, Quant, Verbal. Quant, Verbal, Integrated Reasoning, Analytical Writing. Verbal, Quant, Integrated Reasoning, Analytical Writing. Once you choose the order, that's how the GMAT parts will show up on your computer test.
It would matter to some extent, of course, if you really don't write enough. Take a look in your OG11 or 12 - the essay chapter includes some sample essays. See how many words they have. If a 4.0 essay has, say, 400 words, then I'd think 350 would be enough. If a 4.0 has 600 words, then 350 may not be enough.
The essay portion of the GMAT, or the Analytical Writing Assessment, is unlike most of the essays you've written for college. You're given a single, one-paragraph prompt containing some kind of argument, and rather than picking a side and building your own case, you have to critique how that argument is made.. Luckily, we've done the hard work of analyzing GMAT essay questions for you.
#5: Figure Out Your GMAT Study Schedule. Lots of people preparing for the GMAT are either in school or have full-time jobs. It's tough to fit in study time between all your other commitments, especially if you've been out of school for a few years and your study skills have grown rusty. Regardless, you'll need to commit hours per week to have a chance at improving your score significantly.
Use the GMAT vocab list I provided to begin your study of vocabulary and supplement it with your own words as you continue. To study GMAT vocabulary, read relevant high-level materials, practice with real GMAT questions, make your own GMAT vocab list and flashcards, and practice figuring out word meaning from context.