sample gmat essay responses

GMAT AWA Writing Tips: 5 Steps for a 6.0 Score

Last Updated on May 12, 2023

GMAT test-takers tend to get a bit nervous about the Analytical Writing Assessment (AWA) because preparing for it doesn’t seem quite as straightforward as preparing for GMAT Quant or Verbal. Is it even possible to “study” how to write a high-scoring essay on an unknown topic with 30 minutes on the clock?

In truth, there is a formula to performing well on the GMAT Analytical Writing Assessment, and you don’t have to be Ralph Waldo Emerson to earn an enviable AWA score. In this article, I’ll give you 5 essential GMAT writing tips for scoring well on the Analytical Writing Assessment, including a 5-paragraph structure that will allow you to tackle any GMAT AWA question that gets thrown your way.

First things first, let’s review what exactly the GMAT Analytical Writing Assessment is and how it’s scored.

What Is the GMAT Analytical Writing Assessment?

How is the analytical writing assessment scored, how do i interpret my awa score, paragraph 1: intro, paragraphs 2-4: supporting points, paragraph 5: conclusion, tip #2: include transition words, tip #3: don’t neglect the basics, tip #4: don’t expect time to revise, tip #5: practice formulating supporting points.

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 section will appear first. If you choose to complete either the Quant or Verbal section first, the AWA section will appear last.

In AWA, an argument is presented to you that you must critique in an essay that can be any length. Your job is to analyze the argument’s reasoning, point out flaws and assumptions in the argument, and assess how evidence is used to support the argument’s conclusion, all while logically organizing and clearly communicating your ideas. AWA questions typically focus on business-related topics and are presented in the form of an excerpt from a hypothetical magazine or newspaper article, editorial, company memo or report, corporate or organization newsletter, or business plan, to name a few examples. The given argument in an AWA question is always accompanied by the following instructional statement:

“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.”

Generally speaking, your AWA essay is evaluated on the basis of the overall strength of your analysis of the given argument, the relevancy of the points you make, how your essay is organized, and the effectiveness with which you communicate your ideas.

So, for example, an AWA question might present a short paragraph from a company memo. The paragraph explains the company’s reasoning behind a recent decision to change some aspect of the company’s operations. Your job is to find any flaws in the company’s reasoning, explain why they are flaws, and point out any further information that would be useful in assessing whether the company’s reasoning was valid. Fortunately, you are not required to give your personal views on the subject matter or have any specific knowledge of the given topic.

AWA questions do not require that you give your personal views on or have any specific knowledge of the given topic.

Now that we’ve reviewed the basics of what the GMAT AWA is, let’s take a look at how the section is scored.

The GMAT Analytical Writing Assessment is scored in half-point increments on a scale of 0 to 6. Your AWA score is not factored into your total GMAT score and is not included in the unofficial score report that you see on test day immediately after you finish your exam. The reason the AWA score is not included in your unofficial report is that, unlike the other sections of the GMAT, which are scored by the computer, the AWA is scored by both a computer and a human scorer. A trained human reader scores your essay using whole points from 0 to 6, and a computer algorithm scores your essay using half-point increments from 0 to 6.

Then, the two scores are averaged to produce your final score. If there is a large disparity between the human score and the computer score, a second human scorer evaluates your essay, and your score may be adjusted. Additionally, if you feel that your AWA score does not accurately reflect your essay, you can submit a request to have your essay rescored by an independent reader, for a fee of $45. Rescoring requests can be made only once per essay and must be submitted within 6 months of your test date.

Since the AWA takes longer to score than the other sections of the GMAT, you and any score recipients you select on test day will receive your AWA score when your Official Score Report is available, about two weeks after your test date. In the case of revised AWA scores, your new score will be sent to you and any designated schools about 20 days after you submit your rescore request.

Now let’s look at how to interpret AWA scores.

As with other GMAT section scores , every possible AWA score is associated with a percentile ranking. Here are the current percentile rankings, as compiled by GMAC:

These percentile rankings tell us, for example, that if you earn a perfect score of 6.0 on the AWA section, then you have scored better than 88% of all GMAT test-takers. According to GMAC, the mean AWA score was 4.45 for all test-takers who sat for the GMAT during the period from January 2017 through December 2019. As you can see in the table above, that mean is just below the 46th percentile. In general, schools consider a score of 4.5, or better than 46% of all test-takers, about average and consider a score of 5.0, or better than 56% of all test-takers, “good.” For most programs, your AWA score is likely to raise some eyebrows if it’s below 4.0.

Most schools generally consider an GMAT AWA score of 4.5 about average and a score of 5.0 “good.”

So, we know what the GMAT AWA section tests, how it’s scored, and what those scores mean. Now let’s take a look at the 5 essential GMAT AWA writing tips for earning a great score.

Tip #1: Use a 5-Paragraph Template

As I’ll discuss in further detail later, there are dozens and dozens of possible essay topics that can appear on the GMAT, and you have no way of knowing which topic will appear on your test. Thus, it is not a realistic or efficient strategy to try to game out answers to all of the possible essay prompts or memorize what the prompts are (a full list of the possible AWA questions is published by GMAC here ).

The great news is that you don’t need to know which argument you’ll be presented with on test day in order to write a well-organized response to it within the 30-minute time limit. Instead, you can apply a simple 5-paragraph structure to any GMAT essay topic in order to write a logically organized response containing the elements necessary to earn a high AWA score.

The standard 5-paragraph essay structure consists of the following:

• An introductory paragraph
• Three supporting points (paragraphs 2, 3, and 4)
• A conclusion (paragraph 5)

Although there is no required word count for a GMAT AWA essay, a wise strategy is to shoot for around 500 words , give or take.

No matter the topic or argument, the basic template above will provide you with a logical framework for organizing your essay.

Apply a simple 5-paragraph structure to any GMAT essay topic to write a logically organized and complete argument analysis.

Let’s take a look at each part of the 5-paragraph structure in greater detail.

The purpose of your introductory paragraph is to restate the argument that has been presented to you and state your intention for critiquing it. In stating your intention, you should mention the flaws in the argument that you plan to address. Essentially, this prepares the reader for the points that they will encounter in paragraphs 2 through 4, without providing the specific details that those later paragraphs will include. In fact, your intro paragraph should accomplish everything it needs to in around 5 or 6 sentences.

The purpose of your introductory paragraph is to restate the argument that has been presented to you and state your intention for critiquing it.

The first sentence of the intro paragraph should always restate the given argument. So, you might start off your essay in one of the following ways, for example:

The argument states that … The argument claims that … The argument makes the claim that …

No need to get creative with the jumping off point for your AWA essay; you simply want to show that you understand what the argument is. When restating the argument, you can repeat much of the same language that is used in the question stem, but you should aim to rephrase the argument in as concise a manner as possible. You want to encapsulate the crux of the argument, not just rewrite the entire essay prompt. In particular, if the argument provides supporting evidence, that evidence is not necessary to repeat in your restatement of the argument. You’ll address the given evidence later, in your supporting points.

To better understand how to restate an argument, let’s look at an example of an actual GMAT AWA example that a test-taker could see on the exam:

The following appeared as part of an annual report sent to stockholders by Olympic Foods, a processor of frozen foods:

“Over time, the costs of processing go down because as organizations learn how to do things better, they become more efficient. In color film processing, for example, the cost of a 3-by-5-inch print fell from 50 cents for five-day service in 1970 to 20 cents for one-day service in 1984. The same principle applies to the processing of food. And since Olympic Foods will soon celebrate its 25th birthday, we can expect that our long experience will enable us to minimize costs and thus maximize profits.”

So, your essay might start off with the following restatement of the given argument:

The argument claims that Olympic Foods’ nearly 25 years of experience in food processing will enable the company to minimize costs and thus maximize profits. This conclusion is based on the premise that the costs of processing go down over time because organizations become more efficient as they learn how to do things better.

As you can see, much of the exact same language used in the essay prompt is repeated in the restatement of the argument above. However, the information is reorganized somewhat; in this case, the premise and conclusion are in the reverse order, with the conclusion of the argument stated first, and the premise on which the conclusion is based stated afterward.

Furthermore, the perspective of how the argument is stated has changed. In the essay prompt, the perspective was that of a statement in an annual report sent to stockholders. Clearly, your essay response would not be written from such a perspective, so some changes to the wording of the prompt are necessary. Notice also that the somewhat conversational tone of the prompt has been eliminated in the restatement and that extraneous words are left out. Lastly, notice that the supporting example given in the prompt is not included in the restatement that begins our response.

Of course, how you restate a given argument will depend largely on what the argument is. In some cases, you may be able to restate an argument in one sentence. In other cases, as above, you may need two sentences. The goal is to clearly and succinctly state what the argument is, distilling it down to its essence using the language used in the prompt, but not including any of the “filler.” The good news is that no matter what AWA question you encounter, the first sentence or two of your response will essentially already be written for you!

Always begin a GMAT AWA with a restatement of the given argument.

Let’s continue with our Olympic Foods example above. Your next task in the intro paragraph, after you restate the argument, is to outline on what grounds you plan to attack the argument. For example, you might say that the argument fails to take several key factors into account in reaching its conclusion, and then list the 3 such factors that you will address in the paragraphs that follow. Or you might say that the argument makes faulty assumptions and bases its claims on insufficient evidence, and then mention what those assumptions are that you plan to critique. Again, your job here is to highlight only those weak points in the argument that you will critique in your supporting points, so you should not include any argument flaws in your intro that you won’t address later on. Quickly jotting down on your scratch pad which flaws you plan to address, before you start writing your essay, can help you organize your thoughts and pinpoint exactly what you want the focus of each supporting paragraph to be.

Remember, you may be able to find a dozen flaws in an argument, but you won’t have time to critique them all. Furthermore, you shouldn’t waste time finding more flaws than you need and trying to decide which are the “best” ones to write about. The flaws that are most obvious to you — in other words, the ones you notice first — are likely the ones that will be easiest for you to expound on. After all, you noticed them right away, so there are probably relatively clear reasons why they represent weak points in the argument.

So, your restatement of the argument should be followed by a brief summary or overview of what your response to the argument will be. Let’s take a look at how we might do that in the case of the Olympic Foods question:

However, the argument lacks relevant and sufficient evidence, making several assumptions that ignore key factors that could affect its conclusion. For example, the argument assumes that an organization becomes more efficient as time passes. Furthermore, the argument assumes that cost savings achieved in tandem with increased efficiency must be the result of increased efficiency. Finally, the argument assumes that the downward trend of costs that was observed in one sector of processing will replicate in another, unrelated sector of processing.

In total, our sample intro paragraph is 6 sentences: 2 sentences restating the argument, and 4 sentences laying out what our critique of the argument will be. Of course, your mileage may vary depending on the essay prompt, but this basic framework can apply to whatever GMAT AWA question you see.

In the intro paragraph, follow your restatement of the argument with a brief summary or overview of what your critique of the argument (supporting points) will be.

After you’ve introduced the points you’ll touch on in your AWA essay, you’ll need to expand on those points in the next 3 paragraphs. Let’s talk about that now.

Paragraphs 2 through 4 represent the “meat” of your essay, with each paragraph elaborating on one of the points of critique you summarized in your intro. At the beginning of each of these paragraphs, you’ll want to state what aspect of the argument you’re critiquing in that paragraph, and then why that aspect is flawed. You may want to use real-world examples to support your critique, particularly if the word count of your essay is a little light. At the end of each supporting paragraph, you may want to mention a way that the aspect of the argument you’re discussing could’ve been strengthened.

Let’s take for example the second flaw that we set out to critique in our Olympic Foods essay, which will be the focus of the essay’s third paragraph: the argument assumes that cost savings achieved in tandem with increased efficiency must be the result of increased efficiency. In this paragraph, you might start off by saying that the argument supports its conclusion with an example of a decrease in cost and coinciding increase in processing speed that was realized after a number of years. You might then go on to say that the argument provides no evidence to demonstrate that this correlation is actually a causal relationship. Then, you might provide the real-world example of increased automation over those years as a factor that could simultaneously cut the labor costs associated with processing (and therefore reduce the total processing cost) and increase processing speed. Of course, automation and other technological advancements may or may not be readily available at any point in time and can be implemented at an organization regardless of how long it has been in existence, and both of those facts undermine the argument’s conclusion that Olympic Foods can expect to minimize costs because of its long experience. Thus, the argument would have been more convincing if it presented evidence that established that the observed cost savings were actually the result of faster processing times as opposed to some other factor, such as increased automation.

Each of the 3 paragraphs between your intro and your conclusion should elaborate on 1 of the supporting points you summarized in your intro.

Before we move on to the conclusion paragraph, I want to address a common question among GMAT students: whether writing 2 supporting paragraphs instead of 3 is a score-killer in AWA. The truth is, you may be able to earn a decent AWA score by including just 2 supporting points in your essay. And if for some reason you are running seriously low on time or absolutely can’t come up with a third supporting point, then I would say that a completed essay with just 2 supporting points is certainly better than an essay with 2 and a half supporting points and no conclusion, or 3 supporting points and no conclusion. However, there is really no way to say for sure what exact score difference 2 vs. 3 supporting paragraphs makes. So, to be on the safe side — unless you are truly stumped for ideas — plan to write 3.

Your conclusion paragraph is similar to your intro paragraph in that it should summarize the ways that the given argument is flawed. However, your conclusion should also summarize how the argument could be strengthened or the argument’s conclusion could be more accurately assessed. So, essentially, your conclusion paragraph pulls from all of the paragraphs that came before it, providing a tight summary of the main points of your critique and “wrapping a bow” around what you have stated about the validity of the argument’s reasoning.

A conclusion paragraph often begins with a phrase such as “In conclusion,” or “In summary,” but depending on how you organize your thoughts, you may choose to begin your conclusion paragraph differently. Additionally, you may decide to include a “concession” as part of your conclusion. A concession is a statement recognizing that some aspect of a given argument may be valid. For example, a concession could be phrased as such:

Although the argument rightly acknowledges that increased efficiency is one way that an organization can achieve cost savings …

Similar to the intro paragraph, the conclusion paragraph should accomplish its aims in around 4 or 5 sentences. This is not the place to reiterate details, give examples, or introduce new information.

In about 4 or 5 sentences, your conclusion paragraph should provide a tight summary of the main points of your critique and “wrap a bow” around what you have stated about the validity of the argument’s reasoning.

Before we move on to tip #2, take a look at the GMAT analytical writing example question, along with an essay response that received the highest possible AWA score, 6.0, at the bottom of this page . Notice that the essay follows the basic structure of introduction, 3 supporting points with real-world examples, and conclusion. In this case, the writer broke the introductory paragraph into two paragraphs, with the first paragraph restating the argument, and the second paragraph summarizing the intended response, but you can see that the component parts of the essay remain the same as those in our standard 5-paragraph structure.

An important part of scoring well on GMAT Analytical Writing is demonstrating logical organization and clear communication of your thoughts from sentence to sentence and paragraph to paragraph. If your essay seems to jump randomly from one idea to the next, then the reader scoring your essay will have a harder time following your train of thought. Thus, your analysis of the given argument may seem confusing and poorly thought out.

The fact is, even if your ideas are laid out in a logical order, in order to make your essay more readable and understandable, you need to create smooth transitions between paragraphs and between different ideas within the same paragraph. One of the main ways to create smooth transitions is to introduce new ideas using transition words and phrases. For example, the phrase “for example” is a transition phrase that we can use any time we want to shift from talking about a concept to talking about an example that illustrates that concept. Such words and phrases form the “connective tissue” that brings together all of the different parts of an essay into a cohesive whole.

Transition words and phrases form the “connective tissue” that brings together all of the different parts of an essay into a cohesive whole.

Transition words are commonly used to introduce new paragraphs, but you should also seek to incorporate them within the paragraphs of your essay in order to introduce examples or opinions, indicate contrast or support, help sum up your thoughts, show a result, or add emphasis to an important idea. Here are some key transition words and phrases that often come in handy in writing GMAT AWA essays:

• For example
• For instance
• Additionally
• In addition
• Furthermore
• In contrast
• On the other hand
• As a result
• Consequently
• In conclusion

The point is not to memorize this list but to be aware of the importance of transition words for clarifying your ideas and showing the logical progression of your analysis. In short, transition words make your essay more readable! Remember, there will eventually be a person reading and scoring your essay, a person who likely has to evaluate many, many GMAT essays. So, you want to make your essay as clear and engaging as possible. Transition words can help you do just that.

Use transition words throughout your essay to introduce new paragraphs, link different ideas within paragraphs, and show the logical progression of your thoughts.

Although the AWA section is primarily scored with an eye toward the overall structure, cohesiveness, and clarity of your essay, technical aspects such as grammar, spelling, and word choice are still factored into your AWA score. In this respect, the knowledge you’ve gathered while training for GMAT Sentence Correction should come in handy. Are your sentences well-structured, clear, and concise, or are they wordy and circular? Does your essay contain any run-on sentences, redundant words, or incorrect idioms? While you shouldn’t expect to have time to make sure that your essay is grammatically perfect, you do want to make sure that you don’t turn in sloppy, rushed writing.

Keep in mind that a few errors here and there are not going to sink your AWA score, but your essay will appear more polished and “finished” if you’re mindful of basic grammar rules and spelling. If a sentence is becoming overly long and winding, break it into two sentences. Demonstrate a broad vocabulary by varying your word choice. Most importantly, be aware that, even if your analysis is sound and your essay is well-organized, if you completely neglect the basics of grammar and spelling, your ideas will be less clear and your essay will be less readable overall.

Vary your word choice, break up overly long sentences, and be mindful of basic grammar and spelling in order to create a more polished essay.

You may be surprised at how quickly the time flies by when you’re writing your essay. So, don’t expect that you’ll have time at the end of the section to do significant revisions of what you wrote. In fact, you’re likely to find that you have no more than a minute or two — if that — to do a quick read-through of your completed essay. So, it’s important to construct your essay carefully and methodically as you’re writing it , because you probably won’t have time to go back later and do a major cleanup of your work or flesh out a bunch of half-formed ideas.

As you’re writing, make each sentence a “finished product” before you move onto the next one. Does that mean writing and rewriting the same sentence four times until you think it’s perfect? No. You will never be able to write a full and complete essay in the allotted time if you’re agonizing over every sentence. You don’t have time to seek perfection, nor do you need to in order to earn a great AWA score. If possible, use the last 2 minutes or so of your time to do a quick check for any spelling errors or glaring grammatical mistakes in your essay. Just don’t expect to have the last 10 or even 5 minutes of the section time to revise your work.

If possible, use the last 2 minutes of your time to do a quick check for spelling and grammar errors, but don’t expect to have 5 or 10 minutes to make significant revisions to your essay.

One of the most challenging and time-consuming aspects of the GMAT Analytical Writing Assessment is coming up with 3 supporting points. Your supporting points make up the bulk of your essay, and also the portion of your essay that requires the most critical thinking, creativity, and original thought. A great way to prepare yourself for this challenge is to practice thinking up supporting points for the actual essay topics published by GMAC. As a side benefit, this method of practice will also give you a chance to get acquainted with what AWA questions look like, the types of arguments they present, and how those arguments may be flawed.

Browse the topics list and choose a few at random for which you can practice coming up with 3 supporting points with real-world examples. You could also do a full practice essay or two, but I don’t recommend preparing for AWA by writing numerous, complete practice essays. The fact is, if you have the 5-paragraph template down, and you’ve reviewed the types of arguments presented in AWA questions, writing many practice essays really isn’t necessary in order to prepare for GMAT AWA. There is plenty to learn and practice for the GMAT , so you don’t want to waste valuable study time doing more than is actually needed to earn a high score. Thus, I also don’t recommend reading through the entire AWA question list (or attempting to memorize the essay prompts) as a productive use of your time.

Choose random essay prompts from the AWA question list published by GMAC, and practice coming up with 3 supporting points and real-world examples for them.

Now that you know these 5 key GMAT writing tips for scoring 6.0 on the Analytical Writing Assessment, check out these 8 tips for conquering GMAT Sentence Correction and these 8 GMAT Reading Comprehension dos and don’ts .

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About The Author

Scott Woodbury-Stewart is the founder & CEO of Target Test Prep. A passionate teacher who is deeply invested in the success of his students, Scott began his career teaching physics, chemistry, math, and biology. Since then, he has spent more than a decade helping students gain entry into the world’s top business schools, logging 10,000+ hours of GMAT, EA, GRE and SAT instruction. Scott also served as lead content developer and curriculum architect for the revolutionary courses Target Test Prep GMAT, Target Test Prep EA, Target Test Prep GRE and Target Test Prep SAT Quant.

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An Alternative Source for AWA Scoring Templates

Students often ask me how to write an effective “Analysis of an Argument” essay on the AWA portion of the GMAT, and how to know if their attempts on practice tests are good.

Well for starters, you have to know what the test-makers are looking for and how to break down a logical argument in the first place. I teach the basics of logical reasoning in my GMAT courses (how to identify assumptions, how to strength/weaken arguments, etc.), since that’s an important part of doing well on GMAT Critical Reasoning questions. And of course those skills translate perfectly to the Argument Essay as well.

But then even once you know how to evaluate a logical argument, how do you know if the essay you’ve written about a particular prompt is worthy of a high score?

One of the most useful ways is by reading sample essay responses of varying score levels. That makes as plain as day the difference between a 6.0-level essay and, say, a 4.0-level essay.

Now, there’s just such an illustration in the GMAT Official Guide Analytical Writing Assessment chapter. The book provides a sample essay prompt and three essay responses — one that would have received a score of 6.0, one that would have received a score of 4.0, and one that would have received a score of 2.0. Getting familiar with the differences will help you with your own essays, to be sure.

Okay, so that’s helpful. But what if you want more examples?

Here are two other sources of sample Argument Essay prompts and template responses that you can use as a guide when answering similar essay topics on test day:

• The GMAC website at mba.com provides a few tips about the AWA section and a sample prompt with a 6.0-level response. You can review it here: https://www.mba.com/exams/gmat/about-the-gmat-exam/gmat-exam-structure/analytical-writing-assessment .
• You may be interested to note that the GRE also has an essay section, and one of the essays students are expected to write on the GRE is almost identical to the GMAT Analysis of an Argument essay. Fortunately for you, the ETS has done a much better job of providing information about that particular essay on their website. Indeed, they provide a sample argument prompt with six different responses of varying scores, with expert commentary. I think you’ll find it very helpful as you prepare for GMAT AWA section. You can get to the GRE’s take on the Argument Task here: https://www.ets.org/gre/revised_general/prepare/analytical_writing/argument/sample_responses .

I hope you find this helpful. Oh, and one of the services I provide to students who have registered for one of my comprehensive GMAT prep courses is that I review the essays they write on their practice tests and provide personalized feedback. I’d love to be able to do the same for you and hope you’ll choose to partner with us! You can check out our online GMAT course options and choose the one that’s right for you, here: https://www.dominatethegmat.com/video-purchase/ .

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GMAT Sample Essays

All GMAT students know the Argument essay comes first in the test, before we get to the more important Quantitative and Verbal sections, so it’s important not to exhaust ourselves in this first part of the exam. 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. You can find more example essays in the GMAT Official Guide. Happy writing!

ESSAY QUESTION #1:

The following appeared in the editorial section of a national news magazine:

“The rating system for electronic games is similar to the movie rating system in that it provides consumers with a quick reference so that they can determine if the subject matter and contents are appropriate. This electronic game rating system is not working because it is self-regulated and the fines for violating the rating system are nominal. As a result an independent body should oversee the game industry and companies that knowingly violate the rating system should be prohibited from releasing a game for two years.”

Discuss how well reasoned you find this argument. Point out flaws in the argument’s logic and analyze the argument’s underlying assumptions. In addition, evaluate how supporting evidence is used and what evidence might counter the argument’s conclusion. You may also discuss what additional evidence could be used to strengthen the argument or what changes would make the argument more logically sound.

The author concludes that electronic game rating system is not working compared to the movie rating system. He gives reasoning for the argument by stating that electronic companies ability to self manage and regulate the rating system is part of the problem. Author also gives reason for what needs to be done in order for electronic rating system to work, but his reasons are weak. In the next few paragraphs, I will explain why the author’s reasons are weak and what could strengthen the argument.

First, the author mentions that by hiring an independent company to oversee the operation of the electronic rating system would solve the issue. This big assumption that author makes here is that he assumes independent company would do a better job in rating games than electronic game companies themselves. If the electronic gaming companies had a better understanding on how to improve, they might themselves do a better job than independent company to oversee the ratings.

Second, the author mentions that if an electronic company violates the rating system rule, then the penalty would be to prohibit that company from releasing any games for two years. This is another weak point the makes to support his argument because if the electronic company regular product-life cycle is to release each gave every two years, this penalty wouldn’t hurt the company at all. Also, there is not way of assessing how many year of prohibition would be adequate.

Author could have strengthen his argument, if he provided some data point such as from the movie industry to defend this stance that making independent company oversee and prohibition of movie release actually worked in the long-run. Perhaps, some research data that showed making these changes would actually work, would benefit the author’s overall argument stance.

Therefore, the author’s argument that electronic game rating system is not working is weak. Both of the points he made regarding independent company oversee and violation penalty are weak without data showing that it might work.

RECAP: The first thing that stands out in this essay is the organization. The paragraphs as clearly laid out and succinct, and each begin with a great transition word or phrase. The introductory paragraph, while unfortunately uses some unneeded self-reference, clearly demonstrates an understanding of the presented argument, which is mandatory of all “6” essays. Each flaw is then pointed out in a body paragraph, and the author then chooses to include a nice “how to strengthen” paragraph to demonstrate that he/she knows the argument at a more advanced level! The conclusion is clear, and reinforces the claims previously made. While no means perfect, the strong reasoning and clarity of organization definitely give this author a “6”!

ESSAY QUESTION #2:

Political organizations that advocate the use of violence to achieve their goals should be prohibited from operating within our country. Such groups are only interested in achieving short term goals which lead to more serious long term problems.

Political organizations that advocate the use of violence to achieve its goals can sometimes lead to destruction and devastation. However, that claim that such groups are detrimental to society does not follow the same line of reasoning. These groups might be of great help to certain sections of society. Also the claim that short term solutions can only lead to more serious long term problems is stated without any evidence. Hence the above argument is flawed.

Firstly, political organizations might be of great help to certain sections of society. Take for example the Indian National Congress party that helped tons of Indian’s voice their views to the British government during the British rule in india. Although this political organization advocated the use of violence, the organization was critical to India becoming a free of British rule in 1947.

Secondly, the argument assumes that short term solutions lead to more serious long term problems. Short term solutions are often very important in achieving long term goals, irrespective of whether the organizations advocate violence or not. The argument must also state clearly what constitutes violence. In a free country, such as the United States, to prohibit any political organization is to put a hold on their freedom. As long as the violence or aggressive behavior is not illegal, one can not prohibit a political organization from operating.

Thus although the argument seems to convey a valid point, that political organizations that advocate the use of violence should be prohibited from operating, it is worded to strongly and lacks evidence to support its claims that these groups are detrimental to society.

RECAP: The major difference between these two essays is length. More is not always better, but a student who can write 5-6 paragraphs within the given time frame definitely will stand out as a better planner, and as someone who already had a workable template. Furthermore, some minor grammar and spelling mistakes interfere with the essay’s clarity. The thesis, “Hence the above argument is flawed, “ is not as strongly worded as it could be, and doesn’t stand on its own as a powerful statement. The conclusion also seems to weaken the essay by admitting the argument conveys “a valid point.” This concession, without being more specific, weakens the overall thesis. The takeaway: length, specificity, and strength of argument will take this “4” to a “6.”

More AWA Resources: GMAT Essay Writing Guide

Homepage > GMAT Preparation > GMAT Essay – List of AWA Topics – 50 Practice Questions on GMAT AWA 2023

GMAT Essay – List of AWA Topics – 50 Practice Questions on GMAT AWA 2023

Posted by Suheb Hussain | Jan 25, 2023 | GMAT Focus Edition , GMAT IR and AWA , GMAT Preparation

This document contains practice questions that will help you improve the AWA section or the GMAT essay section. Discuss in your GMAT essay how well-reasoned you find the argument. Here are some ways you can do that while writing your GMAT essay for the AWA section. 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.

We also recommend you read this article on how to score a perfect 6 on the GMAT AWA.

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GMAT Essay practice question 1

• The following appeared as part of an article in a trade magazine:

“During a recent trial period in which government inspections at selected meat-processing plants were more frequent, the number of bacteria in samples of processed chicken decreased by 50 percent on average from the previous year’s level. If the government were to institute more frequent inspections, the incidence of stomach and intestinal infections throughout the country could thus be cut in half. In the meantime, consumers of Excel Meats should be safe from infection because Excel’s main processing plant has shown more improvement in eliminating bacterial contamination than any other plant cited in the government report.”

Discuss how well reasoned . . . etc.

GMAT Essay practice question 2

2. The following appeared as part of an annual report sent to stockholders by Olympic Foods, a processor of frozen foods:

“Over time, the costs of processing go down because as organizations learn how to do things better, they become more efficient. In color film processing, for example, the cost of a 3-by-5-inch print fell from 50 cents for five-day service in 1970 to 20 cents for one-day service in 1984. The same principle applies to the processing of food. And since Olympic Foods will soon celebrate its 25th birthday, we can expect that our long experience will enable us to minimize costs and thus maximize profits.”

GMAT AWA practice question 3

3. The following appeared in a memorandum from the business department of the Apogee Company:

“When the Apogee Company had all its operations in one location, it was more profitable than it is today. Therefore, the Apogee Company should close down its field offices and conduct all its operations from a single location. Such centralization would improve profitability by cutting costs and helping the company maintain better supervision of all employees.”

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GMAT Essay practice question 4

4. The following appeared in a memorandum issued by a large city’s council on the arts:

“In a recent citywide poll, 15 percent more residents said that they watch television programs about the visual arts than was the case in a poll conducted five years ago. During these past five years, the number of people visiting our city’s art museums has increased by a similar percentage. Since the corporate funding that supports public television, where most of the visual arts programs appear, is now being threatened with severe cuts, we can expect that attendance at our city’s art museums will also start to decrease. Thus some of the city’s funds for supporting the arts should be reallocated to public television.”

GMAT Essay practice question 5

5. The following appeared in an announcement issued by the publisher of The Mercury , a weekly newspaper:

“Since a competing lower-priced newspaper, The Bugle , was started five years ago, The Mercury ’s circulation has declined by 10,000 readers. The best way to get more people to read The Mercury is to reduce its price below that of The Bugle , at least until circulation increases to former levels. The increased circulation of The Mercury will attract more businesses to buy advertising space in the paper.”

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GMAT Essay practice question 6

6.  The following appeared in a report presented for discussion at a meeting of the directors of a company that manufactures parts for heavy machinery:

“The falling revenues that the company is experiencing coincide with delays in manufacturing. These delays, in turn, are due in large part to poor planning in purchasing metals. Consider further that the manager of the department that handles purchasing of raw materials has an excellent background in general business, psychology, and sociology, but knows little about the properties of metals. The company should, therefore, move the purchasing manager to the sales department and bring in a scientist from the research division to be manager of the purchasing department.”

GMAT Essay practice question 7

7. The following appeared in a research paper written for an introductory economics course:

“For the past century, an increase in the number of residential building permits issued per month in a particular region has been a reliable indicator of coming improvements to that region’s economy. If the monthly number of residential building permits issued rises consistently for a few months, the local unemployment rate almost always falls and economic production increases. This well-established connection reveals an effective method by which a regional government can end a local economic downturn: relax regulations governing all construction so that many more building permits can be issued.”

Discuss how well reasoned . . .etc.

GMAT Essay practice question 8

8.  The following appeared in a memorandum to the work-group supervisors of the GBS Company:

“The CoffeeCart beverage and food service located in the lobby of our main office building is not earning enough in sales to cover its costs, and so the cart may discontinue operating at GBS. Given the low staff morale, as evidenced by the increase in the number of employees leaving the company, the loss of this service could present a problem, especially since the staff morale questionnaire showed widespread dissatisfaction with the snack machines.

Therefore, supervisors should remind the employees in their group to patronize the cart—after all, it was leased for their convenience so that they would not have to walk over to the cafeteria on breaks.”

GMAT Essay practice question 9

9. The following appeared in a memorandum written by the chair of the music department to the president of Omega University:

“Mental health experts have observed that symptoms of mental illness are less pronounced in many patients after group music-therapy sessions, and job openings in the music-therapy field have increased during the past year. Consequently, graduates from our degree program for music therapists should have no trouble finding good positions. To help improve the financial status of Omega University, we should, therefore, expand our music-therapy degree program by increasing its enrollment targets.”

GMAT Essay practice question 10

10. The following appeared in a memorandum from the vice president of Gigantis, a development company that builds and leases retail store facilities:

“Nationwide over the past five years, sales have increased significantly at outlet stores that deal exclusively in reduced-price merchandise. Therefore, we should publicize the new mall that we are building at Pleasantville as a central location for outlet shopping and rent storage space only to outlet companies. By taking advantage of the success of outlet stores, this plan should help ensure full occupancy of the mall and enable us to recover quickly the costs of building the mall.”

11. The following appeared in a memorandum from the business planning department of Avia Airlines:

“Of all the cities in their region, Beaumont and Fletcher are showing the fastest growth in the number of new businesses. Therefore, Avia should establish a commuter route between them as a means of countering recent losses on its main passenger routes. And to make the commuter route more profitable from the outset, Avia should offer a 1/3 discount on tickets purchased within two days of the flight. Unlike tickets bought earlier, discount tickets will be nonrefundable, and so gain from their sale will be greater.”

12. The following appeared in a speech by a stockholder of Consolidated Industries at the company’s annual stockholders’ meeting:

“In the computer hardware division last year, profits fell significantly below projections, the product line decreased from 20 to only 5 items, and expenditures for employee benefits increased by 15 percent. Nevertheless, Consolidated’s board of directors has approved an annual salary of more than $1 million for our company’s chief executive officer. The present board members should be replaced because they are unconcerned about the increasing costs of employee benefits and salaries, in spite of the company’s problems generating income.”

13.  The following appeared as part of a business plan by the Capital Idea investment firm:

“In recent years the worldwide demand for fish has grown, and improvements in fishing technology have made larger catches and thus increased supply possible: for example, last year’s tuna catch was 9 percent greater than the previous year’s. To capitalize on these trends, we should, therefore, invest in the new tartfish processing plant on Tartfish Island, where increasing revenues from tourism indicate a strong local economy.”

14. The following appeared as part of an article in a weekly newsmagazine:

“The country of Oleum can best solve the problem of its balance of trade deficit by further increasing the tax on its major import, crude oil. After Oleum increased the tax on imported crude oil four months ago, consumption of gasoline declined by 20 percent. Therefore, by imposing a second and significantly higher tax increase next year, Oleum will dramatically decrease its balance of trade deficit.”

15. The following appeared in a memorandum from the human resources department of HomeStyle, a house remodeling business:

“This year, despite HomeStyle’s move to new office space, we have seen a decline in both company morale and productivity, and a corresponding increase in administrative costs. To rectify these problems, we should begin using a newly developed software package for performance appraisal and feedback. Managers will save time by simply choosing comments from a preexisting list; then the software will automatically generate feedback for the employee. The human resources department at CounterBalance, the manufacturer of the countertops we install, reports satisfaction with the package.”

16. The following appeared in a memorandum written by the managing director of the Exeunt Theater Company:

“Now that we have moved to a larger theater, we can expect to increase our revenues from ticket sales. To further increase profits, we should start producing the plays that have been most successful when they were performed in our nation’s largest cities. In addition, we should hire the Adlib Theater Company’s director of fund-raising, since corporate contributions to Adlib have increased significantly over the three years that she has worked for Adlib.”

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17. The following appeared in a memorandum from a regional supervisor of post office operations:

“During a two-week study of postal operations, the Presto City post office handled about twice as many items as the Lento City post office, even though the cities are about the same size. Moreover, customer satisfaction appears to be higher in Presto City, since the study found fewer complaints regarding the Presto City post office. Therefore, the postmasters at these two offices should exchange assignments: the Presto City postmaster will solve the problems of inefficiency and customer dissatisfaction at the Lento City office while the Lento City postmaster learns firsthand the superior methods of Presto City.”

18. The following appeared in a memorandum from the human resources department of Diversified Manufacturing:

“Managers at our central office report that their employees tend to be most productive in the days immediately preceding a vacation. To help counteract our declining market share, we could increase the productivity of our professional staff members, who currently receive four weeks paid vacation a year, by limiting them to a maximum of one week’s continuous vacation time. They will thus take more vacation breaks during a year and give us more days of maximum productivity.”

19. The following appeared in a memorandum from the marketing department of a children’s clothing manufacturer:

“Our HuggyBunny brand is the bestselling brand of children’s clothing. Parents everywhere recognize the HuggyBunny logo as a mark of quality, and most of our customers show great brand loyalty. Sales reports have shown that parents are more likely to buy children’s clothes with the familiar HuggyBunny brand and logo than otherwise identical clothes without it. Therefore, if we use the HuggyBunny brand name and logo for the new line of clothing for teenagers that our company will soon be introducing, that clothing will sell better than it would if we labeled it with a new brand name and logo.”

20. The following appeared in a memorandum from the president of Aurora, a company that sells organic milk (milk produced without the use of chemical additives):

“Sales of organic food products in this country have tripled over the past five years. If Aurora is to profit from this continuing trend, we must diversify and start selling products such as organic orange juice and organic eggs in addition to our regular product line. With the recent increase of articles in health magazines questioning the safety of milk and other food products, customers are even more likely to buy our line of organic products. And to help ensure our successful expansion, we should hire the founder of a chain of health-food stores to serve as our vice president of marketing.”

21. The following appeared as part of an article in a newsletter for farmers:

“Users of Solacium, a medicinal herb now grown mainly in Asia, report that it relieves tension and promotes deep sleep. A recent study indicates that a large number of college students who took pills containing one of the ingredients in Solacium suffered less anxiety. To satisfy the anticipated demands for this very promising therapeutic herb and to reap the financial benefits, farmers in this country should begin growing it.”

22. The following appeared as part of the business plan of the Capital Idea investment firm:

“Across town in the Park Hill district, the Thespian Theater, Pizzazz Pizza, and the Niblick Golf Club have all had business increases over the past two years. Capital Idea should, therefore, invest in the Roxy Playhouse, the Slice-o’- Pizza, and the Divot Golf Club, three new businesses in the Irongate district. As a condition, we should require them to participate in a special program: Any customer who patronizes two of the businesses will receive a substantial discount at the third. By motivating customers to patronize all three, we will thus contribute to the profitability of each and maximize our return.”

23. The following appeared in a memorandum from the owner of Carlo’s Clothing to the staff:

“Since Disc Depot, the music store on the next block began a new radio advertising campaign last year, its business has grown dramatically, as evidenced by the large increase in foot traffic into the store. While the Disc Depot’s owners have apparently become wealthy enough to retire, profits at Carlo’s Clothing have remained stagnant for the past three years. In order to boost our sales and profits, we should, therefore, switch from newspaper advertising to frequent radio advertisements like those for Disc Depot.”

24. The following appeared in a letter to the editor of a River City newspaper:

“The Clio Development Group’s plan for a multilevel parking garage on Dock Street should be approved in order to strengthen the economy of the surrounding area. Although most of the buildings on the block would have to be demolished, they are among the oldest in the city and thus of little current economic value. Those who oppose the project should realize that historic preservation cannot be the only consideration: even Athens or Jerusalem will knock down old buildings to put up new ones that improve the local economy.”

25. The following appeared in a memorandum from the publisher to the staff of The Clarion , a large metropolitan newspaper:

“During the recent campaign for mayor, a clear majority of city readers who responded to our survey indicated a desire for more news about city government. To increase circulation, and thus our profits, we should therefore consistently devote a greater proportion of space in all editions of The Clarion to coverage of local news.”

26. The following appeared in a corporate planning memorandum for a company that develops amusement parks:

“Because travel from our country to foreign countries has increased dramatically in recent years, our next project should be a ‘World Tour’ theme park with replicas of famous foreign buildings, rides that have international themes, and refreshment stands to serve only foods from the country represented by the nearest ride. The best location would be near our capital city, which has large percentages of international residents and of children under the age of 16. Given the advantages of this site and the growing interest in foreign countries, the ‘World Tour’ theme park should be as successful as our space-travel theme park, where attendance has increased tenfold over the past decade.”

27.  The following appeared in a letter to the editor of a River City newspaper:

“The Clio Development Group should not be permitted to build a multilevel parking garage on Dock Street since most of the buildings on the block would have to be demolished. Because these buildings were erected decades ago, they have historic significance and must, therefore, be preserved as economic assets in the effort to revitalize a restored riverfront area. Recall how Lakesburg has benefited from business increases in its historic downtown center. Moreover, there is plenty of vacant land for a parking lot elsewhere in River City.”

28. The following appeared in a letter to the editor of a local newspaper:

“Our city council’s neglect of the impoverished Railroad Flats neighborhood has left businesses with little incentive to locate there. Building a new professional football stadium in the neighborhood would solve this problem. Thousands of football fans would travel to the area to see games, and they would buy from local merchants, encouraging new businesses to open. So our city council should move quickly to fund the construction of a professional football stadium in Railroad Flats in order to help the neighborhood develop a thriving economy.”

29. The following appeared in a memorandum from the director of marketing for a pharmaceutical company:

“According to a survey of 5,000 urban residents, the prevalence of stress headaches increases with educational level, so that stress headaches occur most often among people with graduate-school degrees. It is well established that, nationally, higher educational levels usually correspond with higher levels of income. Therefore, in marketing our new pain remedy, Omnilixir, we should send free samples primarily to graduate students and to people with graduate degrees, and we should concentrate on advertising in professional journals rather than in general interest magazines.”

30. The following appeared as part of an editorial in the Waymarsh city newspaper:

“Last year the parents of first graders in our school district expressed satisfaction with the reading skills their children developed but complained strongly about their children’s math skills. To remedy this serious problem and improve our district’s elementary education, everyone in the teacher-training program at Waymarsh University should be required to take more courses in mathematics.”

31. The following appeared in a memorandum from the business office of the Lovin’ Cupful, a national restaurant chain:

“The Lovin’ Cupful franchises in our northeast region have begun serving customers Almost, a brand new powdered instant tea, in place of brewed tea. Waiters report that only about 2 percent of the customers have complained and that customers who want refills typically ask for ‘more tea.’ It appears, then, that 98 percent of the customers are perfectly happy with the switch, or else they cannot tell powdered instant from brewed tea. Therefore, in order to take advantage of the lower price per pound of Almost, all of our restaurants should begin substituting it for brewed tea.”

32. The following appeared as a memorandum from the vice-president of the Dolci candy company:

“Given the success of our premium and most expensive line of chocolate candies in a recent taste test and the consequent increase in sales, we should shift our business focus to producing additional lines of premium candy rather than our lower-priced, ordinary candies. When the current economic boom ends and consumers can no longer buy major luxury items, such as cars, they will still want to indulge in small luxuries, such as expensive candies.”

33. The following appeared in a memorandum from the director of research and development at Ready-to-Ware, a software engineering firm:

“The package of benefits and incentives that Ready-to-Ware offers to professional staff is too costly. Our quarterly profits have declined since the package was introduced two years ago, at the time of our incorporation. Moreover, the package had little positive effect, as we have had only marginal success in recruiting and training high-quality professional staff. To become more profitable again, Ready-to-Ware should, therefore, offer the reduced benefits package that was in place two years ago and use the savings to fund our current research and development initiatives.”

34. The following appeared in a memorandum from the assistant manager of Pageturner Books:

“Over the past two years, Pageturner’s profits have decreased by 5 percent, even though we have added a popular café as well as a music section selling CDs and tapes. At the same time, we have experienced an increase in the theft of merchandise. We should, therefore, follow the example of Thoreau Books, which increased its profits after putting copies of its most frequently stolen books on a high shelf behind the payment counter. By doing likewise with copies of the titles that our staff reported stolen last year, we too can increase profitability.”

35. The following appeared in a memorandum to a team developing accounting software for SmartPro Software, Inc.:

“Currently, more professional accountants use SmartPro accounting software than any other brand. However, in the market for personal accounting software for non-professionals to use in preparing their income tax returns, many of our competitors are outselling us. In surveys, our professional customers repeatedly say that they have chosen SmartPro Software because our most sophisticated software products include more advanced special features than competing brands. Therefore, the most effective way for us to increase sales of our personal accounting software for home users would clearly be to add the advanced special features that our professional software products currently offer.”

36. The following appeared in a memorandum written by the assistant manager of a store that sells gourmet food items from various countries:

“A local wine store made an interesting discovery last month: it sold more French than Italian wine on days when it played recordings of French accordion music, but it sold more Italian than French wine on days when Italian songs were played. Therefore, I recommend that we put food specialties from one particular country on sale for a week at a time and play only music from that country while the sale is going on. By this means we will increase our profits in the same way that the wine store did, and we will be able to predict more precisely what items we should stock at any given time.”

37. The following appeared in a memo to the Saluda town council from the town’s business manager:

“Research indicates that those who exercise regularly are hospitalized less than half as often as those who don’t exercise. By providing a well-equipped gym for Saluda’s municipal employees, we should be able to reduce the cost of our group health insurance coverage by approximately 50 percent and thereby achieve a balanced town budget.”

38. The following appeared as part of a letter to the editor of a local newspaper:

“Bayview High School is considering whether to require all of its students to wear uniforms while at school. Students attending Acorn Valley Academy, a private school in town, earn higher grades on average and are more likely to go on to college. Moreover, Acorn Valley reports few instances of tardiness, absenteeism, or discipline problems. Since Acorn Valley requires its students to wear uniforms, Bayview High School would do well to follow suit and require its students to wear uniforms as well.”

39. The following appeared as part of a memorandum from the loan department of the Frostbite National Bank:

“We should not approve the business loan application of the local group that wants to open a franchise outlet for the Kool Kone chain of ice cream parlors. Frostbite is known for its cold winters, and cold weather can mean slow ice cream sales. For example, even though Frostbite is a town of 10,000 people, it has only one ice cream spot—the Frigid Cow. Despite the lack of competition, the Frigid Cow’s net revenues fell by 10 percent last winter.”

40. The following appeared in a letter from a staff member in the office of admissions at Argent University:

“The most recent nationwide surveys show that undergraduates choose their major field primarily based on their perception of job prospects in that field. At our university, economics is now the most popular major, so students must perceive this field as having the best job prospects. Therefore, we can increase our enrollment if we focus our advertising and recruiting on publicizing the accomplishments of our best-known economics professors and the success of our economics graduates in finding employment.”

41. The following appeared as part of a business plan created by the management of the Take Heart Fitness Center:

“After opening the new swimming pool early last summer, Take Heart saw a 12 percent increase in the use of the center by its members. Therefore, in order to increase membership in Take Heart, we should continue to add new recreational facilities in subsequent years: for example, a multipurpose game room, a tennis court, and a miniature golf course. Being the only center in the area offering this range of activities would give us a competitive advantage in the health and recreation market.”

42. The following appeared as part of an article in the book section of a newspaper:

“Currently more and more books are becoming available in electronic form—either free-of-charge on the Internet or for a very low price-per-book on compact disc.* Thus literary classics are likely to be read more widely than ever before. People who couldn’t have purchased these works at bookstore prices will now be able to read them for little or no money; similarly, people who find it inconvenient to visit libraries and wait for books to be returned by other patrons will now have access to whatever classic they choose from their home or work computers. This increase in access to literary classics will radically affect the public taste in reading, creating a far more sophisticated and learned reading audience than has ever existed before.”

*A compact disc is a small portable disc capable of storing relatively large amounts of data that can be read by a computer.

43. The following appeared as an editorial in a magazine concerned with educational issues:

“In our country, the real earnings of men who have only a high-school degree have decreased significantly over the past 15 years, but those of male college graduates have remained about the same. Therefore, the key to improving the earnings of the next generation of workers is to send all students to college. Our country’s most important educational goal, then, should be to establish enough colleges and universities to accommodate all high school graduates.”

44. The following appeared in an editorial from a newspaper serving the town of Saluda:

“The Saluda Consolidated High School offers more than 200 different courses from which its students can choose. A much smaller private school down the street offers a basic curriculum of only 80 different courses, but it consistently sends a higher proportion of its graduating seniors on to college than Consolidated does. By eliminating at least half of the courses offered there and focusing on a basic curriculum, we could improve student performance at Consolidated and also save many tax dollars.”

45. The following appeared as part of an article in a trade magazine for breweries:

“Magic Hat Brewery recently released the results of a survey of visitors to its tasting room last year. Magic Hat reports that the majority of visitors asked to taste its low-calorie beers. To boost sales, other small breweries should brew low-calorie beers as well.”

46. The following appeared in a memorandum sent by a vice-president of the Nadir Company to the company’s human resources department:

“Nadir does not need to adopt the costly ‘family-friendly’ programs that have been proposed, such as part-time work, work at home, and job-sharing. When these programs were made available at the Summit Company, the leader in its industry, only a small percentage of employees participated in them. Rather than adversely affecting our profitability by offering these programs, we should concentrate on offering extensive training that will enable employees to increase their productivity.”

47. The following appeared in a letter to prospective students from the admissions office at Plateau College:

“Every person who earned an advanced degree in science or engineering from Olympus University last year received numerous offers of excellent jobs. Typically, many graduates of Plateau College have gone on to pursue advanced degrees at Olympus. Therefore, enrolling as an undergraduate at Plateau College is a wise choice for students who wish to ensure success in their careers.”

48. The following was excerpted from an article in a farming trade publication:

“Farmers who switched from synthetic to organic farming last year have seen their crop yields decline. Many of these farmers feel that it would be too expensive to resume synthetic farming at this point, given the money that they invested in organic farming supplies and equipment. But their investments will be relatively minor compared to the losses from continued lower crop yields. Organic farmers should switch to synthetic farming rather than persist in an unwise course. And the choice to farm organically is financially unwise, given that it was motivated by environmental rather than economic concerns.”

49. The following appeared as part of an article in a computer magazine:

“A year ago Apex Manufacturing bought its managers computers for their homes and paid for telephone connections so that they could access Apex computers and data files from home after normal business hours. Since last year, productivity at Apex has increased by 15 percent. Other companies can learn from the success at Apex: given home computers and access to company resources, employees will work additional hours at home and thereby increase company profits.”

50. The following appeared in the editorial section of a local paper:

“Applications for advertising spots on KMTV, our local cable television channel, decreased last year. Meanwhile, a neighboring town’s local channel, KOOP, changed its focus to farming issues and reported an increase in advertising applications for the year. To increase applications for its advertisement spots, KMTV should focus its programming on farming issues as well.”

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How to write your GMAT AWA Essay [Effectively]

INTRODUCTION

Hello there!

If you’ve found your way to this blog, we assume that you have begun to think about that often-neglected section of the GMAT – the AWA!

If wishes could come true, we’re guessing that GMAT aspirants would have wished away the AWA section away by now!

The AWA involves staring at a blank page and cursor and thinking up stuff to write, not an easy task for many people.

It also consumes a lot of mental bandwidth at the very beginning of the test.

To top it off, it does not even add to your final score!

We can understand why it isn’t your favorite section on the GMAT 🙂

But here’s the good news! There are not many shortcuts to mastering GMAT Quant and Verbal, but there are shortcuts to cracking the AWA section.

By the time you finish reading this guide, you will know what these hacks are. You will learn how to write an effective AWA essay that gets you a good score and leaves you charged for the real test that lies ahead.

This blog will teach you –

• What you need to know BEFORE you start preparing for the AWA
• How to use the 30 minutes allotted to AWA to maximum effect
• How to use a template to make the AWA writing process simpler

Besides this, you will find 8 sample AWA essays to observe and learn from.

Happy reading! 🙂

7 Things to remember before you start prepping for the AWA

Before you dive into AWA preparation, there are a few things you should know about the AWA. Many of these facts will ease your AWA fears and bring a smile to your face!

1. Why is the AWA section on the GMAT?

Each section of the GMAT is carefully constructed ( at the expense of millions of dollars, we kid you not!), to test your readiness for an MBA program and for your post-MBA career. One of the skills you will definitely need post-MBA is an ability to analyze an argument impartially and convey your perspective clearly.

This is what the AWA tests you on.

2. On the AWA, you need to be a lawyer, that is, you need to find faults with the given argument. You do not need to be a journalist, that is, you do not need to write about all possible perspectives of an issue.

Also remember, that this is an analysis, not an opinion piece. Do not bring YOUR perspective and your opinions into the essay. Your only goal is to analyse the given argument.

3. Unlike the Quant and Verbal sections, where your thumb-rule should be to get as high a score as possible, we’d suggest that you do not expend too much mental energy on the AWA, trying to score a 6 on 6.

Getting a perfect 6 will look good on your GMAT score card, and will sound great as you’re telling your friends about it. But it will not be the make-or-break factor in your application. A 4 or a 5 is good enough.

4. The AWA is graded by an E-reader application and by a human reader. Since there is an element of automated grading, you can rig the test to an extent. We’ve found that if you write a substantial essay of over 500 words, and if you structure the argument well ( check our CrackVerbal template in the following chapter), you are almost guaranteed to get a 4+ score!

5. Assuming that you prepare for the GMAT over a course of three months, we recommend that you practice writing 5 to 10 essays, and make sure you get feedback for all of them. If you cover this much practice ground, you’re good to go!

6. One of the best things about the AWA section is that you know all of the questions beforehand (yes, they’re all up there on the GMAC site – Analytical Writing Section ). So you do not have to go hunting for ‘authentic’ AWA essay questions.

7. Now you can choose the order in which you want to take up the sections before starting the test. It is advisable to keep in mind the order that would be helpful for you and prepare for the AWA based on that strategy. This is a recent change to the GMAT test structure. It was introduced in July 2017. We have done a detailed analysis of what this means to an Indian GMAT test-taker in the this blog

8. We saved the coolest point for last 🙂

The AWA lends itself very easily to the use of an essay template. No matter what the argument prompt is, you can bet that there will be at least 3 glaring errors of logic in it. You can, therefore, use a template to structure your AWA essay. Using a template takes most of the stress away from the AWA section.

In the few minutes before you start, you can jot down the template on your scratchpad, so that you don’t have to remember it anymore. Also, because you can plan many of your sentences beforehand, you can get at least a 100 words down before you even read the question!

There are a lot of templates on the internet – probably the most famous one being the Chineseburned AWA template.

At CrackVerbal, we have our own template for the AWA, a modified version of the Chineseburned template. We call it the CrackVerbal AWA Template on Steroids! 🙂

The AWA Writing Process

1. Write your templatized response

This should take you about 5 minutes:

Type out your prepared template response. Below is a sample. We definitely do not recommend that you use the same words. What you can do, however, is read a few templates on the net, and then write your own. Since you have written it yourself, it will be that much easier to memorise it.

CRACKVERBAL AWA TEMPLATE

The argument claims that < restate the argument >. Stated in this way the argument fails to take into account a few key factors which could call the conclusion to question. It rests on some assumptions, for which there is no clear evidence. Therefore, the argument is unconvincing and falls apart at the seams.

Paragraph 1:

1. Firstly, ( ) 2. This statement is a stretch and not substantiated in any way. 3. The argument would have been much clearer if ( )

Paragraph 2:

1. Second ( ). This is again a very weak and unsupported claim as the argument ( ). 2. For example, 3. This argument would have sounded a lot more convincing if 4. In addition, it would have been strengthened ever further if the argument provided evidence that

Paragraph 3:

1. Finally, the argument concludes that 2. However, what is not clear here is ( ) 3. If there had been evidence to support ( )

In summary, the argument fails to convince because of the faulty assumptions aforementioned. If the argument had drawn upon examples as suggested, and thereby plugged in the holes in the reasoning, it would have been far sounder on the whole.

2. Brainstorm

Now that you have put the pre-planned portion of the essay down, it’s time to read the AWA prompt and wear your thinking hat. GMAT, in its politically correct, non-partisan way, says ‘Discuss how well-reasoned you find this argument’. Remember however, that an AWA argument is never well-reasoned!

There are always a couple of glaring flaws in logic you can pounce on. If these flaws do not occur to you immediately, because of test-day stress, do not assume that you have been given a particularly sound argument. There is no such thing on the AWA!

If you’re unable to be critical, imagine that the author of the argument is somebody you dislike..a teacher you hated at college, or that guy who overtook you and almost dented your car this morning! There, now you’re in the right frame of mind to attack the argument 🙂

Before you do so, you need to understand the three elements of the argument – Conclusion, Premise and Assumptions.

Let us look at an example, and detect these three elements.

“Most companies would agree that as the risk of physical injury occurring on the job increases, the wages paid to employees should also increase. Hence it makes financial sense for employers to make the workplace safer: they could thus reduce their payroll expenses and save money.”

The conclusion is the decision/statement that the author has arrived at. In this case, the conclusion is the last sentence – “Hence it makes financial sense for employers to make the workplace safer: they could thus reduce their payroll expenses and save money.”

The premises are the building blocks of facts on which the conclusion rests. In other words, a premise is what is offered as support for the conclusion. In this case, the premise is – Most companies would agree that as the risk of physical injury occurring on the job increases, the wages paid to employees should also increase.

Assumptions are the unstated, unwritten premises that plug the gap between the written premises and the conclusion. It is the assumptions that you need to attack on the AWA!

How do you attack assumptions?

Remember that an assumption can be incorrect for a variety of reasons. Here are a few types of incorrect assumptions –

1. The Sampling Assumption – The sampling argument assumes that a small group is representative of a much larger group to which it belongs.

2. The illogical analogy assumption – The illogical analogy states that because something applies to A, it applies to B also.

3. The Causal Assumption – The Causal Assumption confuses correlation with causation. That means, just because ‘A’ usually occurs after ‘B’ occurs, does not necessarily imply that B happens because of A.

4. The Data Bias – This occurs when the data for a statistical inference itself is drawn from a sample that is not representative of the population under consideration. This is a case of faulty data leading to faulty assumptions.

5. The Non Sequitur – This simply means, finding a connection where there is none. Non Sequitur means “does not follow,” which is short for: the conclusion does not follow from the premise.

Don’t let these categories overwhelm you. We’ve put them down here to get you thinking. However, you can find faulty assumptions with ease, even if you have no clue what a non sequitur is!

As you brainstorm, you will need to jot down your thoughts on the scratchpad. Keep it crisp and brief. Make sure you have these things down –

1. Conclusion + Premise: 2. Flawed Assumption #1: 3. Flawed Assumption #2: 4. Flawed Assumption #3:

For each assumption, also make a cursory note of why it is flawed, an example that talks about why it is flawed, and what additional data would strengthen the argument ( or if you are convinced that you can remember these additional details without having to make a note of them, you can get on with the writing! )

This should take you about 15 minutes:

Here is where you fill in your templatized response with specific details.

The only detail you need to add to the first paragraph is a summary of the argument that is presented. In the above template, your summary should go here ->

1. Start off by pointing out the first flawed assumption. 2. Explain why this assumption is flawed. 3. Give an example that supports the flaw. 4. Explain what further information could have strengthened this argument.

1. Start off by pointing out the second flawed assumption. 2. Explain why this assumption is flawed. 3. Give an example that supports the flaw. 4. Explain what further information could have strengthened this argument.

Paragraph 4:

1. Start off by pointing out the third flawed assumption. 2. Explain why this assumption is flawed. 3. Give an example that supports the flaw. 4. Explain what further information could have strengthened this argument.

Paragraph 5:

This is the concluding paragraph. You already have it down in your template! 🙂

4. Proofread

Are you wondering if three minutes is really enough time to proof-read a 500 word essay?

Here’s the deal – The AWA section is about whether you can analyse an argument and discuss it in an articulate manner. It is not a test of grammar and spelling. Hence, the GMAT will excuse minor errors in spelling and grammar.

However, you should understand that a human reader is going to be reviewing your work, and any human reader will have an unconscious bias against bad grammar and spellings. Hence, you want to keep your essay as error-free as possible, without worrying about it too much.

Three minutes should be able time for you to quickly glance through the document and make sure you haven’t made any obvious errors.

Voila! 🙂 Your AWA essay is ready!

Also Read: GMAT Section Selection – Everything you need to know

Sample AWA Essays

Sample Essay 1

”Most companies would agree that as the risk of physical injury occurring on the job increases, the wages paid to employees should also increase. Hence it makes financial sense for employers to make the workplace safer: they could thus reduce their payroll expenses and save money.”

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 underlying 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, what changes in the argument would make it more logically sound, and what, if anything, would help you better evaluate its conclusion.

Introduction:

This argument states that it makes financial sense for employers to make the workplace safer because lower wages could then be paid to employees. This conclusion is based on the premise that as the risk of physical injury increases, the wages paid to employees should also increase. However, this argument makes several unsupported assumptions. For example, the argument assumes that the costs associated with making the workplace safe do not outweigh the increased payroll expenses due to hazardous conditions.

Body Paragraph 1

The first issue to be addressed is whether increased labor costs justify large capital expenditures to improve the work environment. Clearly one could argue that if making the workplace safe would cost an exorbitant amount of money in comparison to leaving the workplace as is and paying slightly increased wages than it would not make sense to improve the work environment. For example, if making the workplace safe would cost $100 million versus additional payroll expenses of only $5,000 per year, it would make financial sense to simply pay the increased wages. No business or business owner would pay all that extra money just to save a couple dollars and improve employee health and relations. To consider this, a cost benefit analysis must be made. I also feel that although a cost benefit analysis should be the determining factor with regard to these decisions making financial sense, it may not be the determining factor with regard to making social, moral and ethical sense.

Body Paragraph 2

Finally one must understand that not all work environments can be made safer. For example, in the case of coal mining, a company only has limited ways of making the work environment safe. While companies may be able to ensure some safety precautions, they may not be able to provide all the safety measures necessary. In other words, a mining company has limited ability to control the air quality within a coal mine and therefore it cannot control the risk of employees getting black. In other words, regardless of the intent of the company, some jobs are simply dangerous in nature.

In conclusion, while at first it may seem to make financial sense to improve the safety of the work environment sometimes it truly does not make financial sense. Furthermore, financial sense may not be the only issue a company faces. Other types of analyses must be made such as the social ramifications of an unsafe work environment and the overall ability of a company to improve that environment (i.e., coal mine). Before any decision is made, all this things must be considered, not simply the reduction of payroll expenses.

Sample Essay 2

The following appeared in a memorandum issued by a large city’s council on the arts.

“In a recent citywide poll, fifteen percent more residents said that they watch television programs about the visual arts than was the case in a poll conducted five years ago. During these past five years, the number of people visiting our city’s art museums has increased by a similar percentage. Since the corporate funding that supports public television, where most of the visual arts programs appear, is now being threatened with severe cuts, we can expect that attendance at our city’s art museums will also start to decrease. Thus some of the city’s funds for supporting the arts should be reallocated to public television.”

Discuss how well reasoned… etc.

Introduction

In this argument the author concludes that the city should allocate some of its arts funding to public television. The conclusion is based on two facts: (1) attendance at the city’s art museum has increased proportionally with the increases in visual-arts program viewing on public television, and (2) public television is being threatened by severe cuts in corporate funding. While this argument is somewhat convincing, a few concerns need to be addressed.

To begin with, the argument depends on the assumption that increased exposure to the visual arts on television, mainly public television, has caused a similar increase in local art-museum attendance. However, just because increased art-museum attendance can be statistically correlated with similar increases in television viewing of visual-arts programs, this does not necessarily mean that the increased television viewing of arts is the cause of the rise in museum attendance.

Moreover, perhaps there are other factors relevant to increased interest in the local art museum; for instance, maybe a new director had procured more interesting, exciting acquisitions and exhibits during the period when museum attendance increased, in addition, the author could be overlooking a common cause of both increases. It is possible that some larger social or cultural phenomenon is responsible for greater public interest in both television arts programming and municipal art museums.

Body Paragraph 3

To be fair, however, we must recognize that the author’s assumption is a special case of a more general one that television viewing affects people’s attitudes and behavior. Common sense and observation tell me that this is indeed the case. After all, advertisers spend billions of dollars on television ad time because they trust this assumption as well.

In conclusion, I am somewhat persuaded by this author’s line of reasoning. The argument would be strengthened if the author were to consider and rule out other significant factors that might have caused the increase in visits to the local art museum.

Sample Essay 3

The following appeared in a report presented for discussion at a meeting of the directors of a company that manufactures parts for heavy machinery.

“The falling revenues that the company is experiencing coincide with delays in manufacturing. These delays, in turn, are due in large part to poor planning in purchasing metals. Consider further that the manager of the department that handles purchasing of raw materials has an excellent background in general business, psychology, and sociology, but knows little about the properties of metals. The company should, therefore, move the purchasing manager to the sales department and bring in a scientist from the research division to be manager of the purchasing department.”

In response to a coincidence between falling revenues and delays in manufacturing, the report recommends replacing the manager of the purchasing department. The grounds for this action are twofold. First, the delays are traced to poor planning in purchasing metals. Second, the purchasing manager’s lack of knowledge of the properties of metals is thought to be the cause of the poor planning. It is further recommended that the position of the purchasing manager be filled by a scientist from the research division and that the current purchasing manager be reassigned to the sales department. In support of this latter recommendation, the report states that the current purchasing manager’s background in general business, psychology, and sociology equip him for this new assignment. The recommendations advanced in the report are questionable for two reasons.

To begin with, the report fails to establish a causal connection between the falling revenues of the company and the delays in manufacturing. The mere fact that falling revenues coincide with delays in manufacturing is insufficient to conclude that the delays caused the decline in revenue. Without compelling evidence to support the causal connection between these two events, the report’s recommendations are not worthy of consideration.

Second, a central assumption of the report is that knowledge of the properties of metals is necessary for planning in purchasing metals. No evidence is stated in the report to support this crucial assumption. Moreover, it is not obvious that such knowledge would be required to perform this task. Since planning is essentially a logistical function, it is doubtful that in-depth knowledge of the properties of metals would be helpful in accomplishing this task.

In conclusion, this is a weak argument. To strengthen the recommendation that the manager of the purchasing department be replaced, the author would have to demonstrate that the falling revenues were a result of the delays in manufacturing. Additionally, the author would have to show that knowledge of the properties of metals is a prerequisite for planning in purchasing metals.

Sample Essay 4

The following appeared in an announcement issued by the publisher of The Mercury, a weekly newspaper.

“Since a competing lower-priced newspaper, The Bugle, was started five years ago, The Mercury’s circulation has declined by 10,000 readers. The best way to get more people to read The Mercury is to reduce its price below that of The Bugle, at least until circulation increases to former levels. The increased circulation of The Mercury will attract more businesses to buy advertising space in the paper.”

A newspaper publisher is recommending that the price of its paper, The Mercury, be reduced below the price of a competing newspaper, The Bugle. This recommendation responds to a severe decline in circulation of The Mercury during the 5-year period following the introduction of The Bugle. The publisher’s line of reasoning is that lowering the price of The Mercury will increase its readership, thereby increasing profits because a wider readership attracts more advertisers. This line of reasoning is problematic in two critical respects.

While it is clear that increased circulation would make the paper more attractive to potential advertisers, it is not obvious that lowering the subscription price is the most effective way to gain new readers. The publisher assumes that price is the only factor that caused the decline in readership. But no evidence is given to support this claim. Moreover, given that The Mercury was the established local paper, it is unlikely that such a mass exodus of its readers would be explained by subscription price alone.

There are many other factors that might account for a decline in The Mercury’s popularity. For instance, readers might be displeased with the extent and accuracy of its news reporting, or the balance of local to other news coverage. Moreover, it is possible The Mercury has recently changed editors, giving the paper a locally unpopular political perspective. Or perhaps readers are unhappy with the paper’s format, the timeliness of its feature articles, its comics or advice columns, the extent and accuracy of its local event calendar, or its rate of errors.

In conclusion, this argument is weak because it depends on an oversimplified assumption about the causal connection between the price of the paper and its popularity. To strengthen the argument, the author must identify and explore relevant factors beyond cost before concluding that lowering subscription prices will increase circulation and, thereby, increase advertising revenues.

Sample Essay 5

The following appeared as part of an article in a magazine devoted to regional life.

“Corporations should look to the city of Helios when seeking new business opportunities or a new location. Even in the recent recession, Helios’s unemployment rate was lower than the regional average. It is the industrial center of the region, and historically it has provided more than its share of the region’s manufacturing jobs. In addition, Helios is attempting to expand its economic base by attracting companies that focus on research and development of innovative technologies.”

In this argument corporations are urged to consider the city of Helios when seeking a new location or new business opportunities. To support this recommendation, the author points out that Helios is the industrial center of the region, providing most of the region’s manufacturing jobs and enjoying a lower-than-average unemployment rate. Moreover, it is argued, efforts are currently underway to expand the economic base of the city by attracting companies that focus on research and development of innovative technologies. This argument is problematic for two reasons.

To begin with, it is questionable whether the available labor pool in Helios could support all types of corporations. Given that Helios has attracted mainly industrial and manufacturing companies in the past, it is unlikely that the local pool of prospective employees would be suitable for corporations of other types. For example, the needs of research and development companies would not be met by a labor force trained in manufacturing skills. For this reason, it’s unlikely that Helios will be successful in its attempt to attract companies that focus or research and development of innovative technologies.

Another problem with the available work force is its size. Due to the lower than average unemployment rate in Helios, corporations that require large numbers of workers would not find Helios attractive. The fact that few persons are out of work suggests that new corporations will have to either attract new workers to Helios or pay the existing workers higher wages in order to lure them away from their current jobs. Neither of these alternatives seems enticing to companies seeking to relocate.

In conclusion, the author has not succeeded in providing compelling reasons for selecting Helios as the site for a company wishing to relocate. In fact, the reasons offered function better as reasons for not relocating to Helios. Nor has the author provided compelling reasons for companies seeking new business opportunities to choose Helios.

Sample Essay 6

The following appeared in the health section of a magazine on trends and lifestyles.

“People who use the artificial sweetener aspartame are better off consuming sugar, since aspartame can actually contribute to weight gain rather than weight loss. For example, high levels of aspartame have been shown to trigger a craving for food bydepleting the brain of a chemical that registers satiety, or the sense of being full. Furthermore, studies suggest that sugars, if consumed after at least 45 minutes of continuous exercise, actually enhance the body’s ability to burn fat. Consequently, those who drink aspartame-sweetened juices after exercise will also lose this calorie-burning benefit. Thus it appears that people consuming aspartame rather than sugar are unlikely to achieve their dietary goals.”

In this argument the author concludes that people trying to lose weight are better off consuming sugar than the artificial sweetener aspartame. To support this conclusion the author argues that aspartame can cause weight gain by triggering food cravings, whereas sugar actually enhances the body’s ability to burn fat. Neither of these reasons provides sufficient support for the conclusion.

The first reason that aspartame encourages food cravings is supported by research findings that high levels of aspartame deplete the brain chemical responsible for registering a sense of being satedHidden text (sated, sating ), or full. But the author’s generalization based on this research is unreliable. The research was based on a sample in which large amounts of aspartame were administered; however, the author applies the research findings to a target population that includes all aspartame users, many of whom would probably not consume high levels of the artificial sweetener.

The second reason that sugar enhances the body’s ability to burn fat is based on the studies in which experimental groups, whose members consumed sugar after at least 45 minutes of continuous exercise, showed increased rates of fat burning. The author’s general claim, however, applies to all dieters who use sugar instead of aspartame, not just to those who use sugar after long periods of exercise. Once again, the author’s generalization is unreliable because it is based on a sample that clearly does not represent all dieters.

To conclude, each of the studies cited by the author bases its findings on evidence that does not represent dieters in general; for this reason, neither premise of this argument is a reliable generalization. Consequently, I am not convinced that dieters are better off consuming sugar instead of aspartame.

Sample Essay 7

The following appeared in the editorial section of a corporate newsletter.

“The common notion that workers are generally apathetic about management issues is false, or at least outdated: a recently published survey indicates that 79 percent of the nearly 1,200 workers who responded to survey questionnaires expressed a high level of interest in the topics of corporate restructuring and redesign of benefits programs.”

Based upon a survey among workers that indicates a high level of interest in the topics of corporate restructuring and redesign of benefits programs, the author concludes that workers are not apathetic about management issues. Specifically, it is argued that since 79 percent of the 1200 workers who responded to survey expressed interest in these topics, the notion that workers are apathetic about management issues is incorrect. The reasoning in this argument is problematic in several respects.

First, the statistics cited in the editorial may be misleading because the total number of workers employed by the corporation is not specified. For example, if the corporation employs 2000 workers, the fact that 79 percent of the nearly 1200 respondents showed interest in these topics provides strong support for the conclusion. On the other hand, if the corporation employs 200,000 workers, the conclusion is much weaker.

Another problem with the argument is that the respondents’ views are not necessarily representative of the views of the work force in general. For example, because the survey has to do with apathy, it makes sense that only less apathetic workers would respond to it, thereby distorting the overall picture of apathy among the work force. Without knowing how the survey was conducted, it is impossible to assess whether or not this is the case.

A third problem with the argument is that it makes a hasty generalization about the types of issues workers are interested in. It accords with common sense that workers would be interested in corporate restructuring and redesign of benefits programs, since these issues affect workers very directly. However, it is unfair to assume that workers would be similarly interested in other management issues—ones that do not affect them or affect them less directly.

In conclusion, this argument is not convincing as it stands. To strengthen it, the author would have to show that the respondents account for a significant and representative portion of all workers. Additionally, the author must provide evidence of workers’ interest other management topics—not just those that affect workers directly.

Sample Essay 8

The following appeared in the opinion column of a financial magazine.

“On average, middle-aged consumers devote 39 percent of their retail expenditure to department store products and services, while for younger consumers the average is only 25 percent. Since the number of middle-aged people will increase dramatically within the next decade, department stores can expect retail sales to increase significantly during that period. Furthermore, to take advantage of the trend, these stores should begin to replace some of those products intended to attract the younger consumer with products intended to attract the middle-aged consumer.”

Based on an expected increase in the number of middle-aged people during the next decade, the author predicts that retail sales at department stores will increase significantly over the next ten years. To bolster this prediction, the author cites statistics showing that middle-aged people devote a much higher percentage of their retail expenditure to department-store services and products than younger consumers do. Since the number of middle-aged consumers is on the rise and since they spend more than younger people on department-store goods and services, the author further recommends that department stores begin to adjust their inventories to capitalize on this trend. Specifically, it is recommended that department stores increase their inventory of products aimed at middle- aged consumers and decrease their inventory of products aimed at younger consumers. This argument is problematic for two reasons.

First, an increase in the number of middle-aged people does not necessarily portend an overall increase in department-store sales. It does so only on the assumption that other population groups will remain relatively constant. For example, if the expected increase in the number of middle-aged people is offset by an equally significant decrease in the number of younger people, there will be little or no net gain in sales.

Second, in recommending that department stores replace products intended to attract younger consumers with products more suitable to middle-aged consumers, the author assumes that the number of younger consumers will not also increase. Since a sizable increase in the population of younger consumers could conceivably offset the difference in the retail expenditure patterns of younger and middle- aged consumers, it would be unwise to make the recommended inventory adjustment lacking evidence to support this assumption.

This argument is unacceptable. To strengthen the argument the author would have to provide evidence that the population of younger consumers will remain relatively constant over the next decade.

We hope that our strategies help you conquer GMAT AWA with enough and more energy to spare for the sections that follow!

Now that you’ve figured out how to tackle the AWA section, do you want to put theory to practice and get your AWA essay graded?

Our experts here at CrackVerbal will evaluate and grade your AWA essay and give you specific, actionable feedback.

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GMAT AWA Topics – Sample Prompts

Before you start.

Remember that the AWA is testing your ability to effectively critique an argument being presented. There will be some common fallacies used in the prompts that you will need to address. Familiarize yourself with these flawed arguments so that you can quickly identify them as you write your essay:

Inappropriate Comparisons – comparing two things which are not necessarily similar, thus leading to a flawed conclusion. You will notice that in an inappropriate comparison, the argument will only note the similarities between two things with no explanation of why the differences do not change the outcome.

Example: "Dogs are highly motivated by food, which is a useful tool for training. Using this same method, you can help to encourage your children to repeat positive behaviors." This argument does not address early childhood development, nor does it address dog psychology – the person assumes that if a solution worked in one situation, it will work in the other.

Vague Language – using words such as "many", "few", "some", "more", or "less" without further qualification is often too vague to make a cogent point.

Example: "In Chicago, more people voted to add bike lanes than people did in Aurora, so it is clear that the citizens in Chicago are more pro-bike than the citizens in Aurora." This argument does not explain what 'more' means. Is it by percentage? Does it refer to raw number of votes, and if so, does it take into account the number of voters in Chicago vs. the number of voters in Aurora?

Correlation vs Causation – this common fallacy asserts that because something occurred, it must be a consequence of some specific variable observed before the result.

Example: "Students in Neighborhood A have higher test scores on average that students in Neighborhood B. Therefore, it is clear that the schools in Neighborhood A are better than the schools in Neighborhood B." This argument is flawed because it assumes the only meaningful variable in test scores was the school the children attend. This argument does not consider other various factors, such as poverty, school resources, home situations, and the parents' abilility to supplement educational opportunities, etc.

Sampling Issues – a case in which statistics are used inappropriately to compare unlike populations or to draw broad conclusions using a small sample.

Example: "56% of the reviews of Company A are negative, which shows that most customers are very unhappy with the service provided." The problem with this argument is that it does not address the percentage of overall customers who have written reviews. How do we know that this is representative of all customers vs. those who are upset about an issue and take the time to write a review?

Now that you have reviewed some common flawed arguments you may encounter, it is time to get started practicing!

Sample Prompt 1

The following appeared in the health section of a magazine on trends and lifestyles:

"People who use the artificial sweetener aspartame are better off consuming sugar, since aspartame can actually contribute to weight gain rather than weight loss. For example, high levels of aspartame have been shown to trigger a craving for food by depleting the brain of a chemical that registers satiety, or the sense of being full. Furthermore, studies suggest that sugars, if consumed after at least 45 minutes of continuous exercise, actually enhance the body’s ability to burn fat. Consequently, those who drink aspartame-sweetened juices after exercise will also lose this calorie-burning benefit. Thus, it appears that people consuming aspartame rather than sugar are unlikely to achieve their dietary goals."

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.

Sample Prompt 2

The following appeared in the opinion column of a financial magazine:

"On average, middle-aged consumers devote 39 percent of their retail expenditure to department store products and services, while for younger consumers the average is only 25 percent. Since the number of middle-aged people will increase dramatically within the next decade, department stores can expect retail sales to increase significantly during that period. Furthermore, to take advantage of the trend, these stores should begin to replace some of those products intended to attract the younger consumer with products intended to attract the middle-aged consumer."

Sample Prompt 3

The following appeared as part of an editorial in an industry newsletter:

"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 clearly 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."

Sample Prompt 4

The following was excerpted from the speech of a spokesperson for Synthetic Farm Products, Inc.:

"Many farmers who invested in the equipment needed to make the switch from synthetic to organic fertilizers and pesticides feel that it would be too expensive to resume synthetic farming at this point. But studies of farmers who switched to organic farming last year indicate that their current crop yields are lower. Hence their purchase of organic farming equipment, a relatively minor investment compared to the losses that would result from continued lower crop yields, cannot justify persisting on an unwise course. And the choice to farm organically is financially unwise, given that it was motivated by environmental rather than economic concerns."

Sample Prompt 5

The following is part of a business plan created by the management of the Megamart grocery store:

"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."

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How to Use the Analytical Writing Assessment (AWA) Score

The AWA score helps you select applicants for admission and diagnose additional writing instruction.

The Analytical Writing Assessment score can be used to select applicants for admission to your school and as a diagnostic tool in recommending or requiring additional instruction in writing.

The following guidelines should be kept in mind when using the AWA:

• Use multiple criteria when evaluating an applicant, recognizing that the AWA is only one indicator of academic readiness.
• Use the AWA scoring guide (detailed below) as your basis for score interpretation.
• Consider that the scores are based on 30-minute, first-draft writing samples. They are not comparable to prepared essays that may be submitted with a school application.
• Do not make distinctions among applicants on the basis of a small scoring distinction—one point or less apart.
• Conduct a validity study to ensure that the AWA scores you require are appropriate. The free Validity Study Service is available to help you conduct your study.

How AWA Is Scored

AWA essays are given two independent ratings, one of which may be performed by an automated essay-scoring engine. The automated essay-scoring engine is an electronic system that evaluates more than 50 structural and linguistic features, including organization of ideas, syntactic variety, and topical analysis.

If the two ratings differ by more than one point, another evaluation by an expert reader is required to resolve the discrepancy and determine the final score. 

College and university faculty members trained as readers for the AWA will consider the following:

• Overall quality of ideas about the issue and argument presented
• Overall ability to organize, develop, and express those ideas
• The relevant supporting reasons and examples used
• Ability to control the elements of standard written English

In considering the elements of standard written English, readers are trained to be sensitive and fair in evaluating the responses of examinees whose first language is not English. 

AWA Scoring Guide

Analysis of an argument.

Download the  Analysis of an Argument Scoring Guide (pdf).

A Score of 6 Is Outstanding —A cogent, well-articulated critique of the argument, demonstrating mastery of the elements of effective writing, and displaying the following characteristics:

• Clearly identifies and insightfully analyzes important features of the argument
• Develops ideas cogently, organizes them logically, and connects them smoothly with clear transitions
• Effectively supports the main points of the critique
• Demonstrates superior control of language, including diction and syntactic variety and the conventions of standard written English. There may be minor flaws.

A Score of 5 Is Strong —A well-developed critique of the argument, demonstrating good control of the elements of effective writing, and displaying the following characteristics:

• Clearly identifies important features of the argument and analyzes them in a generally thoughtful way
• Develops ideas clearly, organizes them logically, and connects them with appropriate transitions
• Sensibly supports the main points of the critique
• Demonstrates clear control of language, including diction and syntactic variety
• Demonstrates facility with the conventions of standard written English, but may have minor flaws

A Score of 4 Is Adequate —A competent critique of the argument, demonstrating adequate control of the elements of effective writing, and displaying the following characteristics:

• Identifies and capably analyzes important features of the argument
• Develops and organizes ideas satisfactorily, but may not always connect them with transitions
• Supports the main points of the critique
• Demonstrates adequate control of language, including diction and syntactic variety, but may lack syntactic variety
• Displays control of the conventions of standard written English, but may have some flaws

A Score of 3 Is Limited —A competent but clearly flawed critique of the argument, demonstrating some control of the elements of effective writing, and displaying the following characteristics:

• Does not identify or analyze most of the important features of the argument, although some analysis is present
• Is limited in the logical development and organization of ideas
• Offers support of little relevance and value for points of the critique
• Uses language imprecisely and/or lacks sentence variety
• Contains occasional major errors or frequent minor errors in grammar, usage, and mechanics

A Score of 2 Is Seriously Flawed —A paper demonstrating serious weakness in analytical writing skills, and displaying the following characteristics:

• Fails to show an understanding of and does not identify or analyze the main features of the argument
• Does not develop ideas or is disorganized
• Provides few, if any, relevant or reasonable supports
• Has serious, frequent problems in the use of language and sentence structure
• Contains numerous errors in grammar, usage, or mechanics that interfere with meaning

A Score of 1 Is Fundamentally Deficient —A paper demonstrating fundamental deficiencies in analytical writing skills, and displaying the following characteristics:

• Provides little evidence of the ability to understand and analyze the argument or to develop an organized response to it
• Has severe and persistent errors in language and sentence structure
• Contains a pervasive pattern of errors in grammar, usage, and mechanics thus resulting in incoherence

A Score of 0 Is Unscorable —A paper that is totally illegible or obviously not written on the assigned topic.

Tools, Sample Files, and Guides

• GMAT Score Report User Guide
• Data File Layout for GMAT Scores (TXT)
• Data File Layout for GMAT Scores (CSV)
• Sample GMAT Score Data File (TXT)
• Sample GMAT Score Data File (CSV)
• GMAT Score Data Downloader (CSV)
• Scripting Guide
• AI (Undergraduate) Codes
• State Province Codes

For Test Takers

• GMAT Scores and Reports

How to score 6.0 on GRE and GMAT AWA essays

If you haven’t exercised your writing muscles for a while, it is a good idea to put in some practice. Scoring well on the AWA is not an esoteric art, you just need to keep few basic things in mind.  

How to get 6.0 on GRE and GMAT AWA essays

  You can follow certain basic strategies to get a high score on the AWA:

• First and foremost, structure your essay by having a clear division of paragraphs: an introduction with a clear thesis, 2-4 body paragraphs, and a well-rounded conclusion. Clearly state in the introduction the position you are taking and be careful to not include any new ideas in the conclusion.
• Use plenty of transition words : phrases such as “however”, “consequently”, “moreover”, “on the other hand”, “specifically”, “undoubtedly” et al help a lot in guiding the reviewer towards the basic structure of the essay, and especially useful in the case of a time crunch when all the major ideas expressed need to be read once. Here is a list of transition words you can use to lend some charm to your essay.
• Use sample templates : they will guide you in the best possible way to format your essays. You should attack the essay with a certain template that you have already perfected beforehand. It takes away a lot of stress as you just need to structure the essay around the template after the initial brainstorming. Use the initial 5 minutes to outline before starting with the actual essay. Download this GMAT essay template by chineseburned (an author on GMAT Club) –> link .
• Look for the flaws : in the essays which need to be critically analyzed, look for flaws in the arguments presented to construct the core of the essay. Most common flaws include sampling assumption, bad analogy, correlation/causation fallacy, ad hominem, non sequitur etc. Here is a list of the most common logical fallacies .
• Remember the e-rater : have your priorities set keeping in mind the algorithm. Do focus on the grammar as it indirectly signals that you are smart — the ideas and reasoning are assumed to be better as a side-effect. On top of that, focus on the length of the essay, 500-600 words with strong grammar is the right mix of quantity and quality. Avoid using words you don’t completely understand as using big words just for the sake of it can seriously backfire.
• Skip originality : this section is not the right arena to express your creativity in unique ways. The electronic grader is not programmed to catch subtle humor or your poetic individuality. It is a section in which it pays to be boring and predictable. It is called “analytical” writing for a reason — flowery or opinionated prose is the last thing that the reviewer expects.
• Leave time to proofread : though the reviewers are not expecting a well-polished essay, significant errors or mistakes can diminish the readability of the essay and hurt your score. Hence, leave aside more than a couple of minutes to spell check and rearrange any sentences (if required).

How to save time on the GRE and GMAT AWA essay

The tight time constraints for writing the essay necessitates employing some time-saving strategies too:

• Start negative : while ‘be positive’ is usually hailed as the mantra for living a good life, it should not be your mantra while writing the essay. Our brains are hardwired for looking at deficiencies and missing pieces. Utilize it to the full extent and look for assumptions that are invalid or any flawed reasoning.
• Go with the flow : once you have made a solid outline, make sure that you complete the whole essay in a long stretch instead of revisiting the essay mid-way for correcting mistakes or ensuring perfection. You’ll iron out the issues in the second pass while proofreading, so don’t worry.
• Be a typing ninja : considering that you need at least 5 minutes in the starting for the initial outline and brainstorming and a few minutes in the end for proofreading, you need to type around 600 words in a span of 20 minutes. Considering the fact that you also need to think while writing at that speed, it is absolutely important to have a good typing speed. Resources like Keybr and TypingWeb are excellent resources to help you learn typing fast. It is a skill that should pay dividends in the future too!

Read 2-month strategy for 780 AWA 6/6 IR 8/8 GMAT scorer  

Common mistakes in GRE and GMAT AWA essays

You can take precautions to avoid certain mistakes that are very common among non-native (international and Indian) test-takers:

• Not outlining : some smart guns believe that outlining the essay is a waste of time and jump on writing the essay as soon as they read the prompt. It can very soon descend into a mound of chaos, and with no outline to fall back on, you might end up erasing large parts of the essay half way in. It won’t be a pretty situation.
• Writing a bland essay : though it is good to stick to the proven path when it comes to the AWA, the reasoning and examples you give should be unique. If possible, try to even cite instances from your personal life to give a personal touch to the essay. The grader reads hundreds of essays in a day and a hint of freshness instantly makes the essay stand out in a positive way.
• Mixing up ideas : clarity and organization is of utmost importance when it comes to the AWA. Writing mixed up paragraphs with multiple ideas and no effective transition is a recipe for a low score. You should focus on a single clear idea in a paragraph and drive it home.
• Self-contradiction : while your arguments may be top-notch in isolation, they may not amount for much if they contradict each other in the bigger scheme of things. Hence, make sure that you have a coherent theme when drafting the outline for an essay.
• Writing long/convoluted sentences : simpler sentences are easier to follow. Make it so easy that a 10th grade student can understand it in one go. Here is an excellent article that explains how Flesch-Kincaid score (F-K) can improve your writing .
• Not concluding the essay effectively : summarize the essay by restating the major ideas presented, and wrapping up the overall big-picture narrative. It will help solidify the essay and tie up any loose ends. Make sure that you do not introduce any new ideas in the conclusion.
• Being under-confident : many writers have a habit of using phrases such as “in my opinion”, “in my view” etc. While it may be a figure of speech in a verbal conversation, it has no place in an analytical essay. We know it is your opinion because you are writing it, get to the point already!

To view the sample essay responses and commentary for GRE, click here , and here .

To view a sample essay for GMAT, click here . The actual historical GMAT essay prompts are also useful.

Ready to try your newly gained skills? Use our AWA essay grader and find out.

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7 thoughts on “How to score 6.0 on GRE and GMAT AWA essays”

I am from India. I have completed my Btech in Engg background (Mech) and currently have 4 years of IT work experience in a reputed consultancy firm. I am more inclined towards the job positions which require my business skills for which I am planning to take GMAT by the mid of next year. What is my scope of getting admissions into good colleges and how much score is required (average) for good Indian/international B-schools?

I am a civil engineer and have four years of work experience in energy sector. My score is 750. I am working for Indian Oil and have recently got a diploma in industrial safety (this counts as a part of 4 yr work experience as it was an on job training). I am planning to join a b-school next fall. My undergrad gpa is not that great (we had percentage system, so it is in sixties). What are my chances? Any guidance from your side would be of great help.

After 5 year experience as IAS officer in INDIA what is my chance to get in Harvard business school ? i have not good percentage in my b.tech because of UPSC PREP. HBX core help me to secure admission at HBS. and how much GMAT score i need?

I scored 660 in my GMAT1 Q(50)v(28). I have a work experience of 2 years as a software developer and a fellowship of 6 months in Germany. With this score can I try for any good college in India?

I am B.Tech, MBA from IIT Delhi with GMat score 660. Having 5 years working experience in software. Want to seek admission to Ph. D programme management in Canada university. Suggest chances

Hi Sameer, I have done my B.Tech in Mechanical Engg but I want to shift to financial sector. Although I scored low in my graduation I have a good score in my IELTS and also have okay ish work experience. So could you plz guide me on my plan of action for finance? Thanks in advance.

@Sunny: I’ve heard good things about the country you are from! The profile you describe is over-represented among Indian applicants. So, apart from a high GMAT score (there is no minimum that’ll guarantee you an admit), you’ll have to work out a differentiation strategy. Read this: https://www.mbacrystalball.com/blog/2016/01/08/differentiation-for-indian-mba-applicants/

@Himanshu: I believe MG from our team is in discussion with you over email. So skipping it here.

@Harsh: Unfortunately, with that information no one can talk about chances. But do check out what it takes to get into Harvard and evaluate how close or far you are from that goal: https://www.mbacrystalball.com/blog/2016/01/18/how-to-get-into-harvard-business-school/

@Salil: IT applicants who’ve shared their stories on our site have typically have more experience and higher GMAT scores. It’ll be good for you to work on both before applying.

@Singh: Sorry buddy, that’s not how PhD applications work. Read more about the process for PhD admissions: https://www.mbacrystalball.com/blog/2017/01/02/how-to-get-into-phd-abroad-admissions-process/

@Pavan: You basically have two options to consider, if you’ve made up your mind to go for a masters. One would be the (relative generic) MBA and the other is a more specialised masters (MFin, MFE etc). Decide first which one you’d like to take up. The requirements and procedure for the admissions process will become clearer after that.

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GMAT essay topics: Expert tips for a high-scoring performance

The GMAT essay, also known as the Analytical Writing Assessment (AWA), is a section of the GMAT exam that can often be intimidating for test-takers. However, with the right preparation and understanding of the essay topics, test-takers can excel and achieve a high score.

The AWA section is designed to evaluate the test-taker's ability to analyse arguments, express ideas clearly and concisely, and support their viewpoints with evidence. This section consists of two types of essay prompts, an Analysis of an Issue and an Analysis of an Argument, each of which requires specific skills and strategies.

In this article, we will provide expert examples of both types of GMAT essay topics and tips on how to approach them to help you achieve a high-scoring performance in the AWA section.

Table of Contents

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The GMAT essay, also known as the Analytical Writing Assessment (AWA), is a section of the GMAT exam that requires you to write two essays within a total of 60 minutes.

There are two types of essay prompts in the GMAT AWA section:

• Analysis of an Argument
• Analysis of an Issue

In this type of essay prompt, you will be given an argument that you need to analyse and critique. You will be required to identify the assumptions that the argument makes and evaluate the evidence that it provides. You will need to explain why the argument is flawed or weak and suggest ways to improve it.

In this type of essay prompt, you will be given a statement or question related to a social or political issue, and you will be asked to take a stance on the issue and support your position with evidence and examples. You will need to provide a clear argument and present evidence that supports your viewpoint.

Also read: 5 IELTS Sample Essays

GMAT Analytical Writing Section

The GMAT Analytical Writing Assessment section assesses your ability to analyse arguments and communicate your thoughts effectively in written form. In this section, you are presented with an argument or an issue prompt and are required to critically evaluate and provide a well-structured response within a given time frame.

Although the AWA section is not as heavily weighted as the Quantitative and Verbal sections, it still plays a role in showcasing your analytical abilities and written communication skills to business schools. A well-written essay in the AWA section can leave a positive impression on the admissions committee and contribute to your overall application.

• The construction of a new highway through the rural town of Pineville is essential to improve connectivity and drive economic growth. Discuss the validity of this argument and evaluate its potential impact on the community.
• The introduction of a mandatory recycling program in our city is necessary to combat the growing environmental concerns and promote sustainable practices. Analyse the reasoning behind this argument and assess its potential effectiveness.
• Expanding the public library's operating hours in the urban neighbourhood of Riverton will provide greater access to educational resources and foster a culture of lifelong learning. Evaluate the logic behind this proposal and its potential benefits for the community.
• Establishing stricter regulations on the use of single-use plastics is crucial to mitigate the environmental damage caused by plastic pollution. Assess the reasoning behind this argument and discuss its potential impact on businesses and consumers.
• The implementation of a tax incentive program to encourage the adoption of solar energy systems in residential areas will promote renewable energy usage and reduce carbon emissions. Evaluate the logic behind this proposal and its potential long-term effects.
• Constructing a new sports stadium in the city centre will not only revitalise the local economy but also enhance the city's reputation as a sports destination. Analyse the soundness of this argument and its potential implications for the community.
• Implementing stricter gun control measures is necessary to address the rising concerns of public safety and reduce gun-related violence. Evaluate the reasoning behind this argument and discuss the potential challenges associated with its implementation.
• The introduction of a comprehensive sex education curriculum in schools is vital to promote safe and responsible behaviour among adolescents. Assess the validity of this argument and discuss the potential benefits and drawbacks of such an initiative.
• Investing in the development of affordable housing units in urban areas is essential to address the housing crisis and ensure social equity. Analyse the rationale behind this proposal and evaluate its potential impact on both residents and the local economy.
• The implementation of stricter regulations on the advertising and sale of unhealthy food products will contribute to improving public health and combating the obesity epidemic. Discuss the validity of this argument and its potential implications for businesses and consumers.
• Increasing funding for arts and culture programs in schools can have a positive impact on students' creativity, critical thinking skills, and overall academic performance. Evaluate the logic behind this proposal and discuss its potential benefits for the education system.
• Enforcing mandatory financial literacy courses in high schools will equip students with essential skills to make informed decisions and achieve long-term financial stability. Assess the reasoning behind this argument and discuss the potential outcomes of such an educational initiative.
• The adoption of telecommuting policies in organisations can lead to improved work-life balance, increased employee satisfaction, and enhanced productivity. Analyse the reasoning behind this proposal and discuss its potential advantages and challenges for both employers and employees.
• Investing in the development of public parks and green spaces in urban areas can have numerous benefits, including improved mental and physical well-being, enhanced community cohesion, and increased property values. Evaluate the soundness of this argument and its potential impact on urban environments.
• Introducing a universal basic income program can help alleviate poverty, reduce income inequality, and provide individuals with a safety net in an increasingly automated world. Analyse the reasoning behind this proposal and discuss its potential implications for society and the economy.
• Discuss the impact of social media on interpersonal communication and relationships.
• To what extent should governments prioritise funding for space exploration?
• Explain your views on the role of artificial intelligence in shaping the future of work.
• Discuss the ethical considerations of genetic engineering and its potential impact on society.
• Explain your perspective on the effectiveness of affirmative action policies in promoting equality.
• To what extent should the government regulate the sharing economy platforms such as Uber and Airbnb?
• Discuss the benefits and drawbacks of the globalisation of markets and its impact on local economies.
• Explain your views on the role of government in promoting sustainable development.
• Discuss the ethical implications of data privacy and the use of personal information by technology companies.
• Explain your perspective on the importance of arts and humanities education in today's society.
• Discuss the impact of climate change on global food security and the role of international cooperation.
• Explain your views on the ethical considerations surrounding animal testing in scientific research.
• Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of remote work for employees and organisations.
• Explain your perspective on the role of the government in regulating the use of social media platforms.
• Discuss the implications of income inequality and the role of government in addressing this issue.

GMAT practice questions provide an opportunity to develop and refine your critical thinking, analytical, and writing skills. By engaging with a variety of prompts, you can familiarise yourself with different argument structures, evaluate evidence, and effectively express your ideas within the given time constraint.

We have listed ten GMAT sample questions that cover a range of topics and argument types to challenge you to analyse arguments, identify flaws, consider counterarguments, and develop well-structured responses.

GMAT sample question #1

The following appeared in a company memo:

Our new advertising campaign was a great success. The number of customers visiting our website increased by 50% in the first month after the campaign's launch. Therefore, the campaign should be credited with attracting new customers and boosting sales.' Discuss how well-reasoned you find this argument. In your discussion, analyse the argument's assumptions and evidence.

GMAT sample question #2

The following appeared in a research paper:

Implementing a four-day workweek will significantly enhance employee productivity. A survey conducted among companies that adopted a shorter workweek showed a 20% increase in employee output and a 15% decrease in absenteeism rates. Therefore, all organisations should consider adopting a four-day workweek to boost efficiency.' Discuss how well-reasoned you find this argument. In your discussion, analyse the argument's assumptions and evidence.

GMAT sample question #3

The following appeared in a political campaign speech:

Increasing the minimum wage will improve the economy and reduce income inequality. Studies have shown that when the minimum wage is raised, low-income workers experience a rise in their earnings, leading to increased consumer spending. As a result, businesses thrive, unemployment rates decrease, and the wealth gap narrows. Therefore, it is imperative to raise the minimum wage to stimulate economic growth.' Discuss how well-reasoned you find this argument. In your discussion, analyse the argument's assumptions and evidence.

GMAT sample question #4

The following appeared in a blog post:

Investing in early childhood education is crucial for fostering future academic success. Research has consistently shown that children who receive quality early education perform better academically and are more likely to graduate from high school and pursue higher education. Therefore, policymakers should prioritise funding and expanding early childhood education programs.' Discuss how well-reasoned you find this argument. In your discussion, analyse the argument's assumptions and evidence.

GMAT sample question #5

The following appeared in a marketing presentation:

Social media marketing is the most effective strategy for reaching and engaging with the target audience. A survey conducted among consumers revealed that 75% of respondents made a purchase based on social media ads or recommendations from influencers. Therefore, companies should allocate a significant portion of their marketing budget to social media campaigns to maximise their reach and sales.' Discuss how well-reasoned you find this argument. In your discussion, analyse the argument's assumptions and evidence.

GMAT sample question #6

Prompt: Evaluate the argument that increasing taxes on sugary beverages will effectively reduce the prevalence of obesity and improve public health. Discuss the key assumptions and evidence used to support this claim, and identify any potential counterarguments or limitations that may challenge the effectiveness of this approach.

In your analysis, you should consider the relationship between sugary beverage consumption and obesity rates, as well as the potential impact of higher taxes on consumer behaviour. Additionally, assess the strength of the evidence presented to support the argument and examine any potential flaws or biases in the data. Consider alternative approaches to tackling obesity, such as education campaigns or regulations on advertising, and discuss their potential advantages or disadvantages. Ultimately, evaluate the argument's overall persuasiveness and suggest any additional evidence or considerations that could strengthen or weaken the case for increased taxes on sugary beverages.  

GMAT sample question #7

Prompt: Analyse the argument that social media platforms should be held legally responsible for moderating user-generated content. Evaluate the reasons and evidence presented to support this viewpoint, and discuss the potential consequences of imposing legal obligations on these platforms. Consider issues such as freedom of speech, platform liability, and the challenges of content moderation at scale. Additionally, explore alternative approaches to addressing harmful or illegal content online and discuss their potential advantages or drawbacks. Finally, assess the feasibility and potential effectiveness of different regulatory or self-regulatory measures in ensuring a safe and responsible online environment.  

GMAT sample question #8

Prompt: Evaluate the argument that increasing access to higher education will lead to greater socioeconomic mobility and reduce income inequality. Analyse the evidence and reasoning used to support this claim, and consider potential counterarguments or limitations to this approach. Assess the impact of factors such as rising tuition costs, disparities in educational quality, and the relevance of certain degrees in the job market. Explore alternative strategies for promoting social mobility, such as vocational training or income redistribution, and discuss their potential advantages or disadvantages. Ultimately, critically examine the argument's validity and provide recommendations or additional considerations that may strengthen or weaken the case for increasing access to higher education.

GMAT sample question #9

Prompt: Analyse the argument that the use of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in agriculture is essential for ensuring global food security. Evaluate the evidence and reasoning presented to support this claim, and discuss any potential counterarguments or concerns related to the environmental, health, or socioeconomic impacts of GMOs. Assess the effectiveness of current regulations and labelling practices in addressing these concerns, and explore alternative approaches to achieving food security, such as organic farming or agroecology. Finally, critically evaluate the overall persuasiveness of the argument and provide recommendations or additional considerations that may enhance or challenge the case for GMO usage.

GMAT sample question #10

Prompt: Evaluate the argument that implementing a universal basic income (UBI) would be an effective solution to address poverty and income inequality. Analyse the evidence and reasoning used to support this viewpoint, and consider potential counterarguments or limitations of a UBI system. Assess the economic implications, including funding mechanisms and potential effects on workforce participation and productivity. Explore alternative policies or approaches to poverty alleviation, such as targeted welfare programs or job creation initiatives, and discuss their potential advantages or disadvantages. Ultimately, critically examine the argument's validity and provide recommendations or additional considerations that may strengthen or weaken the case for implementing a universal basic income.

GMAT essay topics

Some common topics that may be covered in the GMAT essays include:

• The research indicates that the success of a shopping mall is directly related to its location. Therefore, we should build a new shopping mall in the small town of Oakville, which has a growing population and no competition from other shopping malls. Discuss how well-reasoned you find this argument.
• To remain competitive, companies need to embrace new technologies, including artificial intelligence and automation. Employees who resist these changes are hindering progress and putting their jobs at risk.' Evaluate the argument presented in the editorial.
• Our company should offer tuition reimbursement to all employees who want to pursue a degree or certification. This will increase employee loyalty, productivity, and skill level, which will benefit the company in the long run.' Discuss the validity of this recommendation.
• Our new cleaning products are environmentally friendly and safe for use around children and pets. You can trust our products to not only clean effectively, but also protect your family and the planet. Evaluate the claims made in the advertisement."
• The city should ban all smoking in public parks. Secondhand smoke is a health hazard to all park visitors, and it is unfair to subject non-smokers to this danger. Evaluate the argument presented in the letter.

Also read: TOEFL sample essays

• It is better to be practical than to be creative when it comes to problem-solving.
• Governments should prioritise funding for space exploration over other scientific endeavours.
• The widespread use of social media has had a negative impact on society.
• The pursuit of happiness should be considered a fundamental human right.
• The use of technology has had a more positive than negative impact on society.
• Businesses have a responsibility to prioritise environmental sustainability over profit.
• The government should provide free healthcare for all citizens.
• The increasing popularity of e-books will eventually lead to the end of traditional bookstores.
• Individuals have a responsibility to prioritise their own health and well-being over their career ambitions.
• The benefits of globalisation outweigh the drawbacks.

Also Read: GMAT Self-Study Plan

Tips for a high-scoring performance

Here are some expert tips to help you achieve a high-scoring performance on the GMAT essay.

The first step to writing a successful GMAT essay is to understand the prompt and the task. Take the time to read the prompt carefully and make sure you understand what is being asked of you. Pay close attention to the specific instructions, such as the length requirement, the number of examples you need to provide, and the time limit.

Before you start writing, take a few minutes to plan your essay. This will help you organise your thoughts and ensure that your essay is well-structured and easy to follow. Create an outline that includes your main points and supporting evidence, and make sure that your essay has a clear introduction, body, and conclusion.

For the Analysis of an Argument task, carefully analyse the argument presented in the prompt. Identify the assumptions and evidence used to support the argument, and consider whether these are valid and sufficient. For the Analysis of an Issue task, consider both sides of the issue and identify the strengths and weaknesses of each argument.

To support your arguments, use specific examples from your own experiences or the world around you. These examples should be relevant and support the points you are making in your essay. Be sure to explain how each example supports your argument.

The GMAT essay is not a test of your writing ability per se, but rather a test of your ability to analyze and evaluate arguments and express your ideas in a clear and concise manner. Use simple and straightforward language, avoid overly complex sentences or jargon, and be sure to proofread your essay for grammatical errors and spelling mistakes.

The GMAT essay should follow a standard essay format, with a clear introduction, body, and conclusion. Your introduction should provide an overview of your argument, while your body should provide supporting evidence and examples. Your conclusion should summarise your main points and restate your thesis statement concisely.

Like any skill, the ability to write a successful GMAT essay takes practice. Take advantage of the practice exams and sample essays provided by GMAC, the organisation that administers the GMAT exam. Consider working with a tutor or taking a prep course to help you improve your essay writing skills.

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The GMAT essay is an important part of the GMAT exam and requires careful preparation and planning. By following these expert tips, you can improve your chances of achieving a high score on the GMAT essay and increase your chances of being accepted into your dream MBA program.

Frequently asked questions

The GMAT essay, also known as the Analytical Writing Assessment (AWA), is a section of the GMAT exam that assesses a candidate's ability to think critically and communicate ideas in written form.

The GMAT essay is scored on a scale of 0-6 in half-point increments. Two independent readers will score the essay, and if their scores differ by more than one point, a third reader will be brought in to resolve the discrepancy.

To prepare for the GMAT essay, candidates can practise writing essays using free GMAT essay prompts available online, develop a plan before writing, use specific examples to support their arguments and practise good grammar and syntax.

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GMAT Focus Edition: the Key Changes

This post was updated in 2024 for the new GMAT.

In November 2023, GMAT launched major updates to the GMAT exam and called the updated version The GMAT Focus Edition. However, that name won’t last much longer. Why change it again? Here’s the latest from The Graduate Management Admissions Council (GMAC): “The ‘GMAT Focus Edition’ name served as a crucial distinction between it and the previous version of the GMAT while both were in the market in late 2023 and early 2024. With only one version of the exam available, we are transitioning back to using the ‘GMAT Exam’ name from July 1, 2024 onward.”

Now that we’ve addressed the next change to expect (dropping Focus Edition from the name), let’s talk about the timing and structure changes that were introduced in Fall 2023.

New GMAT Timing and Structure: What Changed?

The new GMAT Focus Edition introduced several important updates aimed at enhancing the test-taking experience. These changes are outlined below:

• Reduced Exam Duration: The GMAT Focus Edition has three 45-minute sections. This makes the test significantly shorter, giving test takers back an hour or so of their time.
• Streamlined Content: The GMAT Focus Edition retains the Quantitative and Verbal Reasoning sections. Quant will continue to test problem solving skills, but the Data Sufficiency question type has been moved to the new Data Insights section (more on that in just a bit). Verbal now focuses only on critical reasoning and reading comprehension. Sentence corrections have been removed. The Analytical Writing Assessment (AWA) section has also been removed. The old Integrated Reasoning section has been completely overhauled and repackaged into a new section, The Data Insights section. Data Insights is intended to measure your skills in analyzing different types of data from multiple sources.
• Flexible Testing Features: The Focus Edition does not limit user ability to bookmark questions or review questions within their currently tested section. However, the test remains question-adaptive, which means that you cannot skip questions. You must submit an answer to move on to the next question. Still, the updated test does now allow a test taker to change up to three answers as long as though changes are made within each section’s time limit. One of the most significant changes is that you can now complete the test sections in any order.
• Enhanced Reporting: The new GMAT aims for more relevance to test-takers and the business schools to which they apply. Therefore, test results will include not only the Total Score (205-805), but also a detailed breakdown of insights to help the students assess which skill areas were more challenging, and which were strongest.

What if I took the older version of the GMAT?

Don’t worry! GMAC supports all GMAT scores as valid for 5 years, so there will be an extended transition period from the old to the new test scores.

In the meantime, its important to keep in mind that the scores do not translate. Here’s it’s worth quoting GMAC themselves: “Because the Total Score scale and the score scale distribution have both changed, comparing total scores or section scores from the current version of the exam to the GMAT Focus Edition is not appropriate, accurate, or a meaningful comparison of performance. Scores of 600 and 605 may look similar, but they represent very different performance levels on different skills.”

Preparing for the New GMAT Focus Edition

The introduction of the GMAT Focus Edition is a significant change in the business school application process. By understanding the updates and utilizing the available prep resources, aspiring graduate students can confidently navigate these changes and excel in their applications.

At Magoosh GMAT , we’re ready for the changes and ready to help you you prepare. We offer over 800 practice questions, 200 video lessons, and full-length practice tests–all updated for the new GMAT format. Try us for free with a 1-week trial!

Over the last 15 years, Linnea has worked with students of all ages and abilities in the U.S. and abroad, trained new teachers for the classroom, and written curricula for various test types. Her past experience includes tutoring TOEFL, ISEE, SSAT, ACT, SAT, GRE, LSAT, and GMAT students for The Princeton Review and working as the Director of Instruction Management for The Princeton Review Taipei. Her expertise runs the gamut of standardized tests, but there’s a special place in her heart for the verbal and essay components. Looking for a way to help more students, especially those who were unable to afford access to expensive test prep programs, Linnea joined Magoosh in 2019. She is a member of the Content Team, who connects with students as a blog contributor and through various lessons and other content on the Magoosh platform.

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16 responses to “GMAT Focus Edition: the Key Changes”

Hello, any update on the GMAT Focus Prep?

Our GMAT Focus updates have been released–you can update your Dashboard for this in your account settings! If you can’t figure it out, message us at [email protected] and we’ll show you how to switch over to it! 😀

Happy Focus Studying!

HI, when is the anticipated release date for the focus edition prep?

It should be in the next week or two! If you have a Magoosh premium account already, please write to us at [email protected] for more details/information about this! We’d love to talk further there! 😀

What is the best way to tailer my MAgoosh GMAT prep modules for the GMAT Focus edition? Are there certain sections I should ignore / sections I should spend more time on?

Note that we’ll be be updating our product for the GMAT Focus version by the end of this month! In the meantime, know that much of the Focus’s content will be largely unchanged, so you can still study with current resources to prepare for the test! The exam will no longer have Sentence Correction questions or an AWA section though, so you won’t want to study those if you’re definitely taking the Focus version!

Hope this helps, and Happy Studying! 🙂

Hi, have you updated the product?

The GMAT Focus updates are coming very soon, most likely in the first week or two of September! 😀

Hope this helps!

still waiting…

Our GMAT Focus updates have been released–you can update your Dashboard for this in your account settings! If you can’t figure it out, message us at [email protected] and we’ll show you how to switch over to it! 😀

So do you recommend us to work on the focus version or the old version if we are starting to work on gmat right now?

Hi Aymeric,

The answer to this question really depends on when your applications are due. We only know that the GMAT Focus will be available in Q4 this year–we don’t know the specific date yet. GMAC will open registration for the Focus edition in August, so we should know by then. Depending on when the test opens and when you can schedule it, you may or may not be able to take it this year and still apply to schools this year, if you have early deadlines. If your deadlines are in 2024, you could most likely plan to take the Focus version if you think that’s the best option for you! Schools will look at both versions of the test in the same way, so that shouldn’t be a factor in your decision.

Hope this helps! Good luck to you! 😀

Does Magoosh’s online GMAT prep content already reflect the changes in the GMAT format?

We are currently working on our updates and hope to release them in full by the end of July!

Hello there. What is the latest update on this?

Hi Vignesh,

If you’re asking about our product, we’re currently working on the updates for the Focus edition, and at this moment our ETA is mid-August for their release.

Hope this helps! 😀

GMAT Prep Online Guides and Tips

7 tips for writing a winning mba application essay.

Nervous about your MBA admissions essay? You’re not alone! Many applicants wonder how to put their best foot forward in a business school entrance essay.

In this article, I’ll tell you what admissions committees look for in application essays and offer MBA essay tips on how to make yours stand out. We’ll also take a look at the different kinds of business school essays and a few examples of MBA essay prompts.

Why Do Business Schools Ask for Essays? What Do They Look For?

Business schools ask for essays for several reasons, all of which help admissions committees determine whether you have the skills and traits to succeed in an MBA program.

First, MBA admissions committees want to see how you write. Communication skills—including concision, clarity, style, and fluency in English—will be essential to your success in business school. One way of discerning your level of writing ability is to require an original writing sample. In an MBA essay, you have to get your point across straightforwardly, elegantly, and concisely; being able to do this is a key element of succeeding in business school and the world of business in general.

Also, MBA admissions committees want to get a sense of who you are on a more personal level. MBA application essays tell admissions officials about you not only through what you say, but in how you say it. Are you self-aware, for example, and can you reflect on past challenges or mistakes in a thoughtful way? Do you demonstrate insight into who you are and your goals? How you answer questions about yourself, your career, and your journey can help MBA admissions officials discern your level of critical thinking and personal insight.

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You can have countless accomplishments, but to succeed in business school, you’ll also need to fit in with the campus climate, work well with your peers, and contribute to campus diversity in a meaningful way. The MBA essay is a place for you to talk about the background or experiences you have that are unique to you and that you believe could differentiate you from your colleagues and/or provide a fresh perspective to campus.

Finally, essays are a way for you to showcase the qualities that most MBA programs say they are looking for in applicants, such as leadership skills, community involvement, problem-solving skills, communication skills, clear goals, and a strong sense of ethics. Some of these traits might not be readily apparent from a resume alone, and an MBA essay can be a place for you to elaborate on how you’ve cultivated them in yourself.

MBA Entrance Essay Sample Prompts

Most MBA entrance essays ask you about one of several things. Many of them are variations on similar questions: the open-ended question, the leadership question, the personal growth question, questions on short- and long-term academic and career goals, and the diversity question. For each one, I’ll give an example of a real MBA essay prompt from 2016 or 2017.

#1: Open-Ended

The open-ended MBA application essay question is just that: open. It allows you to tell your own story, giving you quite a bit of freedom but also little to no guidance. For that reason, many applicants find it to be the most challenging MBA essay prompt.

Harvard Business School has only one essay for its MBA application, and it’s the quintessential open-ended MBA essay question. This is the prompt for 2017-2018 applicants.

As we review your application, what more would you like us to know as we consider your candidacy for the Harvard Business School MBA program?

Note that, as in other open-ended MBA admission essay prompts, this question asks you to decide what you’ll write about. Successful Harvard applicants and HBS admissions counselors have advised applicants to use the prompt as a chance to demonstrate their past use of an especially desired trait, such as problem-solving skills. For example, many successful applicants use the prompt to describe a scenario in which they faced and overcame a challenge, especially as a leader or alongside a team.

Notably, Harvard also doesn’t list a word limit, so you can decide the appropriate length for your essay. However, most admissions counselors will advise you to keep it concise and straightforward.

#2: Leadership

Another common MBA essay prompt asks you to demonstrate your experience and skills as a leader. Leadership qualities are listed by nearly all MBA admissions counselors as fundamental to a career in business and, thus, to a successful business school application.

Let’s look at a sample leadership MBA essay prompt from Kellogg.

Leadership and teamwork are integral parts of the Kellogg experience. Describe a recent and meaningful time you were a leader. What challenges did you face, and what did you learn? (450 words)

In a response to this kind of prompt, you should be as specific as possible. Name the company you were working for or specifically describe the project you were heading. Who was on your team? What were your objectives? Did you meet them? How could you have done so more effectively?

While you shouldn’t be overly self-deprecating, don’t be afraid to address the challenges you met and how you overcame them (or would overcome them now, with more experience and knowledge). Remember that one important aspect of leadership is accountability, so if there were problems, don’t solely blame your team for them. Instead, reflect on how you successfully worked with your team to solve the problems, and/or on how you could have done so more effectively or efficiently.

#3: Personal Growth

The personal growth MBA admission essay prompt will ask you how you’ve changed in the past and how you want to grow in the future. Here’s one example from the Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management.

Pursuing an MBA is a catalyst for personal and professional growth. How have you grown in the past? How do you intend to grow at Kellogg? (450 words)

Don’t be afraid to get a bit personal with these kinds of prompts . They’re meant to gauge something about your personality and who you are, rather than only what you’ve done.

Many successful MBA admission essays that respond to these kinds of questions follow a past/present/future format. Ask yourself what traits you’ve gathered over the years that have benefited you personally and professionally, how you’ve improved, and what you’ve learned. What experiences have shaped you? Be as specific as possible.

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Then, take stock of yourself now: your career, your education, and where you see yourself in the future. What do you need in order to get there?

Finally, most essay MBA prompts in this vein (like Kellogg’s) will ask you how they can help you move towards that personal or professional goal. Be as specific as you can, focusing on the particular strengths of the prospective MBA program and how they match up with what you want to improve about yourself as a person, colleague, and leader.

#4: Your Plan

Some MBA application essay prompts will ask you about your career goals and how attendance at a particular business school will help you to achieve them. Let’s look at one from the USC Marshall School of Business.

Essay #1 (Required) – What is your specific, immediate short-term career goal upon completion of your MBA? Please include an intended position, function, and industry in your response. (word limit: 100)

As you can see, questions like these often request brief responses. So get straight to the point, and give details. Name a specific job you’d like to hold, what you’d like to do there, and even particular companies if you can.

Questions like this one will require some research. Research alumni from your prospective business school who’ve ended up in positions comparable to ones you’d like to hold in the future, particular companies and positions that match up with your personal and professional goals, and specific coursework or industry experiences offered by your prospective business school that would help you get there.

#5: Diversity, Culture, and Community

Finally, some MBA essay prompts will ask you how your unique background and experiences would contribute to the overall diversity and collegial atmosphere of a school’s campus climate and community. Here’s one example from USC.

Essay #2 (Required) – At Marshall, we take pride in the fact that our students work collaboratively, both inside and outside the classroom, to create a culture, a community, and an environment that truly defines what we call the Trojan Family. Please describe the contributions you expect to make to your classmates during your time at USC. How will they benefit from your presence in the program? (word limit: 500)

You can respond to questions like this, depending on the wording of the original prompt, by discussing your cultural background, identity, and/or personal experiences that have given you particular insight into a given community or that have lent you a unique perspective that could be valuable to your colleagues as you collaborate.

You can also discuss past community service projects or issues you’re passionate about and how you plan to carry those experiences and passions into your work at your prospective MBA program.

7 MBA Essay Tips

Writing MBA essays takes a particular skill set. Let’s go over the top seven MBA essay tips for making your application essay shine.

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#1: Write Early and Often

Even though MBA entrance essays are brief, they take a lot of polishing. Writing MBA essays takes time.

Don’t expect to write yours at the last minute or knock out a quality essay in a day. Most students need several drafts to make sure they’re getting their points across as elegantly and clearly as possible.

Start your essay well before the application deadline, when you don’t yet feel any pressure. For several weeks, don’t try to write at all. Instead, before crafting your essay for MBA admission, take notes on your past, present, and future. What have you learned? What unique experiences have you had? What have been the most meaningful projects you’ve undertaken? Ask friends, family, and mentors to tell you what they value most about you or what they see as your greatest personal and professional assets.

Only once you’ve gathered this material should you begin your first draft of your MBA application essay. Start with an outline for each one that includes the story you want to tell and the main points you want to get across.

Once you have a clear outline, you can start drafting. Taking the writing process seriously from start to finish will give you a much better product in the end than trying to write something hastily right before the deadline.

#2: Show, Don’t Tell

MBA admissions committees want to be able to tell that you have the qualities that are necessary to succeed in business school, such as leadership skills and integrity.

Your MBA admissions essay can be a great place to showcase those qualities. However, remember to show, not tell. Saying “I have strong leadership skills” doesn’t tell an admissions committee much. Through an anecdote about, say, meeting a difficult deadline or overcoming an obstacle, a reader should be able to tell that you have the qualities of a strong leader without your having to say so explicitly.

#3: Research Your Goals

When describing your future goals, be as specific as possible. Business schools know that your goals may change in the future, but stating specific goals now will show that you’ve done your research and have an idea of what you want and how an MBA program can help you get there.

Before writing your essay for MBA admission, research the ins and outs of the industry you want to enter, the position you’d like to have, companies you might like to work for, and coursework and internships or fieldwork that could aid you on your way to those goals.

#4: Keep It Concise

Never, ever go over a stated word count limit when you’re writing your essay for MBA admission. It might be tempting, but business schools want to see that you can get your point across concisely and straightforwardly.This rule goes for MBA essay prompts that don’t have specific word counts, too: sometimes, less is more.

One of the biggest mistakes applicants make in writing an essay for MBA admission is to use too much flowery language to come across as more professional. If you do this, it can be distracting and cause the admissions committee to miss the main points you’re making.

Bottom line, trim anything extraneous from your essay —that is, anything that doesn’t actively support the main point(s) you’re trying to get across.

#5: Show Self-Awareness

It might feel tempting to use the MBA admission essay as a space to list all of your accomplishments (and since your resume is already part of your application, this is unnecessary), but MBA admissions committees would rather see that you have insight into both your strengths and weaknesses. No one is perfect, and in your essay for MBA admission, you shouldn’t try to come across as if you’ve never made a mistake or faced a challenge that you’ve had to learn from.

Also, in business school and the business world at large, bouncing back from failures, being flexible, and problem solving are all essential skills. All of them require a thick skin and awareness of what you could do better.

Of course, this doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t showcase your achievements, but if you’re asked about personal growth or an obstacle you’ve overcome, be clear about what you could have done more effectively in the past (at a job or in your education, for example) and the steps you’ve taken or will take to sidestep that mistake in the future.

#6: Share Your Personal Journey

Many applicants would prefer to focus only on their professional backgrounds and goals in their MBA essays, but you shouldn’t be afraid to get personal in your essay. You don’t need to tell your whole life story, but especially in response to questions that ask about your growth over time, you should showcase your personality and give the admissions committee an idea of your personal background and experiences.

#7: Ask for Edits

It might seem obvious, but many applicants don’t do it: proofread your work! When writing MBA essays, revision is key. Turning in an MBA essay with typos and other errors will come off as thoughtless and unprofessional.

You should also get a second (and, perhaps, a third and fourth) pair of eyes on your essay to make sure it’s coming across as you want it to. Going through several rounds of drafts is a necessary part of the writing process to ensure that you’re putting your best foot forward in your MBA entrance essay.

What’s Next?

Worried about how your GMAT score matches up to other applicants’? Find out more in our list of average GMAT scores by school.

Concerned about your chances of getting into an MBA program? Our guide to business school acceptance rates will help.

Ready to apply to business school? Check out our top eight tips for applying to MBA programs here.

Was this helpful? Sign up for FREE GMAT and MBA guides!

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Author: Laura Dorwart

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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NYU STERN MBA Essays : Sample Essays & Writing Tips

Are you dreaming of joining the prestigious NYU Stern for your MBA? Well, you're in for an exciting journey, and I'm here to guide you through a crucial part of your application - the essays. Let's dive right in, shall we?

Essay 1: Professional Aspirations

Embarking on an MBA is a significant step in your career, and NYU Stern wants to hear all about your plans. So, what are your short-term career goals? This question may seem straightforward, but it's your golden ticket to show the admissions committee why NYU Stern is the ideal launchpad for your dreams.

Key Elements to Include:

Specificity is Key: Be clear about your desired role and the industry you aim to enter post-MBA. Numbers and facts play a big role here. For instance, if you're eyeing a role in management consulting, mention the kind of projects or sectors you want to delve into.

Link to Stern: Why NYU? Maybe it's their top-ranked Finance program or their impressive network in the tech industry. Whatever it is, make it clear how Stern aligns with your goals.

Short and Sweet: With a 150-word limit, precision is your friend. Every word should drive home why you're a perfect fit for Stern and why Stern is perfect for you.

Expert Tip:

Did you know that NYU Stern's MBA program has a robust offering in areas like Fintech and Luxury & Retail? Tailoring your goals to these unique strengths can showcase your fit and research.

Essay 2: Personal Expression (Pick Six)

This one's my personal favorite - the "Pick Six" essay. Think of it as a blank canvas to paint a vivid picture of who you are beyond your resume. You get to choose six images that represent your passions, life experiences, and dreams. But remember, it's not just about the pictures; the captions are where you bring your story to life.

Crafting Your Pick Six:

Diverse Imagery: Mix it up! Your images could range from a snapshot of a volunteering experience to a prized personal achievement. This is your chance to showcase the breadth of your personality.

Meaningful Captions: Each caption is a chance to give context to the image. What's the story behind that picture of you crossing the marathon finish line? Use these snippets to give depth to your narrative.

Reflect Your Values: Are you passionate about sustainability or women's leadership? Let your images reflect these values. Remember, authenticity is key.

What Makes a Great Pick Six?

Let's look at an example. Imagine you choose a photo of a bustling street market in Bangkok. A simple caption like, "Exploring global markets, understanding diverse consumer behaviors - a step towards my dream of a career in international marketing," ties your personal experience to your professional aspirations.

Essay 3: Behavioral Essay - Embracing Change

"Change: _____ it." This intriguing prompt from NYU Stern's MBA application is not just about your take on change; it's a window into how you adapt, innovate, and lead in a dynamic world. Let's decode it together!

Unpacking the Prompt:

Personalizing 'Change': This is where you fill in the blank with a word that embodies your approach to change. Are you someone who 'drives' change or 'embraces' it? Your choice of word is a powerful indicator of your mindset.

Illustrating with Examples: Use real-life instances to show how you've lived this mantra. Did you lead a project that required swift adaptation? Or perhaps you initiated a change that had a significant impact?

Word Limit Wisdom: With a 350-word limit, your narrative needs to be crisp and engaging. Focus on one or two compelling examples rather than trying to cover too much ground.

Why This Matters:

NYU Stern values candidates who can thrive in an ever-changing global landscape. This essay is your chance to prove that you're not just prepared for change – you're ready to be a catalyst for it.

Optional Essay: Providing Additional Information

This section of the application might seem optional, but it's a hidden gem for those who use it wisely. Here's where you can address any part of your profile that needs more context - maybe a gap in your resume, a unique life circumstance, or additional insight into your academic record.

When to Use the Optional Essay:

Clarifying Gaps: If there's a gap in your employment or education, explain it. But remember, this isn't about making excuses; it's about providing clarity.

Academic Anomalies: Had a rough semester? Use this space to give context but also to show how you've grown from the experience.

Extra Achievements: Got something impressive that didn't fit into other essays? This is your place to shine.

Crafting Your Response:

Be Direct: Get to the point quickly. The admissions committee appreciates brevity and directness.

Stay Positive: Focus on the lessons learned or skills gained, even from challenging experiences.

Word Limit: With a maximum of 250 words, every sentence must add value to your overall narrative.

Writing Tips and Best Practices

Crafting an essay for an MBA application, especially for a prestigious institution like NYU Stern, isn't just about answering questions. It's about telling a story - your unique story. Here are some essential tips to make your essays stand out:

Structure and Clarity:

Opening Strong: Your first sentence sets the tone. Make it engaging and indicative of what's to come.

Clear Structure: Organize your thoughts. Use headings or bullet points if necessary to enhance readability.

Conciseness is Key: Be succinct. Respect word limits and don’t wander off-topic.

Showcasing Personality:

Authentic Voice: Write like you speak (within the bounds of formal language). Let your personality shine through.

Unique Insights: What makes you, you? Maybe it's your multicultural background or an unconventional career path.

Backing with Data:

Quantify Achievements: Use numbers to give weight to your accomplishments. Increased sales by 30%? Say it!

Facts from Trusted Sources: Cite NYU Stern’s official website or reputable publications for any external data.

Common Pitfalls to Avoid:

Repetition: Don't rehash your resume. The essay is an opportunity to show more than what's on paper.

Overcomplicating: Simplicity is powerful. Avoid jargon or overly complex language.

Negativity: Even when discussing challenges, focus on growth and learning, not on blame or regret.

Final Thoughts and Conclusion

As we wrap up, remember that your essays are a mosaic of your aspirations, experiences, and personality. They are a conversation with the admissions committee. Be honest, be yourself, and let your passion for Stern and your future career shine through.

Leaving a Lasting Impression:

Reflective Tone: Conclude with a reflective note on what attending NYU Stern means to you and your future.

Future Orientation: Talk about how you envision contributing to the Stern community and beyond.

Encouragement and Motivation:

You've Got This! Writing essays can be daunting, but view it as an opportunity to introspect and articulate your journey and dreams.

Seek Feedback: Don’t hesitate to ask for feedback from mentors or peers. Fresh perspectives can be invaluable.

MBA and Beyond

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