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GMAT Analytical Writing Assessment

The GMAT Analytical Writing Assessment (AWA) is an important part of the admissions process. It displays an applicant's ability to think critically and clearly communicate ideas. While some B-Schools put more stock in the AWA than others, it is never a good idea to skip the essays unless specifically told to do so.

AWA Essays

The Analytical Writing Assessment consists of two essays- the Analysis of an Issue and Analysis of an Argument. You are allowed 30 minutes for each essay. When writing the GMAT essays, it is important to understand the distinction between the two. The Analysis of an Issue requires you to analyze a given issue (or opinion) and apply your point of view to the matter, be it for or against the subject matter.

You must provide support for your opinion from your personal knowledge and experience. However, the Analysis of an Argument requires you to "check your opinion at the door" so to speak, and form a position solely on the argument given. You must analyze the argument and decide if you find the reasoning solid or questionable.

3 Steps

Simply put, there are three steps to the Analytical Writing Assessment process:

  1. Read the question, brainstorm and make an outline. You should try to do this in five to ten minutes.
  2. Write your essay following your outline and add relevant points if more come to you. This will take the bulk of your time- 20+ minutes.
  3. If possible, you should leave a couple of minutes at the end to check your work and correct any glaring mistakes. You are not penalized for minor spelling/grammatical errors, but the fewer the better.

AWA Study Strategy

It may seem hard to study for the AWA as it is less concrete than sitting down and doing 50 math problems, but here is one useful method. The MBA.com website contains links to pages with current AWA topics for both essay types. The list is massive, so you would be hard pressed to cover all the topics, though it is certainly possible. However, that is not necessarily the point with this exercise. You should go down both lists as it will benefit you in different ways.

For the Analysis of an Argument, a key factor is to be able to quickly dissect an argument. You must be able to see the main point, its supporting evidence, and the assumptions the argument is based upon. It is paramount that you quickly recognize these three factors in order to do well on the essay.

So, in order to practice recognizing the aforementioned parts of an argument, pull up the Analysis of an Argument list and go down them one by one. For each one, mentally do step 1) mentioned above. Quickly break the argument down as you would in the real test. If you have no trouble, move on to the next one, after all, you have done the hardest part. If you come across an argument that challenges you, take the time to understand it- otherwise, move through them quickly, as you would have too on the real test. Doing so will help acclimate you to analyzing an argument at "test speed". Naturally, you will also want to pick a few and go through the entire process- brainstorm/outline, write the essay, and check for mistakes. And time yourself, of course.

It is also beneficial to perform the same process with the Analysis of an Issue list. Aside from getting you up "to speed", it will give you an idea of the type of topics covered and give you the opportunity to look up topics you are unfamiliar with. There is the added benefit that you may actually see one of the topics on the test.

For current Analytical Writing Assessment topics click here. There you can find links to topics for both Analysis of an Issue and Analysis of an Argument at the bottom of the page.