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Here you'll learn all the basics about the GMAT essays — what they look like, testing procedures, how the essays are scored, and so forth. Just click on the links or scroll down.
 The Two GMAT Essay Sections
 
The GMAT CAT includes two distinct 30-minute AWA (Analytical Writing Assessment) sections:
  • Analysis of an Issue (30 Minutes)
  • Analysis of an Argument (30 Minutes)
During each of these two sections, you'll compose an essay in which you respond to the specific question presented. You'll record your response using the word processor built into the GMAT CAT. (Handwritten responses are not permitted.)
The Analysis-of-Issue Section. This 30-minute section tests your ability to present a position on an issue effectively and persuasively. Your task is to compose an essay in which you respond to a brief (1-2 sentence) opinion about an issue. You should consider various perspectives, take a position on the issue and argue for that position. You will NOT be able to choose among questions.
 
(To see what an Issue question looks like, take a peek at a GMAT-style Issue question and sample response.)
 
The Analysis-of-Argument Section. This 30-minute section is designed to test your critical reasoning and analytical (as well as writing) skills. Your task is to compose an essay in which you critique the stated argument and indicate how it could be improved, but not to present your own views on the argument's topic. You will NOT be able to choose among questions.
 
(To see what an Argument question looks like, take a peek at a GMAT-style Argument question and sample response.)

Sequence of Exam Sections
 
The two AWA sections are administered consecutively and always before the Quantitative and Verbal sections of the exam. However, the two AWA sections may appear in either order. Here's how the two AWA sections fit into the overall format of the GMAT CAT:
  • CAT System Tutorial, Practice, and Demonstration of Competence

  • Analytical Writing Assessment (60 minutes)

      Analysis of an Issue (30 minutes, 1 topic)*
      Analysis of an Argument (30 minutes, 1 topic)*

  • 5-minute break (optional)

  • Quantitative Section (75 minutes)**

      Problem Solving (23–24 questions)
      Data Sufficiency (13–14 questions)
      Total number of questions: 37 (28 scored, 9 unscored***)

  • 5-minute break (optional)

  • Verbal Section (75 minutes)**

      Critical Reasoning (14–15 questions)
      Sentence Correction (14–15 questions)
      Reading Comprehension (4 passages, 12–14 questions)
      Total number of questions: 41 (30 scored, 11 unscored***)

TOTAL TESTING TIME: 3 hours, 20 minutes
 
* The two AWA sections may appear in either order on the exam.
 
** The Quantitative and Verbal sections may appear in either order, and the different types of questions included within each section are interspersed.
 
*** Either 9 Quantitative and 11 Verbal questions or 10 from each section are unscored — totaling 20 unscored questions on the exam altogether.
 
 
The Official Pool of GMAT Essay Questions
 
The CAT system's database contains nearly 200 distinct Issue questions and nearly 200 distinct Argument questions. For each test-taker, the CAT system randomly selects from its pool one question of each type.
 
The test-makers provide the complete pool of GMAT essay questions, free of charge, at the offical GMAT Website. [How to Download the GMAT Essay Questions]

 Two of these questions (one of each type) will appear on your GMAT CAT. My book GMAT CAT — Answers to the Real Essay Questions includes model essays for 115 Issue topics and 115 Argument topics. [Book Information]
    NOTE: GMAC also publishes the essay questions in a printed publication (The Official Guide for GMAT Review, $19.95). The questions are not published in the official GMAT Bulletin (free from GMAC), and I am not permitted to reproduce the questions here at this Website.

Procedural Rules You Should Know
 
Here are the procedural rules for the two AWA sections:
  • The CAT system does not allow you to return to either of the two AWA essays once you've moved on.

  • If you've completed either essay before the 30-minute time limit has elapsed, you can proceed immediately to the next section by clicking the EXIT SECTION button at the bottom of the screen.

  • You're allowed a maximum of 5 minutes after the second AWA section before moving on to the multiple-choice sections. (At the end of 5 minutes, the next section begins, whether or not you're ready!)

  • No break is provided between the two 30-minute AWA sections.

  • Pencils and scratch paper are provided. (The exam supervisor will collect these materials at the conclusion of your exam.)

Using the GMAT CAT Word Processor
 
You'll record your essay responses electronically, with the word processor built into the GMAT CAT. During the computer tutorial that precedes that actual timed test, you'll practice using the CAT word processor. Here are its key features.
 
Navigation and editing — available keyboard commands. Here are the navigational and editing keys available in the CAT word processor:
    Backspace removes the character to the left of the cursor
    Delete removes the character to the right of the cursor
    Home moves the cursor to the beginning of the line
    End moves the cursor to the end of the line
    Arrow Keys move the cursor up, down, left, or right
    Enter inserts a paragraph break (starts a new line)
    Page Up moves the cursor up one page (screen)
    Page Down moves the cursor down one page (screen)
Common keyboard commands NOT available. Certain often-used features of standard word processing programs are not available in the CAT word processor. For example, no keyboard commands are available for:
    TAB — disabled (does not function)
    Beginning/end of paragraph (not available)
    Beginning/end of document (not available)
Mouse-driven editing functions. In addition to editing keys, the CAT word processor includes mouse-driven CUT, PASTE, and UNDO. Drag-and-drop cut-and-paste is not available.
    Selecting text you wish to cut or copy. You select text the same way as with standard word processing programs: either (1) hold down your mouse button while sweeping the I-beam on the screen over the desired text, or (2) hold down the SHIFT key and use the navigation keys to select text.
     
    The CUT button. If you wish to delete text but want to save it to a temporary clipboard for pasting elsewhere, select that text (see above) then click on the CUT button. Cutting text is not the same as deleting it. When you delete text (using the DELETE key), you cannot paste it elsewhere in your document (but see UNDO below).
     
    The PASTE button. If you wish to move text from one position to another, select and cut the text, then reposition your cursor where you want the text to go, and click on the PASTE button.
     
    The UNDO button. Click on this button to undo the most recent delete, cut, or paste that you performed.
     
    CAUTION: The CAT word processor stores only your most recent delete, cut, or paste. Also, Multiple Undo is not available.
The vertical scroll bar. Once you key in 10 lines or so, you'll have to scroll to view your entire response. If you don't know how to scroll, the computer tutorial preceding the test will show you how.
 
Spell checking, fonts, attributes, hyphenation. The CAT word processor does not include a spell checker, nor does it allow you to choose typeface or point size. Neither manual nor automatic hyphenation is available. Attributes such as bold, italics, and underlining are not available.
    NOTE: As for words that you would otherwise italicize or underline (such as titles or foreign words), it's okay to leave them as is. The readers understand the limitations of the CAT word processor.

 
The GMAT Essay "Readers" (Graders)
 
Immediately after testing, your essays are sent electronically to a central processing location. Within one week after the test, your two GMAT essays will be read and graded. One reader will read and score your Issue essay, and a different reader will read and score your Argument essay. Each reader evaluates your writing independently of any other reader, and no reader is informed of another's score. All GMAT essay readers are college or university faculty members; most are either English or Communications professors.
 
A computer program referred to as E-Rater will also evaluate each of your essays for grammar, syntax, word usage, diction, idiom, spelling, and punctuation--but not for content. (A computer program obviously cannot evaluate the ideas that an essay seeks to convey.)
 
 
The Scoring System for the GMAT Essays
 
Each human reader will employ a "holistic" grading method by which he or she will assign a single score from 0 to 6 (0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6) based on the overall quality of your writing. All readers employ the same specific ETS scoring criteria. E-Rater also scores your essay on a 0-6 scale.
 
In 4 steps, here's how your AWA score is determined:
  1. For each of your two essays, E-Rater's score is averaged together with the human reader's score.

  2. For each essay, if E-Rater's score is within 1 point of the human reader's score, then the average of those two scores is your final score for that essay.

  3. For each essay, if E-Rater's score differs from the human reader's score by more than 1 point, then a second human reader will read and grade the essay, and your final score for that essay will be the average of the two human readers' scores.

  4. Your final AWA score is the average of the final score for each of your two essays, rounded up to the nearest half-point.
In addition to your AWA score of 0–6, you'll receive a percentile rank (0% to 99%) for your AWA performance. A percentile rank of 60%, for example, indicates that you scored higher than 60% of all other test-takers and lower than 40% of all other test-takers. Percentile ranks are also provided for Quantitative, Verbal, and Total (combined Quantitative and Verbal) scores.
    NOTE: All four percentile rankings indicate how you performed relative to the entire GMAT test-taking population during the most recent 3-year period.

 
Criteria for Scoring the GMAT Essays
 
In evaluating the overall quality of your writing, the readers will consider four general areas of ability:
  • Content: your ability to present cogent, persuasive, and relevant ideas and arguments through sound reasoning and supporting examples

  • Organization: your ability to present your ideas in an organized and cohesive fashion

  • Language: your control of the English language, including diction (word choice and usage) and syntax (sentence structure)

  • Grammar: your facility with the conventions (grammar and punctuation) of Standard Written English
Which of these areas is most important? Unofficial statements by GMAC representatives suggest that the first two areas are more important than the last two. However, my discussions with former GMAT readers suggest that writing style, grammar, and diction — i.e., your ability to communicate ideas effectively in writing — may influence the reader just as much as the ideas themselves. So the bottom line is that you should strive to demonstrate competency in all four areas. Of course, if you're weak in one area, you can still achieve a high overall score by demonstrating strength in other areas.
 
Specific Scoring Criteria. Here are two "scorecards," based on the ETS scoring criteria. (ETS' official scoring criteria are printed in the GMAT Bulletin, available free of charge at college career centers and from ETS.) You can use my scorecards to evaluate your own performance as you practice composing GMAT essays. Award yourself 1 point for every question to which you answer yes, one-half point for every question to which you answer maybe, and no point for each no answer. Tally up your points for a score of 0 to 6.
Scorecard for Analysis-of-Issue Response
  • Do you show that you understand and appreciate the complexities of the issue?

  • Is your essay well organized, with a clear introduction and conclusion, and logical flow from one point to the next?

  • Do you use persuasive examples and/or insightful reasons to support your position?

  • Do you present a well-reasoned, articulate analysis of the issue?

  • Do you cover the specific tasks called for in the instructions, without digressing from the task or from the issue at hand?

  • Do you demonstrate a good command of Standard Written English?
Scorecard for Analysis-of-Argument Response
  • Do you show that you understand the argument and follow its line of reasoning?

  • Do you identify the major problems with the argument, using relevant and reasonable support for your critique?

  • Do you develop your ideas logically and connect them smoothly with clear transitions?

  • Is your essay well organized, with a clear introduction and conclusion?

  • Do you perform all relevant tasks mentioned in the instructions, without digressing from these tasks or from the argument?

  • Do you demonstrate a good command of Standard Written English?
 
Reporting of AWA Scores to Test-Takers and to the Schools
 
Within one week after you take the GMAT CAT, the AWA readers will grade your essays. An official score report for all sections — including the AWA sections — will be mailed to you about two weeks after testing. Concurrently, ETS will mail a score report to each school to which you direct your score report (reports to as many as five schools are permitted without additional fee). Percentile rankings are not reported to the schools. ETS is considering, but has not yet implemented, methods for electronic transmission of scores to the schools. Also, at this time score reports do not include test-takers' actual AWA responses, although the GMAC is examining possible methods of disclosing AWA responses to the schools.
    NOTE: Unofficial Quantitative, Verbal and Total scores will be available to you at the testing center immediately after completing the exam. Of course, no AWA score will be available until the readers have evaluated your essays.

 
How the Schools Evaluate AWA Scores
 
Each business school develops and implements its own policies for evaluating AWA and other GMAT scores. Some schools place more relative weight than others on AWA scores, just as various schools place different relative weights on GMAT scores and GPA. Your three most recent GMAT scores are reported by ETS to each business school receiving your scores and transcripts. Most schools average reported scores. Other schools consider only your highest reported score. Still others have adopted a hybrid approach, by which they average your scores unless there's a sufficiently wide discrepency among the scores, in which event they consider only your highest score.
 

 
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