In this video, Marina who scored 700 on the GMAT, explains how she approached the Analytical Writing Assessment of the exam.
As he explains in her vlog, she initially focused more heavily on her preparation for the quantitative and verbal sections of the test while only spending a few hours on the Analytical Writing Assessment (AWA).
In this writing section of the GMAT, you are given a paragraph or a statement which you need to discuss. Typically, you will need to provide argumentation in your answer as to why the given statement is inaccurate or incomplete. To do so, Marina advises you to follow a template of five paragraphs in your writing.
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In the first paragraph, try to explain or sum up what the statement is all about. Then, the second, third, and fourth paragraphs should address why you disagree with the given text. You should use different arguments in each paragraph. Another important tip to remember is to write paragraphs of similar volume. If one idea or argument is much shorter than the rest, it will seem weaker and less developed. Finally, the fifth paragraph should briefly summarize your points.
Afterwards, the video goes in more detail to give specific examples from the AWA section as well as sample answers. Marina suggests using several key phrases throughout your answer which can be used regardless of the statement’s topic. Usually, they indicate that you disagree with some parts of the given text. They also do an excellent job of structuring your content and making your argumentation easy to follow.
Useful phrases
- The conclusion of the argument is based on the premise…
- Hence, the argument is unconvincing and has several flaws.
- First, the argument readily assumes…
- The author fails to mention…
- The argument could have been much clearer if…
- In fact, it is not at all clear…
- Finally, the argument fails to mention…
- Without this information, the argument remains unsubstantiated and open to debate.
The last sentence would fit particularly well in the closing paragraph of your answer to indicate your overall disagreement with the given statement.
Watch the entire video and take some notes to get a better idea of the preparation needed for the AWA section of the GMAT!
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