Analytical Writing Assessment (AWA)

The first section of the GMAT is the Analytical Writing Assessment (AWA). In this part of the GMAT, you will be required to write two essays: one an analysis of an argument and the other an analysis of an issue. You are allowed thirty minutes for each essay. For the entire AWA section, you are given a score on a scale of 0-6. This score does not impact your overall GMAT score (i.e., the score from 200-800). Nonetheless, it is important to score a five or above and the AWA should be a part of your GMAT prep.

While there is no formula for achieving a good score on the AWA, good grammar, solid reasoning, and varied diction, coupled with an essay outline that generally follows the AWA template has produced many solid AWA scores.