Written ByRituparna Nath Content Writer at Study Abroad Exams
GMAT AWA allows the candidates to think critically and logically to articulate ideas through writing. Through analytical writing assessment of GMAT, examiners check the reasoning ability of the candidate. GMAT AWA score is measured on a scale of 0-6. GMAT Analytical Writing Assessment consists of one question of 30 minutes. GMAT essay is argumentative in nature and topics are usually from business or technology. How analytically a candidate can write is being assessed in GMAT AWA section. It is often questioned ‘Does AWA score matter in GMAT?’ as it is not included in the GMAT score report. Though the GMAT AWA score is not entirely crucial for your admission procedure, the universities do consider its score for testing the flair in writing.
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Note: The GMAT online exam has omitted the AWA section from its syllabus. Therefore, candidates taking the online GMAT exam need not prepare for it.
What is a Good AWA score on GMAT?
GMAC always advises the B-schools to not completely target the GMAT AWA score as most of the candidates score pretty high. The average GMAT AWA score is 4.48 and any score lesser than that will not be much of a delight to the B-schools. The GMAT aspirant should aim for a score higher than 4.48.
Is the GMAT AWA score Important for Business Schools?
Top B schools in the world don't entertain a GMAT AWA score of 4 or alike and this clearly states how the AWA affects GMAT score. 4 or 4.5 scores in AWA can raise questions regarding:
- The candidate’s proficiency in English language, vocabulary, and grammar;
- Their application essay which will also be in question;
- The authority might not consider the application of the concerned applicant;
GMAC though asks the universities to not depend on the GMAT AWA section blindly and consider it as a diagnostic tool in recommending or requiring additional instructions in English because it is a result of a 30 minutes test and the application letter they write for their universities is prepared with more time in hand.
For non-native English speakers, the challenging part is to prove their language knowledge in terms of writing. So, if you are in school doing the English classes and also desiring to pursue an MBA then do not forget to do these sections well.
GMAT AWA Syllabus
The GMAT analytical writing examines the test taker’s ability to analyze, critically think, and put their own views in an essay in 30 minutes' time. Here, one has to discuss the reason behind the prompt having poor arguments and work on that by:
- Scrutinizing the given argument
- Recognizing the motif behind an argument and placing the views accordingly
- Drawing a structured way of presenting the answer
- Take into account the distinct point of views
- Pillaring the answers with proper examples and facts
- Lastly, effective grammar usage is needed
How will your GMAT AWA be evaluated?
GMAT AWA is evaluated with a combination of experienced human rater and computer algorithms. If there is any kind of disparity between human-rated scores and computer-rated scores, then another examiner will re-evaluate the GMAT AWA score.
GMAT AWA Score
The process of checking the GMAT analytical score is based on a grading scale of 1-6 in half-point increments. According to GMAC,
- Point 6 is termed ‘outstanding’.
- Point 5 is termed ‘strong’.
- Point 4 is considered ‘adequate’.
- Point 3 is considered ‘limited’.
- Point 2 ‘seriously flawed’ and it really is.
- Point 1 ‘fundamentally deficient.
GMAT AWA score is evaluated by a human at first then a developed computer grading program named E-Rater. Being a non-native English speaker, scoring 3.5-4 on the scale of 6 is considered well. But if the difference is more than one point then another scholarly person reads it to finally assess the number.
GMAT AWA Rescoring Service
With an additional fee of $45, the candidate can avail of GMAT AWA rescoring service by an independent reader. GMAT AWA rescored value will be sent within six months of the test date. Few things to be noted about GMAT AWA Rescoring service as following -
- Rescoring result for GMAT AWA score will be final
- Rescoring can result in both a decrease or increase in the original score
- Revised GMAT score will be sent to both the candidate and the university
- Other than GMAT AWA, none of the sections can be submitted for rescoring service
GMAT AWA Average Score and Percentile
Most of the test takers have a GMAT AWA score of 5 or above in their grades with the average GMAT analytical writing score range standing at 4.37. Let us understand the GMAT score percentile with the help of this table –
| GMAT AWA Score | Percentile |
|---|---|
| 6 | 88 |
| 5.5 | 79 |
| 5 | 53 |
| 4.5 | 42 |
| 4 | 17 |
| 3.5 | 11 |
| 3 | 4 |
| 2.5 | 3 |
| 2 | 2 |
| 1.5 | 2 |
| 1 | 1 |
| 0.5 | 1 |
Most universities have a GMAT cutoff higher than 4 as the analytical writing section provides an insight into the language proficiency level of that particular test-taker.
To calculate the GMAT AWA Score, there are few crucial factors studied by the graders.
- The versatility of the issues displayed by the test taker along with their presentation of the argument
- The test taker’s capability to establish facts, structure them, and finally implement them
- The admissible pillaring reasons and examples placed
- The ability to make full use of the stand English
*The article might have information for the previous academic years, which will be updated soon subject to the notification issued by the University/College.
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