GMAT Exam: A Simple Guide To The Analytical Writing Assessment

The Analytical Writing Assessment is the very first section of the GMAT. This is good news! The AWA takes the most planning and sustained effort on the test, so it makes sense that it would come first. You’ll have 30 minutes to complete this section. That 30 minutes includes the time to read the question, consider what argument the author is trying to make, and then write a persuasive essay that makes the author’s argument clear and then critiques it. That last part is important: you are not writing your opinion on a topic. Instead, you’re given someone else’s argument, which you are going to explain in your essay. You’ll test it for flaws and bias, and you will point out what the author has forgotten or ignored.

The AWA is also called the Analysis of an Argument. That’s a good reminder that your essay should consider the argument presented—you’re analyzing someone else’s argument, in other words, not concocting your own.

Scrap paper and a writing utensil are provided to use in outlining, and you’ll type the entire essay into the simplified word processing program on the computer (so, no, you can’t jazz it up with fancy fonts!). However, you will be able to cut, paste, undo, and redo. There will be icons on the screen that make these tasks clear.

You must keep reminding yourself of the following: The AWA is not about how creative a writer you are, nor about your ability to captivate your readers. After all, the GMAT is a test for those who want to enter business, and what matters most in that field is your ability to write clearly and precisely. The AWA isn’t interested in your skill with metaphors or imagery. Instead, it asks you to take an argument and communicate it, as well as its strengths and weaknesses, effectively to your readers.

What kind of argument will you be analyzing? Well, you don’t have to worry about being asked an extremely controversial question. It will be a topic of general interest, sometimes related to business, but not always. The question will not presuppose that you have some knowledge about business, though; in other words, it won’t ask you for your opinion on an argument that’s based on particular stock sale from 2003.

How the AWA Is Used
The AWA is scored on a scale from 0 (the lowest) to 6 (the highest). If you arrange to have your GMAT scores sent to business schools, the schools will be able to see your AWA score along with a copy of your essay. Some people say that the AWA score isn’t as important as the overall GMAT score, and that’s certainly true at some schools. But others are genuinely interested in your ability to write well and will pay special attention to the AWA score. The bottom line is that you should do your best on this and every section of the test.
If the AWA gives you chills, remember that this is the kind of writing in which practice can make perfect. Try your hand at the sample essays presented here.

A good score on the AWA will help your application, but—be warned!—a poor score might raise some red flags for the admissions office. Admissions personnel may take the time to compare your application essays to your AWA essay, and if the former are much better than the latter, there might be concern that your essays were written by someone else. If all of your essays are equally subpar, your application could be in trouble.

How to Approach the AWA
The thought of writing an essay might freak you out, but please don’t let your concerns keep you from preparing. No, you do not have enough time to become the next Gillian Flynn, but that’s not what the raters are looking for anyway.

The AWA asks for a very specific type of writing and grades it in a very specific way. (More on that in a moment.) So long as your writing is clear and makes a sound critique of the argument you’ve been given, you’ll do fine. In fact, flourishes won’t help. Keep your writing simple, focused, and to the point. And watch your grammar!

First, read the entirety of the argument (the question, that is) you’ve been given. You might want to jot down your thoughts as you read it. Ask yourself questions as you read:

What are the flaws of this argument? What does the argument assume without proof? What counterexamples might be raised against this argument? What else could be included in this argument to make it stronger?

You can expect the argument presented on your GMAT to be on a topic of general interest, often related to industry or entertainment. You will not be asked to write about anything that touches on particular political or religious views. If the topic you’re assigned happens to dance close to your own political or religious views, do try your best not to bring them into what should be a fairly dry, impersonal essay.
Next try to come up with a thesis statement: a sentence that clearly states your critique of the argument you’ve been given. You don’t have much time, so go with your gut. There’s no need to find an obscure way to rebut some premise of the argument. Focus on the first thing that comes to mind: what do you want to say about this piece?

Outlining your essay before you begin writing is strongly recommended. Your first paragraph should introduce your critique, including your thesis statement. Get that down in your outline. Next, note what you’ll put in your next paragraphs (no more than three, please, unless you type like the wind) that develop your critique. Use examples that illustrate your points. Figure out what you’ll do to conclude your essay strongly, by restating your thesis and pointing out what should be done to make the argument stronger.
With your outline in hand, begin writing. Be concise and get to the point. You may not have time to proofread, so do your best to write clearly, without a lot of phrases and clauses, now. Avoid tricky sentence structures and punctuation, such as dashes and semicolons, unless you’re sure you can use them correctly.
Don’t try to have it both by ways by “agreeing and disagreeing” with the presented argument, even if that’s how you really feel. Although you can make a gesture to a worthwhile opposing point that the argument makes or that could be made against it, you want to principally stick to one side of the argument.
If time permits, reread your essay. Don’t cut large swaths of the essay unless you’re sure you have time to retype or paste them before your half hour is up! Above all, make sure your essay reads like a narrative: full sentences, coherent logic, paragraphs, logical transitions, a clear introduction, and a conclusion.
It’s almost impossible for test takers not to assume that a longer essay is a better essay. And sure, a two-paragraph essay will give readers pause. But don’t keep writing just to fill up the screen. If you have only two strong supporting paragraphs, write those and move on to the conclusion.

How the AWA Is Scored
As mentioned, you’ll receive a score between 0 and 6. This score comes from professional essay raters, some of whom are college and university faculty members and others graduate students. Not all will be in the field of management education. All of the raters are trained to be fair in evaluating your responses, although, of course, you should avoid anything that could cause offense. If you are a non-native writer of English, you should know that raters are particularly trained to be sensitive to your situation.

Your responses will be scored with these criteria in mind:
- The overall quality of your ideas
- Your ability to organize and express those ideas
- Your ability to logically support your ideas with relevant examples
- Your ability to write clearly and in grammatically correct form

An essay that receives a ranking of 6 is considered Outstanding: It’s cogent, articulate, and full of relevant examples. It demonstrates a mastery of the elements of effective writing.

On the other end of the scale, an essay that receives a 0 is off-topic, written in another language, merely copies the question given or is gibberish.

The middle scores are Strong (5), Adequate (4), Limited (3), Seriously Flawed (2), and Fundamentally Deficient (1). You don’t want to get lower than a 4.

All essays are read twice. Each rater is expected to spend no more than two minutes on each essay, and they’ll read several hundred essays on exactly the same topic. If that sounds like they’ll be skimming, yes, they will. They’ll be looking for the logic of your summation and the flow of your essay—there’s no time for flourishes, remember?

After the first read, your essay will be read again, this time by a rater with even less time. Oh, and also? That second rater is a computer. Yes, that’s right. The ACT employs a specially designed computer program to scan your essay and give it a ranking based on predetermined criteria. If there’s a discrepancy between the human rater and the computer, another human rater will read your essay to arbitrate.

All of this means that your writing is not going to get much time or attention. It’s in your best interest to avoid being clever or creative. Write an essay that is organized and logical, and that employs good grammar. That’s the kind of good writing an overtired human and an unhuman computer can appreciate. Let’s take a look at those qualities.

Organization
A well-organized essay flows like water; the reader, running her tired eyes over your words, won’t find any reason to stop reading. The thesis statement will be clear. The essay will be broken into paragraphs. The argument will be easy to follow. The conclusion will wrap everything up tidily. The good news is that composing a well-organized essay is a matter of logic and memorization.

Start by making sure you have a clear thesis statement. It should kick off, or at least be very close to, the opening of your essay. The easiest way to craft an organized essay is to draft a thesis statement that pushes against the argument you’ve been given. The rest of your paragraph should then list the reasons you’ll use to prove your argument is superior to the one provided.
 

Waiting until the end of your introductory paragraph to get to your thesis statement sounds like good writing—and it might be more enjoyable for the reader. But be sure you don’t forget about the thesis statement before you rush on to the second paragraph. It should be crystal clear and easily spotted.

Write a paragraph for each supporting reason you have. If you start to run out of time, go ahead and cut back on your reasoning paragraphs, just don’t forget to return to the opening paragraph and remove the cut reason there, as well. It’s okay (although probably not going to get you a 6) to have only one supporting paragraph. More than three is asking a lot of your readers, although you certainly can write them if you have the wind in your sails (although maybe you should save that wind for the other 3½ hours of test ahead of you). Make sure that the supporting paragraphs, no matter how many, make well-argued points. Don’t pad the essay to make it longer. Start your supporting paragraphs with whatever you feel is your strongest argument. That way, if you have to drop paragraphs toward the end, your strongest argument is in the paper.

You can also help the organization of your essay by giving the reader helpful transitions. These can both highlight arguments (such as “On the one hand …” or “Contrastingly …”) and provide a structure (“First …” “Next …” “Last …”). These words denote an organized essay.
In your conclusion, restate that your argument is correct, and suggest what the author could have done to make his or her argument more persuasive. Make sure you write a conclusion. It’s better to skip a supporting paragraph than the conclusion.

An essay written this way isn’t going to set the world on fire, of course, but this structure is what the ACT wants. It’s what the computer (your second reader) is programmed to look for. Why disappoint them?

Please fight the temptation to make a unique argument, no matter how tempting. If you’re fighting the urge to write a first-person narrative rebuff of the argument you’ve been given, just remind yourself that a computer—a computer!—will be reading this essay. Give it what it wants.

Logic
Logic is the heart of business. Decisions are supposed to be made for logical reasons. It makes sense that an essay on a test for entry into management would want you to employ logic. Thus, avoid making an overly personal and emotional appeal, even if you have an amazing personal anecdote that you think makes your whole case. It’s okay to mention it, but don’t leave it without surrounding airtight logic. Build your argument logically, one point building on the next. Nothing should make your reader stop to question what you’re declaring.
To be logical doesn’t mean that you can’t be interesting. No matter what your thesis is, be sure you have an example or scenario that supports it. A little story can go a long way, even if you’re using a hypothetical example. Do not make a point in support of your argument without providing reasoning around it. If you really can’t think of anything to support your point, don’t make it.

Good Grammar
The basics count, of course. You want to spell all words correctly, use the correct punctuation, and write sentences that match verbs and subjects. 

You want to write fluidly. This means that your sentences are not all in the same style or of the same length. Try to avoid using the same words over and over again (a particular glitch in business writing). Also, work to avoid putting words in the same order too often; too many subject-verb-object sentences in a row will read like an elementary school student’s writing.

On the other hand, don’t write to impress. Fancy words that you haven’t used quite right; examples taken from Greek literature in which you’ve misremembered the moral; an anecdote about the time you scored the winning goal in your team’s state championship (although you were in the band, never on the field)—those are all the type of thing that may make your essay seem like you’re trying to show off or sell yourself instead of sticking to the task at hand. Not to mention, how embarrassing would it be if you’re caught lying? Simple is best!

Try to avoid business clichés, such as “getting everyone on the same page” and “figuring out who’s going to drive the bus.” Sure, the readers might not care, but you don’t want admission counselors at your prospective school rolling their eyes at your writing.

Maximizing Your Score
Here are some tips we think will help you boost your essay score and also make it more appealing to the admissions office of the university of your choice.

Use Who You Are and What You Know
You have a unique voice and perspective—your own—and it’s okay to make your essay stand out by making use of them. You might know a statistic that is relevant to the point at hand. If so, include it! Or you might be a whiz at connecting an argument to a historical event or a literary reference. If you can, make that connection! Or, best of all, you might happen to have specific personal experience that can be used to attack or bolster the argument being made. Definitely include that, if you can. Outside knowledge is a great way to make your essay pop out to the reader (the human one, anyway). Just be sure that it’s relevant and correct, and not left on its own when it needs support.

Acknowledge the Argument of the Other Side
A good debater is rarely surprised by her opponent’s arguments because she’s taken the time to think through what he will say. She often even knows which counterarguments are the strongest or most convincing. You should do the same with your AWA. Consider what counterarguments can be made to what you’re stating, reference them in your essay, and dismiss them as forcefully as you can. However, be careful that you don’t come off as arguing both sides. Even if you truly think both sides of an argument have merit (which happens quite often), only forcefully argue the argument that you state in your thesis.

Don’t Quit Early
Another gentle reminder: Write long and write well. No reader is going to award you a 6 simply because you’ve written about your cat for 1,000 words. But you shouldn’t be done with your two-paragraph essay with 15 minutes of writing time to go. You should write as much as you can while keeping your argument clear and structured. Write the longest best essay you can!

Spelling
Does spelling matter? Well, yes and no. No, it’s not factored into your scoring, and no, you’re not expected to be perfect. That said, frequent errors or repetitive errors send subconscious signals to your human reader’s brain: they say, “This person isn’t detail-oriented and doesn’t quite know what he’s doing. Thus, he shouldn’t get a 6.” The computer reader is even trickier: if you misspell a word so that it can’t understand your meaning, well, your essay’s score is going to plummet. And there’s no spellchecker on the GMAT word processing program to help you, sorry.
The bottom line is: If you know you have a tendency to make the same mistake frequently, now is the time to train yourself out of it. And if you possibly can, budget a minute at the end of the writing session to proofread.

Type Well
The GMAT obviously and clearly favors people who can type well and clearly. There’s no way around it: slower typists are in trouble. Ideally, you’ll practice typing your essays so that you’ll get better, fast; there’s really no point in practicing handwriting the AWA. If you’re very concerned, at the very least you should practice your typing skills on a near-daily basis. Type e-mails, blog posts, letters, really, anything you can to improve. You’ll need good typing skills in business school, anyway!

If you give yourself an hour to handwrite the AWA, you’re not much better off when you take the test and must type the AWA in a half hour.

Understand the Schedule That Helps the Most
With all of the above in mind, here’s what we suggest for the 30 minutes you have. By the way, keep the clock up on the screen for the essay; it really helps you know when you need to move on to the next step.
1.Read the argument you’re given carefully (1 minute)
2.Choose your response and outline your essay (4–6 minutes)
3.Type your essay (22 minutes)
4.Proofread the essay for obvious typos (1 minute)

Notice that this asks you to spend about 7 minutes planning before you begin writing. This can seem like a long time, but planning is key! An outline helps you figure out what your main idea is, how you want to support it, and what reasons you’re going to use to do so. If you just dive in and start writing, your argument is going to develop as you write, and you run a very strong risk of having to throw out your first paragraph by the time you’ve gotten through the second. Plus, remember that the essay is partially graded on how well organized it is!
Keeping to the pace we’ve laid out above may not seem natural. But that’s why we’re offering five practice sample arguments (coming up soon) for your use. Don’t just skim them to see what kind of arguments you may be given! Actually use them to practice pacing. See how long 4–6 minutes really is. Learn how much you can type in 22 minutes. You’ll adjust to the schedule more quickly than you think.

An Analysis of an Argument Example
At the beginning of the GMAT, when you get to the AWA, the computer will present you with an argument such as the one you’ll see below. You are tasked with analyzing that argument. Keep in mind, these arguments are deliberately flawed. At some point in the argument, a leap in reasoning will be taken or a flaw in logic will occur. These arguments read well and make sense up to a point, but then … Your job is to find that point and exploit it.

Here’s a sample argument, including the directions that will be on the GMAT:
 

The following is a transcript of a statement made by a television network executive at an industry gathering:
Network television is suffering economically because of streaming television. Viewership is down and advertisers are seeking other venues to promote their products. This fate was an inevitable result of the television industry’s misguided attempt to switch from scripted shows to reality television. Reality television is cheaper to produce but less sustainable as a series over multiple years and takes less focused attention from viewers. They became more comfortable with switching to other forms of watching television, such as using streaming devices. If network television wants to recover its viewership, it needs to return to an all-scripted show format. Also, reality television is terrible for children to watch.
Discuss how well-reasoned you find this argument. In your discussion, be sure to analyze the line of reasoning and the use of evidence in the argument. For example, you may need to consider what questionable assumptions underlie the thinking and what alternative examples or counterexamples might weaken the conclusion. You can also discuss what sort of evidence would strengthen or refute the argument, what changes in the argument would make it more logically sound, and what, if anything, would help you better evaluate its conclusion.
All AWAs are followed by similar instructions, so go ahead and get familiar with them now.
Now that you understand the directions, it’s time to practice the first step: reading the argument carefully. You want to figure out exactly what the argument is saying: What is its thesis statement or conclusion? What are the premises the argument is based on? What are the unstated assumptions?

Let’s start with the premises. This argument has at least three:
1.Network television is suffering economically because of streaming television.
2.This fate was an inevitable result of the television industry’s misguided attempt to switch from scripted shows to reality television.
3.If network television wants to recover its viewership, it needs to return to an all-scripted show format.

You’ll notice that the third premise is also the conclusion. Notice, also, that the conclusion isn’t the last sentence in the paragraph, but the next-to-last. The last sentence is a bit of a tangent. We’ll talk about that in a moment.
Next, we need to figure out if the argument presented is persuasive. Remember not to bring in your own biases. You might really hate reality television and be eager to find a way to dismiss it. But don’t let your bias guide your analysis of whether this argument does that work or not.

So, how do we figure out if an argument is persuasive?

We have to check to see if the following are true:
1.The premises themselves are true.
2.The solution suggested actually would solve the problem reported.
3.The solution suggested wouldn’t lead to other results that would (perhaps inadvertently) make the problem worse.
While you can find flaws in the argument you’re given, you should be careful about questioning the facts. Stick to what you’re sure is an arguable point.

Let’s check on this argument’s persuasiveness:
1.The premises themselves are true. The first one does seem to be true, yes.
2.The solution suggested actually would solve the problem reported. The second premise is flawed: you probably already thought of a few reasons why people have switched from network television to online streaming: convenience, privacy, and low cost all come to mind. Plus, the connection between streaming television and reality television probably seems a little nebulous, right? That’s because it is.
3.The solution suggested wouldn’t lead to other results that would make the problem worse. The third premise is also flawed. There’s no guarantee that returning to all-scripted format will draw viewers back to network television. Plus, this premise asserts that there was once a time when network television was entirely scripted, which was never the case.
With those thoughts in mind, you can begin to sketch out an outline of what you’re going to say. You have noticed several distinct flaws in the argument, so you know where it is vulnerable. All you have to do is decide what your central rebuttal will be.
We’re presenting the essay writing process as if it takes distinct steps, but of course, you can combine your thought processes. For example, in reading the prompt for the first time, you can make notes about the premises. And while debating the validity of the premises, you can arrive at the argument you’re going to make.

Your outline might look something like this:
Paragraph 1: The argument is flawed. Although the author correctly asserts that network television has lost viewership due to online streaming, the argument is not built logically and cannot hold.
Paragraphs 2–4: The premises are flawed. People have switched to television streaming for many reasons, none of which are mentioned. The author makes a connection between streaming and reality television that isn’t supported. And the author brings up a point about how children shouldn’t watch reality TV that isn’t connected to the rest of the argument.
Paragraph 5: The conclusion the author puts forward doesn’t make sense—getting rid of reality television won’t necessarily bring people back to network television.
Paragraph 6: Your conclusion, which is a summary: the argument is not clearly made and the conclusion not properly drawn from a logical review of the situation. A better solution to dwindling network television audiences can be proposed.

This is a pretty clearly drawn outline, as you can see. You certainly don’t have to be so detailed. But the great thing about an outline like this one is that your essay itself is just connecting all of the above together. You’ve done the hard work of thinking through the argument and finding its flaws. Your logical structure is in place. Of course, no matter whether you jot down the barest outline or go into even more detail than we have here, what’s most important is that you have time to write a fully realized essay. So don’t spend more than about 5 minutes on the outline.
Now, let’s take a look at a high-scoring essay that’s written in response to the argument presented above.
The television industry executive argues that streaming television is hurting network television’s economic stability, and that in order to revive network television, it needs to abandon reality shows and “return to an all-scripted show format.” While the executive does address a significant current problem for the television industry, the logic of her argument and the conclusion she reaches are both fundamentally flawed. The premises of her argument fail to adequately support her conclusion, and, more worryingly, if the conclusion presented here was implemented, the television industry would face an even greater economic burden.
First, the premises are flawed. It is inaccurate to correlate viewers’ switch to streaming television as a direct result of the network’s switch to reality TV. It is incorrect to state that networks abandoned scripted television—scripted shows have been shown frequently throughout the medium’s history—and the point overlooks the fact that streaming television often features reality television as well. It’s also a well-known fact that reality television scores extremely high ratings in viewership numbers; in fact, more people watch “Survivor” than any show that streams off-network.
Further, the author fails to mention the many other motivations for audiences switching from cable and network television to streaming television, including the quality of programming, the ability to watch shows on multiple devices, and the lower price of doing so. All of these factors influence a person’s decision to switch to streaming television, and the executive’s proposed solution does nothing to address them.
Also, along with failing to explain the entire landscape of the presented problem, the executive dilutes her argument with her final sentence, a vague statement about how children shouldn’t watch reality television. This has nothing to do with her premises and lends the argument the air of being biased against reality television for hidden reasons.
The executive’s most fundamental error is the certain failure of her proposed solution, which does not address the problem. She suggests that networks “return” to scripted shows and reject reality television. This implies, incorrectly, that scripted television shows have vanished from network television. They haven’t. It also implies that viewers have turned to streaming television because there they can find the scripted shows they miss on network television. Again, this misunderstands the appeal of television streaming. However, the executive’s biggest mistake is to fail to see that scripted television is extremely expensive to produce, far more so than reality television. Insisting on an all-scripted format will force networks to pour more money into production costs without any guarantee that viewers will return to their shows.
For the reasons stated above, the executive’s argument simply doesn’t hold up. If she were truly serious about addressing the problem of dwindling network television numbers, she would thoroughly research the reasons why so many viewers prefer streaming television and come up with ways for network television to speak to those needs.

Let’s take a look at some of the techniques used in this essay that will be helpful to you.

Notice how closely it hews to the outline; even if the writer thought of a new idea as she was writing, she worked it into the essay without derailing the careful outline.
The writer also began with a brief paraphrase of the argument she was given. Notice that she did not bring up every point the executive made, but she did give a brief summary of the entire idea, tip to tail. This technique is helpful in two ways—it allows the writer to recap the argument (and make sure she understands it) while allowing readers to see what her main interest in the argument is. Also, it provides a nice lead-in to the thesis: that this argument is flawed.
After showing that she understands the argument presented, the writer goes on to explain why she is not convinced by it. The second, third, and fourth paragraphs all point out flaws in the argument (with the second paragraph pointing out the biggest flaw, while the third and fourth are each less important than the prior flaw). It’s important to note that the writer was particularly effective in showing that the flaws in the executive’s premise will keep her solution from being effective: they’re fatal flaws, not just little blips.
The conclusion of the essay is also strong. In the fifth paragraph, the writer points out why the executive’s idea won’t solve the problem she’s trying to address. And the conclusion offers a brief recap, noting that there are some good ideas in the argument, but that the solution won’t fix the problem. The essay closes with a suggestion for a better plan that will work toward that solution.
Notice that throughout the essay the structure is clear. It’s very easy to read and to follow the logic the writer is employing. Everything after the first paragraph flows from the thesis; unlike the example argument, this one sticks to its main point throughout. The essay also makes good use of structural words that guide the reader: First, Next, Finally, and so on. These signal that the argument flows. And while the writing here isn’t going to set the house afire, there are no major grammatical or spelling errors.
What this essay doesn’t employ is much in the way of support. There’s a reference to a specific TV show, and some outside knowledge of television seems evident, but there are no anecdotes or statistics. Maybe the writer couldn’t think of anything. That’s okay, but it might knock the essay’s score down a bit. Its likely score is a 5 or 6.

Sample Arguments
Practicing the AWA is a must before taking the GMAT. You will be amazed at how much more confident and prepared you feel if you just take the time to read several sample arguments, and then outline and type an essay. Like any skill, writing improves with practice. The AWA is a specific kind of writing, and your skill at it will vastly improve with practice. So, make the most of these practice arguments: set up conditions so that you actually type an AWA essay under timed conditions. (Limit yourself to 30 minutes.) Here’s a reminder of the instructions:
Discuss how well reasoned you find this argument. In your discussion, be sure to analyze the line of reasoning and the use of evidence in the argument. For example, you may need to consider what questionable assumptions underlie the thinking and what alternative examples or counterexamples might weaken the conclusion. You can also discuss what sort of evidence would strengthen or refute the argument, what changes in the argument would make it more logically sound, and what, if anything, would help you better evaluate its conclusion.

1.The following appeared as a part of an article in a daily newspaper:
A legally required computerized on-board warning system will be installed in all new train engines beginning in 2018. This warning system will virtually eliminate the chance of train collisions, a surprisingly common problem. One train’s warning system can receive an alert from another train’s GPS system. This will alert train personnel of the possibility of a collision should they fail to change their path. The warning system can also recommend actions that the train personnel should take.

2.The following appeared in a report by a school board member to the school community:
As many of you know, we recently received our school’s scores from the latest standardized test, and they were very disappointing. When compared with the test scores of students at Boyer Middle School, our scores are even more disappointing, averaging 20 points lower than theirs. Improving our students’ scores is not negotiable; there is no other criteria that more clearly shows our school’s ability to educate well. Therefore, I have made a study of the curriculum at Boyer Middle School. The majority of the students there study one or more ancient languages, including Latin. Therefore, I suggest that students at our school immediately begin to study Latin, too.

3.The following appeared in a promotional e-mail sent by a local website, OurTown.org, encouraging area businesses to purchase advertising on the site:
The best way to reach your potential customers is by advertising on OurTown.org! Any local business owner will tell you the same! Why, seven of our town’s top ten doctors, three of our top five restaurants, and two of our top eight pet groomers advertise with us! One local handyman chose not to purchase advertising on OurTown.org, because he thought “no one reads websites for the ads.” Well, after a disappointing year of business, he purchased an ad on OurTown.org and says that his business has doubled in that time! The truth of it is, you can’t afford NOT to advertise on OurTown.org!

4.The following appeared in an article in a business magazine’s opinion page:
Most companies would agree that as the potential for emotional trauma to employees rises, so, too, should employees’ wages. As a society, we consistently recognize that jobs that require more from workers are the best at financial compensation. But there’s a better idea out there: that is, that companies make their jobs less emotionally taxing. That would lower the potential trauma for employees and thus the need for larger paychecks. Ultimately, companies would be fiscally more responsible if they reduce the potential for emotional trauma for their employees.

5.The following statement was made by a member of the Board of Supervisors of Atlantic University:
When Atlantic University had only one campus, it was more profitable than it is today, with five branch campuses. I think it makes sense to close down those five branch campuses and move everyone to our main campus. This will improve our profitability by cutting costs, and it will allow students to identify with Atlantic University more strongly, since they’ll all be in one location.


Sample High-Scoring Responses
Following are two sample high-scoring essays (they’d likely receive a 5 or 6) for your use in comparing your own essays in response to the first two sample arguments in this section.

1. The article states that a new on-board warning system, to be installed in new train engines beginning in 2018, will improve train safety by warning train personnel about potential collisions between trains. While it’s undeniable that such a system could greatly improve train safety, the article’s conclusion that the system will “virtually eliminate” train collisions is fundamentally flawed. The premise is flawed, because there is not enough evidence presented in the article to support this claim, and the conclusion drawn fails to consider many other potentialities that should be factored in.

To begin with, the article’s premises are flawed. The new warning systems will not be installed until 2018 and then only on new engines. Unless all existing engines are removed from service and replaced by new engines at that time—an unlikely scenario—the warning system will not be comprehensive enough to be entirely effective. Further, there’s not enough information presented about how the warning system will work. For example, how close will the trains be before the system is triggered? Will there even be enough time for a new route to be selected before a crash occurs?

However, the article’s most fundamental flaw is to assume that train collisions occur only because train personnel are not aware of their proximity to other trains. This fails to recognize that there are many other factors in play that could lead to accidents. If the train personnel are not at their appointed stations, for example, they cannot see any information presented to them. The same is true if they are operating trains while inebriated or simply ignoring the information as it comes in. Also problematic is that the train’s new system will simply provide options for avoiding a train collision for the operators to follow: what happens if the operators do not follow those instructions? The system continues to rely too heavily on flawed human operators.

Because this article leaves out several key issues and leaps to make an assumption about how train safety will improve, it is not sound. The author does make a reasonable case that the warning system will improve train safety, but the argument falls short of convincing readers that this improvement will solve the cause of many train crashes. If the author had investigated the cause of train collisions more thoroughly and presented the uncovered evidence in the essay, this argument would be much stronger.

2. The argument by a school board member describes how the school’s students’ standardized tests scores are lower than the school board wanted, and asserts that low scores will put the school in a bad light. He then explains that another local school, Boyer Middle School, scored much higher, on average, than his school on the standardized tests. Noting that students at Boyer study Latin, he suggests that students at his school should study Latin as well. The conclusion that the writer draws is not based on the evidence he presents. It does not employ logical thinking and therefore is fundamentally flawed.

The argument is based on a set of premises that are not correct. Most important, the argument is based on the premise that what makes Boyer Middle School students excel is their study of Latin, and that if the other school’s students merely begin to study Latin their scores will automatically improve. But there’s no direct correlation between the study of Latin and the standardized test scores. In fact, most standardized tests include questions involving a significant portion of math skills; why would studying Latin help students improve those skills? And why is the author so sure that Boyer’s high scores are due to the study of Latin instead of the many other techniques the school might employ to help students score well on tests?

Further, the argument presumes that there are no criteria other than the scores on standardized tests that will show that his school can educate well. The wording is vague—what does it mean to “educate well”? No matter what the phrase means to the author, however, surely there are other criteria that would be considered, including graduation rate and college acceptance rate. The author doesn’t even account for how the standardized test scores, which are not released directly to the public, would become well-known enough to affect his school’s reputation.
Because the argument makes a giant leap to link the study of Latin with high standardized scores, it simply bends logic until it breaks. It cannot be considered sound. The author would be better off making a case for how the study of Latin can show improvements in many disciplines studied in middle school, and how improvement in those skills can, in turn, improve standardized testing scores. A more nuanced understanding of how schools’ reputations are built would also be helpful in creating a persuasive argument.