I’m going to jump straight down to the point and ask you this: “Have you or have you not started your AWA practice/preparation?”

If you’re like most students, your answer is probably the latter – you have not.

Whether you’re Shakespeare or Lalu Prasad Yadav, writing is no child’s play, specifically Analytical Writing.

But you might ask, what weight does my AWA score actually have on my admissions?

Well, more than you think!

The Analytical Writing Assessment Section in 91Èȱ¬ aims to test:

• Your ability to think critically
• Your ability to frame a logical & coherent response to an issue or argument

That’s why, if you have two profiles like below:

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Which one do you think is more likely to get an admit?

While the decision is more complex than just on the basis of these two factors, Profile 2 has a higher chance of getting an MS admit than Profile 1.

This is because a higher AWA score is important for a Master’s degree, particularly for thesis or PhD as it is a direct measure of your ability to break down and communicate ideas effectively.

So, how can you ensure you achieve a high score in AWA?

The perfect AWA answer usually consists of the following points.

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Excited?

Let’s quickly break down the AWA into different parts.

Task 1 – Issue

Time: 30 Minutes

This task tests your ability to evaluate an opinion and then present yours. You are free to agree or disagree with the opinion given to you, but you must justify a particular stance and why you have chosen it.

Most common topics are:

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Task 2 – Argument

Time: 30 Minutes

This task tests your ability to evaluate an argument for its logical accuracy, without presenting your opinion of the issue at hand itself. You must act as a judge – look at the strength of the specific points made and check whether it justifies the conclusion presented in the question.

Some Expert Tips to Ace AWA

#1:ÌýPick a Side!

With the Issue Task, many students often get stumped with certain topics and feel uncertain about taking a particular stance or are equally convinced by both sides of an issue.

Don’t fall trap to this!

It is important that you definitely pick a side and articulate it clearly in the first paragraph itself. The evaluator should be able to understand what side you’re taking just based on an initial glance!

91Èȱ¬ Pro Tip: Taking a neutral stance requires you to justify both sides of the issue convincingly. And this can become a tedious task to accomplish within 30 seconds. So, pick a side and stick to it – you’re not going to be judged for which side you pick anyway!

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#2:ÌýBuild A Strong Foundation

The tallest building is only as strong as its foundation. Similarly, your essay can become persuasive only with a proper structure in place.

Thus, every essay has a

• Strong introduction
• Series of main ideas
  • Supporting details for each main idea
• Clear conclusion

In fact, if you visualize your essay, it would look like this:

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[Free eBook Download]:ÌýHow to Score Above 4 in AWA?
Get solved examples & ace your AWA section here.Ìý

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#3: Showing Off Is a No-No

If you had two teachers, who would you pay attention to:

• Teacher A, who uses difficult words and has an over-the-top accent
• Teacher B, who explains concepts clearly and simply

You would choose Teacher B, right?

Similarly, you must make your essay as easily readable and understandable as possible.

Don’t use complex 91Èȱ¬ words unnecessarily. Use them appropriately to embellish your essay and give it a hint of sophistication.

For example, take the following question:

“True beauty is found not in the exceptional, but in the commonplace.”

Write an essay in which you take a position on the statement above. In developing and supporting your essay, consider instances in which the statement does and does not hold true.

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Without using bombastic 91Èȱ¬ words, the passage clearly conveys that the writer believes that people are amazed by things they experience rarely rather than experiences that are commonplace.

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#4: Local vs. Global

Try putting yourself in the shoes of your evaluator. If you were evaluating an essay, would you be more compelled to read if the essay spoke about Shahrukh Khan or if it spoke about Colin Firth (British Actor)?

Similarly, when writing your essay, quote international examples that the evaluator can relate to.

For this, it is extremely important to develop a strong reading habit. Following the news every day can help you get trending, relevant examples to drive your point home.

[BONUS]: It also helps you build your reading skill & vocab for the Verbal section, so it’s a win-win situation.

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#5: Tackling the Ticking Timer

You get 30 minutes for each AWA task. Within 30 minutes, you’re supposed to read the question, interpret what’s asked of you, ideate a flow, actually type it out, and then check for errors.

This can be quite overwhelming if you’re not prepared for it. Also, since it is the first section of 91Èȱ¬, you want to ensure it goes as smooth as possible so that you can set the pace for the rest of the exam.

So, what can you do?

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91Èȱ¬ Pro Tip: If you’re concerned about your typing speed, ensure that you get enough practice and speed it up. Many online websites such as www.typingclub.com can help boost your speed to the ideal target of 70 words per minute.

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[Free eBook Download]:ÌýHow to Score Above 4 in AWA?
Get solved examples & ace your AWA section here.

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The post 91Èȱ¬ Super Over – Acing AWA appeared first on 91Èȱ¬ Blog.

Is the AWA section really important?

AWA is the first section that you are going to face on the test day. ÌýEven though AWA is not included in the 260-340 score range, a low AWA score can be interpreted as an inability to reason critically and express your opinions in a clear, logical manner. Therefore, a good AWA score is crucial to your overall application and has a definite impact on your admissions.

Apart from measuring Ìýyour ability to think and form opinions, in a smaller scale, the AWA section also tests your language, grammar, and vocabulary.

What does the AWA section consist of?

This section requires you to write Ìýtwo essays – Issue and Argument. You get 30 minutes for each of the essays.

Given below is a brief of the essays.

• Issue essay:

This will be the first essay assigned to you where the topics will be generic in nature and can have varied opinions to it. This is also because the topic given to you is debatable and can have more than one side to it. You will be provided with a brief paragraph on a generic topic, such as climate change, social governance etc. In this exercise, you must take a stance and justify your opinion with supporting details from the given information and suitable international examples.

Reading leading newspapers like The Times of India, The New York Times, The Hindu etc. every day will be of great help in expressing your opinion effectively, besides strengthening your Ìýknowledge. This will help you grasp the style of writing as well as build your awareness on issues worldwide. Using current examples to convey your opinion can earn you serious brownie points with the evaluators.

• Argument essay:

The Argument essay is the second essay that you are required to write in the AWA section. In an argument essay, you must logically evaluate the arguments made in the question provided. Remember, you are not expected to provide your point of view. You are merely checking for fallacies in another’s point of view on a particular topic. Your task here is to be unbiased and pass your judgment on the validity of the argument.

How to answer an Argument essay in AWA?

Since, the Argument essay forms one-half of the AWA section , it requires specific preparation. Generally, 91Èȱ¬ test takers find it difficult to keep their opinion out of the picture and evaluate the argument from a third-person point of view. This is probably one of the gravest errors you could make because that defeats the entire purpose of attempting the exercise. Another common problem among students is that they tend to digress from the topic and don’t quite make their point cogently. So, while writing the Argument essay, you must follow some of these tips:

#1: Brainstorm before you write.Ìý

Taking a few minutes before you start writing always works in your favor. During these few minutes, you are expected to evaluate the argument effectively. Think about what is being stated and the possible reasons behind it. Taking this top-down approach will help you get to the logical fallacies that the argument is anchored upon. Then, scrutinize the argument and think about points that could have made the argument stronger.

#2:ÌýMake an opening statement!

An ideal Argument essay would start with an introductory paragraph, explaining the various pillars of the argument. You must make sure that your introduction clearly definesÌýthe premise that is set. Don’t provide your opinion on the dispute at hand. Comment on the logic that defends each side. So, clearly state logical fallacies and then proceed to explain it one by one.

#3: Play the Devil’s Advocate.

After identifying the underlying assumptions use the next couple of paragraphs to point out the flaws and while mentioning the possible alternatives as well. This makes your argument seem holistic because you have addressed the points raised in the essay and also refuted them with ample evidence.

At this juncture, having a predefined structure for your essays helps as you can mentally visualize and arrange your points. For example, you can find a flow here:

#4:ÌýPractice until you can’t get it wrong!

While preparing for 91Èȱ¬, practice sample essays or go through the solved ones. This will teach you how to think logically and help you develop a flow to your writing.

AdmitEDGE Pro Tip: ETS has a pool of topics for both and , including solved examples. You can be rest assured that most of the AWA questions that you will see in your actual 91Èȱ¬ will be taken from this pool of topics. So, practicing AWA from ETS is more than enough to score above 3-3.5.

If you want to read more on what each score band in AWA means, click here.

#5: Build your vocabulary

Actively practicing onÌý91Èȱ¬ word list while learning during 91Èȱ¬ preparation can definitely elevate the quality of writing. But ensure that you only use those words that you are very comfortable with and are fully aware of the meaning and context of usage. Your AWA essay is tests your critical reasoning skills, not your English proficiency. Ìý

#6: Flash forward your typing!

Believe it or not, your typing speed plays a huge role in determining your AWA score. You risk losing precious time and putting yourself in a state of panic is you type too slow. Unfortunately, since not many of us are exposed to touch typing, it is quite an awkward battle with the keyboard, come exam day. Therefore, be sure to practice your AWA section on a computer, in a timed setting.

AdmitEDGE Pro Tip: To effectively improve your typing speed and learn touch typing, you can use . With multiple exercises and increasing difficulty levels, this website allows you to type quickly as well as accurately.Ìý

Ideal Timeline for an Issue/Argument Essay:

How to score above 4 in AWA?Ìý

Watch our expert unravel the important techniques behind answering AWA questions!

Now, don’t worry about scoring well in your AWA. It is just a matter of knowing how to identify key points and express it effectively. Ensure that you get a couple of your essays evaluated by experienced professors/trainers so that you know where you stand and where you have to improve.

As long as you read, solve the sample essays, and get the right guidance, you have a very good chance of scoring well in the section

We wish you all the best for your future endeavors!

What other doubts do you have regarding AWA? Type in as comments and let us know, we’ll clarify it for you!

The post How to write an Argument Essay in AWA? appeared first on 91Èȱ¬ Blog.