Tips for Analytical Writing. How does ETS assess AWA?

One of the areas where the applicants are tested is in their writing skills. By writing skills, what I mean is not how good you are in the English language or how many flamboyant words you use in your essay. The deciding factor is how well you analyze the situation and how crisply you put forward your ideas.

Your score out of 800 does not reflect the scaled score of AWA. The analytical skills are rated on a scale from 0-6. In this section, you are supposed to write 2 analytical essays. You will be given an issue and an argument and you have to analyze them without any bias. Your essays are screened by a human as well as a computer program called E-rater. In case the human and the E-rater arrive at same score, that score is taken as final. If there is a significant difference between the 2 scores, then another expert human reader is called to take the final call.

The E-rater has a database of hundreds of essays. Your essay is tested against the corresponding essays in the program’s database. The E-rater places a huge significance on the structure of the essay. An introductory paragraph followed by 2-3 content paragraphs and a conclusion paragraph is mandatory if you want to impress the computer program. Authoritative words like “according to me”, “for example”, “therefore”, “I believe” will surely earn you more points. A word of caution here is must. An essay with a unique structure or a creation from one’s own mind can prove to be Frankenstein's monster. Stick to established essay writing patterns. All the essays in the computer program’s database are written in American English so make sure you take into account that fact as well. Finally, time management plays a critical role because you have to complete your essays within 30 minutes.