gmat essay fallacies

GMAT Prep Online Guides and Tips

Gmat essay: format, scoring, and tips for the awa.

The GMAT Analytical Writing Assessment (AWA) can be one of the most intimidating sections of the exam for test-takers. Many students feel unsure of what is expected of them on the GMAT essay or how it’s scored. But there’s nothing to fear as long as you prepare!

In this article, I’ll go over the basics of the GMAT essay, the structure of the prompt, and how the Analytical Writing Assessment is scored. I’ll also give you plenty of GMAT essay tips and strategies to help you ace the Analytical Writing on test day.

The GMAT Analytical Writing Assessment

The GMAT Analytical Writing Assessment (AWA), frequently called the GMAT essay, consists of a single question. The AWA prompt will ask you to read a brief passage that presents an argument. In your essay, you will explain and critique the argument and the reasoning behind it. The GMAT AWA measures your ability to communicate clearly and effectively in written English, to think critically, and to analyze an argument.

The AWA is always the first section of the GMAT. It is the only section of the GMAT that is not multiple choice. You have 30 minutes to complete your writing sample, and there is no specific word count minimum or maximum.

Not sure how or what to study? Confused by how to improve your score in the shortest time possible? We've created the only Online GMAT Prep Program that identifies your strengths and weaknesses, customizes a study plan, coaches you through lessons and quizzes, and adapts your study plan as you improve.

We believe PrepScholar GMAT is the best GMAT prep program available , especially if you find it hard to organize your study schedule and don't want to spend a ton of money on the other companies' one-size-fits-all study plans.

The GMAT AWA Prompt

The basic structure of the GMAT essay prompt is the same on every test. You will always be given an argument and asked to analyze it. You won’t be asked to give your own opinion.

GMAT AWA prompts don’t require any business know-how or any outside knowledge of a specific topic. They cover subjects such as economics, politics, leadership, education, social issues, marketing, and the environment, among many others.

Here’s a sample AWA essay prompt:

In this section, you will be asked to write a critique of the argument presented. You are NOT being asked to present your own views on the subject.

The following appeared in the editorial section of a monthly business news magazine:

“Most companies would agree that as the risk of physical injury occurring on the job increases, the wages paid to employees should also increase. Hence it makes financial sense for employers to make the workplace safer: they could thus reduce their payroll expenses and save money.”

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 explanations 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.

Note that the directions and the two paragraphs after the quoted section will appear on every AWA prompt. They won’t change at all from test to test. The passage in quotes is the argument itself that you’re being asked to critique. Remember, you’ll never be asked for your personal opinion on the subject at hand, only your critique of the flaws in the argument being presented.

You can find a successful sample response here. Note that the author of the high-scoring sample response begins by paraphrasing the original argument and explaining its basic reasoning and conclusion. The author analyzes a different specific flaw in the argument in each body paragraph (four in total). He examines several false assumptions in the original argument that render it invalid. In the conclusion, the author restates the major flaws in the given argument. This writing sample is a great template for your own practice essays.

You can find a lengthy list of actual past GMAT essay prompts here. I highly recommend practicing with them! Analysis of an Argument prompts are very similar from test to test, so past prompts perfect for GMAT prep.

How Is the GMAT AWA Scored?

For the Analytical Writing Assessment , you’ll receive a score between 0 and 6, scored in half point intervals (so you could get a 5.5, for example, or a 5.0). You’ll be scored on your ability to express ideas effectively, to give examples to develop those ideas, to analyze the given argument accurately, and to demonstrate your grasp of written English.

Your final score is based on the average of two independent scores, one from a reader and one from an electronic scoring engine. The essay-scoring engine analyzes structural features (related to essay organization, such as having an intro, conclusion, and body paragraphs) and linguistic features (which may include the vocabulary, grammar, spelling, key words, and sentence structure used in the essay). The other reader is a trained expert GMAT essay scorer, usually a university faculty member. If there is a disparity of more than one point between the two scores, a third reader will score the essay as well.

The Graduate Management Admissions Council (GMAC) defines a score of six as ‘outstanding,’ a score of five as ‘strong,’ a score of four as ‘adequate,’ a score of three as ‘limited,’ a score of two as ‘seriously flawed,’ and a score of one as ‘fundamentally deficient.’ A score of zero is ‘unscorable,’ which you’ll only get if you don’t write in English or write a clearly off-topic essay.

So what does it take to get a perfect score on the GMAT writing section? Here are the official GMAC scoring guidelines for an essay that should receive a perfect score of six:

A cogent, well-articulated critique of the argument, demonstrating mastery of the elements of effective writing, and displaying the following characteristics:

• Clearly identifies and insightfully analyzes important features of the argument
• Develops ideas cogently, organizes them logically, and connects them smoothly with clear transitions
• Effectively supports the main points of the critique
• Demonstrates superior control of language, including diction and syntactic variety and the conventions of standard written English. There may be minor flaws.

As you can see, the four main aspects of your essay that will be evaluated by your reader are the quality of your analysis, the development of your ideas, the effectiveness of your support (i.e., the examples you give you back up your ideas), and your mastery of writing in English. An essay scoring 5.0 or 5.5 might clearly explain and analyze the argument at hand, for example, but demonstrate a less sophisticated ability to communicate that analysis, or one idea may not flow logically into the next.

The rest of the GMAT AWA scoring guidelines can be found here.

Want to improve your GMAT score by 60 points?

We have the industry's leading GMAT prep program. Built by Harvard, MIT, Stanford, and Wharton alumni and GMAT 99th percentile scorers, the program learns your strengths and weaknesses and customizes a curriculum so you get the most effective prep possible.

The business schools you select on exam day will receive your AWA writing sample itself as well as your AWA score, if they so choose. You can learn more about how business schools will use your AWA scores here.

The GMAT Analytical Writing Assessment Word Processor

On test day, you’ll use a basic word processor to write your essay. If you’re familiar with any standard text editor like Word or GoogleDocs, it should feel fairly comfortable to you.

You’ll see the prompt at the top of the screen as you write. You’ll be able to type with a standard keyboard, cut, paste, and undo your previous action.  However, there are no keyboard shortcuts. (Control +X won’t allow you to cut text, for example.)

I recommend that you write as many practice AWA responses as you can using the actual GMAT word processor, available in the GMATPrep software or GMATWrite , both provided by GMAC. This will help you to prepare for the actual circumstances of exam day and to feel more confident with any AWA prompt you get. If you don’t want to use the official materials, at least try to type your practice essays rather than writing them out by hand in order to simulate test conditions as closely as possible.

How to Study for the Analytical Writing Assessment: 6 Strategies

• Study logical fallacies. Every argument in a GMAT essay prompt will have several flaws in its premise, or its underlying reasoning, which you’ll need to be able to diagnose in order to score well on the essay. These flaws in reasoning are known as logical fallacies. Familiarize yourself with the most common kinds of logical fallacies ( here’s a great list ), so you can identify and discuss them on test day. Common logical fallacies in GMAT AWA prompts include the straw man, the insufficient sample, ad hominem, non sequitur, and circular reasoning, but you’ll find many others.
• Practice writing timed AWA samples with real topics under simulated test conditions. Use the GMATPrep software or the official list of real former GMAT essay prompts to practice writing essays as a regular part of your exam prep. Try to simulate testing conditions as much as possible: take no more than 30 minutes, don’t use any outside sources, and use a basic text editor. If you want to go a step further and have your practice essays scored by expert readers, you can use GMAC’s official writing tool, GMATWrite.
• Learn the art of breaking down arguments. Your job in the GMAT writing section is to break down a given argument into its various parts. What is the foundational reasoning of the argument, and what’s the conclusion that the author reaches? Why is that reasoning flawed, and/or why doesn’t it logically lead to the author’s conclusion? What would need to change about the argument in order for it to be logically sound? You can practice doing this with any kind of argument. Read editorials, newspaper articles, and other forms of persuasive writing and try to analyze them. Find the holes in their logic, if you can. Here’s a good guide to the parts that make up an argument.
• Have someone proofread your practice essays.  This tips is particularly if you are a non-native English speaker or have trouble with technical errors, since you want to spot these issues and resolve them. Don’t just learn from your corrections on a single practice essay. Instead, try to find patterns. Do you repeatedly spell a certain word incorrectly? Do you regularly have trouble with run-ons or fragments? Take note of these issues, brush up on any grammar concepts you need to, and make sure you routinely correct your mistakes as you write practice essays.
• Read sample essays by fellow GMAT test-takers. You can find and learn from plenty of high-scoring sample GMAT AWA responses at blogs like the GMAT Club .  Evaluate the essays honestly as you read. Why do you think they scored well? What is lacking in your own writing samples that these essays achieve? The more you understand about what readers look for when scoring your essay, the better you’ll be able to plan your approach to writing it.
• Create a template for how you plan to format your essay. The GMAT essay is not the time for creativity, especially since one of your graders is an automated essay-scoring engine. Choose a template and stick to it every time you practice, including the number of body paragraphs you want to use and how you want to structure your introduction and conclusion.

5 Top GMAT Essay Tips for Test Day

• Create an outline. You may feel like an outline is a waste since your time is so limited, but a brief outline will save you time and energy in the long run. Write your outline on either the provided GMAT scratch paper or in the AWA text editor itself (but make sure to erase when you’re done!). Take notes as you read the prompt on the logical fallacies you see in the argument. Next, choose the topics of your 2-4 body paragraphs and list them. Select a supporting example to back up your ideas in each body paragraph. This will be your blueprint for yourself as you write.
• Stay on topic. The AWA rubric requires you to stay on topic and respond to the specific question. This may seem obvious, but it can be easy to stray under time pressure. You can make it clear to your readers that you are staying on topic by directly quoting or using key words or phrases from the prompt.
• Use standard essay structure. Your GMAT essay should follow standard 4-5-paragraph essay structure: introduction, 2-4 body paragraphs, and conclusion. Each body paragraph should clearly address a specific (and different) aspect of the prompt. For example, you might address a different logical fallacy in each body paragraph. Also, every GMAT AWA response should contain an introduction, in which you should explain the main points of the argument at hand (without a too-extensive summary) and introduce the flaws you’ll be discussing in your critique, and a conclusion, in which you restate and paraphrase your main points, linking all your ideas together. Your introduction and conclusion should both be more concise than your body paragraphs, which should be more developed.
• Use transition words and phrases to give examples or to move on to a new concept. Each time you provide an example, shift between ideas or body paragraphs, or introduce an idea, it’s a good idea to use a transition word or phrase such as ‘for example,’ ‘similarly,’ ‘in the same vein,’ ‘in conclusion,’ or the like. Practice using them in your essay prep. Here is a good list of effective transition words and phrases.
• Leave time to proofread. Leave at least three minutes, but preferably five, to proofread your GMAT essay for technical errors in spelling, grammar, or structure before you submit your writing sample.

Review: Everything You Need to Know About the GMAT Essay

Let’s review the key points you need to know about the GMAT Analytical Writing Assessment.

• The GMAT Analytical Writing Assessment requires you to write an essay, using a basic word processor, that critiques a provided argument. It is the first section of the GMAT and is to be completed in 30 minutes.
• The AWA is scored by two readers in half-intervals on a scale of 0-6. You’ll be scored on your analysis, the examples you use, the development of your ideas, and your ability to write cleanly and effectively in English.
• To prepare for the AWA, you should familiarize yourself with logical fallacies, practice writing timed AWA responses under simulated test conditions with real GMAT prompts, practice breaking down arguments in other forms of persuasive writing, have someone you trust proofread your work, read sample high-scoring essays, and create a template for how you plan to format your essay on exam day.
• In order to do your best on test day, try the following GMAT essay tips: create an outline before writing, stay on topic, use standard essay structure, use transition words and phrases in your essay, and leave time to proofread.

What’s Next?

To learn more about the format of all the GMAT sections, check out our complete  guide to the GMAT format .

Want to Identify YOUR GMAT Strengths and Weaknesses?

Our proprietary GMAT Diagnostic Assessment creates a customized study plan for you that takes you from registration all the way to test day! It is included with every account and proven to significantly maximize your score .

Get your personalized assessment as part of your 5 day risk-free trial now:

Want to understand all the ins and outs of how your test will be scored? Our expert explanation GMAT scoring  is a great resource.

If you’re nervous about the AWA and Verbal sections of the GMAT, our articles on GMAT verbal question types and GMAT vocabulary will definitely help you prepare.

Was this helpful? Sign up for FREE GMAT and MBA guides!

Share this:.

• Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Google+ (Opens in new window)

Author: Laura Dorwart

Laura Dorwart is a Ph.D. student at UC San Diego. She has taught and tutored hundreds of students in standardized testing, literature, and writing. View all posts by Laura Dorwart

• Plans And Pricing
• GMAT Score Guarantee
• GMAT Private Tutoring
• SAT Plans And Pricing
• SAT Score Guarantee
• SAT Private Tutoring
• GRE Plans And Pricing
• GRE Score Guarantee
• GRE Private Tutoring
• Our Top Achievers

6 Strategies for Scoring 6.0 on GMAT AWA

• May 25, 2022

Table of Contents

The GMAT AWA analyzes your ability to critically evaluate the argument presented in the prompt and offer your opinions. The section has the least weightage in the total GMAT score. However, scoring a perfect 6.0 is extremely easy and is always a plus on your application. Here are 6 simple strategies that will help you get the 6.0 that you need: 

1. Locating Flaws Effectively

The flaws in the author’s argument will either be found in the premise or reasoning. The flaws in reasoning are called logical fallacies. Here is a great list of logical fallacies which you should familiarize yourself to ensure you can recognize them in an essay prompt. Delve into the foundational reasoning of the argument, the incompatibility between the assertions and assumptions, and the conclusion.

2. Follow a Structure

Learn the art of breaking down the flaws of the key argument into separate components and present it in a structured manner. Second, consider what needs to change in the argument to make it stronger. Choose an essay template that you can follow to best utilize the 30 minutes allotted. ( Read: AWA Template for Getting the Perfect 6 ) Finally, use sufficient transition words in your essay. Here’s a great list

3. Simulate the GMAT Experience

To simulate the conditions of the computer-based GMAT, write your practice essays on a computer. Use the simple word processor in the free official GMATPrep Software or a simple word processor like NotePad that offers limited functionality. Additionally, practice writing GMAT essays within 30 minutes. Make a habit of using the GMATPrep software or the official list of former GMAT essay prompts.

4. Assess Your Essay

Grade your essay based on the 6-point grading rubric, comparing your writing to the sample essay provided by the GMAC. Analyze whether your writing is disorganized or not varying much in your sentence structure. It is also possible that you have offered inadequate analysis diminishes the impact of your writing or there are other issues. Keep a record of these errors and strive to eliminate them completely.

Additionally, you can get someone else to proofread your GMAT AWA practice essays and make a log of your oft-repeated errors. Try and find patterns in your mistakes. You can also utilize the practice tool of www.mba.com .  

5. Read, Read, and Read

Develop a habit of reading editorials, newspaper articles, and hearing debates online or on podcasts to develop an analytical bent of mind. This will not only help you in your essay but also in your professional life where you would be expected to hear multiple assertions and hypotheses and make decisions based on them. Additionally, you can also read the high-scoring sample GMAT essays on forums like the GMAT Club and evaluate what made them score the perfect 6.0.

6. On the Day of the Exam

As you are reading the essay prompt, make a note of all logical fallacies or flaws you can determine. Second, make an outline of your essay along with which 3-4 points you want to bring out in each paragraph. Third, figure out an example and/or suggestion for each flaw. This will be the blueprint that will ensure your essay stays on topic and is well-structured. Remember to erase your notes on the AWA text editor after you are done. Finally, target to finish essay writing in 25 minutes so you can leave the last 5 minutes for proofreading and fixing any errors in spelling or grammar before submitting.

Following these strategies is bound to make the GMAT AWA a cakewalk for you. Want to know why do admission committees look at your GMAT essay score? Read: Why Does the GMAT AWA Section Matter?

Do you dream of a GMAT 740+?

Related posts.

What is a Good GMAT Score

• December 28, 2023

A GMAT score of 740+ is considered great, but you need to calculate the ideal GMAT score that you need based on certain criteria. Read on to find out why is a high GMAT score important and how should you determine yours.

Continue reading

AWA Template for Getting The Perfect 6 (2022)

GMAT essay writing can be broken down into simple components if only you use the right templates. Read the article to find 3 templates that will help you get the perfect 6 on the GMAT AWA section!

Why Does The GMAT AWA Section Matter?

GMAT AWA section may seem irrelevant, but the admission committees still look at your AWA score. Read on to know how the AWA section is scored and why does the section matter.

What is GMAT: Everything You Need to Know About The Exam in 2022

Learn all the aspects of the much-talked about GMAT exam – its eligibility criteria, registration, sections, difficulty level and much more. A complete guide to all your questions and more.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

• Daily Intensive
• Weekend Live
• Crash Course
• Self – Paced
• Verbal Intensive
• Quant Intensive
• Private Tutorin

WhatsApp Us

Sarthak Chowdhary (800)

• Skip to content

GMAT Prep Courses & Tutoring

GMAT AWA Topics – Sample Prompts

Before you start.

Remember that the AWA is testing your ability to effectively critique an argument being presented. There will be some common fallacies used in the prompts that you will need to address. Familiarize yourself with these flawed arguments so that you can quickly identify them as you write your essay:

Inappropriate Comparisons – comparing two things which are not necessarily similar, thus leading to a flawed conclusion. You will notice that in an inappropriate comparison, the argument will only note the similarities between two things with no explanation of why the differences do not change the outcome.

Example: "Dogs are highly motivated by food, which is a useful tool for training. Using this same method, you can help to encourage your children to repeat positive behaviors." This argument does not address early childhood development, nor does it address dog psychology – the person assumes that if a solution worked in one situation, it will work in the other.

Vague Language – using words such as "many", "few", "some", "more", or "less" without further qualification is often too vague to make a cogent point.

Example: "In Chicago, more people voted to add bike lanes than people did in Aurora, so it is clear that the citizens in Chicago are more pro-bike than the citizens in Aurora." This argument does not explain what 'more' means. Is it by percentage? Does it refer to raw number of votes, and if so, does it take into account the number of voters in Chicago vs. the number of voters in Aurora?

Correlation vs Causation – this common fallacy asserts that because something occurred, it must be a consequence of some specific variable observed before the result.

Example: "Students in Neighborhood A have higher test scores on average that students in Neighborhood B. Therefore, it is clear that the schools in Neighborhood A are better than the schools in Neighborhood B." This argument is flawed because it assumes the only meaningful variable in test scores was the school the children attend. This argument does not consider other various factors, such as poverty, school resources, home situations, and the parents' abilility to supplement educational opportunities, etc.

Sampling Issues – a case in which statistics are used inappropriately to compare unlike populations or to draw broad conclusions using a small sample.

Example: "56% of the reviews of Company A are negative, which shows that most customers are very unhappy with the service provided." The problem with this argument is that it does not address the percentage of overall customers who have written reviews. How do we know that this is representative of all customers vs. those who are upset about an issue and take the time to write a review?

Now that you have reviewed some common flawed arguments you may encounter, it is time to get started practicing!

Sample Prompt 1

The following appeared in the health section of a magazine on trends and lifestyles:

"People who use the artificial sweetener aspartame are better off consuming sugar, since aspartame can actually contribute to weight gain rather than weight loss. For example, high levels of aspartame have been shown to trigger a craving for food by depleting the brain of a chemical that registers satiety, or the sense of being full. Furthermore, studies suggest that sugars, if consumed after at least 45 minutes of continuous exercise, actually enhance the body’s ability to burn fat. Consequently, those who drink aspartame-sweetened juices after exercise will also lose this calorie-burning benefit. Thus, it appears that people consuming aspartame rather than sugar are unlikely to achieve their dietary goals."

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 explanations 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.

Sample Prompt 2

The following appeared in the opinion column of a financial magazine:

"On average, middle-aged consumers devote 39 percent of their retail expenditure to department store products and services, while for younger consumers the average is only 25 percent. Since the number of middle-aged people will increase dramatically within the next decade, department stores can expect retail sales to increase significantly during that period. Furthermore, to take advantage of the trend, these stores should begin to replace some of those products intended to attract the younger consumer with products intended to attract the middle-aged consumer."

Sample Prompt 3

The following appeared as part of an editorial in an industry newsletter:

"While trucking companies that deliver goods pay only a portion of highway maintenance costs and no property tax on the highways they use, railways spend billions per year maintaining and upgrading their facilities. The government should lower the railroad companies’ property taxes, since sending goods by rail is clearly a more appropriate mode of ground transportation than highway shipping. For one thing, trains consume only a third of the fuel a truck would use to carry the same load, making them a more cost-effective and environmentally sound mode of transport. Furthermore, since rail lines already exist, increases in rail traffic would not require building new lines at the expense of taxpaying citizens."

Sample Prompt 4

The following was excerpted from the speech of a spokesperson for Synthetic Farm Products, Inc.:

"Many farmers who invested in the equipment needed to make the switch from synthetic to organic fertilizers and pesticides feel that it would be too expensive to resume synthetic farming at this point. But studies of farmers who switched to organic farming last year indicate that their current crop yields are lower. Hence their purchase of organic farming equipment, a relatively minor investment compared to the losses that would result from continued lower crop yields, cannot justify persisting on an unwise course. And the choice to farm organically is financially unwise, given that it was motivated by environmental rather than economic concerns."

Sample Prompt 5

The following is part of a business plan created by the management of the Megamart grocery store:

"Our total sales have increased this year by 20 percent since we added a pharmacy section to our grocery store. Clearly, the customer’s main concern is the convenience afforded by one-stop shopping. The surest way to increase our profits over the next couple of years, therefore, is to add a clothing department along with an automotive supplies and repair shop. We should also plan to continue adding new departments and services, such as a restaurant and a garden shop, in subsequent years. Being the only store in the area that offers such a range of services will give us a competitive advantage over other local stores."

Not a member? Sign up for our courses here .

• Success Stories
• Complete GMAT Focus Course
• Problem Solving Course
• Data Sufficiency Course
• Critical Reasoning Course
• Reading Comprehension Course
• Executive Assessment Exam
• GMAT Focus Practice Tests
• GMAT Focus Preparation Material

Avoid this Common GMAT Argument Fallacy

GMAT Critical Reasoning: Avoid the “Inversion” fallacy of logical reasoning

I was driving down the street the other day and passed a Sara Lee truck with delicious-looking pictures of pastries on the back and the following motto emblazoned in big, bold letters on the side:

“Nobody doesn’t like Sara Lee.”

My first thought was, yep, that sounds about right. I mean, who doesn’t love Sara Lee’s coffee cakes and brownie bites?

But then I thought, wait a minute, why did they express the sentiment as a double-negative? Why didn’t they just say, “Everybody likes Sara Lee”?

Isn’t that saying the same thing?

No, it’s not.

But that’s a common fallacy to assume it is, and it’s something to be on the lookout for on GMAT Critical Reasoning questions as well. Let’s take a closer look at an aspect of logical reasoning called contraposition .

Logic 101: Contraposition

In logic, contraposition refers to the idea that a conditional statement (“if X, then Y”) is logically equivalent to its contrapositive. That is to say, if you negate and invert the antecedent and consequent of the original conditional statement, it will be logically equivalent to that original statement.

Okay, so that sounds like a lot of gibberish, and you definitely don’t need to memorize that definition for the GMAT.

But you do need to understand what it means. Let’s break it down.

Consider the following logical assertion: “All dogs have tails.”

That can be restated as the conditional “If something is a dog, then it has a tail.”

To use logical notation, we could write it as D (dog) —> T (tail).

The contrapositive, then, reverses the D and T and negates them. In other words, the contrapositive of D —> T is thus -T —> -D. In lay terms, that argument would be expressed, “If something doesn’t have a tail, it is not a dog.”

And that makes sense, right?

Saying “If something is a dog, then it has a tail” is logically equivalent to “If something doesn’t have a tail, then it’s not a dog.”

So that’s pretty straightforward.

But beware. There are two common fallacies that people make when it comes to conditional statements like that, and you’ll want to make sure you can recognize them on GMAT Critical reasoning questions:

Fallacy #1: Inversion. Inversion would say that -D —> -T. “If something isn’t a dog, then it doesn’t have a tail.” But that’s not logically equivalent to D —> T. Certainly a cat isn’t a dog, but it does have a tail. So does a horse. And a bunny rabbit. Etc. There are lots of ways to disprove the -D —> -T assertion, if D —> T is true. Thus an inversion is not logically equivalent to its original conditional argument.

Fallacy #2: Conversion. Conversion would say that T —> D. “If something has a tail, then it is a dog.” That’s obviously not the same as D —> T, either. Again, a cat has a tail, but it’s not a dog. Likewise with a horse. Etc. So here we run into the same problem as with the Inversion fallacy.

Now let’s go back and look at the Sara Lee Motto, “Nobody doesn’t like Sara Lee.” Assuming that’s a true statement, my suggested revision to “Everybody likes Sara Lee” would have been a simple inversion, which we just identified as Fallacy #1. Just because there isn’t anybody who doesn’t like Sara Lee, that doesn’t mean that everybody does.

And actually, I got proof of that when I asked my wife, out of curiosity: Do you like Sara Lee? Her response, and I kid you not, was: “I don’t dislike them.” In other words, she doesn’t not like Sara Lee. But that doesn’t mean that she likes them, either. She’s just sort of neutral toward them.

So I guess Sara Lee picked a good — and accurate — way of expressing their motto, after all!

Application Example

With this little bit of Logic 101 under our belts, let’s see how this plays out in a real GMAT critical reasoning question, as follows:

Left-handed people suffer more frequently than do right-handed people from certain immune disorders, such as allergies. Left-handers tend to have an advantage over the right-handed majority, however, on tasks controlled by the right hemisphere of the brain, and mathematical reasoning is strongly under the influence of the right hemisphere in most people.

If the information above is true, it best supports which of the following hypotheses?

A. Most people who suffer from allergies or other such immune disorders are left-handed rather than right-handed. B. Most left-handed mathematicians suffer from some kind of allergy. C. There are proportionally more left-handers among people whose ability to reason mathematically is above average than there are among people with poor mathematical reasoning ability. D. If a left-handed person suffers from an allergy, that person will probably be good at mathematics. E. There are proportionally more people who suffer from immune disorders such as allergies than there are people who are left-handed or people whose mathematical reasoning ability is unusually good.

The question is asking us to draw a conclusion from the information given. That’s what a hypothesis is. To answer this question, then, we need to get crystal-clear on what the premises of the original argument are saying. Let’s be sure to write them on our scratch paper in a way that lends itself to the kind of analysis we did above.

Premise #1 , as expressed in the first sentence, says that left-handed people are more likely to develop immune disorders like allergies. We can re-word that as an if-then statement: “If someone is left-handed, then they are more likely to develop immune disorders like allergies.” Using our short-hand from above, we can write it like this on our scratch paper:

Left-handed –> Allergies

Premise #2 says that left-handed people tend to be better at right hemisphere brain activities such as math. Reworded as an if-then statement, that might read: “If someone is left-handed, then they are more likely to be better at right hemisphere brain activities such as math.” Using short-hand, we can write premise #2 like this on our scratch paper:

Left-handed –> Math (right hemisphere activities)

At this point we’ve established our two logical if-then statements. Any hypothesis we draw from these two statements, then, must be logically sound and follow the rules of logic established above. We cannot, for example, hypothesize the “inversion” or “conversion” of either of those two premises.

Which brings us to the answer choices.

What do you notice about answer choice A? That’s the fallacy of “conversion,” isn’t it? It reverses premise #1, and essentially says that “If someone has allergies, then they’re likely left-handed.” Allergies –> Left-handed. But we know that’s not logically equivalent to Left-handed –> Allergies, and thus we can’t draw that conclusion. Answer choice A is therefore incorrect.

See how that works?

Continuing through the answer choices, answer choice B has a couple of problems. First, there’s nothing to suggest that the two premises are related. In other words, premise 1 relates left-handers to immune disorders. Premise 2 relates left-handers to right-brain functionality. But we have no idea how immune disorders and right-brain functionality relate, just that left-handers are more susceptible to each. Moreover, even if we could surmise that perhaps the two would mix since they have left-handers in common, we certainly can’t make the leap to “most” left-handed mathematicians suffering from allergies. The superlative word “most” renders answer choice B incorrect.

Answer choice D makes the same error of mixing the two premises. Premise #1 makes a claim about how left-handers relate to allergies. There will be some overlap, where a certain percentage of left-handers do in fact have allergies. But that’s separate and apart from premise #2. There’s nothing to suggest how immune disorders and right-brain functionality might be related. Just because a left-hander might in fact have allergies, we don’t know anything about how that might also relate to math ability. So answer choice D is incorrect.

In choosing between answer choice C and E, then, answer choice C is better because it doesn’t mix the two premises like answer choice E does. And in fact, it makes perfectly logical sense based on Premise #2 that if we’re looking at the world of high-mathematically-reasoning individuals, we’d expect there to be a disproportionate number of left-handers since we know left-handers tend to be controlled more by right-brain activities, such as math. Conversely, in a group of people with poor mathematical reasoning ability, we wouldn’t expect as many left-handers. Answer choice C is therefore correct.

Well done if you got that!

What did you like most about this lesson? Please leave your questions and comments below! And for more GMAT critical reasoning tips, strategies, and practice problems, check out our comprehensive GMAT Critical Reasoning video course HERE . Good luck!

Get Our Free GMAT Report!

Entries by Category

• Business 101
• GMAT Essays
• GMAT Quantitative
• GMAT Verbal
• Integrated Reasoning
• MBA Admissions
• Testimonials
• Tip of the Week

• Free Session
• Courses & Lessons
• GMAT Tutoring
• GMAT Practice
• FAQ’s
• Member Login

Intro to Argument Essay

• The task involves being presented with an argument that intentionally contains logical flaws.
• Test-takers must adopt a critical stance, challenging the argument rather than seeking to find merit in it.
• The objective is to identify these flaws and discuss ways the argument could be improved.
• Examples are provided to illustrate the type of logical inconsistencies to look for.
• Directions following the argument are crucial for guiding the structure and focus of the essay, including the introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion.

The GMAT in its current form will be offered through early 2024. Starting on November 7, 2023, a new, shorter version of the exam called the GMAT Focus will become available to take.

All the AWA Essay lessons apply to the current GMAT only. (The GMAT Focus edition does not have an essay.)

Please see the lesson " New GMAT Focus Edition Can be Taken Starting November 7, 2023 " for more details about the Focus edition.

Next Lesson

Logical Fallacies and the Argument Essay

Argument essay.

Brainstorming for AWA

Writing the Argument Essay

GMAT Verbal : Common Logical Fallacies

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for gmat verbal, all gmat verbal resources, example questions, example question #1 : common logical fallacies.

Public Safety Official:  In 1998, our province's highway patrol arrested nearly 25,000 motorists for driving under the influence of alcohol. Over the past 20 years we have implemented a number of legal measures to increase penalties for driving under the influence and that have increased the number of law enforcement personnel patrolling for such offenses. This past year, even though our population has increased markedly since 1998, our province saw less than 18,000 arrests - a sure sign that these legal measures have been successful in preventing motorists from driving while under the influence.

Which of the following, if true, would most weaken the public safety official's claims?

The number of restaurants and pubs permitted to sell alcohol in the province has increased since 1998 at approximately the same rate of the province's population.

Since 1998, the number of lawyers focusing on defending those arrested for driving under the influence has more than doubled.

Increased access to public transportation and ride-sharing applications has cut the number of drivers in the province by more than half.

The new legal measures have increased the province's law enforcement costs at nearly twice the rate that tax receipts have increased.

The population in her province has increased at a lower rate than the populations of neighboring provinces.

This argument features issues with two extremely common logical fallacies: 1) correlation vs. causation and 2) data pools that aren't necessarily comparable. If you see these elements in the gap in logic, you can anticipate the right answer.

First, notice that in the 20 years between arrest statistics that the official cites, many things could have occurred other than the laws she cites. What if, for example, alcohol tariffs made the price so exorbitant that everyone just quit drinking? Or the city built a system of canals and everyone just kayaks around town now? There could well be other causes for the statistic - the laws might be correlated with the time period, but did they really cause the outcome?

Second, notice that the use of actual-number data (25,000 arrests vs. 18,000 arrests) doesn't necessarily tie to the conclusion. Yes the number of arrests down (and the total population is up), but the conclusion is that the legislation was successful in "preventing motorists from driving under the influence." Since "motorists" is a subset of the total population, you'd really want to see a statistic that isn't just total number of arrests, but something more like arrests per 1,000 motorists" - a statistic that accounts for the fact that the number of motorists could be way down (in which case "motorists" - those who still drive - might still be driving under the influence quite frequently, but the overall statistic is down because there are simply much fewer drivers).

Given those errors in the argument, choice "Increased access to public transportation and ride-sharing applications has cut the number of drivers in the province by more than half." is correct - it shows that the number of motorists is down, and supplies an alternate cause for the drop in the number of arrests. People are using Lyft and taking the train, not driving anymore.

Among the other choices:

"The population in her province has increased at a lower rate than the populations of neighboring provinces." is irrelevant, as whether the population has grown at a high or low rate compared to other provinces, the fact remains that the population has still increased. (And really what you want to know is the number of drivers/motorists)

"The new legal measures have increased the province's law enforcement costs at nearly twice the rate that tax receipts have increased." seems like it should matter (is this a good use of money?) but remember that the specific conclusion is only about whether the laws  worked , not about whether they were a wise use of funding. Always stay within the specific scope of the conclusion!

"Since 1998, the number of lawyers focusing on defending those arrested for driving under the influence has more than doubled." misses the mark because of its timing - the statistic used in the argument is about arrests, and notes that this intervention of lawyers occurs after the arrests have already taken place. If lawyers were acting before the arrests, that might suggest that the lawyers are causing the reduction in the number even though people are still drinking and driving, but that's not the case here - the lawyers in "Since 1998, the number of lawyers focusing on defending those arrested for driving under the influence has more than doubled." don't come into the picture early enough to explain away the number of arrests.

And "The number of restaurants and pubs permitted to sell alcohol in the province has increased since 1998 at approximately the same rate of the province's population." is similar - if the number of establishments serving alcohol were way down that might be part of an alternate explanation for the reduction in arrests, but with the number of restaurants and pubs serving alcohol increasing, that's not the case.

Example Question #2 : Common Logical Fallacies

A recent study suggests that not eating genetically modified foods can lead to a decreased risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease. The study based this conclusion on the fact that individuals who ate only non genetically modified foods developed these conditions at lower rates than did individuals who ate both genetically modified and not genetically modified foods and concluded that the decreased risk of both diseases must be as a result of the individuals’ dietary differences.

Which of the following, if true, would weaken the conclusion that eating only non genetically modified foods leads to a lower risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes?

Type II diabetes and heart disease are often exacerbated or triggered by poor diets, especially those high in processed grain-based foods and fat-heavy meat products.

Other studies have examined the effects of organic food on the risk of developing both diseases, but not on the effects of genetically modified food.

It is possible that some individuals could be naturally resistant to developing both type 2 diabetes and heart disease regardless of diet.

Genetically modified foods also tend to be organically grown, a process that uses fewer pesticides and artificial fertilizers than does conventional agriculture.

Individuals who do not eat genetically modified foods also tend to exercise and make other healthy lifestyle choices associated with a decreased risk of both diseases.

As with any weaken question, your first goal should be to understand the argument presented and find the gap between the information given and the conclusion presented. In this argument, you are told that a study claims that not eating genetically modified foods (GMOs) leads to lower rates of type 2 diabetes and heart disease because people who didn't eat GMOs tend to develop type 2 diabetes and heart disease at a lower rate than do people who do eat GMOs.

The gap here is in the difference between correlation and causation. While there is a correlation between the behavior (not eating GMOs) and the outcome (not getting type 2 diabetes or heart disease), there is nothing that proves the outcome is due to the behavior. What if non-GMO foods were only available to individuals who were wealthy or who belonged to a specific ethnic group that developed both diseases at lower rates? The correct answer will exploit the gap between correlation and causation.

The only answer choice to do this is "Individuals who do not eat genetically modified foods also tend to exercise and make other healthy lifestyle choices associated with a decreased risk of both diseases.". If individuals who don't eat GMOs also engage in other activities known to lower the risk of both diseases, then it's impossible to tell if their decreased risk is due to the fact that they don't eat GMOs or the fact that they engage in these other activities. Maybe the cause of both (not eating GMOs and decreased risk) is their lifestyle, and those two effects are just correlated.

Among the other answers, "Genetically modified foods also tend to be organically grown, a process that uses fewer pesticides and artificial fertilizers than does conventional agriculture." can be eliminated because there is no way to link the practice of using pesticides or artificial fertilizers to diabetes or heart disease. Choice "Type II diabetes and heart disease are often exacerbated or triggered by poor diets, especially those high in processed grain-based foods and fat-heavy meat products." can be eliminated since it does not address anything to do with the conclusion, which is specifically about genetically modified foods. Choice "It is possible that some individuals could be naturally resistant to developing both type 2 diabetes and heart disease regardless of diet." can also be eliminated for the same reason - there is no reason that these individuals wouldn't have shown up in both groups. Choice "Other studies have examined the effects of organic food on the risk of developing both diseases, but not on the effects of genetically modified food." can be eliminated as well since whether other studies have looked at this issue doesn't impact whether or not the conclusion is correct.

Example Question #3 : Common Logical Fallacies

Many people believe that soccer players are the most well-known athletes on the planet, citing the fact that professional soccer is televised in more countries than any other sport. This belief is misplaced, however: according to a name recognition survey, Fabricio, the star of professional soccer's AC Camarillo, is less recognized than the best players on 20 different professional basketball teams.

Which of the following most strengthens the conclusion drawn above?

AC Camarillo has won its league's championship the past three consecutive seasons.

The most well-known basketball players are not always the best players on their teams.

Fabricio is the most well-known soccer player in the world.

No professional basketball players are also professional soccer players.​

Fabricio is less well-known than the stars of several other professional soccer teams.

If you look for the logical flaw in the argument of this Strengthen question, you should see that it is one of generalization. Based on exactly one data point - a particular soccer star is less famous than 20 different basketball players - the argument draws the general conclusion that soccer players are not the most well-known athletes in the world. But Fabricio is only one player: if this were a Strengthen question you would want to show that he is an outlier on the less-famous side (meaning that most players are far more famous than he is, so this one data point is less relevant). But since this is a Weaken question, you want to show that Fabricio is one of the most famous soccer players, so that all other players are even less famous.

Choice "Fabricio is the most well-known soccer player in the world." does exactly that, and is therefore correct: if Fabricio is the most famous soccer player, and he's less famous than 20 basketball players, then the conclusion that soccer players are not the most famous athletes is a lot more likely - Fabricio isn't the one not-famous outlier while all the others are very famous. "Fabricio is the most well-known soccer player in the world." is correct.

Among the other answer choices: choice "AC Camarillo has won its league's championship the past three consecutive seasons." doesn't link Fabricio or AC Camarillo to being well-known. If AC Camarillo is a champion in a lesser-known league, then Fabricio isn't necessarily a particularly well-known player; if the team is the champion of an extremely popular league, then it's more likely that he's among the most well-known (but you still don't know for sure).

Choice "Fabricio is less well-known than the stars of several other professional soccer teams." weakens the argument by going the opposite direction of "Fabricio is the most well-known soccer player in the world." and saying that Fabricio isn't among the most famous players in the world. Choice "The most well-known basketball players are not always the best players on their teams." would slightly strengthen the argument  if  it were specific to the 20 players more famous than Fabricio, as then there would be even more basketball players who are more famous than Fabricio. But since it's a generic "the most famous players are not always the best on their teams" it doesn't add any more players more famous than Fabricio and therefore has no direct bearing on the argument. And choice "No professional basketball players are also professional soccer players.​" is similarly generic and therefore doesn't add any new data to further the argument (if it were that the most famous basketball players ARE also soccer players then it would have a direct bearing, but as written it does not).

Example Question #4 : Common Logical Fallacies

A high school has found that, for each of the last 15 years, the average grade point average for members of the cross-country running teams has exceeded the average grade point average for the school as a whole. This phenomenon can most likely be attributed to the fact that long distance runners have so much time to think while running that they can essentially study as they run.

Which of the following most undermines the conclusion drawn above?

Because the nearest cross-country trails are a long distance from the school, cross-country is one of the most time-consuming activities the school offers.

The cross country team's average grade point average has dropped each of the last three years.

The cross-country team is among the few teams that do not require a tryout, making it a popular activity for high-achieving students who want to list a sport on their college applications.

Cross-country running is more strategic than many realize, requiring runners to expend mental energy thinking about race tactics.

Many cross-country runners are also members of the track-and-field team, for which the average grade point average is actually lower than that of the school as a whole.

This weaken problem features a common gap in logic: a fact is given (the cross-country GPA is higher than the average GPA) and then one plausible explanation is given as the only explanation for why that fact is true. This is essentially mixing correlation for causation: because two things occur together (runners have a lot of time to think, and runners have high GPAs, the time to think must cause the GPA). The best ways to weaken one of these arguments are to find an alternate explanation or to show that the causation is reversed (it's not that time spent running causes the high GPA, but rather the high GPA leads people to run).

And choice "The cross-country team is among the few teams that do not require a tryout, making it a popular activity for high-achieving students who want to list a sport on their college applications." does exactly that - it suggests that students with high GPAs are more likely to join the cross-country team. It's not that the running makes them better students, but instead good students tend to go toward running as a way to add an extracurricular activity to their application profile. That's why choice "The cross-country team is among the few teams that do not require a tryout, making it a popular activity for high-achieving students who want to list a sport on their college applications." is correct.

Among the wrong choices:

Choice "Cross-country running is more strategic than many realize, requiring runners to expend mental energy thinking about race tactics." should be tempting, but it does not directly attack the notion that runners have a lot of time to think. An activity can be strategic and still allow time to think. Choices "Many cross-country runners are also members of the track-and-field team, for which the average grade point average is actually lower than that of the school as a whole.", "Because the nearest cross-country trails are a long distance from the school, cross-country is one of the most time-consuming activities the school offers.", and "The cross country team's average grade point average has dropped each of the last three years." each try to attack the premise, making you think that the GPA shouldn't be as high as it is. "Many cross-country runners are also members of the track-and-field team, for which the average grade point average is actually lower than that of the school as a whole." does this by grouping cross-country runners with the other track-and-field athletes, for whom the GPA is lower. But we already know that the cross-country GPA is high, so it doesn't matter which other groups you could pool them with to lower their grades. Choice "Because the nearest cross-country trails are a long distance from the school, cross-country is one of the most time-consuming activities the school offers." similarly tries to provide a reason why you wouldn't think that the GPA would be high (it's such a time-consuming activity!) but again that doesn't matter - the GPA  is  high, so we're just trying to determine the cause. And choice "The cross country team's average grade point average has dropped each of the last three years." tries to do this by showing that the GPA is dropping, but again it's already been established that it's higher than average, and your only job is to determine why.

Example Question #5 : Common Logical Fallacies

Researchers have shown that older ants, which usually spend more time gathering nourishment for the colony, tend to have larger brains than do younger ants, which usually help nurture ant larvae in the colony. Since gathering nourishment requires greater cognitive skills than does nurturing larvae, it would appear that such gathering leads to the increased brain size of older ants.

Which of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the argument above?

Ants that have spent more time gathering nourishment do not have considerably larger brains than do ants that have spent a much shorter time gathering.

Ants that have to travel farther to gather nourishment do not have considerably larger brains than do ants that do not have to travel far.

The brains of older ants that are not involved in gathering nourishment are the same size as those counterparts of the same age that do gather nourishment.

The brains of older ants that stop gathering nourishment to take on other tasks do not become smaller.

In many species of ants, the brains of older ants are only minimally larger than the brains of younger ants.

In this argument, there is a correlation between brain size and activity of the ant – those ants that gather nourishment (which tend to be older) have larger brains than those ants that nurture larvae (which tend to be younger ants). Because of this correlation, the author concludes that the cause for this difference in size must be the increased cognitive skills required for gathering. But where is the proof for this? Perhaps there is some other attribute relating to the ants that perform these different tasks and that is the reason for the difference. What if quite simply, older ants (which perform the gathering) have larger brains than younger ants (which perform the nurturing)? Then it simply has to do with age NOT the tasks they are performing. To weaken this argument, you are looking for some other plausible explanation for the different size brains and "The brains of older ants that are not involved in gathering nourishment are the same size as those counterparts of the same age that do gather nourishment." gives that perfectly, as it suggests that indeed the difference might be explained by age alone.

For "Ants that have spent more time gathering nourishment do not have considerably larger brains than do ants that have spent a much shorter time gathering." – this does not necessarily weaken the argument. The activity the ant performs could indeed be causing the difference, but at a certain threshold, more gathering does not further increase brain size. "Ants that have spent more time gathering nourishment do not have considerably larger brains than do ants that have spent a much shorter time gathering." can be true and it does not hurt the core position of the argument. Likewise for "The brains of older ants that stop gathering nourishment to take on other tasks do not become smaller.", the author is just stating that the INCREASE in brain size is caused by the different activities – if the brain doesn’t decrease in size after stopping the activities it does not affect this conclusion. For "In many species of ants, the brains of older ants are only minimally larger than the brains of younger ants.", the degree of the difference in size is not addressed in the argument so this choice has no impact on the quality of the author’s conclusion. Similarly for "Ants that have to travel farther to gather nourishment do not have considerably larger brains than do ants that do not have to travel far.", the distance traveled is not addressed in the argument, simply what activity the ants engage in. Correct answer is "The brains of older ants that are not involved in gathering nourishment are the same size as those counterparts of the same age that do gather nourishment.".

Example Question #6 : Common Logical Fallacies

UCLA Sociologist:  Between 1962 and 2012, the marriage rate (that is the percentage of adult women over 16 who get married for the first time each year) fell from 110 marriages a year per 1,000 unmarried women to just 37, a stunning 66 percent decline. Given this trend, there will likely be no women getting married for the first time by 2050!

Which of the following, if true, exposes a flaw in the sociologist’s reasoning?

More women are expected to get married for a second and third time in the next 40 years.

Today’s divorce rates are expected to rise dramatically over the next 40 years.

Many women are deciding to simply live with their partners rather than get married.

The average age of marriage has increased dramatically in the past 20 years.

Marriage is much less likely to occur today for the first time than it was in the 1960’s.

The key in this problem is to consider some flaw with the trend that the sociologist cites. In other words, what might indicate that the trend will not continue? Consider the following scenario: 10 years ago, most women who would normally have married at 22 start waiting to get married until they are forty. Over the next twenty years, the marriage rate would go down dramatically because women are waiting to get married (and the average marriage age is going up). However, when they do decide to get married, the rate will go back up again. If this were true it would show a huge flaw in the sociologist’s reasoning so "The average age of marriage has increased dramatically in the past 20 years." is correct. For "Today’s divorce rates are expected to rise dramatically over the next 40 years." and "More women are expected to get married for a second and third time in the next 40 years." divorce rates and second/third time marriages are unimportant because the argument is only about first time marriages. "Many women are deciding to simply live with their partners rather than get married." and "Marriage is much less likely to occur today for the first time than it was in the 1960’s." would not indicate a flaw as they both seem to support the sociologist (that is the trend that marriage is disappearing). Answer is "The average age of marriage has increased dramatically in the past 20 years."

Example Question #7 : Common Logical Fallacies

Epidemiologist: The cancer death rate (number of deaths from cancer per 1,000 people) in the city of Maple Grove is 30% percent higher now than it was ten years ago. The corresponding increase in Fernland, where a major anti-smoking initiative was introduced a decade ago, is only 10%. These figures support the conclusion that residents of Maple Grove are more likely to die from cancer than residents of Fernland.

The epidemiologist’s conclusion is flawed because it fails to consider __________________

Whether Maple Grove has ever introduced an anti-smoking initiative.

Whether the population in Maple Grove has increased dramatically in the past decade.

Whether Fernland and Maple Grove had similar cancer death rates 10 years ago.

Whether most cancer victims in Maple Grove survive more than 10 years.

Whether smoking is the primary cause of cancer in Fernland.

The epidemiologist’s argument improperly assumes that the cancer death rates were similar in the two towns ten years ago. While the rates in Maple Grove have INCREASED much more than in Fernland, what if they were much lower to begin with. Just because the rate has increased more in Maple Grove, it could easily be lower today than in Fernland. Answer choice "Whether Fernland and Maple Grove had similar cancer death rates 10 years ago." properly points out this assumption and is thus the correct answer. For "Whether the population in Maple Grove has increased dramatically in the past decade.", population growth is unimportant because it is a per capita rate. The smoking issue is a red herring in this problem (tries to steal your attention from the major data problem), so "Whether smoking is the primary cause of cancer in Fernland." and "Whether Maple Grove has ever introduced an anti-smoking initiative." are both wrong. For "Whether most cancer victims in Maple Grove survive more than 10 years.", the length of survival is also immaterial to the major data problem isolated above. Answer is "Whether Fernland and Maple Grove had similar cancer death rates 10 years ago.".

Example Question #8 : Common Logical Fallacies

As far back as the 1950s, research has shown that adults who participate in over 30 minutes of aerobic exercise at least three times a week have a significantly lower prevalence of respiratory illness than those who do not. In recent years, studies have consistently confirmed these same statistics. It can be concluded, therefore, that regular aerobic exercise can be helpful in preventing respiratory illness.

Which of the following, if true, would most weaken the argument above?

The amount of air pollution, a common cause of respiratory illness, has increased dramatically since the 1950s.

The lengths of the average workday and commute have increased markedly since the 1950s, leaving the average person with less time for aerobic exercise.

People with respiratory illnesses are generally told by doctors that they must limit or cease their aerobic exercise routines.

Some respiratory illnesses are hereditary and therefore minimally affected by lifestyle choices.

Recent studies have debunked the conventional wisdom that aerobic exercise is an effective preventer of heart disease.

As you deconstruct this argument, you should notice a classic case of mistaking correlation (two things occur together) for causation (one causes the other). Here you're told that people who exercise regularly have a lower incidence of respiratory illness, and then the conclusion is that regular exercise helps prevent respiratory illness.

But why can't that be the other way around? Whenever a question is structured as "X and Y happen together, so X likely causes Y" you should be on the lookout for an answer choice that suggests that, actually, Y is the thing that causes X.

Answer choice "People with respiratory illnesses are generally told by doctors that they must limit or cease their aerobic exercise routines." here supplies exactly that: if people who have respiratory illness are unable to exercise, that's a possible reason for the statistics (exercise and respiratory health occur together) to be true. So by providing an alternate explanation for the premises, "People with respiratory illnesses are generally told by doctors that they must limit or cease their aerobic exercise routines." shows that the conclusion is not necessarily true. "People with respiratory illnesses are generally told by doctors that they must limit or cease their aerobic exercise routines." is correct.

"Some respiratory illnesses are hereditary and therefore minimally affected by lifestyle choices." is incorrect because the conclusion is so soft, that exercise "can be helpful in preventing" respiratory illness. Even if some respiratory illnesses cannot be prevented, choice "Some respiratory illnesses are hereditary and therefore minimally affected by lifestyle choices." does not prohibit exercise from preventing other respiratory illnesses. Note also that "Some respiratory illnesses are hereditary and therefore minimally affected by lifestyle choices." says that the hereditary respiratory illnesses are  minimally affected  by lifestyle choices. "Minimally affected" still allows for lifestyle choices to have an impact, which is consistent with "can be helpful" in preventing these illnesses.

"The amount of air pollution, a common cause of respiratory illness, has increased dramatically since the 1950s." and "The lengths of the average workday and commute have increased markedly since the 1950s, leaving the average person with less time for aerobic exercise." are wrong for similar reasons: they are each overruled by the facts, which state that exercise and a lack of respiratory illness have remained correlated over time, even if respiratory illness is increasing due to pollution "The amount of air pollution, a common cause of respiratory illness, has increased dramatically since the 1950s." or people in general are exercising less "The lengths of the average workday and commute have increased markedly since the 1950s, leaving the average person with less time for aerobic exercise.". You still have facts from the argument that those who do find time to exercise have less respiratory illness than those who do not, so "The amount of air pollution, a common cause of respiratory illness, has increased dramatically since the 1950s." and "The lengths of the average workday and commute have increased markedly since the 1950s, leaving the average person with less time for aerobic exercise." are countered by the given information.

"Recent studies have debunked the conventional wisdom that aerobic exercise is an effective preventer of heart disease." misses the specific scope of the conclusion, which is only about respiratory illness. The fact that exercise doesn't prevent heart disease doesn't factor in to a discussion about respiratory issues. Because heart issues and respiratory issues are two completely different categories, "Recent studies have debunked the conventional wisdom that aerobic exercise is an effective preventer of heart disease." does not directly address the conclusion about respiratory issues.

Tired of practice problems?

Try live online GMAT prep today.

Report an issue with this question

If you've found an issue with this question, please let us know. With the help of the community we can continue to improve our educational resources.

DMCA Complaint

If you believe that content available by means of the Website (as defined in our Terms of Service) infringes one or more of your copyrights, please notify us by providing a written notice (“Infringement Notice”) containing the information described below to the designated agent listed below. If Varsity Tutors takes action in response to an Infringement Notice, it will make a good faith attempt to contact the party that made such content available by means of the most recent email address, if any, provided by such party to Varsity Tutors.

Your Infringement Notice may be forwarded to the party that made the content available or to third parties such as ChillingEffects.org.

Please be advised that you will be liable for damages (including costs and attorneys’ fees) if you materially misrepresent that a product or activity is infringing your copyrights. Thus, if you are not sure content located on or linked-to by the Website infringes your copyright, you should consider first contacting an attorney.

Please follow these steps to file a notice:

You must include the following:

A physical or electronic signature of the copyright owner or a person authorized to act on their behalf; An identification of the copyright claimed to have been infringed; A description of the nature and exact location of the content that you claim to infringe your copyright, in \ sufficient detail to permit Varsity Tutors to find and positively identify that content; for example we require a link to the specific question (not just the name of the question) that contains the content and a description of which specific portion of the question – an image, a link, the text, etc – your complaint refers to; Your name, address, telephone number and email address; and A statement by you: (a) that you believe in good faith that the use of the content that you claim to infringe your copyright is not authorized by law, or by the copyright owner or such owner’s agent; (b) that all of the information contained in your Infringement Notice is accurate, and (c) under penalty of perjury, that you are either the copyright owner or a person authorized to act on their behalf.

Send your complaint to our designated agent at:

Charles Cohn Varsity Tutors LLC 101 S. Hanley Rd, Suite 300 St. Louis, MO 63105

Or fill out the form below:

Contact Information

Complaint details.

Top Streams

• Data Science Courses in USA
• Business Analytics Courses in USA
• Engineering Courses in USA
• Tax Courses in USA
• Healthcare Courses in USA
• Language Courses in USA
• Insurance Courses in USA
• Digital Marketing Courses in USA

Top Specialization

• Masters in Data Analytics in USA
• Masters in Mechanical Engineering in USA
• Masters in Supply Chain Management in USA
• Masters in Computer Science in USA
• MBA in Finance in USA
• Masters in Architecture in USA

Top Universities

• Cornell University
• Yale University
• Princeton University
• University of California Los Angeles
• University of Harvard
• Stanford University
• Arizona State University
• Northeastern University
• Project Management Courses in Australia
• Accounting Courses in Australia
• Medical Courses in Australia
• Psychology Courses in Australia
• Interior Designing Courses in Australia
• Pharmacy Courses in Australia
• Social Work Courses in Australia
• MBA in Australia
• Masters in Education in Australia
• Masters in Pharmacy in Australia
• Masters in Information Technology in Australia
• BBA in Australia
• Masters in Teaching in Australia
• Masters in Psychology in Australia
• University of Melbourne
• Deakin University
• Carnegie Mellon University
• Monash University
• University of Sydney
• University of Queensland
• RMIT University
• Macquarie University
• Data Science Courses in Canada
• Business Management Courses in Canada
• Supply Chain Management Courses in Canada
• Project Management Courses in Canada
• Business Analytics Courses in Canada
• Hotel Management Courses in Canada
• MBA in Canada
• MS in Canada
• Masters in Computer Science in Canada
• Masters in Management in Canada
• Masters in Psychology in Canada
• Masters in Education in Canada
• MBA in Finance in Canada
• Masters in Business Analytics in Canada
• University of Toronto
• University of British Columbia
• McGill University
• University of Alberta
• York University
• University of Calgary
• Algoma University
• University Canada West
• Project Management Courses in UK
• Data Science Courses in UK
• Public Health Courses in UK
• Digital Marketing Courses in UK
• Hotel Management Courses in UK
• Nursing Courses in UK
• Medicine Courses in UK
• Interior Designing Courses in UK
• Masters in Computer Science in UK
• Masters in Psychology in UK
• MBA in Finance in UK
• MBA in Healthcare Management in UK
• Masters in Education in UK
• Masters in Marketing in UK
• MBA in HR in UK
• University of Oxford
• University of Cambridge
• Coventry University
• University of East London
• University of Hertfordshire
• University of Birmingham
• Imperial College London
• University of Glasgow

Top Resources

• Universities in Germany
• Study in Germany
• Masters in Germany
• Courses in Germany
• Bachelors in Germany
• Germany Job Seeker Visa
• Cost of Living in Germany
• Best Universities in Germany

Top Courses

• Masters in Data Science in Germany
• MS in Computer Science in Germany
• Marine Engineering in Germany
• MS Courses in Germany
• Masters in Psychology in Germany
• Hotel Management Courses in Germany
• Masters in Economics in Germany
• Paramedical Courses in Germany
• Karlsruhe Institute of Technology
• University of Bonn
• University of Freiburg
• University of Hamburg
• University of Stuttgart
• Saarland University
• Mannheim University
• MBA in Ireland
• Phd in Ireland
• Masters in Computer Science Ireland
• Cyber Security in Ireland
• Masters in Data Analytics Ireland
• Ms in Data Science in Ireland
• Pharmacy courses in ireland
• Business Analytics Course in Ireland
• Universities in Ireland
• Study in Ireland
• Masters in Ireland
• Courses in Ireland
• Bachelors in Ireland
• Cost of Living in Ireland
• Ireland Student Visa
• Part Time Jobs in Ireland
• Trinity College Dublin
• University College Dublin
• Dublin City University
• University of Limerick
• Dublin Business School
• Maynooth University
• University College Cork
• National College of Ireland

Colleges & Courses

• Masters in France
• Phd in France
• Study Medicine in France
• Best Universities in Frankfurt
• Best Architecture Colleges in France
• ESIGELEC France
• Study in France for Indian Students
• Intakes in France
• SOP for France Visa
• Study in France from India
• Reasons to Study in France
• How to Settle in France

More About France

• Cost of Living in France
• France Study Visa
• Cost of Living in Frankfurt
• France Scholarship for Indian Students
• Part Time Jobs in France
• Stay Back in France After Masters

About Finland

• Universities in Finland
• Study in Finland
• Courses in Finland
• Bachelor Courses in Finland
• Masters Courses in Finland
• Cost of Living in Finland
• MS in Finland
• Average Fees in Finland Universities
• PhD in Finland
• Bachelor Degree in Medicine & Surgery
• MBBS Courses in Georgia
• MBBS Courses in Russia
• Alte University
• Caucasus University
• Georgian National University SEU
• David Tvildiani Medical University
• Caspian International School Of Medicine
• Asfendiyarov Kazakh National Medical University
• Kyrgyz State Medical Academy
• Cremeia Federal University
• Bashkir State Medical University
• Kursk State Medical University
• Andijan State Medical Institute
• IELTS Syllabus
• IELTS Prepration
• IELTS Eligibility
• IELTS Test Format
• IELTS Band Descriptors
• IELTS Speaking test
• IELTS Writing Task 1
• IELTS score validity
• IELTS Cue Card

IELTS Reading Answers Sample

• Animal Camouflage
• Types Of Societies
• Australia Convict Colonies
• A Spark A Flint
• Emigration To The Us
• The History Of Salt
• Zoo Conservation Programmes
• The Robots Are Coming
• The Development Of Plastic

IELTS Speaking Cue Card Sample

• Describe A Puzzle You Have Played
• Describe A Long Walk You Ever Had
• Describe Your Favourite Movie
• Describe A Difficult Thing You did
• Describe A Businessman You Admire
• Memorable Day in My Life
• Describe Your Dream House
• Describe A Bag You Want to Own
• Describe a Famous Athlete You Know
• Aquatic Animal

IELTS Essay Sample Sample

• Best Education System
• IELTS Opinion Essay
• Agree or Disagree Essay
• Problem Solution Essays
• Essay on Space Exploration
• Essay On Historical Places
• Essay Writing Samples
• Tourism Essay
• Global Warming Essay
• GRE Exam Fees
• GRE Exam Syllabus
• GRE Exam Eligibility
• Sections in GRE Exam
• GRE Exam Benefits
• GRE Exam Results
• GRE Cutoff for US Universities
• GRE Preparation
• Send GRE scores to Universities

GRE Exam Study Material

• GRE Verbal Preparation
• GRE Study Material
• GRE AWA Essays
• GRE Sample Issue Essays
• Stanford University GRE Cutoff
• Harvard University GRE Cutoff
• GRE Quantitative Reasoning
• GRE Verbal Reasoning
• GRE Reading Comprehension
• Prepare for GRE in 2 months

Other Resources

• Documents Required For Gre Exam
• GRE Exam Duration
• GRE at Home
• GRE vs GMAT
• Improve GRE Verbal Scores

Free GRE Ebooks

• GRE Preparation Guide (Free PDF)
• GRE Syllabus (Free PDF)
• GMAT Eligibility
• GMAT Syllabus
• GMAT Exam Dates
• GMAT Registration
• GMAT Exam Fees
• GMAT Sections
• GMAT Purpose

GMAT Exam Study Material

• How to prepare for GMAT?
• GMAT Score Validity
• GMAT Preparation Books
• GMAT Preparation
• GMAT Exam Duration
• GMAT Score for Harvard
• GMAT Reading Comprehension
• GMAT Retake Strategy

Free GMAT Ebooks

• GMAT Guide PDF
• Download GMAT Syllabus PDF
• TOEFL Exam Registration
• TOEFL Exam Eligibility
• TOEFL Exam Pattern
• TOEFL Exam Preparation
• TOEFL Exam Tips
• TOEFL Exam Dates
• Documents for TOEFL Exam
• TOEFL Exam Fee

TOEFL Exam Study Material

• TOEFL Preparation Books
• TOEFL Speaking Section
• TOEFL Score and Results
• TOEFL Writing Section
• TOEFL Reading Section
• TOEFL Listening Section
• TOEFL Vocabulary
• Types of Essays in TOEFL

Free TOEFL Ebooks

• TOEFL Exam Guide (Free PDF)
• PTE Exam Dates
• PTE Exam Syllabus
• PTE Exam Eligibility Criteria
• PTE Test Centers in India
• PTE Exam Pattern
• PTE Exam Fees
• PTE Exam Duration
• PTE Exam Registration

PTE Exam Study Material

• PTE Exam Preparation
• PTE Speaking Test
• PTE Reading Test
• PTE Listening Test
• PTE Writing Test
• PTE Essay Writing
• PTE exam for Australia

Free PTE Ebooks

• PTE Syllabus (Free PDF)
• Duolingo Exam
• Duolingo Test Eligibility
• Duolingo Exam Pattern
• Duolingo Exam Fees
• Duolingo Test Validity
• Duolingo Syllabus
• Duolingo Preparation

Duolingo Exam Study Material

• Duolingo Exam Dates
• Duolingo Test Score
• Duolingo Test Results
• Duolingo Test Booking

Free Duolingo Ebooks

• Duolingo Guide (Free PDF)
• Duolingo Test Pattern (Free PDF)

NEET & MCAT Exam

• NEET Study Material
• NEET Preparation
• MCAT Eligibility
• MCAT Preparation

SAT & ACT Exam

• ACT Eligibility
• ACT Exam Dates
• SAT Syllabus
• SAT Exam Pattern
• SAT Exam Eligibility

USMLE & OET Exam

• USMLE Syllabus
• USMLE Preparation
• USMLE Step 1
• OET Syllabus
• OET Eligibility
• OET Prepration

PLAB & LSAT Exam

• PLAB Exam Syllabus
• PLAB Exam Fees
• LSAT Eligibility
• LSAT Registration
• TOEIC Result
• Study Guide

Application Process

• LOR for Masters
• SOP Samples for MS
• LOR for Phd
• SOP for Internship
• SOP for Phd
• Check Visa Status
• Motivation Letter Format
• Motivation Letter for Internship
• F1 Visa Documents Checklist

Career Prospects

• Popular Courses after Bcom in Abroad
• Part Time Jobs in Australia
• Part Time Jobs in USA
• Salary after MS in Germany
• Salary after MBA in Canada
• Average Salary in Singapore
• Higher Studies after MBA in Abroad
• Study in Canada after 12th

Trending Topics

• Best Education System in World
• Best Flying Schools in World
• Top Free Education Countries
• Best Countries to Migrate from India
• 1 Year PG Diploma Courses in Canada
• Canada Vs India
• Germany Post Study Work Visa
• Post Study Visa in USA
• Data Science Vs Data Analytics
• Public Vs Private Universities in Germany
• Universities Vs Colleges
• Difference Between GPA and CGPA
• Undergraduate Vs Graduate
• MBA in UK Vs MBA in USA
• Degree Vs Diploma in Canada
• IELTS vs TOEFL
• Duolingo English Test vs. IELTS
• Why Study in Canada
• Cost of Living in Canada
• Education System in Canada
• SOP for Canada
• Summer Intake in Canada
• Spring Intake in Canada
• Winter Intake in Canada
• Accommodation in Canada for Students
• Average Salary in Canada
• Fully Funded Scholarships in Canada
• Why Study in USA
• Cost of Studying in USA
• Spring Intake in USA
• Winter Intake in USA
• Summer Intake in USA
• STEM Courses in USA
• Scholarships for MS in USA
• Acceptable Study Gap in USA
• Interesting Facts about USA
• Free USA course
• Why Study in UK
• Cost of Living in UK
• Cost of Studying in UK
• Education System in UK
• Summer Intake in UK
• Spring Intake in UK
• Student Visa for UK
• Accommodation in UK for Students
• Scholarships in UK
• Why Study in Germany
• Cost of Studying in Germany
• Education System in Germany
• SOP for Germany
• Summer Intake in Germany
• Winter Intake in Germany
• Study Visa for Germany
• Accommodation in Germany for Students
• Free Education in Germany

Country Guides

• Study in UK
• Study in Canada
• Study in USA
• Study in Australia
• SOP Samples for Canada Student Visa
• US F1 Visa Guide for Aspirants

Exams Guides

• Duolingo Test Pattern

Recommended Reads

• Fully Funded Masters Guide
• SOP Samples For Australia
• Scholarships for Canada
• Data Science Guide
• SOP for MS in Computer Science
• Study Abroad Exams
• Alumni Connect
• Booster Program
• Scholarship

GPA CALCULATOR Convert percentage marks to GPA effortlessly with our calculator!

Expense calculator plan your study abroad expenses with our comprehensive calculator, ielts band calculator estimate your ielts band score with our accurate calculator, education loan calculator discover your eligible loan amount limit with our education calculator, university partner explore growth and opportunities with our university partnership, accommodation discover your perfect study abroad accommodation here, experience-center discover our offline centers for a personalized experience, our offices visit us for expert study abroad counseling..

• 18002102030
• Study Abroad

GMAT Essay Topics- A Comprehensive Guide

• GMAT Results & Scores
• Test Centers
• GMAT Exam Fee
• Preparation Books
• Preparation Tips
• GMAT Syllabus 2024

Updated on 04 January, 2024

Sr. Content editor

The GMAT Essay does not influence the total GMAT score or the scores in the other sections.  However, that does not mean that you can neglect this section altogether. Many B-Schools look for in candidates the ability to express and demonstrate sound critical thinking abilities. The Analytical Writing Assessment (AWA) section is an opportunity for you to express yourself and display critical thinking skills. You may also have to provide your Analytical Writing Assessment (AWA) scores while applying to study at universities worldwide. 

Table of Contents

Brief about gmat essay scoring pattern and other awa aspects, tips for a high-scoring performance, frequently asked questions, study master programs in usa.

But what is the GMAT Essay all about? For starters, you can expect to find several GMAT essay topics which revolve around almost anything and everything under the sun. The topics cover diverse aspects, right from economics and politics to social issues, marketing, leadership, education, environment, and more. For practice purposes, you can find several GMAT essay examples online. Before that, learn more about the examination below. 

The AWA section will give you a single writing task of 30 minutes. It is scored between 0-6 in half-point intervals. The final score depends on the average of two independent scores, i.e., one from an electronic scoring engine and one from an evaluator. 

Here is a closer look at how the AWA is scored: 

Going through GMAT essay samples will give you an idea of the basic structure of the essay. You have to critique and analyze a flawed argument in the essay. Some of the fallacies in the given prompt include the following: 

• Unsuitable comparisons (if two non-similar things are compared, the conclusion may be erroneous)
• Vagueness of language (Using terms like  some, few, many,  etc. without any justification will always be flawed)
• Causation vs. Correlation (a common fallacy, it seems to assume that something has taken place due to consequences of particular variables prior to the result). You will find this in several GMAT essay examples while studying. 
• Issues with Sampling (Erroneous usage of statistics to draw conclusions or insufficient data used for making conclusions)

Here are a few templates that you can consider while writing different parts of your essay: 

1.  Introduction:

•  (The source) argues that (mention the argument).
•  As it stands at present, the argument relies on assumptions without any clear evidence, while failing to address crucial points that undermine the conclusion as a whole.
•   As a result, the argument contains numerous flaws, which make it implausible.
•  Until the (first flaw), (second flaw) and (third flaw) are tackled, the argument cannot be perceived as viable. 

2.  Body Paragraph 1

• (Firstly) the argument states…
• The claims of the author seem unlikely since/because…
• The argument could be strengthened, had the author provided evidence that (analysis or statement)..
• This possibility proves the vulnerability of the conclusion.

 3.  Body Paragraph 2

• (Secondly) the argument states/claims that (mention the fallacy or logical assumption that is erroneous).
• This is again a weak statement/claim without any substantive evidence/support of any correlation between (item 1) and (item 2).
• However, if evidence that (analysis or statement) had been provided by the author, then the argument would have been strengthened.

 4.  Body Paragraph 3

• Finally, the argument concludes that (state the final reasoning or conclusion of the argument)..
• Yet, it still remains unclear (statement of the questions that are not answered till now or the analysis that should be tackled).
• To strengthen the argument, evidence to support (analysis or information) should be furnished by the author.

 5.  Conclusion

• (To sum up/in conclusion/in summary), the argument is flawed/unconvincing/improbable/invalid due to the above-mentioned flawed reasoning.
• If the author had clearly stated (mention the missing information that is relevant or any other specific aspects mentioned in the earlier paragraphs), the argument would have been strengthened or regarded as valid.
• In the present state, the argument of the author that (state the argument again) is unsound and weak/invalid. 

You will find many other GMAT essay examples to help you practice better for the section. 

Here are some tips to perform well in this section: 

• Identify and study fallacies- Every argument in the prompt will come with inherent flaws in the basic premise or underlying logic. You should practice identifying logical fallacies swiftly, taking care to apply your knowledge of the commonest kinds of fallacies that are usually observed. Insufficient sample, straw man, non sequitur, ad hominem, and circular reasoning are a few types of these fallacies that you should do your homework on. 
• Practice under simulated testing conditions- Practice writing timed essays using the official GMAT preparation tools. You should not exceed 30 minutes or draw from external sources. Use a basic text editor and explore GMATWrite, which is the official writing tool of the GMAC for having expert readers score your practice essays. You will come across numerous GMAT essay samples for home practice. 
• Learn how to break down your core arguments- You should learn how to break down arguments into multiple parts. First, work out the basic/foundational logic/reasoning and then the conclusion and supporting points. You can practice it with any argument given in articles, newspapers, and other persuasive writing samples. 
• Get a good essay proofreader- If you are a non-native speaker, get someone experienced and competent to proofread your practice essays. This will help you understand and correct technical errors. 
• Always ask few intrinsic questions while organizing your response- Whenever you plan your response to the argument, you should always ask yourself about the assumptions that are questionable, the counterexamples that you can raise for the argument, any additional evidence that may help refute/boost the argument, and whether the response will be like a discussion with the suitable organization of ideas and full sentences. 
• Achieve a discussion-like response- Your final response should not seem like a general outline. It should be more of a discussion with full sentences, proper idea organization, and logical and accurate transitions between your points, and suitable examples. 
• Always use examples- Examples and illustrations are the lifeblood of the AWA section. You should always provide explanations/examples/counterexamples while starting points. Make sure that you develop the examples, without merely listing them. 

These are some tips that will help you score better in the GMAT AWA section. Go through as many sample GMAT essay topics as you can and remember to focus on organizing your ideas in a logical manner. 

Does essay affect GMAT score?

The AWA scores are separately computed from the multiple-choice section scores in the GMAT. They do not influence the Verbal, Integrated Reasoning, Quantitative, or the total GMAT score. 

Do you have to write an essay as a part of the GMAT examination?

Yes, you have to write an essay under the Analytical Writing Assessment (AWA) section. You will be given a task for 30 minutes, called Analysis of an Argument. An essay prompt will give you the argument that you have to critique extensively.

Expert Tips on Pursuing MBA Abroad

Learn everything about MBA abroad with this e-guide. Get to know about different types of MBA, the benefits of pursuing an MBA degree abroad, how to choose an MBA degree, top business school requirements, top MBA universities, scholarships, job prospects after an MBA abroad, and more.

Now, get answers to every MBA abroad-related question with this ebook.

MS in Data Analytics and Visualization in USA

Dual certification - IIITB as well as Yeshiva University. End-to-end support for applications and visa.

MS in Data Analytics in USA

Dual certification - IIITB as well as Clark University. World Class Faculty Members & Industry Experts.

MS in Information Technology in USA

GRE Waiver for IIITB learners. In-built IELTS prep to be provided by upGrad.

MS in Project Management in USA

World-Class Faculty Members & Industry Experts. One-on-One with Industry Mentors.

MS in Artificial Intelligence in USA

Save up to INR 15 Lakhs for an equivalent US Master's degree. Dual certification - IIITB as well as YeshivaUniversity.

MS in Cybersecurity in USA

GRE Waiver for IIITB learners. Dedicated Student Success Team.

Neha Uppal is a passionate content creator and editor. She carries 7.5+ years of experience working with leading edutech companies where she worked as a Faculty, Community Manager, and Content Marketeer. At upGrad, she is helping out people keep informed about the scopes and opportunities of studying abroad via informational articles/blogs.

Free Study Abroad Counselling

Trending searches, ielts sample essay, ielts reading answer.

• Individual Greed and Selfishness
• Environmental Problems And Solution
• Art and Culture
• Nowadays the Way Many People Interact
• Prevention is Better than Cure
• Modern Technology
• Causes And Effects Of Obesity
• Capital Punishment
• Easiest Way Of Communication
• Government and Society
• When a Country Develops its Technology
• Types of Essays
• Should Smoking Be Banned In Public Places
• Advantages and Disadvantages of Tourism
• Advantages and Disadvantages of Fast Food
• Double Question
• Business and Money
• Art is Considered an Important Part of a Society
• Describe a Famous Person You Are Interested In
• Describe a Person Who Impressed You in Primary School
• Describe A Time When You First Talked in A Foreign Language
• Describe A Dinner You Really Enjoyed
• Talk About A Time When You Gave Advice to Someone
• Describe a Time When You Told Your Friend an Important Truth
• Describe an Event You Attended in Which You Didn?t Like the Music Played
• Describe A Person Who Wears Unusual Clothes
• Describe A Time When Your Computer Broke Down
• Describe an Occasion When Many People Were Smiling
• Describe A Live Sports Match That You Watched
• Describe an Expensive Activity that You Enjoy Doing Occasionally
• Describe a Difficult Decision that You Once Made
• Describe A Time When You Felt Bored
• Describe A Time When You Helped A Friend
• Describe a Film that Made You Laugh
• Describe an Art Exhibition that You Visited
• Describe A Street Market In Your City
• The Development Of Museums
• The Birth Of Scientific English
• Collecting As A Hobby
• Moles Happy As Homes Go Underground
• The History Of Glass
• The Story Of Silk
• An Introduction To Film Sound
• The Meaning And Power Of Smell
• This Marvelous Invention
• Reducing The Effects Of Climate Change
• The Psychology Of Innovation
• Green Wave Washes Over Mainstream Shopping
• Eco Tourism
• Biological Control Of Pests
• Mental Gymnastics
• Crop Growing Skyscrapers
• The Benefits Of Being Bilingual
• CEFR level IELTS
• IELTS Certificate
• IELTS score chart
• IELTS Validity
• IELTS Preparation Books
• IELTS Full Form
• Australia Band Requirements
• IELTS Exam Fee

The above tips are the Author's experiences. upGrad does not guarantee scores or admissions.

Call us to clear your doubts at:

Download our App

• Grievance Redressal
• Experience Centers
• Terms of Use
• Privacy Policy
• University Partner
• Accommodation
• IELTS Band Calculator
• Download Study Abroad App
• Education Loan Calculator
• upGrad Abroad Office
• Expense Calculator
• Knowledge Base
• Business Partner

Top Destinations

Masters programs.

• MBA in Germany, IU
• MIM in Germany, IU
• MS in CS in Germany, IU
• MS in Data Analytics in USA, Clark University
• MS in Project Management in USA, Clark University
• MS in IT in USA, Clark University
• MS in Data Analytics & Visualization in USA, Yeshiva University
• MS in Artificial Intelligence in USA, Yeshiva University
• MS in Cybersecurity, Yeshiva University

Study Abroad Important Blogs

• Cost of Study:
• Cost of Studying in Canada
• Cost of Studying in Ireland
• Cost of Studying in Australia
• Cost of living:
• Cost of living in UK
• Cost of living in Australia
• Cost of living in Germany
• Cost of living in Ireland
• Cost of living in Canada
• Career Opportunities:
• Career Opportunities in Australia
• Career Opportunities in Germany
• Job Opportunities in After MS in Canada
• Job Opportunities After MBA in Australia
• Job Opportunities After MS in UK
• IELTS Exam Resources:
• IELTS Registration
• Academic IELTS
• IELTS Band Score
• IELTS Writing Task 2
• IELTS Slot Booking
• IELTS Band Score Chart
• IELTS Score for UK
• IELTS Score for USA
• Validity of IELTS Score
• IELTS Speaking Topics
• IELTS Reading Tips
• How to Prepare for IELTS at Home Without Coaching
• Types of IELTS Exam
• IELTS Academic vs General
• IELTS Exam Pattern
• IELTS Results
• IELTS Essay
• IELTS Exam Dates
• Top Streams:
• Fashion Designing Courses in Australia
• Accounting Courses in Canada
• Management Courses in Canada

We can improve your MBA profile and boost your candidacy. Gain insight into the review process and eliminate weaknesses from your MBA application.

Note: You must have javascript enabled to submit the form.

B-Schooled Podcast Episode #193: GRE/GMAT Critical Reasoning Questions – The Logical Fallacy To Be Prepared For

In this episode, Anthony shares:

• General tips for critical reasoning questions, • Specific advice about one critical reasoning question type that trips up many test-takers, and • Suggestions for how to tackle these problems so that you won’t be caught off guard on test day.

We’ll also be reviewing actual GMAT questions during this conversation. For those of you following along, we have included the full text of those questions here:

Question One:

Asthma, a chronic breathing disorder, is significantly more common today among adult competitive swimmers than it is among competitive athletes who specialize in other sports. Although chlorine is now known to be a lung irritant and swimming pool water is generally chlorinated, it would be rash to assume that frequent exposure to chlorine is the explanation of the high incidence of asthma among these swimmers, since __________.

a) young people who have asthma are no more likely to become competitive athletes than are young people who do not have asthma

b) competitive athletes who specialize in sports other than swimming are rarely exposed to chlorine

c) competitive athletes as a group have a significantly lower incidence of asthma than do people who do not participate in competitive athletics

d) until a few years ago, physicians routinely recommended competitive swimming to children with asthma, in the belief that this form of exercise could alleviate asthma symptoms

e) many people have asthma without knowing they have it and thus are not diagnosed with the condition until they begin engaging in very strenuous activities, such as competitive athletics

Question Two:

It is widely assumed that people need to engage in intellectual activities such as solving crossword puzzles or mathematics problems in order to maintain mental sharpness as they age. In fact, however, simply talking to other people—that is, participating in social interaction, which engages many mental and perceptual skills—suffices. Evidence to this effect comes from a study showing that the more social contact people report, the better their mental skills.

Which of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the force of the evidence cited?

a) As people grow older, they are often advised to keep exercising their physical and mental capacities in order to maintain or improve them.

b) Many medical conditions and treatments that adversely affect a person’s mental sharpness also tend to increase that person’s social isolation.

c) Many people are proficient both in social interactions and in solving mathematical problems.

d) The study did not itself collect data but analyzed data bearing on the issue from prior studies.

e) The tasks evaluating mental sharpness for which data were compiled by the study were more akin to mathematics problems than to conversation.

Anthony scored in the 99% percentile on the GMAT and has numerous perfect GRE scores. Not only is he one of our favorite guests, but he’s also available for one-on-one test coaching. Learn more about test prep at SBC , and while you’re at it, check out Anthony’s impressive bio !

This B-Schooled episode can be found here, or take a listen on any of the major podcast platforms below.

B-Schooled is available on most major podcast apps, including:

Apple Podcasts Spotify TuneIn

Please be sure to subscribe to  B-Schooled  so that you don’t miss a thing. Also, if there’s something you’d like for us to cover in a future episode, please email  podcast@stacyblackman.com . We’d love to hear from you!

SBC’s star-studded consultant team is unparalleled. Our clients benefit from current intelligence that we receive from the former MBA Admissions Officers from Wharton, Booth and every elite business program in the US and Europe.  These MBA Admissions Officers have chosen to work exclusively with SBC.

Just two of the many superstars on the SBC team: Meet Anthony , who served as the Associate Director of MBA Admissions at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, where he dedicated over 10 years of expertise.

Meet Kim , who was an Senior Associate Director of Admissions at Chicago Booth.

Tap into this inside knowledge for your MBA applications by requesting a consultation .

You May Also Like

B-Schooled Podcast Episode #106: Admissions Test Deep Dive

The GMAT Test: Expert Tips, Tricks & Advice

GMAT vs GRE for MBA Applicants: What’s the Right Strategy?

B-schooled podcast episode #121: test prep deep dive into gre vocabulary, learn about our all-in service, meet the sbc consulting team.

(323) 934-3936 info@StacyBlackman.com

Latest Blog Post

B-schooled podcast episode #207: everything you’d ever want to know about emba programs.

Have you ever wondered if an executive MBA program (EMBA) might be right for you? What are the differences between EMBA, part-time, and full-time MBA programs? Or have you not even heard of the ... →

Customized for You

Track Your Progress

Practice Pays

Practice thousands of GMAT questions with top expert solutions.

Identify and improve upon mistakes efficiently using our Error Log.

Get the latest tips and news from our top GMAT professionals.

- it’s free and easy!

Thank you for using the timer! We noticed you are actually not timing your practice. Click the START button first next time you use the timer. There are many benefits to timing your practice , including:

We’ll give you an estimate of your score

We’ll provide personalized question recommendations

Your score will improve and your results will be more realistic

How Ming Scored 755 (100%) on the GMAT Focus Edition

Master Multi-Source Reasoning Questions by Owning the Dataset

FREE Focus Edition Mock!

The 99th %ile Study Strategy for Working Professionals (Free Webinar)

GMAT RC Masterclass

Ace Arithmetic on the Current GMAT & the GMAT Focus Edition

Turbocharge Your GMAT Focus Prep with Live Online Classes

Score 100th Percentile in GMAT Focus Verbal

08:30 AM PDT

09:30 AM PDT

08:00 PM PDT

09:00 PM PDT

05:30 AM PDT

07:30 AM PDT

11:00 AM IST

01:00 PM IST

12:00 PM EDT

01:00 PM EDT

02:00 PM EDT

Sample AWA Prompt and 6/6 Essay

• GMAT Prep Courses
• MBA Programs
• Build Your Study Plan
• Best GMAT Books
• All the GMAT Tests
• GMAT Focus Tests
• GMAT Verbal
• Error Log Templates
• GMAT Official Guide
• Manhattan Prep
• Target Test Prep
• Experts' Global
• Full Time MBA Rankings
• Part Time MBA Rankings
• Executive MBA Rankings
• International MBA Rankings
• Best App Tips
• Best MBA Books
• Application Reference
• Free Profile Evaluation

Copyright © 2024 GMAT Club

GMAT ® is a registered trademark of the Graduate Management Admission Council ® (GMAC ®). GMAT Club's website has not been reviewed or endorsed by GMAC.

The post is bookmarked successfully

Mastering GMAT Critical Reasoning (2023 Edition)

Do you know why GMAT test takers score in the low 600s or never cross the 700+ mark?

They fail to look at critical reasoning as a scoring opportunity. GMAT Critical Reasoning is not a puzzle. There is no extra point in getting to the answer without using the Process of Elimination.

The real secret is in understanding the “Scope of the Argument.”

Once you know the Scope, you can eliminate 2 out of 5 answer choices.

How will you find the right answer from the 3 remaining answer choices?

F1GMAT’s Mastering GMAT Critical Reasoning will show you how. We take the mystery out of critical reasoning questions.

The approach is simple – we teach you how the test creators manipulate your reasoning abilities with Ad Hominem, Slippery Slope, Affirming the Consequent, Generalization, Inconsistencies, and Contradictions .

We don’t just explain why an answer choice is wrong. We look at the tactics used by the test creators.

After you read F1GMAT’s Mastering GMAT Critical Reasoning Guide, you will:

1) Learn to eliminate out of scope answer choices

2) Learn to spot logical fallacies

3) Learn to read questions by focusing on the holy trinity – premise, assumption, and conclusion.

4) Learn to disregard filler information

5) Complete GMAT CR Questions in less than 1 minute and 40 seconds

Our 25 GMAT 800 level questions would train your mind to think like a Critical Reasoning maven.

Table of Contents

Introduction  

6 Step Strategy to solve GMAT Critical Reasoning Questions  

How to overcome flawed thinking in GMAT Critical Reasoning?  

4 GMAT Critical Reasoning Fallacies  

Generalization in GMAT Critical Reasoning  

Inconsistencies in Arguments  

Eliminate Out of Scope answer choices using Necessary and Sufficient Conditions  

Ad Hominem in GMAT Critical Reasoning  

Slippery Slope in GMAT Critical Reasoning  

Affirming the Consequent – GMAT Critical Reasoning  

How to Paraphrase GMAT Critical Reasoning Question  

How to Answer Assumption Question Type  

How to Answer Conclusion Question Type  

How to Answer Inference Question Type  

How to Answer Strengthen Question Type  

How to Answer Weaken Question Type  

How to Answer bold-faced and Summary Question Types  

How to Answer Parallel Reasoning Questions  

How to Answer the Fill in the Blanks Question  

Question Bank  

Passage 1: 5G Technology (Inference)    Passage 2: Water Purifier vs. Minerals (Fill in the Blanks)   

Passage 3: Opioid Abuse (Strengthens)   

Passage 4: Abe and Japan’s Economy (Inference)   

Passage 5: Indians and Pulse Import (Weakens)   

Passage 6: Retail Chains in Latin America (Assumption)   

Passage 7: American Tax Rates – Republican vs. Democrats (Inference)   

Passage 8: AI – China vs the US (Weakens)   

Passage 9: Phone Snooping (Strengthens)   

Passage 10:  Traditional Lawns (Assumption)   

Passage 11:  Appraisal-Tendency Framework (Inference)   

Passage 12:  Meta-Analysis of Diet Trials (Weakens)   

Passage 13:  Biases in AI (Strengthens)   

Passage 14:  Stock Price and Effectiveness of Leadership (Inference)   

Passage 15:  US Border Wall (Weakens)   

Passage 16:  Driverless Car and Pollution (Assumption)   

Passage 17:  Climate Change (Inference)   

Passage 18:  Rent a Furniture (Weakens)   

Passage 19:  Marathon Performance and Customized Shoes (Weakens)   

Passage 20:  Guaranteed Basic Income (Assumption)   

Passage 21:  Brexit (Infer)   

Passage 22:  AB vs Traditional Hotels (Assumption)   

Passage 23:  Tax Incentive and Job Creation (Weakens)   

Passage 24:  Obesity and Sleeve Gastrectomy (Inference)   

Passage 25:  Recruiting Executives (Weaken)  

Answers with Detailed Explanation (All Answer Choices)

Edition: 2023

"When I started my GMAT prep, Critical reasoning was one section that I couldn't figure out. Sentence correction was easy as I write personal blog posts. F1GMAT's Mastering GMAT Critical Reasoning forces you to think from the perspective of the test creators. After the chapter on Syllogism, I began to look at the answer choices closely and began enjoying getting to the right choice." - Verified Purchase "This book sequentially goes through every possible Critical Reasoning questions and breaks down the thought process behind what GMAT test creators use to create answer choices.  The reverse engineering helps you understand the moving parts of an argument and prepares you to find answers to any variation.  Once you read the book, take the practice questions at the end. The questions were tough, but after reviewing the answers and finding the reasons, I could complete the official GMAT guide questions with ease. The book is a rare find."  - Verified Purchase " The chapters on defining the scope of the argument and eliminating out of scope choices along with tricks used by Test Creators helped me improve my score. Now I am at 87%. Read the chapter on Generalization (the biased samples) and Ad Hominem. Two secrets that helped me the most " - Verified Purchase

Meet the MBA Class of 2025: Amira Davis, UCLA (Anderson)

• Share on Facebook
• Share on Twitter
• Share on LinkedIn
• Share on WhatsApp
• Share on Reddit

Amira Davis

Ucla, anderson school of management.

“I’m a revolutionary thinker who’s always strategizing to create equity and access for others.”

Hometown: Atlanta, GA

Fun Fact About Yourself: I went to a performing arts high school, where I majored in vocal music and tech theater. Donald Glover went there, too.

Undergraduate School and Major: University of Georgia, Business-Marketing

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Discovery Education, Social Impact Marketing Manager

UCLA Anderson is founded on the Three Pillars: Share Success, Think Fearlessly, and Drive Change. Which pillar resonates most with you and why? Drive Change resonates most with me, because it reminds me of an Angela Davis quote that I live by: “I am no longer accepting the things I cannot change. I am changing the things I cannot accept.” I’m revolutionary in my thinking because new things can’t develop in old systems without revolutionary ideas and actions. In order for progress to be made in any area, we have to fundamentally change the issues of inequity and inefficiency that lead to the marginalization of so many groups. Progress can happen overnight if instead of pulling up a seat at the table, we build the table we want to sit at.

What makes Los Angeles such a great place to earn an MBA? Los Angeles is such a vibrant place. There are so many phenomenal industries and companies that move the culture. Even outside of business, the natural beauty of the beach, mountains and desert create places of serenity and peace that keep you grounded.

Aside from your classmates and location, what was the key part of UCLA Anderson’s MBA programming that led you to choose this business school and why was it so important to you?  During my visit for AROW (Admitted Round One Weekend), we had a mock business strategy class with Professor Ian Larkin that solidified my decision. His lecture truly challenged our thinking and highlighted the need for more empathetic and transformative leaders in the business world.

What course, club or activity excites you the most at UCLA Anderson?  I’m most excited for the Global Immersion courses. My goal is to specialize in Global Management, so these immersions will be key in my development as a global business leader. They’ll help me understand and contextualize the cultural and geographic considerations for various regions in an experiential, real-world environment.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: My biggest accomplishment in my career so far has been the success of my students. When I met many of them in 9th to 11th grade, they struggled academically and weren’t exposed to the myriad post-secondary opportunities available to them. Fast forward to 2023, many of them have pursued post-secondary education, taken up trades, or have jobs that are elevating their socioeconomic status. To see them not only thriving as adults but sharing how I impacted them warms my heart.

What do you hope to do after graduation? After graduation, I hope to work in strategy/consulting for women’s sports leagues to improve Immediately after receiving my MBA from Anderson. I envision directly contributing to operations and strategic initiatives of various international women’s sports organizations (e.g., FIBA and FIFA) through consulting. My work will directly impact the systemic issues leading to the inequity and inefficiency in these women’s sports landscapes. Ultimately, my goal is being the WNBA commissioner and utilizing my international sports experience to grow the number of teams and corporate partners, while expanding viewership and revenue. This will ensure the WNBA becomes the primary option for global basketball talent.

What advice would you give to help potential applicants gain admission into UCLA Anderson’s MBA program? My advice to potential applicants is to show your authentic self. Your journey is unique and it has made you who you are. Lean into that and let your light shine through in your application, resume and interview. As Oscar Wilde once said, “Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.” Don’t try to fit into a box because your difference is what will make the difference.

Questions about this article? Email us or leave a comment below.

• Stay Informed. Sign Up! Login Logout Search for:
• What Matters? And What More? 50 Successful Essays To The GSB & HBS
• Specialized Masters Program Directory Business Analytics Hub MBA Admissions Consultant Directory Online MBA Hub Home Assess My MBA Odds
• The 100 Best & Brightest MBAs: Class Of 2024 (30,708 views)
• High & Low MBA Salaries And Bonuses At The Top 100 U.S. B-Schools (19,504 views)
• B-Schools Withdraw MBA Acceptances In A GRE Cheating Scandal (7,947 views)
• Poets&Quants 2023-2024 MBA Ranking: Stanford’s Triumphant Return To The Top (5,157 views)
• 2024 Best & Brightest MBA: Alexis D’souza, IIM Ahmedabad (3,903 views)

Our Partner Sites: Poets&Quants for Execs | Poets&Quants for Undergrads | Tipping the Scales | We See Genius