This list consists of several essay prompts for the GMAT Analysis of an Argument which you can practise.
Essay Question
The following appeared in a memorandum from the business planning department of Avia Airlines.
Of all the cities in their region, Beaumont and Fletchir are showing the fastest growth in the number of new businesses. Therefore, Avia should establish a commuter route between them as a means of countering recent losses on its main passenger routes. And to make the commuter route more profitable from the outlet, Avia should offer a 1/3 discount on tickets purchases within two days of the flight. Unlike tickets bought earlier, discount tickets will be non-refundable and so gain from their sale will be greater.
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 underline 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 in conclusion.
Essay Question
The following appeared in a memorandum from the vice-president of Gigantis, a development company that builds and leases retail store facilities.
Nationwide over the past five years sales have increased significantly at outlet stores that deal exclusively in reduced-price merchandise. Therefore, we should publicize the new mall that we are building at Pleasantville as a central location for outlet shopping and rent store space only to outlet companies. By taking advantage of the success of outlet stores, this plan should help ensure full occupancy of the mall and enable us to receive quickly the costs of building the mall.
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 underline 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 in conclusion.
Essay Question
The following appeared in a memorandum written by the chair of the music department to the president of Omega University.
Mental health experts have observed that symptoms of mental illness are less pronounced in many patients after group music-therapy sessions, and job openings in the music-therapy field have increased during the past year. Consequently, graduates from our degree program for music therapists should have no trouble finding good positions. To help improve the financial status of Omega University, we should therefore expand our music-therapy degree program by increasing its enrolment targets.
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 underline 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 in conclusion.
Essay Question
The following appeared in a memorandum to the work-group supervisors of the GBS Company.
The Coffee Cart beverage and food service located in the lobby of our main office building is not earning enough in sales to cover its costs and so the cart may discontinue operating at GBS. Given the low staff morale, as evidenced by the increase in the number of employees leaving the company, the loss of this service could present a problem especially since the staff morale questionnaire showed widespread dissatisfaction with the snack machines. Therefore, supervisors should remind the employees in their group to patronize the cart - after all, it was leased for their convenience so that they would not have to walk over to the cafeteria on breaks.
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 underline 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 in conclusion.
Essay Question
The following appeared as part of an article in a trade magazine.
During a recent trial period in which government inspections at selected meat-processing plants were more frequent, the amount of bacteria in samples of processed chicken decreased by 50 percent on average from the previous year's level. If the government were to institute more frequent inspections, the incidence of stomach and intestinal infections throughout the country could thus be cut in half. In the meantime, consumers of Excel Meats should be safe from infection because Excel's main processing plant has shown more improvement in eliminating bacterial contamination than any other plant cited in the government report.
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 underline 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 in conclusion.
Other than the above 5 essay prompts which you can practise, you can also check out the following questions below:
“It is unrealistic to expect individual nations to make, independently, the sacrifices necessary to conserve energy. International leadership and worldwide cooperation are essential if we expect to protect the world’s energy resources for future generations.”
“Corporations and other businesses should try to eliminate the many ranks and salary grades that classify employees according to their experience and expertise. A ‘flat’ organizational structure is more likely to encourage collegiality and cooperation among employees.”
"Employees should keep their private lives and personal activities as separate as possible from the workplace.”
Thursday, 26 May 2016
Wednesday, 25 May 2016
Sample GMAT Essays - Excel Meats Contamination Prompt
The following is taken from a sample essay prompt (Analytical Writing Assignment Section) of the GMAT:
Written below are some sample essays that would help you in your preparation:
Sample Essay #1
The author concludes that meat available at Excel meats is safe for consumers and frequent government inspections will reduce incidence of stomach and intestinal infections . The authors line of reasoning is that the plant has shown more improvement in eliminating bacterial contamination than any other plant and frequent government visits in recent past has led to a decrease in amount of bacteria present is food. However, a closer examination of arguments presented reveals numerous examples of leaps of faith and poor reasoning.
First of all, argument is based on questionable assumption that the decrease in amount of bacteria in processed chicken is because of government visits. The high rate of infection in previous year may be because of some widespread chicken infection like bird flu. If this is the case then low infection rate this year does may be because the infection virus had been checked already. Another possibility is that the excel meat store may have started using better technology and better equipments which minimizes the rate of infection. Hence it is very unlikely to conclude that the low rate of infection is just because of the frequent government inspections.
Secondly, the author assumes that with frequent government inspections, the occurrences of stomach and intestinal infections will be reduced throughout the country. The frequent inspections alone can't result in a low frequency of bacterial infections, unless, government forces food processing units to adopt better technological measures.
Finally, author infers that the consumers of excel meat are safe from inspection because its plant has shown more improvement than any other plant. This is hard to conclude because improvement in eliminating bacterial contamination does not mean any contamination at all. The excel meat could be better among the available brands but this does not imply that it is completely safe.
In sum, I agree that in order to make this argument more convincing, the author should provide the details regarding the amount of contamination present is excel meat and the permissible limit for safe consumption. The argument can be further strengthened with the details about the infection causes and the measures that government takes during the inspections.
Sample Essay #2
The argument states that the amount of bacteria in samples of processed chicken decreased half on average from the previous year's level because of frequent government inspection. Therefore, if government were to institute more frequent inspections, the incidence of stomach and intestinal infections could drop in half. Furthermore, because Excel's main plant has shown more improvement in eliminating bacterial contamination than plants cited in the report, excel's meat product should be safe to its consumers. Stated in this way, the argument fails to mention several key factors, on which it could be evaluated. The conclusion of the argument relies on assumptions for which there is no clear evidence. Hence, the argument is unconvincing and has several flaws.
First, the main conclusion of the argument is that if government conducted more inspection, the incidence of stomach and intestinal infections could decrease in half. The argument assumes that more inspection leads to decreased amount of bacteria in meat, and then decreased amount of bacteria in meat leads to less incidence of infections. Consider that there might be other reasons that cause incidence of infections other than decreased amount of bacteria in meat. For example, what if bacteria in dirty water was the real reason causing the infections, if it is true, reducing the amount of bacteria in meat could not help reduce the chance of those infections. Thus, the argument is poor reasoning unless other possible explanations have been considered and ruled out.
Second, the author uses the positive correlation between government inspection and decreased amount of bacteria in meat to establish causality. However, the fact that government inspection coincides with decreased amount of bacteria in meat dose not necessary prove that the former event is responsible for the latter. If the argument had provided evidence that government inspection was the only reason that the amount of bacteria in meat decreased, then the argument would have been a lot more convincing.
Third, the author fails to prove that plants cited in the report are representative of all plants in the industry and that Excel’s main plant is representative of all plants within the company. Also the author provides no information whether the level that Excel’s main plant has improved to is above that safe needed. Without convincing answers to these questions, one is left with the impression that the claim is more of a wishful thinking rather than substantive evidence.
In summary, the argument is flawed and therefore unconvincing. It could be considerably strengthened if the author clearly mentioned all the relevant facts. In order to assess the merits of a certain situation, it is essential to have full knowledge of all contributing factors.
Sample Essay #3
In the argument, the author reaches the conclusion that the trial schedule should be made permanent. To buttress his conclusion, the author points out that the amount of bacteria in samples of selected processed-chicken-meat reduced where the inspections are frequent. In addition, the author assumes that the bacteria in processed-meat can be further reduced by means of frequent inspections. Furthermore, the author cites the example of Excel Meats to strengthen his argument. At first glance, the argument is somewhat plausible, but a closer examination will reveal how groundless it is. The argument has several flaws as follows.
First, the argument suffers insufficient sample. To support his argument, the author cites an example that amount of bacteria in selected samples of processed chicken reduced greatly during a recent trial period in which government inspections are frequent. However, the author does not provide any evidence whether the selected sample is a typical one that can represent the whole population to illustrate the phenomena. Unless the author can prove that the selected sample is typical enough to represent the whole population or the author can cite more samples, otherwise the conclusion is unwarranted.
Second, the argument commits a fallacy of casual oversimplification. The author assumes that the continuing with more frequent inspections cause the reduction of the bacteria. Yet these two events are only positive related. No evidence shows that they are casual correlated. For instance, it is entirely possible that the reduction in bacteria can be attributable to more advanced technology. Without considering the other factors, it's hasty to make such a conclusion that the former one is the cause of the latter.
Third, the argument relies on a gratitous assumption. The author assumes that consumers of Excel Meat should be more safe from infection because its processing plant has shown more improvement in eliminating bacteria contamination. While some other cases such as instinct pollution, environment pollution may also become the sources of infection. The conclusion is not well established unless the author can offer example to rule out other pollution sources that might pose threatens to the meat processed by Excel Meat.
To conclude, the argument is not convincing unless the author can provide more evidence in the following three aspects. 1) The selected samples can represent the whole population. 2) The permanent inspection is the only factor that causes the reduction in the bacteria of processed-meat. 3) Excel Meats are safer from infection because its main processing plant has shown more improvement in bacterial contamination than any other plant.
The following appeared in the editorial section of a local newspaper.
"During a recent trial period in which government inspections at selected meat-processing plants were more frequent,the amount of bacteria in samples of processed chicken decreased by 50 percent on average from the previous year's level. If the government were to institute more frequent inspections, the incidence of stomach and intestinal infections throughout the country could thus be cut in half. In the meantime, consumers of Excel Meats should be safe from infection because Excel's main processing plant has shown more improvement in eliminating bacterial contaminationYou would often see the following instructions after reading the essay prompt:
than any other plant cited in the government report."
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.No copyright infringement is intended.
Written below are some sample essays that would help you in your preparation:
Sample Essay #1
The author concludes that meat available at Excel meats is safe for consumers and frequent government inspections will reduce incidence of stomach and intestinal infections . The authors line of reasoning is that the plant has shown more improvement in eliminating bacterial contamination than any other plant and frequent government visits in recent past has led to a decrease in amount of bacteria present is food. However, a closer examination of arguments presented reveals numerous examples of leaps of faith and poor reasoning.
First of all, argument is based on questionable assumption that the decrease in amount of bacteria in processed chicken is because of government visits. The high rate of infection in previous year may be because of some widespread chicken infection like bird flu. If this is the case then low infection rate this year does may be because the infection virus had been checked already. Another possibility is that the excel meat store may have started using better technology and better equipments which minimizes the rate of infection. Hence it is very unlikely to conclude that the low rate of infection is just because of the frequent government inspections.
Secondly, the author assumes that with frequent government inspections, the occurrences of stomach and intestinal infections will be reduced throughout the country. The frequent inspections alone can't result in a low frequency of bacterial infections, unless, government forces food processing units to adopt better technological measures.
Finally, author infers that the consumers of excel meat are safe from inspection because its plant has shown more improvement than any other plant. This is hard to conclude because improvement in eliminating bacterial contamination does not mean any contamination at all. The excel meat could be better among the available brands but this does not imply that it is completely safe.
In sum, I agree that in order to make this argument more convincing, the author should provide the details regarding the amount of contamination present is excel meat and the permissible limit for safe consumption. The argument can be further strengthened with the details about the infection causes and the measures that government takes during the inspections.
Sample Essay #2
The argument states that the amount of bacteria in samples of processed chicken decreased half on average from the previous year's level because of frequent government inspection. Therefore, if government were to institute more frequent inspections, the incidence of stomach and intestinal infections could drop in half. Furthermore, because Excel's main plant has shown more improvement in eliminating bacterial contamination than plants cited in the report, excel's meat product should be safe to its consumers. Stated in this way, the argument fails to mention several key factors, on which it could be evaluated. The conclusion of the argument relies on assumptions for which there is no clear evidence. Hence, the argument is unconvincing and has several flaws.
First, the main conclusion of the argument is that if government conducted more inspection, the incidence of stomach and intestinal infections could decrease in half. The argument assumes that more inspection leads to decreased amount of bacteria in meat, and then decreased amount of bacteria in meat leads to less incidence of infections. Consider that there might be other reasons that cause incidence of infections other than decreased amount of bacteria in meat. For example, what if bacteria in dirty water was the real reason causing the infections, if it is true, reducing the amount of bacteria in meat could not help reduce the chance of those infections. Thus, the argument is poor reasoning unless other possible explanations have been considered and ruled out.
Second, the author uses the positive correlation between government inspection and decreased amount of bacteria in meat to establish causality. However, the fact that government inspection coincides with decreased amount of bacteria in meat dose not necessary prove that the former event is responsible for the latter. If the argument had provided evidence that government inspection was the only reason that the amount of bacteria in meat decreased, then the argument would have been a lot more convincing.
Third, the author fails to prove that plants cited in the report are representative of all plants in the industry and that Excel’s main plant is representative of all plants within the company. Also the author provides no information whether the level that Excel’s main plant has improved to is above that safe needed. Without convincing answers to these questions, one is left with the impression that the claim is more of a wishful thinking rather than substantive evidence.
In summary, the argument is flawed and therefore unconvincing. It could be considerably strengthened if the author clearly mentioned all the relevant facts. In order to assess the merits of a certain situation, it is essential to have full knowledge of all contributing factors.
Sample Essay #3
In the argument, the author reaches the conclusion that the trial schedule should be made permanent. To buttress his conclusion, the author points out that the amount of bacteria in samples of selected processed-chicken-meat reduced where the inspections are frequent. In addition, the author assumes that the bacteria in processed-meat can be further reduced by means of frequent inspections. Furthermore, the author cites the example of Excel Meats to strengthen his argument. At first glance, the argument is somewhat plausible, but a closer examination will reveal how groundless it is. The argument has several flaws as follows.
First, the argument suffers insufficient sample. To support his argument, the author cites an example that amount of bacteria in selected samples of processed chicken reduced greatly during a recent trial period in which government inspections are frequent. However, the author does not provide any evidence whether the selected sample is a typical one that can represent the whole population to illustrate the phenomena. Unless the author can prove that the selected sample is typical enough to represent the whole population or the author can cite more samples, otherwise the conclusion is unwarranted.
Second, the argument commits a fallacy of casual oversimplification. The author assumes that the continuing with more frequent inspections cause the reduction of the bacteria. Yet these two events are only positive related. No evidence shows that they are casual correlated. For instance, it is entirely possible that the reduction in bacteria can be attributable to more advanced technology. Without considering the other factors, it's hasty to make such a conclusion that the former one is the cause of the latter.
Third, the argument relies on a gratitous assumption. The author assumes that consumers of Excel Meat should be more safe from infection because its processing plant has shown more improvement in eliminating bacteria contamination. While some other cases such as instinct pollution, environment pollution may also become the sources of infection. The conclusion is not well established unless the author can offer example to rule out other pollution sources that might pose threatens to the meat processed by Excel Meat.
To conclude, the argument is not convincing unless the author can provide more evidence in the following three aspects. 1) The selected samples can represent the whole population. 2) The permanent inspection is the only factor that causes the reduction in the bacteria of processed-meat. 3) Excel Meats are safer from infection because its main processing plant has shown more improvement in bacterial contamination than any other plant.
Tuesday, 24 May 2016
Sample GMAT Essays - San Perdito Mayor Prompt
The following is taken from a sample essay prompt (Analytical Writing Assignment Section) of the GMAT:
Written below are some sample essays that would help you in your preparation:
Sample Essay #1
In this conclusion, the argument endorsed by the author is that the residents of San Perdito would be best served if they voted Montoya out of office and reelected Varro. Adducing grounds to buttress his argument, the author cites the facts that the unemployment rate increased and populationhas decreased when Montoya has served as mayor in the first four years, whereas the situations reversed when Varro served as mayor for four years before Montoya. The author, therefore ,maintains that the mayor Varro will provide citizens with better services than mayor Montaya does. However, careful consideration of these facts reveals that the argument is problematic in several respects.
To begin with, the author's conclusion that the mayor Varro will provide better services than mayor M does relies on the unjustifiable assumption that all conditions remain unchanged in the city of San Perdito during the eight years, which, however, are sufficient for a significant change to take place in the overall economy and social condition. Without taking these possibilities into account, the author can not convince me that the mayor V can do a better job than mayor M.
Moreover, even with the assumption stated above, the forecast that the residents will be best served if the voted for the mayor V is still open to uncertainty. The author fail to consider and rule out other criteriafor determining the best service people can get, such as the safety of neighborhood, the quality of the environment, etc. Lacking the evidence to substantiate the population and unemployment rate are the only factors to determine the level of mayor's service, it is possible that mayor M will serve people better with his contribution to other fields.
In conclusion, the argument is not compelling and not undeniable as it stands. Only with more solid confirmation, along with more concrete evidences, can the argument be viewed as rational and verifiable. To bolster the argument, the author would have to consider that influences brought by the changeable environment during the four years. In addition, the author would also have to present the justification to demonstrate more respects that can reflect the life level instead of just presenting the changes in population and unemployment rate.
Sample Essay #2
The argument concludes that the residents of San Perdito would be best served if they voted current mayor Montoya out of office and reelected the former one Varro. The author bases his conclusion firstly on the observation that during the first four years that Montoya has served as mayor of the city of San Perdito, the population has decreased and the unemployment rate has increased, moreover, that two businesses have closed for each new business that has opened. Also the author points out that the during the 4 years when Varro served as mayor , the unemployment rate decreased and the population increased. Although, at the first glance, the conclusion is somewhat reasonable, actually it suffers from several flaws .
Firstly, the “decrease” and “increase” author mentions in the argument is a vague description. We don’t know from the given information the nature of the compared data is. If the author is comparing the current economy with the most booming period of city San Perdito, the results are of course not appealing. If the data employed as the indication of current economic situation actually is not updated - the “decrease” and “increase” are doubtful as well.
Secondly, the author assumes that whether the city is best served can be fully illustrated in number of population, unemployment rate and business thriveness. It is true that the mentioned aspects are very important indicators in terms of the economy, but there are still some important ones which should be taken into consideration such as benefits of the residents, public facilities and public security etc. It is possible that different mayors have different focuses during their incumbencies. It is very likely that the mayor Montoya has impressed the residents on better environment harness, less crime rate and better public facilities, which in long run will benefit the residents.
Even if the above mentioned flaws are cleared, the argument still has a serious flaw. The author based his conclusion on a critical assumption: the mayor should be solely responsible for the results happened during his/her incumbency. That assumption is questionable, since we know there are a lot of other factors that need to be ruled out. For incidence, the decreased population may be caused by a unexpected nature disaster such as hurricane happened during the mayor’s incumbency, which is nothing with his administration. The increased unemployment rate maybe is a structured unemployment caused by the precedent mayor’s mistaken investment policy.
And it is possible that the close of some businesses is also due to the wrong investments in the previous terms. An assumption is something that needs to be true in order for the argument to be established with the given evidences. Since the assumption is not the case, the argument is not well established.
In conclusion, the line of the reasoning in this argument is problematic for the above flaws. To strengthen this argument, the author should provide more relevant information including the updated data and comparison base concerning population, unemployment and businesses as well as other more indicators on benefits, crime rate and environment. Besides, the author should rule out other factors other than the responsibilities of mayor that affect the turnout of the economic situation of the city.
Sample Essay #3
The recommendation endorsed in this argument is that residents of San Perdito vote current mayor Montoya out of office, and re-elect former mayor Varro. The reasons cited are that during Montoya's four years in office the population has decreased while unemployment has increased, whereas during Varro's term unemployment declined while the population grew. This argument involves the sort of gross oversimplification and emotional appeal typical of political rhetoric.
First of all, the author assumes that the Montoya administration caused the unemployment in San Perdito as well as its population loss. The line of reasoning is that because Montoya was elected before the rise in unemployment and the decline in population, the former event caused the latter. But this is fallacious reasoning unless other possible causal explanations have been considered and ruled out. For example, perhaps a statewide or nationwide recession is the cause of these events. Or perhaps the current economic downturn is part of a larger picture of economic cycles and trends, and has nothing to do with who happens to be mayor. Yet another possibility is that Varro enjoyed a period of economic stability and Varro's own administration set the stage for the unemployment and the decline in population the city is now experiencing under Montoya.
Secondly, job availability and the economic health of one's community are issues that affect people emotionally. The argument at hand might have been intentionally oversimplified for the specific purpose of angering citizens of San Perdito, and thereby turning them against the incumbent mayor. Arguments that bypass relevant, complex reasoning in favor of stirring up emotions do nothing to establish their conclusions; they are also unfair to the parties involved.
In conclusion, I would not cast my vote for Varro on the basis of this weak argument. The author must provide support for the assumption that Mayor Montoya has caused San Perdito's poor economy. Moreover, such support would have to involve examining and eliminating other possible causal factors. Only with more convincing evidence could this argument become more than just an emotional appeal.
The following appeared in the editorial section of a local newspaper.
“In the first four years that Montoya has served as mayor of the city of San Perdito, the population has decreased and the unemployment rate has increased. Two businesses have closed for each new business that has opened. Under Varro, who served as mayor for four years before Montoya, the unemployment rate decreased and the population increased. Clearly, the residents of San Perdito would be best served if they voted Montoya out of office and reelected Varro.”You would often see the following instructions after reading the essay prompt:
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.No copyright infringement is intended.
Written below are some sample essays that would help you in your preparation:
Sample Essay #1
In this conclusion, the argument endorsed by the author is that the residents of San Perdito would be best served if they voted Montoya out of office and reelected Varro. Adducing grounds to buttress his argument, the author cites the facts that the unemployment rate increased and populationhas decreased when Montoya has served as mayor in the first four years, whereas the situations reversed when Varro served as mayor for four years before Montoya. The author, therefore ,maintains that the mayor Varro will provide citizens with better services than mayor Montaya does. However, careful consideration of these facts reveals that the argument is problematic in several respects.
To begin with, the author's conclusion that the mayor Varro will provide better services than mayor M does relies on the unjustifiable assumption that all conditions remain unchanged in the city of San Perdito during the eight years, which, however, are sufficient for a significant change to take place in the overall economy and social condition. Without taking these possibilities into account, the author can not convince me that the mayor V can do a better job than mayor M.
Moreover, even with the assumption stated above, the forecast that the residents will be best served if the voted for the mayor V is still open to uncertainty. The author fail to consider and rule out other criteriafor determining the best service people can get, such as the safety of neighborhood, the quality of the environment, etc. Lacking the evidence to substantiate the population and unemployment rate are the only factors to determine the level of mayor's service, it is possible that mayor M will serve people better with his contribution to other fields.
In conclusion, the argument is not compelling and not undeniable as it stands. Only with more solid confirmation, along with more concrete evidences, can the argument be viewed as rational and verifiable. To bolster the argument, the author would have to consider that influences brought by the changeable environment during the four years. In addition, the author would also have to present the justification to demonstrate more respects that can reflect the life level instead of just presenting the changes in population and unemployment rate.
Sample Essay #2
The argument concludes that the residents of San Perdito would be best served if they voted current mayor Montoya out of office and reelected the former one Varro. The author bases his conclusion firstly on the observation that during the first four years that Montoya has served as mayor of the city of San Perdito, the population has decreased and the unemployment rate has increased, moreover, that two businesses have closed for each new business that has opened. Also the author points out that the during the 4 years when Varro served as mayor , the unemployment rate decreased and the population increased. Although, at the first glance, the conclusion is somewhat reasonable, actually it suffers from several flaws .
Firstly, the “decrease” and “increase” author mentions in the argument is a vague description. We don’t know from the given information the nature of the compared data is. If the author is comparing the current economy with the most booming period of city San Perdito, the results are of course not appealing. If the data employed as the indication of current economic situation actually is not updated - the “decrease” and “increase” are doubtful as well.
Secondly, the author assumes that whether the city is best served can be fully illustrated in number of population, unemployment rate and business thriveness. It is true that the mentioned aspects are very important indicators in terms of the economy, but there are still some important ones which should be taken into consideration such as benefits of the residents, public facilities and public security etc. It is possible that different mayors have different focuses during their incumbencies. It is very likely that the mayor Montoya has impressed the residents on better environment harness, less crime rate and better public facilities, which in long run will benefit the residents.
Even if the above mentioned flaws are cleared, the argument still has a serious flaw. The author based his conclusion on a critical assumption: the mayor should be solely responsible for the results happened during his/her incumbency. That assumption is questionable, since we know there are a lot of other factors that need to be ruled out. For incidence, the decreased population may be caused by a unexpected nature disaster such as hurricane happened during the mayor’s incumbency, which is nothing with his administration. The increased unemployment rate maybe is a structured unemployment caused by the precedent mayor’s mistaken investment policy.
And it is possible that the close of some businesses is also due to the wrong investments in the previous terms. An assumption is something that needs to be true in order for the argument to be established with the given evidences. Since the assumption is not the case, the argument is not well established.
In conclusion, the line of the reasoning in this argument is problematic for the above flaws. To strengthen this argument, the author should provide more relevant information including the updated data and comparison base concerning population, unemployment and businesses as well as other more indicators on benefits, crime rate and environment. Besides, the author should rule out other factors other than the responsibilities of mayor that affect the turnout of the economic situation of the city.
Sample Essay #3
The recommendation endorsed in this argument is that residents of San Perdito vote current mayor Montoya out of office, and re-elect former mayor Varro. The reasons cited are that during Montoya's four years in office the population has decreased while unemployment has increased, whereas during Varro's term unemployment declined while the population grew. This argument involves the sort of gross oversimplification and emotional appeal typical of political rhetoric.
First of all, the author assumes that the Montoya administration caused the unemployment in San Perdito as well as its population loss. The line of reasoning is that because Montoya was elected before the rise in unemployment and the decline in population, the former event caused the latter. But this is fallacious reasoning unless other possible causal explanations have been considered and ruled out. For example, perhaps a statewide or nationwide recession is the cause of these events. Or perhaps the current economic downturn is part of a larger picture of economic cycles and trends, and has nothing to do with who happens to be mayor. Yet another possibility is that Varro enjoyed a period of economic stability and Varro's own administration set the stage for the unemployment and the decline in population the city is now experiencing under Montoya.
Secondly, job availability and the economic health of one's community are issues that affect people emotionally. The argument at hand might have been intentionally oversimplified for the specific purpose of angering citizens of San Perdito, and thereby turning them against the incumbent mayor. Arguments that bypass relevant, complex reasoning in favor of stirring up emotions do nothing to establish their conclusions; they are also unfair to the parties involved.
In conclusion, I would not cast my vote for Varro on the basis of this weak argument. The author must provide support for the assumption that Mayor Montoya has caused San Perdito's poor economy. Moreover, such support would have to involve examining and eliminating other possible causal factors. Only with more convincing evidence could this argument become more than just an emotional appeal.
Sample GMAT Essays - Waymarsh State College Prompt
The following is taken from a sample essay prompt (Analytical Writing Assignment Section) of the GMAT:
Written below are some sample essays that would help you in your preparation:
Sample Essay #1
The author of this argument states because only a small percentage of the Waymarsh State College student body protested at the State Capitol, the state legislature doesn’t need to worry about the appeals of protesting students. This argument is flawed for the following reasons.
First, the article does not state any information about protests from students attending other state institutions. Although the ratio of the number of participating students from Waymarsh is small, the overall percent of the state’s college students protesting at the State Capitol may be much larger. Therefore, the percentage of students from other colleges or universities in the state could be much higher than Waymarsh’s participating student rate.
Secondly, the author provides no further insight into other protests that may have occurred at locations alternate to the State Capitol and presumes if students at Waymarsh State College did not participate in the protest at the State Capitol they either stayed on-campus or left for winter break. Some students at Waymarsh could have participated in protests on the campus at Waymarsh State College. This would indicate that a higher number of students at Waymarsh actively participated in a protest of the proposed cuts.
Lastly, the article assumes only students who protest in person at the State Capitol are the only ones who disagree with the state’s plan to cut funding to college programs. Other ways to voice disagreement with a proposed legislation include calling or writing your state legislator. The author does not discuss how many students at Waymarsh or at colleges statewide participated in calling or writing their state legislators.
The author’s argument could be strengthened by discussing how many students from other state colleges or universities participated in the protests at the State Capital or whether protests occurred by the state’s college students at locations other than the State Capitol. Furthermore, the author could strengthen their argument by discussing in what numbers the state’s college students participated in calling or writing their state legislator to voice their disagreement with the proposed cuts. The argument in its current form is flawed.
Sample Essay #2
In this argument ,the author concludes that the state legislature need not heed the appeals of the protesting students. To support this opinion, the author points out that the group of students who did not protest is far more numerous. In addition, he also reasons that it is more representative of the state`s college students than are the protesters.
At first glance,the argument seems somehow appealing, while a close examination reveals how groundless it is.We do not to look very far to see the invalidity of the argument.The argument is problematic for the following reasons.
In the first place, the arguer assumes that the 12000 students who either stayed on campus or left for winter break were not concerned about their education. However,the author do not provide any evidence to support the assumption.The fact that 200 students took time and effort to traveled to the state capitol building to protest against proposed cuts in funding for various state college programs does not have anything to do with the opinion of the remaining 12000. It is highly possible that the 12000 students are also displeased with the proposed cuts,but too busy to complain. Lacking complete information about the attitudes of all students,the recommendation is completely unfounded.
In the second place, the evidence the author provide is insufficient to reach the conclusion that the state legislature need not heed the appeals of the protesting students. One example is logically unfounded to establish a conclusion. The fact that only 200 students from Waymarsh State College traveled to the state capitol building to protest is not a good indicator of the main trends,unless it can be shown that students from Waymarsh State College are representative of all students. It is possible that students in other colleges are satisfied with the proposed cuts and do not show any resentment.In fact, in face of such limited evidence ,the recommendation is highly suspected.
To sum up, it is imprudent for the author to conclude that the state legislature need not heed the appeals of the protesting students.
Because the evidence cited in the argument is too weak to lend support to what the author claims.To make the argument more convincing,the author should provide evidence that the 12000 who did not travel to complain were not happy with the proposed cuts and the students from the Waymarsh college are representative of all students in the states. Moreover,I would suspend my judgment about the credibility of the recommendation,until the argument provides concrete evidence to rule out all the possibilities I mentioned.
Sample Essay #3
The author of the editorial section indicates that only 200 students from Waymarsh State College traveled to the state capitol building to protest against proposed cuts in funding, while majority of students stayed on campus or went on winter brake. The author concludes that state legislature need not heed the appeals of the protesting students.
The conclusion may well have merit. However, this poorly reasoned argument is based on questionable assumptions and premises. It lacks statistical data and is the result of generalization. I cannot accept the conclusion as valid.
First, it is not clear from the newspaper article how far is the state capitol building from Waymarsh State College. It could be that the trip requires substantial amount of money which majority of students do not have. In fact, difficult financial situation is the reason for the protest. Therefore, author's conclusion is wrong. Instead, it could be that all the students protest against proposed cuts in funding, while only 200 of them have sufficient funds to take a trip to capitol building. Newspaper article suggests that students protest happens during winter brake. Some students stayed on campus, while others left for winter brake. One can argue that students actually do have extra money, because they can leave for winter brake. However, the author of the article does not provide any information about relative numbers of students who stayed on campus and who left during winter brake.
Second, the article indicates that state legislature is planning to cut funding of several state college programs. It is not clear whether the funding of all college programs will be cut or only several selected programs. Thus it could be that 200 students who traveled to capitol building are enrolled in these selected college programs, which can potentially face the funding cuts. Thus, the author needs to provide specific information about the programs that can face funding cuts and about the number of students enrolled.
In sum, the conclusion may look appealing at first. The author looked over a number of points. If the author addresses the above points, he or she would have a better argument. As it stands, the logic has flaws and the argument is weak.
Sample Essay #4
According to a local news paper editorial, 200 students from Waymarsh State College traveled to the state capitol building to protest against proposed cuts in the funding for various state college programs, this last summer. The number of students who protested was outnumbered by the number of students who stayed in college or went on holidays.
As the number of students not participating in protest was far more numerous than students participating, the author thinks that the non participating students represent the State College. So he claims that the State legislature need not respond to the protesting students. Though the claim seems to have merit, the author presents a poorly reasoned argument based on several questionable assumptions and solely based on the evidence he provides, we cannot accept the argument to be valid. The author needs to back up his argument with legitimate evidence and explicate his assumptions which he lacks in this argument.
First, the author states that the population of students participating in protest is very small compared to the students not participating in the protest. Therefore he assumes that the protesting population does not represent the voice of State College. Here the author fails to consider that this population of students participating in protest might be the representative students. Each student could represent a group of students who could not participate. The students participating in the protest might be representing a cub, house, society in the college. In this situation even the small number of protesting students could representing the entire college population. The author fails to consider this factor in his argument. Here the author can make his argument strong if he can clarify that the students participating do not represent any group of students from college and they speak only on behalf of themselves.
Second, the author states that 1200 students either stayed back in college or left for winter break, so this population of students are clearly not concerned about their education. The author assumes that to support a protest one has to be physically present in the protest. Nowadays due to the technological advancement it has become possible to support a cause even without being physically present in the protest. The author fails to consider that students staying back in college might be using college media or internet to protest against the state legislature. The power of social media and internet was clearly seen during Arab uprising, as the use of social media and internet had significant impact on the dethroning of the dictators. Even though the people were not able to protest physically, their protest through social media played an important role to put a pressure on the government. Now a days use of facebook and youtube has become quite common platform to protest against something. In addition to that, some students who left for winter break might be using the time to get outside support or might be using the time to make more people aware on the situation. If the students are working for the cause even without being present in the protest we cannot conclude that these students are not concerned about the cause. Here if the author intends to make his argument strong he should provide evidence stating that the students who have gone to the State Capitol building are the only students interested in the cause and the non participating students are not at all interested in the matter or are indifferent to whatever decision the State Legislature takes.
In sum, the author’s illogical argument in based on unsupportive assumptions and lacks legitimate evidentiary support which renders the conclusion invalid. If the author truly wants to convince the reader, he needs to restructure his argument, fix flaws in his logic, explicate his assumptions and provide supportive evidences. In failing to do so, the author is likely to convince very few people.
The following appeared in the editorial section of a local newspaper:
“This past winter, 200 students from Waymarsh State College traveled to the state capitol building to protest against proposed cuts in funding for various state college programs. The other 12,000 Waymarsh students evidently weren’t so concerned about their education: they either stayed on campus or left for winter break. Since the group who did not protest is far more numerous, it is more representative of the state’s college students than are the protesters. Therefore the state legislature need not heed the appeals of the protesting students.” Discuss how well reasoned . . . etc.You would often see the following instructions after reading the essay prompt:
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.No copyright infringement is intended.
Written below are some sample essays that would help you in your preparation:
Sample Essay #1
The author of this argument states because only a small percentage of the Waymarsh State College student body protested at the State Capitol, the state legislature doesn’t need to worry about the appeals of protesting students. This argument is flawed for the following reasons.
First, the article does not state any information about protests from students attending other state institutions. Although the ratio of the number of participating students from Waymarsh is small, the overall percent of the state’s college students protesting at the State Capitol may be much larger. Therefore, the percentage of students from other colleges or universities in the state could be much higher than Waymarsh’s participating student rate.
Secondly, the author provides no further insight into other protests that may have occurred at locations alternate to the State Capitol and presumes if students at Waymarsh State College did not participate in the protest at the State Capitol they either stayed on-campus or left for winter break. Some students at Waymarsh could have participated in protests on the campus at Waymarsh State College. This would indicate that a higher number of students at Waymarsh actively participated in a protest of the proposed cuts.
Lastly, the article assumes only students who protest in person at the State Capitol are the only ones who disagree with the state’s plan to cut funding to college programs. Other ways to voice disagreement with a proposed legislation include calling or writing your state legislator. The author does not discuss how many students at Waymarsh or at colleges statewide participated in calling or writing their state legislators.
The author’s argument could be strengthened by discussing how many students from other state colleges or universities participated in the protests at the State Capital or whether protests occurred by the state’s college students at locations other than the State Capitol. Furthermore, the author could strengthen their argument by discussing in what numbers the state’s college students participated in calling or writing their state legislator to voice their disagreement with the proposed cuts. The argument in its current form is flawed.
Sample Essay #2
In this argument ,the author concludes that the state legislature need not heed the appeals of the protesting students. To support this opinion, the author points out that the group of students who did not protest is far more numerous. In addition, he also reasons that it is more representative of the state`s college students than are the protesters.
At first glance,the argument seems somehow appealing, while a close examination reveals how groundless it is.We do not to look very far to see the invalidity of the argument.The argument is problematic for the following reasons.
In the first place, the arguer assumes that the 12000 students who either stayed on campus or left for winter break were not concerned about their education. However,the author do not provide any evidence to support the assumption.The fact that 200 students took time and effort to traveled to the state capitol building to protest against proposed cuts in funding for various state college programs does not have anything to do with the opinion of the remaining 12000. It is highly possible that the 12000 students are also displeased with the proposed cuts,but too busy to complain. Lacking complete information about the attitudes of all students,the recommendation is completely unfounded.
In the second place, the evidence the author provide is insufficient to reach the conclusion that the state legislature need not heed the appeals of the protesting students. One example is logically unfounded to establish a conclusion. The fact that only 200 students from Waymarsh State College traveled to the state capitol building to protest is not a good indicator of the main trends,unless it can be shown that students from Waymarsh State College are representative of all students. It is possible that students in other colleges are satisfied with the proposed cuts and do not show any resentment.In fact, in face of such limited evidence ,the recommendation is highly suspected.
To sum up, it is imprudent for the author to conclude that the state legislature need not heed the appeals of the protesting students.
Because the evidence cited in the argument is too weak to lend support to what the author claims.To make the argument more convincing,the author should provide evidence that the 12000 who did not travel to complain were not happy with the proposed cuts and the students from the Waymarsh college are representative of all students in the states. Moreover,I would suspend my judgment about the credibility of the recommendation,until the argument provides concrete evidence to rule out all the possibilities I mentioned.
Sample Essay #3
The author of the editorial section indicates that only 200 students from Waymarsh State College traveled to the state capitol building to protest against proposed cuts in funding, while majority of students stayed on campus or went on winter brake. The author concludes that state legislature need not heed the appeals of the protesting students.
The conclusion may well have merit. However, this poorly reasoned argument is based on questionable assumptions and premises. It lacks statistical data and is the result of generalization. I cannot accept the conclusion as valid.
First, it is not clear from the newspaper article how far is the state capitol building from Waymarsh State College. It could be that the trip requires substantial amount of money which majority of students do not have. In fact, difficult financial situation is the reason for the protest. Therefore, author's conclusion is wrong. Instead, it could be that all the students protest against proposed cuts in funding, while only 200 of them have sufficient funds to take a trip to capitol building. Newspaper article suggests that students protest happens during winter brake. Some students stayed on campus, while others left for winter brake. One can argue that students actually do have extra money, because they can leave for winter brake. However, the author of the article does not provide any information about relative numbers of students who stayed on campus and who left during winter brake.
Second, the article indicates that state legislature is planning to cut funding of several state college programs. It is not clear whether the funding of all college programs will be cut or only several selected programs. Thus it could be that 200 students who traveled to capitol building are enrolled in these selected college programs, which can potentially face the funding cuts. Thus, the author needs to provide specific information about the programs that can face funding cuts and about the number of students enrolled.
In sum, the conclusion may look appealing at first. The author looked over a number of points. If the author addresses the above points, he or she would have a better argument. As it stands, the logic has flaws and the argument is weak.
Sample Essay #4
According to a local news paper editorial, 200 students from Waymarsh State College traveled to the state capitol building to protest against proposed cuts in the funding for various state college programs, this last summer. The number of students who protested was outnumbered by the number of students who stayed in college or went on holidays.
As the number of students not participating in protest was far more numerous than students participating, the author thinks that the non participating students represent the State College. So he claims that the State legislature need not respond to the protesting students. Though the claim seems to have merit, the author presents a poorly reasoned argument based on several questionable assumptions and solely based on the evidence he provides, we cannot accept the argument to be valid. The author needs to back up his argument with legitimate evidence and explicate his assumptions which he lacks in this argument.
First, the author states that the population of students participating in protest is very small compared to the students not participating in the protest. Therefore he assumes that the protesting population does not represent the voice of State College. Here the author fails to consider that this population of students participating in protest might be the representative students. Each student could represent a group of students who could not participate. The students participating in the protest might be representing a cub, house, society in the college. In this situation even the small number of protesting students could representing the entire college population. The author fails to consider this factor in his argument. Here the author can make his argument strong if he can clarify that the students participating do not represent any group of students from college and they speak only on behalf of themselves.
Second, the author states that 1200 students either stayed back in college or left for winter break, so this population of students are clearly not concerned about their education. The author assumes that to support a protest one has to be physically present in the protest. Nowadays due to the technological advancement it has become possible to support a cause even without being physically present in the protest. The author fails to consider that students staying back in college might be using college media or internet to protest against the state legislature. The power of social media and internet was clearly seen during Arab uprising, as the use of social media and internet had significant impact on the dethroning of the dictators. Even though the people were not able to protest physically, their protest through social media played an important role to put a pressure on the government. Now a days use of facebook and youtube has become quite common platform to protest against something. In addition to that, some students who left for winter break might be using the time to get outside support or might be using the time to make more people aware on the situation. If the students are working for the cause even without being present in the protest we cannot conclude that these students are not concerned about the cause. Here if the author intends to make his argument strong he should provide evidence stating that the students who have gone to the State Capitol building are the only students interested in the cause and the non participating students are not at all interested in the matter or are indifferent to whatever decision the State Legislature takes.
In sum, the author’s illogical argument in based on unsupportive assumptions and lacks legitimate evidentiary support which renders the conclusion invalid. If the author truly wants to convince the reader, he needs to restructure his argument, fix flaws in his logic, explicate his assumptions and provide supportive evidences. In failing to do so, the author is likely to convince very few people.
GMAT Sentence Correction
The moment you observe a GMAT sentence correction problem pop up on your display, there are particular actions you can take to boost your score. Here are a few things to keep in mind:
At first glance, the answer choices to most GMAT sentence correction questions may offer you with an additional time-saving method. If you notice that there's a likeness in two or three of the answer choices that does not appear in the rest, begin your sentence exploration of the sentence there.
If you are able to find out which construction is accurate for the small section of the sentence, you can easily take away the answer alternatives that contain the unconventional construction.
The brain has a difficult time thinking about five things at once. This is the reason standardized tests never really need to contain material that is too terribly tough to still produce a normal distribution.
Most folks review each answer choice individually, eliminating them as they go. When time is the enemy, this is too inefficient. Do yourself a favor and hunt for those similarities.
Time is the Enemy
The largest enemy on the GMAT test is time. If you had all saturday and sunday to look at the GMAT, it would be a simple exam. Though, with the clock ticking down, each method you utilize on the GMAT sentence correction questions must be designed for maximum accuracy and maximum efficiency.
For example, the very first answer choice is always just a restatement of the sentence as written above. Even though this answer contains the same probability of being correct as any of the others, it's not worth the time and brain power examining that sentence again in your head. Despite the fact that this will only save seconds, on the GMAT seconds count.
Prepare
Business schools take GMAT scores very seriously. You would not walk into a prospective employer's office for a meeting and scribble down a resume in the waiting room, would you? Mastering the GMAT sentence correction questions are a wonderful means to maximize your score. Just like a math problem, there is always one correct answer and four incorrect ones.
It is quite unlike the Reading Comprehension and Critical Reasoning portions of the exam that ask you to pick the "best" answer. If you don't prepare a GMAT sentence correction question technique before you take the GMAT, you may give away points that would have been easy to grab.
At first glance, the answer choices to most GMAT sentence correction questions may offer you with an additional time-saving method. If you notice that there's a likeness in two or three of the answer choices that does not appear in the rest, begin your sentence exploration of the sentence there.
If you are able to find out which construction is accurate for the small section of the sentence, you can easily take away the answer alternatives that contain the unconventional construction.
The brain has a difficult time thinking about five things at once. This is the reason standardized tests never really need to contain material that is too terribly tough to still produce a normal distribution.
Most folks review each answer choice individually, eliminating them as they go. When time is the enemy, this is too inefficient. Do yourself a favor and hunt for those similarities.
Time is the Enemy
The largest enemy on the GMAT test is time. If you had all saturday and sunday to look at the GMAT, it would be a simple exam. Though, with the clock ticking down, each method you utilize on the GMAT sentence correction questions must be designed for maximum accuracy and maximum efficiency.
For example, the very first answer choice is always just a restatement of the sentence as written above. Even though this answer contains the same probability of being correct as any of the others, it's not worth the time and brain power examining that sentence again in your head. Despite the fact that this will only save seconds, on the GMAT seconds count.
Prepare
Business schools take GMAT scores very seriously. You would not walk into a prospective employer's office for a meeting and scribble down a resume in the waiting room, would you? Mastering the GMAT sentence correction questions are a wonderful means to maximize your score. Just like a math problem, there is always one correct answer and four incorrect ones.
It is quite unlike the Reading Comprehension and Critical Reasoning portions of the exam that ask you to pick the "best" answer. If you don't prepare a GMAT sentence correction question technique before you take the GMAT, you may give away points that would have been easy to grab.
Monday, 22 February 2016
Essential Tips on the GMAT Reading Comprehension
GMAT reading comprehension questions are often the most disregarded when future test takers are preparing for the exam. There seems to be a particular level of comfort with such questions that instills an incorrect feeling of safety.
This overconfidence is most likely because equivalent questions appear on the SAT, ACT, and a lot of basic state exams. If an individual takes a practice GMAT exam, it's likely that, from a percentage correct perspective, reading comprehension problems are where they perform best.
Why then would any person be reluctant to prepare for these problems and build on their strong suit? The reply is almost certainly boredom. Let’s be truthful. Many GMAT reading comprehension questions are flat-out uninspiring.
You commence by reading a long tedious passage about a subject for which you care very little. Then, you are required to recall certain matters on the passage. The issue is that you simply can’t remember much of anything, however your intuition tells you to attempt to respond to the questions anyway. This is the way incorrect answers are born.
These are some quick suggestions for dealing with any GMAT reading comprehension passage:
Bear in mind that it’s an open-book test. Take advantage of the computer screen to refer back to the passage to search out the precise spot in the GMAT reading comprehension passage in which the solution can be located.
If an answer choice cannot be directly sustained by the passage, it is incorrect and should be eliminated from consideration. If you are confident the answer choice should be correct, however still can't discover support for it at a specific place in the passage,then it is a really good wrong answer. The test writer ought to be congratulated.
Investigate context. When moving back to the passage to find the solution to each question,spend time reading a few of the lines above and below the portion that you expect to find the solution.
A clever test-writing technique is to incorporate words in a question that can be misinterpreted by only re-reading the one line of the passage containing those words. Read for context, and not just for key words.
You have the solution. After examining a GMAT reading comprehension problem and returning to the passage, express a response to yourself in your own words. This is a powerful tool. With practice, you'll find that this will let you eliminate all but the correct answer by just comparing each one to what you came up with yourself.
This overconfidence is most likely because equivalent questions appear on the SAT, ACT, and a lot of basic state exams. If an individual takes a practice GMAT exam, it's likely that, from a percentage correct perspective, reading comprehension problems are where they perform best.
Why then would any person be reluctant to prepare for these problems and build on their strong suit? The reply is almost certainly boredom. Let’s be truthful. Many GMAT reading comprehension questions are flat-out uninspiring.
You commence by reading a long tedious passage about a subject for which you care very little. Then, you are required to recall certain matters on the passage. The issue is that you simply can’t remember much of anything, however your intuition tells you to attempt to respond to the questions anyway. This is the way incorrect answers are born.
These are some quick suggestions for dealing with any GMAT reading comprehension passage:
Bear in mind that it’s an open-book test. Take advantage of the computer screen to refer back to the passage to search out the precise spot in the GMAT reading comprehension passage in which the solution can be located.
If an answer choice cannot be directly sustained by the passage, it is incorrect and should be eliminated from consideration. If you are confident the answer choice should be correct, however still can't discover support for it at a specific place in the passage,then it is a really good wrong answer. The test writer ought to be congratulated.
Investigate context. When moving back to the passage to find the solution to each question,spend time reading a few of the lines above and below the portion that you expect to find the solution.
A clever test-writing technique is to incorporate words in a question that can be misinterpreted by only re-reading the one line of the passage containing those words. Read for context, and not just for key words.
You have the solution. After examining a GMAT reading comprehension problem and returning to the passage, express a response to yourself in your own words. This is a powerful tool. With practice, you'll find that this will let you eliminate all but the correct answer by just comparing each one to what you came up with yourself.
Monday, 1 February 2016
Know your GMAT Math Formulas
For the majority of students, number properties is the single most daunting sections of the exam. However it does not have to be that way.
The math portion is like any other difficult section in a standardized test: it can be mastered. The true secret to getting the hang of a standardized test is knowing how to take one. Remember the SAT or ACT in High School?
Getting to know how to take those exams was crucial to a superior score. Luckily, those rules that you learned for those examinations still apply. For that reason, being prepared for the number properties portion depends upon comprehending and reviewing standard math concepts to conserve time. Below is a review of foundational mathematical definitions:
Integers are numbers sans a fractional portion for instance 3, 2, 1. A number like 2.25, which is a decimal, isn't an integer. Integers can be negative, for instance -3,-2,-1 but do not contain a fractional element also. Positive integers are described as being whole numbers. The number 0 is also an integer.
Factors are considered as being numbers that divide equally into another number. For example the number 3 is a factor of 12 because 12/4=3. It is also a factor of 6 because 6/2=3 or 9 because 9/3=3.
Prime numbers are whole numbers that have only two divisors, the actual number itself as well as the number one. For example, the number 7 is a prime number because its only two divisors are 7 and 1.
The Greatest Common Factor or GCF for short is the largest number that divides two numbers evenly. In order to determine the Greatest Common Factor is by setting up a prime factorization of two numbers and checking common factors. The largest common factor between the two numbers is the GCF.
To determine the least common multiple, you perform a prime factorization in much the same as one would do to find the GCF. However, the least common multiple is the smallest number of a multiple of two numbers.
Unit digits are the number off to the right of the tens position. Just like, the units digit for the number 364 is 4.
After perusing essential subjects such as the ones previously listed, developing a study schedule with practice problems is an effective strategy to see where your abilities and failings are. Once, you recognize where your weaknesses are, study accordingly.
The math portion is like any other difficult section in a standardized test: it can be mastered. The true secret to getting the hang of a standardized test is knowing how to take one. Remember the SAT or ACT in High School?
Getting to know how to take those exams was crucial to a superior score. Luckily, those rules that you learned for those examinations still apply. For that reason, being prepared for the number properties portion depends upon comprehending and reviewing standard math concepts to conserve time. Below is a review of foundational mathematical definitions:
Integers are numbers sans a fractional portion for instance 3, 2, 1. A number like 2.25, which is a decimal, isn't an integer. Integers can be negative, for instance -3,-2,-1 but do not contain a fractional element also. Positive integers are described as being whole numbers. The number 0 is also an integer.
Factors are considered as being numbers that divide equally into another number. For example the number 3 is a factor of 12 because 12/4=3. It is also a factor of 6 because 6/2=3 or 9 because 9/3=3.
Prime numbers are whole numbers that have only two divisors, the actual number itself as well as the number one. For example, the number 7 is a prime number because its only two divisors are 7 and 1.
The Greatest Common Factor or GCF for short is the largest number that divides two numbers evenly. In order to determine the Greatest Common Factor is by setting up a prime factorization of two numbers and checking common factors. The largest common factor between the two numbers is the GCF.
To determine the least common multiple, you perform a prime factorization in much the same as one would do to find the GCF. However, the least common multiple is the smallest number of a multiple of two numbers.
Unit digits are the number off to the right of the tens position. Just like, the units digit for the number 364 is 4.
After perusing essential subjects such as the ones previously listed, developing a study schedule with practice problems is an effective strategy to see where your abilities and failings are. Once, you recognize where your weaknesses are, study accordingly.
Monday, 18 January 2016
Keep a GMAT Journal
To be mentally prepared for the GMAT test, you ought to keep a journal to take note of your progress. A sample below has been posted for your reference:
Wednesday:
I took a test to gauge my starting level. Surprisingly I scored a 710 (Q42 V42). I felt the math was at a level that I was comfortable with, although I was still rusty doing basic calculations without a calculator, causing me to run out of time with one question remaining.
Math will be my first area that I target. For the rest of the week I am going to read every Manhattan GMAT guide and complete every problem in the problem sets and the official guide.
Additionally, I am going to start targeting specific math skills such as dividing decimals and mental multiplication, increasing my math speed overall.
I have already been studying sentence correction problems for a week. This has helped me tremendously in increasing my hit rate.
I want to start solving these almost at an instinctual level. For this I am going to do 20 sentence correction problems a day and I am going to start studying my Idioms using flash cards.
I've realized I remember idioms much better when I see them used in a problem, so I am going to make flashcards of problems that contain idioms and study these as well. By the end of the week I am hoping this would have increased my hit rate to (~90%).
Unfortunately next week is going to be a killer work week, so I will have to wake up early everyday to put in some extra study time.
I am hoping this journal will help keep me on track.
Wednesday:
I took a test to gauge my starting level. Surprisingly I scored a 710 (Q42 V42). I felt the math was at a level that I was comfortable with, although I was still rusty doing basic calculations without a calculator, causing me to run out of time with one question remaining.
Math will be my first area that I target. For the rest of the week I am going to read every Manhattan GMAT guide and complete every problem in the problem sets and the official guide.
Additionally, I am going to start targeting specific math skills such as dividing decimals and mental multiplication, increasing my math speed overall.
I have already been studying sentence correction problems for a week. This has helped me tremendously in increasing my hit rate.
I want to start solving these almost at an instinctual level. For this I am going to do 20 sentence correction problems a day and I am going to start studying my Idioms using flash cards.
I've realized I remember idioms much better when I see them used in a problem, so I am going to make flashcards of problems that contain idioms and study these as well. By the end of the week I am hoping this would have increased my hit rate to (~90%).
Unfortunately next week is going to be a killer work week, so I will have to wake up early everyday to put in some extra study time.
I am hoping this journal will help keep me on track.
Friday, 1 January 2016
Starting your GMAT Preparation
Starting your GMAT Preparation
We often get questions from people considering an MBA program about how best to prepare for the GMAT.
Although the answer is different for everyone based on their individual circumstances, here are the some tips we recommend for anyone getting started with preparing for the GMAT.
We often get questions from people considering an MBA program about how best to prepare for the GMAT.
Although the answer is different for everyone based on their individual circumstances, here are the some tips we recommend for anyone getting started with preparing for the GMAT.
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