You get thirty minutes to complete each essay, and the two essays can appear in either order on your test. For both essays, you must analyze a topic and compose your essay using a basic word processing program. However, because the two essays require you to complete different tasks, it is important to read the directions for each essay.
For the Analysis of an Issue task, you must address a statement that expresses a given opinion or idea about something. In your essay, you must express your own view, indicating whether you agree or disagree with the statement. It doesn’t matter which side you take. What matters is how well you support your view with relevant examples and clear arguments.
GMAT® questions are the property of the Graduate Management Admission Council® and are reprinted with its permission.
Analysis of an Issue
In this section, you will need to analyze the issue presented and explain your views on it. There is no "correct" answer. Instead, you should consider various perspectives as you develop your own position on the issue.
WRITING YOUR RESPONSE: Take a few minutes to think about the issue and plan a response before you begin writing. Be sure to organize your ideas and develop them fully, but leave time to reread your response and make any revisions that you think are necessary.
EVALUATION OF YOUR RESPONSE: College and university faculty members from various subject-matter areas, including management education, will evaluate the overall quality of your thinking and writing. They will consider how well you
- organize, develop, and express your ideas about the issue presented
- provide relevant supporting reasons and examples
- control the elements of standard written English
Analysis of an Issue Question 1
In some countries, television and radio programs are carefully censored for offensive language and behavior. In other countries, there is little or no censorship.
In your view, to what extent should government or any other group be able to censor television or radio programs? Explain, giving relevant reasons and/or examples to support your position.
Analysis of an Issue Question 2
"Schools should be responsible only for teaching academic skills and not for teaching ethical and social values."
Discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the opinion expressed above. Support your point of view with reasons and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or reading.
GMAT® questions are the property of the Graduate Management Admission Council® and are reprinted with its permission.
Analysis of an Argument
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.
WRITING YOUR RESPONSE: Take a few minutes to evaluate the argument and plan a response before you begin writing. Be sure to organize your ideas and develop them fully, but leave time to reread your response and make any revisions that you think are necessary.
EVALUATION OF YOUR RESPONSE: College and university faculty members from various subject-matter areas, including management education, will evaluate the overall quality of your thinking and writing. They will consider how well you
- organize, develop, and express your ideas about the argument presented
- provide relevant supporting reasons and examples
- control the elements of standard written English
Analysis of an Argument Question 1
The following appeared as part of an annual report sent to stockholders by Olympic Foods, a processor of frozen foods.
"Over time, the costs of processing go down because as organizations learn how to do things better, they become more efficient. In color film processing, for example, the cost of a 3-by-5-inch print fell from 50 cents for five-day service in 1970 to 20 cents for one-day service in 1984. The same principle applies to the processing of food. And since Olympic Foods will soon celebrate its twenty-fifth birthday, we can expect that our long experience will enable us to minimize costs and thus maximize profits."
Analysis of an Argument Question 2
The following appeared as part of the business plan of an investment and financial consulting firm.
"Studies suggest that an average coffee drinker's consumption of coffee increases with age, from age 10 through age 60. Even after age 60, coffee consumption remains high. The average cola drinker's consumption of cola, however, declines with increasing age. Both of these trends have remained stable for the past 40 years. Given that the number of older adults will significantly increase as the population ages over the next 20 years, it follows that the demand for coffee will increase and the demand for cola will decrease during this period. We should, therefore, consider transferring our investments from Cola Loca to Early Bird Coffee."
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.