AWA Scoring and Criteria 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which of the following best describes what a score of 4 on the AWA indicates?
- A flawless essay with no errors
- A competent essay that addresses the task with minor flaws (Correct answer)
- An essay that fails to address the prompt
- An essay with serious structural problems
Correct answer: A competent essay that addresses the task with minor flaws
A score of 4 represents a 'competent' response that adequately addresses the task with only minor weaknesses.
Question 2: How do AWA raters handle essays that contain factual errors about the real world?
- Factual errors automatically lower the score by one point
- Factual errors are ignored entirely since AWA tests argumentation, not knowledge
- Factual errors are noted but do not heavily penalize the score unless they undermine the argument (Correct answer)
- Factual errors result in a score of 0
Correct answer: Factual errors are noted but do not heavily penalize the score unless they undermine the argument
AWA raters focus on argument quality; factual inaccuracies matter only when they significantly weaken the logical foundation of the essay.
Question 3: What distinguishes a score of 5 from a score of 6 on the AWA?
- A score of 5 has no grammatical errors while a score of 6 is perfect in all areas
- A score of 5 shows strong reasoning with minor lapses, while a score of 6 is outstanding with minimal flaws (Correct answer)
- A score of 5 requires two body paragraphs, while a score of 6 requires three
- A score of 5 essay is shorter than a score of 6 essay
Correct answer: A score of 5 shows strong reasoning with minor lapses, while a score of 6 is outstanding with minimal flaws
A 6 is 'outstanding' with insightful analysis and virtually no flaws, while a 5 is 'strong' but may have minor lapses in clarity or development.
Question 4: On the AWA, what is the primary role of the e-rater (automated scoring engine)?
- It replaces the human rater entirely for final scoring
- It serves as a second opinion alongside one human rater (Correct answer)
- It only checks for plagiarism
- It grades only the Argument essay, not the Issue essay
Correct answer: It serves as a second opinion alongside one human rater
ETS uses the e-rater as a second rater; if its score closely agrees with the human rater's score, the two scores are averaged.
Question 5: If a test taker submits a blank AWA response, what score will they receive?
- 0
- 1
- NS (No Score) (Correct answer)
- The essay is flagged and returned for rewriting
Correct answer: NS (No Score)
ETS assigns an 'NS' (No Score) designation when no response is provided, which is different from a scored 0.
Question 6: Which writing quality carries the MOST weight in AWA holistic scoring?
- Handwriting and neatness
- Vocabulary sophistication and word count
- Critical thinking and quality of argument (Correct answer)
- Use of transitional phrases
Correct answer: Critical thinking and quality of argument
AWA holistic scoring prioritizes the depth and quality of critical analysis and argumentation above stylistic features.
Question 7: How long does each AWA task allow for writing?
- 20 minutes
- 25 minutes
- 30 minutes (Correct answer)
- 45 minutes
Correct answer: 30 minutes
Test takers are given 30 minutes to complete each of the two AWA tasks (Analyze an Issue and Analyze an Argument).
AWA Scoring and Criteria 2
Which of the following best describes what a score of 4 on the AWA indicates?