AWA - Analytical Writing Assessment AWA Scoring and Criteria Questions and Answers

Question 1

An AWA essay provides an insightful and well-organized critique of an argument, identifying three significant, unstated assumptions.
However, the essay contains several minor grammatical errors and awkward sentence constructions, though they do not obscure the meaning.
According to AWA scoring criteria, this essay would most likely receive:

Accepted Answer

A high score (5-6) because the quality of analysis is the most critical factor.

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A very low score (1-2) because of the persistent language errors.

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A middling score (3-4) because analytical strengths and language weaknesses are weighted equally.

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A score of 0 because it fails to meet minimum language standards.

Question 2

Which of the following best describes the concept of 'holistic scoring' as it is applied to the Analytical Writing Assessment?

Accepted Answer

Scorers form an overall impression of the essay's quality, balancing its various strengths and weaknesses together.

Answer

The final score is an average of separate scores for analysis, organization, and grammar.

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The essay's word count and paragraph count are the primary factors in determining the score.

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Scorers use a rigid checklist of grammatical rules and structural requirements, and points are deducted for each violation.

Question 3

A test-taker writes a very well-structured and grammatically flawless essay in response to an AWA prompt. However, the essay's content primarily summarizes the provided argument and agrees with its conclusion, rather than analyzing and critiquing its logical structure. What is the most likely scoring outcome?

Accepted Answer

A low score (1-3) because it fails to perform the required task of analysis.

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A high score (5-6) because of the strong organization and perfect language control.

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A moderate score (4) as it successfully addresses the topic, albeit not in the requested manner.

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A score of 0 because it did not follow any instructions.

Question 4

Under the official AWA scoring guidelines, an essay will receive a score of 0 for which of the following reasons?

Accepted Answer

The essay is written entirely in a language other than English.

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The essay fundamentally misinterprets the argument's conclusion.

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The essay contains numerous, severe grammatical errors that impede understanding.

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The essay is brief and develops only one point of criticism.

Question 5

Which of the following is the most important differentiator between a top-scoring (6) AWA essay and a strong (5) essay?

Accepted Answer

The use of particularly sophisticated and insightful analysis.

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The inclusion of a five-paragraph structure instead of a four-paragraph structure.

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The complete absence of any grammatical or mechanical errors.

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The length of the essay, with a score of 6 being significantly longer.

Question 6

An AWA score is determined by human raters and an e-rating computer program. Which of the following best describes how these components work together to produce a final score?

Accepted Answer

The final score is typically the average of one human score and the e-rater score.

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Two humans score the essay, and the e-rater is only used if the human scores disagree.

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The e-rater's score is final, and the human rater's score is used only for calibration.

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The e-rater only checks for grammar, while the human rater assesses the analysis.