I'm thinking to skip the AWA section during the real test

[dl3_dl3]

1- Do you think if I skip the AwA section during the real GMAT test is ok?, since that I will be more focused on the actual exam. I assume that the universities can evaluate my writing skills through the essays and personal statement that they request in the application.

2- I practiced the questions on the OG Quantitative Review & OG Verbal Review, is it useful to do the exercises on the orange book The Official Guide.

Thanks

[StaceyKoprince]

Never skip the essays unless the schools to which you are applying say it is okay. Otherwise, the schools will likely discount your 200-800 score because they know you had the advantage of skipping the essays.

And even if a school tells you it's okay, you still have to think about this. I discussed this with a contact at GMAC, and she had this to say:

"While skipping the essays is not a definitive score-cancelling irregularity, candidates should know that it is a possibility and thus are encouraged to complete all sections of the test."

In general, GMAC reserves the right to cancel your score if they determine that there is anything "irregular" about your test. As my contact said above, skipping the essays is not an automatic ticket to score cancellation, but apparently they do reserve the right to cancel scores as a result of skipping the essays.

I'd say the odds of having your score cancelled for this reason are pretty low, but the odds are not zero, so you'd have to weigh that in your decision.

Re: your second question, by "the exercises" - do you mean the essay exercises only? Or do you mean all of the questions in general?

[dl3_dl3]

Thank you stacey for your explanation about the first question. I found it very useful. For the second question, I meant all questions in general.

Many thanks

[RonPurewal]

DO NOT SKIP THE ESSAYS.

do not even THINK of skipping the essays.

number one, they have the right to cancel your score if you skip even one of the essays.
in fact, other standardized tests AUTOMATICALLY cancel your scores if you leave an essay blank; i thought that the gmat did the same.

number two, one of the main purposes of the awa essays is to be a standard of comparison for your application essays.
in other words, schools can and do use the awa essays as a "checkpoint" to make sure that YOU are actually the one writing the application essays. (they clearly don't expect the same quality of writing, since you have ample opportunity to edit the application essays, but it's incredibly obvious whenever 2 pieces of writing have different authors.)

if i were a school admissions officer and i saw blank awa essays, my FIRST THOUGHT would be:
"hmm, this kid didn't write his own essays, and he's trying to cover it up by leaving the awa blank."
this would cast serious doubt on the integrity of your application.
not good.

don't do it.

--

yes, you should do the orange official guide.

in fact, if you were to choose EITHER the orange guide OR the purple and green guides, then choose the orange one; not only does it contain more questions, but it contains mostly newer questions (most, if not all, of the purple and green questions are repeats from the 10th edition).