The rather simple and pristine realm of essays and essay writing is actually not devoid of disturbing trends. One such trend is the use of advanced computer software to grade typed essays - a trend that is set to continue given the Graduate Management Admision Council’s recent decision to use Vantage Learning’s computer-based essay scoring system to grade the Analytical Writing Assessment portion of the GMAT.

Although GMAC stresses that results given out through this system are comparable to results before the system was introduced, I’m not too sure about the ability of a computer to judge style and content. Understandably, the Analytical Writing Assessment component of the GMAT is compartmentalized enough that an advanced computer software package should be able to grasp the main ideas of a student’s essay and style. But errors in judgment can and will occur, and the worst part is that we will not be told anything about it. Heck, I’m not sure if the administrators would know anything about it either.

Of course, you could argue that grades given out by human essay scorers are not error-free either. Human essay scorers could very well take the easy way out when their individual workloads number in the thousands. That would mean giving high marks to long essays, multiple examples, and bombastic words, even if the overall package ends up mediocre. Computers, on the other hand, do not get tired, and will mark all essays based on the exact same criteria - ensuring that there’s no impartiality from different examiners.

So, it does seem that a computerized essay scoring system has its benefits. But whether the advantages from such a system outweigh the disadvantages, or whether the move is a profit-motivated or resulted-oriented one is unknown.