I got a 710 (47Q & 41V)
Where should I start? I'll go with the exam itself.
AWA:
Don't know my score, but this was a piece of cake. Just followed the template from PR book. My only suggestion is that you should aim to finish 5 minutes before the time allotment. This way you can recharge your batteries. I know it is easier said than done for non-native speakers, but you should try.
Quant:
WOW!! All along this is what was going to make or break me. I'm an attorney that hasn't had a math class since the Macarena was cool. During the exam I thought I was getting my lunch handed to me. I saw so many questions that made say what the______?! I thought my score was a 35, maybe 37 tops. But this just shows you; KEEP FIGHTING!! Or to quote GMATT1973 "On this board we fight for that point! We claw with our fingernails for that point." Give it your best and see what happens.
Verbal
This was pretty much just like the
OG and GMAT Prep. I was consistently pulling 40+ so this is right in line with what I expected. As I said, I’m an attorney so 3 years of law school really hones your CR and RC skills.
Now, onto the helpful stuff. How did I prepare?
I spent a total of 3 solid months. Probably 2-3 hours a day during the week and then 4-5 weekends. I knew going in I would need help in Quant and SC could be a little tricky. So here is my approach and materials I used.
GMAX Online: Quite Helpful. For anyone who wants a course to teach him or her the basics I highly recommend GMAX.
OG 11: The bible, torah, koran, etc... It may be cliché, but it is correct. I went over the quant questions 3-4 times and it really gave me a foundation in the fundamentals.
OG QR: Same as above
OG Verbal: Same above
MGMAT Series for Math: Very helpful and it coincides with the
OG so that is nice. Great if you struggle in Quant.
MGMAT SC: Nice book. If you struggle with SC I would recommend it.
PR Cracking the GMAT: Good for starting out, but the real value is the 4 CAT's you get
Algebra for Dummies: This book is perfect for someone like me. (i.e. struggles with Quant)
1000SC: Did them all and reviewed my mistakes on this board. I really felt this was beneficial.
GMAT Club:
This board is a godsend so thank you to everyone who maintains it and participates on it. There is no way I could have gotten my score without this board. Like I said, I struggled with Quant, so I spent my lunch break at work going over problems. Special thanks to FIG. He gives great explanations and is very helpful. I struggled with cord geometry something fierce, but his graph paper broke it down to the point where even I could understand. Kevcan’s questions are also helpful. If you are looking for advanced Q, his questions are where you will find them.
I also did 10 challenges. They kicked my but at first, but on my last three I was in the 89, 86, and 79 percentile. They are great and really push you.
As for practice exams, here we go.
PR CAT 1; 690 44Q 41V
PR CAT1: 660 42Q 41V
PR CAT 3: 630 44Q 33V (Broke up with my GF the night before so concentration faltered)
GPREP 1: 680 41Q 42V
GPREP 2: 720 44Q 45V
There you have it. Any questions, feel free to ask. Once again, thanks to everyone on this board.