Relieved - 710 (47M 40V)

I just got back from my first battle with the GMAT, and... I did better than I thought I might, given that I came down with a cold two days ago and took the test with a runny nose and headaches... I was honestly expecting to see a 650 after suffering through an intense verbal section.

I did as well as I should have on Math, but I couldn't concentrate on Verbal. I think being sick affected my ability to focus for a long period of time, because it got to the point where I had to read every question 5+ times to understand it. What a horrible feeling - I'd never felt that way with any of my practice exams. I also went super slow in the first half of verbal, because I wanted to do well on the first 10-15 questions, but several of the early questions actually stumped me (not a great feeling either). I only had about 13 minutes to do the last 15 questions, and this was when I was conking out. I think I must have guessed correctly on a few of these last questions.

Anyway, I'm relieved I didn't bomb.

I'll probably suit up again when I'm healthy, since I truly believe I can score 730+. I'm definitely not going to schedule so far in advance in possible, to make sure I'm healthy when I take it. I strongly advise those of you who get sick regularly in the winter to not take the GMAT in the winter!

I'll disclose my study methods in case anyone is curious:

-Started studying by using Princeton Review's Cracking the GMAT.
-I decided to take PR's classroom course to force myself to be more diligent about studying.
-The PR instruction includes OG11, so I was able to complete OG11 by the week before my test date.
-I also started Kaplan 800 the week before my test date - mainly to see how I would do on more difficult questions.
-I took 4 PR CATs and 2 GMATPrep CATs and scored the following (earliest to latest):

PR1 - 660 (42M, 40V)
PR2 - 690 (47M, 38V)
PR3 - 730 (48M, 43V)
GMATPrep 1 - 740 (47M, 46V)
GMATPrep 2 - 730 (47M, 44V)
PR4 - 690 (51M, 34V)

I believe that PR CAT Math is too easy and tests concepts in a manner that is much more straightforward than the actual GMAT does. I also believe that PR verbal is more indicative of the actual GMAT's verbal section than the GMATprep is (GMATprep seems more straightforward). GMATprep's math section was VERY similar to the actual GMAT.

To anyone who is planning on taking the GMAT, the main thing to understand and prepare for is the fact that the GMAT is, more than anything, a test of your ability to stay focused for a long period of time. Many of us can do well at a given set of 10-20 questions, but few of us can maintain a high level of performance when required to write two essays and answer 78 questions. Work on your endurance, and you'll do great.

If you have any additional questions about my experience or preparation, just let me know on this thread.

Thanks,
James