Unofficial score: 690-88% (Q:45, V: 38) - it was my second attempt, first time I scored 650 (Q:48, V:32, AWA:5.5) in January'09. https://www.beatthegmat.com/beaten-by-th ... 29322.html
Learning materials:
1st time: Kaplan book 2007, Princeton 2006, OG11, Gmatprep
2nd time: OG11 + OG12, ManhattanGMAT SC and CR, MGMAT tests, Gmatprep
Strategy:
My target was a score in 680-710 band as the median GMAT score of the admitted student of the schools I target is there.
From my first attempt I discovered that my weak spot is the verbal part and after reading a lot of posts in this forum, I decided to purchase the SC and CR books from MGAMT. I read the SC cover to cover, I then took 1 complete test - I found out that the MGMAT tests (6 complete test included for every book purchased) are great for analysing the weak and strong areas.
I decided to re-do most of the OG problems, starting with the hardest, 20 verbal and 20 math per day. I wanted to make about 60 problems on Saturnday and 1 full test on Sunday. I could not keep to the schedule but I did about 400 problems in 4 months and 6 tests, making notes for concept errors.
I scheduled my exam for a Monday morning and I took off the previous Thursday and Friday, when I took each day 1 Gmatpret test and review it. I proposed myself only to relax on Saturnday and Sunday, but I could not resist and took another MGMAT test on Saturnday and review it until evening. Sunday was only gym and tennis and meeting friends, helping a lot to unwind before the test - I played with cars with my little 3y neighbour, having a lot of fun!!
Tests:
1 year ago: Powerprep 600
1 year ago: Kaplan 550 (34,31)
11 months ago: Gmatprep 680 (41,40)
11 months ago: Gmatprep 710 (43,41)
10 months ago: GMAT-1st 650 (48,32)
5 months ago: MGMAT1 580 (36,33)
4 months ago: MGMAT2 650 (43,36)
3 monhts ago: MGMAT3 700 (44,41)
2 months ago: MGMAT4 680 (47,36)
1 month ago: Kaplan 650 (40,38)
1 week ago: Princeton 620 (42,33) ???!
4 days ago: Gmatprep1 700 (48,40)
3 days ago: GMatprep2 720 (48,41)
2 days ago: MGMAT5 690 (47,37)
today: GMAT-2nd 690 (45,38)
Learnings/what I do better now:
It counts A LOT to know where to focus and what to learn. It's crucial to have a proper tool to find weakest areas - and to attack them trong - and to know the strong areas, to maintain them only.
I started to re-do the OG problems (11 & 12) with focus on weak areas (SC-idioms, modifiers, concision, CR-assumptions) and I think it helped to gain 6 points in verbal. Also it matter to keep focus on strong areas (maths, for me) - I lost 3 points in quant but I think is was due to the exam pressure, I think my math skills remained the same of improved a little.
I started with the hardest problems in OG but I agree that is more important to build on certain skills first and then to move on to the hardest problems - in the pressure of the real exam is easy to forget the hardest concepts but if you can solve "automatically" some type of problems is really helping.
I started to learn about 2 years ago but without focus, with some periods off and sometimes I felt burned, really fighting to motivate myself. I think it's better to take first 1-2 diagnostic tests, find where you are, set a realistic target, focus on weak areas and set the test date after maximum 3-6 months.
And ... have a good sleep before the exam! Take 1-2 off the study and relax.
Now...let's start the application game!
to get admitted to a nice university. 
