I've just scored 700 (Q49,V35). This forum was helpful so I decided to post some thoughts which may be helpful.
Background
To begin with, I'm not a native speaker (Russian). I had 2 months to prepare while also working full-time. The first month preparation was rather relaxed (2 evenings per week) and the second month preparation was more intensive (I tried some questions from GMAT Official Guide almost every evening (1-2 hours per evening). However, I made a mistake and scheduled my exam 2 days after the conference I had to participate in. Thus, I had to fly to the US, spend a week there and fly back to Russia (10 hours flight). Obviously, I didn't study this week. I guess I could have targeted even better score and I recommend you plan your exam date properly not to have interruptions in your studying process.
How I prepared
First, I found this forum and realized that many people are very serious about the exam. I found some useful thoughts on how one should study and what materials one should use.
Second, I bought Official Guide 13th edition. I also downloaded GMATprep software and took Test 1. My score was 630 (strong math, but weak verbal). This was exactly what I expected so I decided to concentrate my efforts on verbal part.
I used the following materials:
(1) GMAT Official Guide 13th edition (Recommend)
(2) GMAT Prep software (Recommend) and additional $25 question bank (Recommend if you have time)
(3) Kaplan 800 (I had some old edition so I decided to read it though I'm not sure whether one should buy it or not)
(4) Kaplan (Again, I got some old edition). This very basic book and I reviewed it over the weekend. Again, I'm not sure whether one should buy it or not.
(5) Flashcards (one can download from this website)
(6) I also copied some 20 pages from ARCO's "Answers to real GMAT essay questions" book to read some sample essays.
It's worth noting that most of my time was spent on GMAT Official Guide 13th edition (80%). Unfortunately, I didn't have enough time to review it properly. I also finished only about 20% of the additional questions from GMAT prep software question bank. (1) and (2) are most useful prep materials as questions there are similar to what you'll actually have on the exam.
Third, I took GMAT prep Test 1 and Test 2 during last 2 days and scored 700 and 720. I would recommend you have several days between Test 1, Test 2 and exam. I just didn't have that option.
In conclusion, it is possible to prepare even if you are not a native speaker. One has to remember though that GMAT is about time management. Thus, when you practice answering questions, you should have timer with you. One should also understand how much time he/she should spend on any particular question type.
For example, I targeted the following: CR (about 2 min), SC (not more than 1.5 min), RC (3 min reading + 1 min per question). It is VERY important.
I hope it was helpful and Good Luck with your exam!
[/u]
Background
To begin with, I'm not a native speaker (Russian). I had 2 months to prepare while also working full-time. The first month preparation was rather relaxed (2 evenings per week) and the second month preparation was more intensive (I tried some questions from GMAT Official Guide almost every evening (1-2 hours per evening). However, I made a mistake and scheduled my exam 2 days after the conference I had to participate in. Thus, I had to fly to the US, spend a week there and fly back to Russia (10 hours flight). Obviously, I didn't study this week. I guess I could have targeted even better score and I recommend you plan your exam date properly not to have interruptions in your studying process.
How I prepared
First, I found this forum and realized that many people are very serious about the exam. I found some useful thoughts on how one should study and what materials one should use.
Second, I bought Official Guide 13th edition. I also downloaded GMATprep software and took Test 1. My score was 630 (strong math, but weak verbal). This was exactly what I expected so I decided to concentrate my efforts on verbal part.
I used the following materials:
(1) GMAT Official Guide 13th edition (Recommend)
(2) GMAT Prep software (Recommend) and additional $25 question bank (Recommend if you have time)
(3) Kaplan 800 (I had some old edition so I decided to read it though I'm not sure whether one should buy it or not)
(4) Kaplan (Again, I got some old edition). This very basic book and I reviewed it over the weekend. Again, I'm not sure whether one should buy it or not.
(5) Flashcards (one can download from this website)
(6) I also copied some 20 pages from ARCO's "Answers to real GMAT essay questions" book to read some sample essays.
It's worth noting that most of my time was spent on GMAT Official Guide 13th edition (80%). Unfortunately, I didn't have enough time to review it properly. I also finished only about 20% of the additional questions from GMAT prep software question bank. (1) and (2) are most useful prep materials as questions there are similar to what you'll actually have on the exam.
Third, I took GMAT prep Test 1 and Test 2 during last 2 days and scored 700 and 720. I would recommend you have several days between Test 1, Test 2 and exam. I just didn't have that option.
In conclusion, it is possible to prepare even if you are not a native speaker. One has to remember though that GMAT is about time management. Thus, when you practice answering questions, you should have timer with you. One should also understand how much time he/she should spend on any particular question type.
For example, I targeted the following: CR (about 2 min), SC (not more than 1.5 min), RC (3 min reading + 1 min per question). It is VERY important.
I hope it was helpful and Good Luck with your exam!
[/u]
