Never expected this result!!!
I never expected the result i was always good at reading and listening and speaking to some extent. But writing was my biggest fear never wrote an complete essay completely trusted on the format though I would I wrote a little task 1 and task 2. Chatgpt, gemini always rated me at 5, 5.5 the main reason I never took the test.
I initially planned to write the test in march started my prep in feb but never got serious this happened for 3 months. So finally registered thinking what ever it be even if I have to lose 19k again I made myself ready for it. So those 9 days when I registered to my exam day were the most serious I got for the exam. Though all i did was doing mock tests for listening and reading and I got pretty confident i will get 7 band so I didn't actually practice them last 5 days and then speaking since I've been working in corporate for almost 5yrs I never truly paid attention to it.
Then came the main fear factor writing I was hell scared and prepared myself that I'll atleast get good marks in the rest 3 section and for writing I'll take a OSR but one true suggestion is get all the correction factors given by chatgpt, gemini, claude for your answers but never trust the score the score is usually 1 or 1.5 bands higher in the actual test but I'd say not to trust these speculations as well, then came the previous day before test, I was not able to concentrate at all, Listening I got 6,7 not because I was not prepared but because I was scared and the same for reading.
I never attempted a writing test only focused on formats. Main thing is confidence and being confident. One main thing is many people say don't use mother tongue on the day before or don't watch movies in native language. But I would say watch what ever comforts you, but don't blindly follow all the things that youtubers say on behaviour.
Then came the d-day, the main reason I feel could score well was I watched what ever I felt I never felt any restrictions listened to the songs in my native language that I listen to everyday. And morning it was speaking don't take anything apart from passport do not stress, and my speaking was online and I never used any extra vocabulary, my main moto was smile through the test and be confident with my ideas, I felt i gave one or two incorrect answers by giving a different answer to a different question but I never stopped I just went with the flow and even the proctor was good eho encouraged me to go on with my answers and it completed with out any issues but I was fine with how it went I never prepared or used any high vocabulary or memorized answers.
Then came the LRW, I always say that the listening and reading are easier in the actual test when compared to the one's available online, so if you can get high scores in online mock test then you can surely get 7+ bands. For writing my only moto was use the formats I prepared and take a proper stand in which side to stand either agree or disagree, postive or negative development and write what ever I felt and I was prepared for OSR if it goes wrong and boom, I gave my test on 16th may sat 1-4pm and got results on 17th may by 7pm. And these are my results, so I'd say ielts preparation is something that you are never sure if you are ready to take the test. So that is a hard call one should take on their own, this is only for those who are like me half prepared and half ready without confidence those who are great at english can easily ace the exam with 1 week prep.
So, be prepared and register the test onyl then you will be able to give the test or else you will be in the same situation as me who prepared for 3 months on and off. So give your best and ace the test. All the best.
Recommend sites for each section
Listening - mock tests at ieltsonlinetest and ielts listening test youtube channel
Reading - mock tests at ieltsonlinetest
Writing - prepare format wise for each task, ielts with liz is good.
Speaking - this part, I'd say is best when you prepare with a friend or maybe with voice assistant in gemini.
Ieltsadvantage is the toughest channel though it gives good insights, it is tough for everyone to understand.
All the best, You can do it. Thanks if you made it till here.
Note : I've given academic ielts