IELTS should be a fun and challenging exam; don't take it as a burden. I got 8 bands without any coaching, I just went to a center for practice. They charged 2000/20 days so yes it's cheap. Don't go by the reputation of any institution; they'll charge a hefty fee but they frankly can't make you understand English in 30 days if you haven't understood it in 30 years! Have confidence in yourself. Here are some "tricks" which may be of some help :
Listening = Best advice : watch English programs ( I'd recommend Comedy Central channel cause it's funny ) Additionally, listen to English radio on your phone and English songs too but do keep in mind that some English songs' lyrics are hard to understand even for some people with fluent English.
Speaking : Seriously keep on saying stuff related to your topic. Speak in your natural tone. Don't speak like you crammed the answer! No matter how well you spoke, if it wasn't your natural tone / speed then you won't be able to score preferred marks.
Writing : This is one was the tough one for me. Because people tell there are some pattern but seriously, there isn't really such thing. Don't you try to give diplomatic answers in questions where they ask you to choose a side. When you neither agree nor disagree, it makes the whole essay confusing. They are not looking for neither quality nor quantity of your ideas. They look for clarity. From the first paragraph itself, the examiner should understand your point of view. Don't just write an intro but also your point of view in 1st para. Example: I was given a topic: increasing old population. good thing or bad?
Now you may be tempted go write both good or bad points but I chose only bad side of this. I began my essay like : Old people are pillars of our society. They've provided so much to our society as well as economy. (intro in 2 lines over) While some people think that having more old people in population is a morally good thing, I think its negative influence over weigh its positive influence.
2nd para : why people say it's good thing. last line : tell again it's a bad thing.
3rd para : why is it a bad thing
4th para : conclusion. same as intro but with different wording.
that's all.
Reading: read first two questions of every section before beginning a part. look for a specific word in the question if possible. you'll get the overall picture about what you've to find in that part's paragraph.
I followed that things. it worked for me. I got
L- 8
W - 7.5
S - 7
R - 9
Good luck!
Listening = Best advice : watch English programs ( I'd recommend Comedy Central channel cause it's funny ) Additionally, listen to English radio on your phone and English songs too but do keep in mind that some English songs' lyrics are hard to understand even for some people with fluent English.
Speaking : Seriously keep on saying stuff related to your topic. Speak in your natural tone. Don't speak like you crammed the answer! No matter how well you spoke, if it wasn't your natural tone / speed then you won't be able to score preferred marks.
Writing : This is one was the tough one for me. Because people tell there are some pattern but seriously, there isn't really such thing. Don't you try to give diplomatic answers in questions where they ask you to choose a side. When you neither agree nor disagree, it makes the whole essay confusing. They are not looking for neither quality nor quantity of your ideas. They look for clarity. From the first paragraph itself, the examiner should understand your point of view. Don't just write an intro but also your point of view in 1st para. Example: I was given a topic: increasing old population. good thing or bad?
Now you may be tempted go write both good or bad points but I chose only bad side of this. I began my essay like : Old people are pillars of our society. They've provided so much to our society as well as economy. (intro in 2 lines over) While some people think that having more old people in population is a morally good thing, I think its negative influence over weigh its positive influence.
2nd para : why people say it's good thing. last line : tell again it's a bad thing.
3rd para : why is it a bad thing
4th para : conclusion. same as intro but with different wording.
that's all.
Reading: read first two questions of every section before beginning a part. look for a specific word in the question if possible. you'll get the overall picture about what you've to find in that part's paragraph.
I followed that things. it worked for me. I got
L- 8
W - 7.5
S - 7
R - 9
Good luck!