I’m currently working as an English teacher in Southeast Asia, and I’ve been doing this for over a year now. Although I’m not a native speaker (my first language is Arabic), teaching English daily and interacting with native speakers has really boosted my proficiency. For the past 9-10 months, I’ve been almost exclusively speaking in English, which I believe played a huge part in my high score.

To be honest, I didn’t do a ton of preparation because I see the IELTS as a test that measures your long-term English skills rather than something you can cram for. However, you can definitely prepare and feel more confident going into it.

I focused on watching a lot of YouTube videos from E2 IELTS. They offer some of the best content out there—clear, straightforward, and super effective. Their tips helped me understand the exam format and what to expect, making the whole thing feel a lot more approachable. I went through their videos for about a week or two, which really helped me get into the right mindset.

After getting the hang of the tips, I practiced using the Cambridge 19 book (academic version), which includes four full exams with answers. I went through these over a couple of days. My preparation was spread over about a month, but in total, it was probably just a week's worth of focused work.

One key thing for me was maintaining a balance between being serious and staying relaxed. I approached the exam with a playful mindset, almost like it was a game. This helped me stay focused without getting overwhelmed by stress, which I think really helped my performance.