How I Scored 8 Band in IELTS Without Coaching

Cracking the IELTS exam without spending on expensive coaching might sound risky — but I did it, and scored a Band 8 overall in my very first attempt.

In this blog, I’ll break down the exact steps, tools, and daily routine I followed — no coaching, no tuition, just focused self-study, smart planning, and free resources.

📚 My 30-Day IELTS Self-Study Plan

Here’s what I did every day for 4 weeks. You can follow this even with a job or college.

🔄 Week 1: Get Familiar With the Format

• Watched official British Council & IDP tutorials
• Downloaded the Cambridge IELTS books (PDFs)
• Took 1 full-length diagnostic test from ieltsliz.com

Goal: Understand sections, timing, and scoring style.

🎧 Week 2: Improve Listening + Speaking

• Watched BBC Learning English and TED-Ed daily
• Practiced 1 listening test daily (Cambridge Book 10–18)
• Recorded myself answering Speaking Part 1–3
• Compared with model answers on IELTS Speaking Actual Test YouTube

Tools Used:

• “IELTS Prep” App
• Google Recorder (for voice practice)

📖 Week 3: Reading + Vocabulary Focus

• Practiced 2 reading passages/day with timer
• Noted new words in Notion with meaning + synonyms
• Focused on True/False/Not Given and Matching Headings — the toughest for me

Pro Tip:

Use a Chrome extension like “Readlang” or “Grammarly” while reading articles from The Guardian or Al Jazeera.

✍️ Week 4: Writing Intensive

• Practiced 1 Task 1 and 1 Task 2 daily
• Compared my answers with Band 9 samples from IELTS Mentor
• Used ChatGPT to get writing feedback and grammar correction
• Focused on structuring essay (intro, 2 main ideas, conclusion)

Topics I Practiced Most:

• Education
• Environment
• Technology
• Culture

🧠 IELTS Writing Structure I Followed

Task 2 Essay Template:

1. Introduction – Paraphrase + Thesis
2. Body Paragraph 1 – Main idea + example
3. Body Paragraph 2 – Opposing idea or supporting point
4. Conclusion – Summary + opinion

🎤 Speaking Tips That Helped Me Score 8

• Practiced with a mirror for eye contact and confidence
• Gave answers in structured format (Idea + Reason + Example)
• Used natural phrases like:
  
• “Frankly speaking…”
• “In my opinion…”
• “One situation that comes to mind is…”

Mock test hack:

Use Telegram speaking groups to practice with strangers — feels just like the real test.

📱 Bonus: My Favorite Mobile Apps

• IELTS Prep by IDP (official)
• BBC Learning English
• Notion for vocab
• Voice Recorder for speaking
• Google Docs for writing practice

• You don’t need coaching if you can be consistent and disciplined.
• Focus more on feedback than just practice.
• Treat each section as a different skill to be trained individually.
• Make use of free platforms, YouTube channels, AI tools, and real mocks.

If I could score Band 8 in 30 days with a full-time job, so can you.