Thread by @adroitmedic

I'll be sharing a few IELTS (Academic) tips in this thread from my personal experience and I hope it helps someone. Feel free to add yours. I wrote IELTS twice and the lowest I scored in any of the bands in both was 7 which in writing, and got an overall band of 8 both times.

In my opinion the listening and reading are easiest to pass as they are objective in nature and have a straightforward marking scheme. You can decipher how well you'll perform in the examination for these aspects from your performance in practice tests.

The speaking and writing parts are more subjective.
I'll start with Listening:
The listening part tests your ability to get information to follow a conversation or narrative and answer questions based on that.

You need to be familiar with the accents and also understand the questions being asked. I recommend that you read the questions to anticipate the responses and follow the conversations.

If you miss what was said in a conversation pertaining to a question, just skip it, as it can throw you off for the entire passage. The recording would be played just once so move on.

I recommend you practice at least for 4 full Cambridge listening tests and score them before the exam. If your performance is not satisfactory, practice more.

Reading:
The reading section tests your ability to extract information from a written passage, document or narrative. You may need to alternate between reading the questions and the passages a lot of times.

I had a challenge identifying the difference between false and not given initially when I started practicing.
I recommend you practice as many Cambridge passages as possible to get an proper hang of the pattern of questioning.

Your scores while practicing usually a reflection on how you'll perform in the exam. Don't forget to time yourself.

Speaking
The speaking tests for your ability to hold a conversation in English language. It's like an oral interview with an examiner. Your examiner seeks to assess your mastery of English Language.

They simply seek to check your ability to give correct answers to questions your asked in fluent English. Your accent doesn't matter so much in this.
Use complex sentences not complex vocabulary, and communicate effectively.
Avoid one word answers and use sentences.

Answer the question in detail without deviating from the question. Do not reinvent another question for yourself. Use examples to buttress your point where neccesary.

If you're asked a question you do not have much information about, say the little you know in a beautiful way, or fabricate stories.
Avoid using ehn, hmm, or long silent pauses. Avoid using slangs

Materials that helped me include IELTS Liz videos on YouTube, and Sample Band 9 videos also on YouTube.

Writing
This is the biggest stumbling block for most people, especially doctors. It usually requires a broad knowledge base, good command of English Language and ability to think fast.

Basic tips include ensuring you complete the required number of words. You can do more but never less. Task 2 carries double the marks for task 1, so share your time appropriately. However task 1 could be the difference between someone that gets 6.5 and another that gets 7.

Ensure you read and understand the question well. Many people answer the question in their head not the one they were asked.
In the exam you'll be given different sheets for task 1 and 2. Ensure you answer on the right sheet so you don't waste your time.

Task 1 requires you to describe a graph or an image using words. Basically, your examiner should picture the image correctly just from reading your writing.

(For doctors, I'll relate this to describing your examination and investigation findings to a consultant your reviewing with over the phone). You must use your superlatives, fractions and percentages well here. Make enough comparisons and differences where neccesary.

Task 2 requires you to write a passage, and there are different styles for the questions. Some would ask you to argue for both sides and state your opinion, others may ask you to simply pick a side, another may say compare and contrast.

Understand the question you're asked first, and the task you're to accomplish.
Try and develop and outline for how you plan to answer the question. The general recommendation is 4 paragraphs, 1 for introduction, 2 for your points, and 1 for conclusion. It is however not rigid.

For the introduction, paraphrase the question here and state what you plan to do. Be creative if possible. Write an introduction that captures the attention of your reader. Not big words that mean nonsense ooo. You could even use popular adages.

Your introduction should make your examiner anticipate the rest of your essay.
Address the task clearly in the subsequent paragraphs using appropriate parts of speech to make complex sentences. Use appropriate examples where neccesary to buttress your points.

Use connectors to join your paragraphs to ensure it's one flowing essay.
Summarize your points and stand in your conclusion, capturing them beautifully to remind your examiner of your key points, and the possible benefits or advantages of your points.

Read through your essay again for errors and do a word count.
Write in pencil, it's usually neater if you need to make corrections.
Practice as many questions as you can prior to the exam, under exam timing and conditions, maybe about 10 sets from the Cambridge materials

Share your passages with friends to go through them for you.
I used IELTS buddy materials and website while I was preparing the first time and they were very helpful.
You can also read sample band 8-9 essays on different topics for writing to see their writing styles

And for doctors if IELTS is a stumbling block, you can try OET. A number of people have better reviews of the exam compared to IELTS. It however is more expensive, and holds just a few times in Nigeria for now.

Ask any questions you have in the comment section.

Add any additional advice also if you've taken the exam that is helpful.
Please I would not be available to review passages for anyone due to my current schedule so please don't come to my DMs asking me to review. This thread is my way of helping.
Wishing you all the best