If you are preparing for this test:

• How do you feel about it?
• What is your experience?

Three Golden rules for IELTS:

1. Remember it is a test of your English language ability.
2. The better your English language skills,  the easier it will be to approach the test.
3. Concentrating on IELTS books and IELTS practice tests alone is not the best way to prepare for the exam. 

This may sound obvious, but the emphasis should be on improving your language skills not practising for test.

The test is a means to an end not an end in itself and the danger of only concentrating on the test is that you are not seeing the wood for the trees!

7 more things you can do to make you better prepared for IELTS:

1. Use the language around you. If you are in an English speaking country then this is easy. If not then use the Internet.
2. If you have the chance, join an English speaking club where you can practise your speaking regularly (this could be a book club, cultural exchange or a hobby club) – or start one yourself with other ‘IELTS’ friends and have one rule – ‘English only’! See if you can invite native speakers to give short talks at your meetings. The value is in the speaking and trying to improve fluency.
3. Do one English activity every day – listen to the radio, watch a film, read a magazine or newspaper article, have a conversation in English. Make it something that you are interested in and then ENJOY it!
4. Volunteer to do something where you have to speak English – read to the children at your local primary school, help some high school students with their English etc… (if you live in an English-speaking country there are many opportunities – go to your local library to find out.)
5. Join an online community. There are several to choose from, try out a few and see which you like. 
6. Practise little and often. Choose one activity at a time – for example reading, and really concentrate on that during your daily practice.
7. Make sure you understand why things are wrong, go over any mistakes and learn from them. If you have a lot of mistakes then do the exercise again.

If you have other tips that you can add here please share them with us.