The very best way to keep motivated is to see progress and the best way to see progress is to practise regularly and keep a log of your progress – it’s amazing to look back and see how far you’ve come. You may not recognise this if you don’t monitor what you are doing.
Ironically, many of my students tell me after a few lessons that the reading tests I am giving them are easy. In actual fact they are all the same level but the truth is that the students are actually achieving higher marks but haven’t yet realised this and assume that the tests are easier than previous ones – this is what happens when you get expert support for your IELTS 
– also when you focus hard on an area and have the right strategies and techniques then this is bound to happen.
By keeping a record of your progress and looking at the specific areas where you still make mistakes, you can begin to work on those areas and slowly everything will move forward and your scores will begin to get higher.
It is important nonetheless that you have the right level of English generally for your band. If your vocabulary is lacking then this is an area to improve and if you find the passages very difficult to understand even with lots of time to spend on them then it could be that your overall level of English needs to be improved.
You can do this by taking some general English training or going through some general English course books. The truth is that the better your English overall the easier the IELTS will be and the higher your score. Don’t be like the student who told me a few years ago:
“I know that my English is not good enough for Band 7 and that I should learn more general English but I don’t have time for this because of studying for IELTS”
What can I say?
Another fantastic way to keep motivated is to study with other people. This support can be invaluable when preparing for your exam. If you have friends around you who are taking then exam then why not study together? When you know that other people are on the same journey as you and you are not alone it can help to keep you moving forward and help greatly with your study.
The key is don’t go it completely alone. Language is ALL ABOUT communication and if you don’t communicate then it will be hard to improve your skills and achieve a high band in your IELTS.
Working with a teacher will help you to communicate and also get all the help, support and expertise about techniques and how to improve. It’s also the fastest way to get your band and will really keep you motivated as you know that you have to produce work for your teacher!
Working with a group of like-minded IELTS students is the next best thing to keep you motivated.
So if you are a ‘lone ranger’ right now, losing motivation and want to get help and support for your IELTS there are two things you can do:
- Join my IELTS Facebook Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/542180139697071
- Find out how I can support you in your exam – it’s easy just DM me and we will have a chat about your IELTS and what you need to do to be sure of reaching your IELTS Band