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How long is a piece of string?  Nobody knows.  However, IELTS is a very in-depth test of your English level.  If you have been to an English academy for classes, they will have given you a level test to put you into the correct class (and if they didn’t, then you should save your money and leave!).   IELTS is just like the level test you did in the academy, just much more in-depth.

So, if you look at IELTS like this then if you are an advanced student (C1+), you should be looking at Band 7+.  Most recognised English teaching institutions, like the British Council, run IELTS courses that last 4 days.  Each day, you cover a different skill (reading, writing, speaking, listening) so you can learn the format of the exam.  The reason they don’t run year-long courses is because they know that IELTS is a test of your level and so there are no tricks you can learn to get higher than your real level.

So, to answer your question, you can do practice listenings and readings at home using IELTS books but you will need someone to check your other skills, especially the writing.  Do a Task 2 with us and we will tell you what you need to work on to get where you want to be.  IELTS is an expensive exam so make sure you are properly prepared.