How to handle nervousness during IELTS?

If you are figuring out how to handle nervousness during IELTS, understand that fear comes from a lack of control. Even as a Band 9 scorer, I experienced anxiety. The best way to manage it is to build competence through a safe, private practice environment. Use the ‘Write-First Method’ during your preparation: write out your answers, read them aloud, and then speak them without the paper. During the actual test, if your mind goes blank, use natural bridge phrases like, ‘That’s an interesting question…’ to buy yourself thinking time without freezing. Confidence comes from repetition. By recording your answers daily in the SpeakPrac app, you build the muscle memory needed to completely override nervousness when sitting in front of the examiner.