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Q: Anybody else taken a ielts test for fun and found it a bit difficult to score a 8 or above mark ?
No, but I'm not surprised. I teach IELTS (mainly speaking and listening) and to get the top marks in listening you need to speak idiomatically using a full range of complex grammar and styles, conditionals, accusative, narrative, passive, direct speech and paraphrasing, you need to display a very wide range of vocabulary that necessitates that you use a lot of higher level vocabulary, that to be honest, native speakers rarely use and you have to do all of that naturally in 14 minutes!
The big flaw with IELTS is the speaking test is 14 minutes long, in that time if you want an 8 or 9 you need to speak at the top of the 'range' of a native speaker, the falseness is that native speakers only speak at the top of the range extremely rarely (if at all), and so it has generated this propensity for overly complicated vocabulary and grammar, what I have taken to calling IELTS English.
Firstly, if you're implying by 'just for fun', you mean not trying very hard - then it also means that you'd have to be much higher than an 8 to be able to come down to that. Since there's only one full grade above that - 9 - you'd have to be at native speaker level... something which is quite hard to do... as Hugh suggested, even for a native speaker!! I've taught IELTS prep, and even I don't get great marks for the listening (or reading...). (ie, about 35+ out of the 40 marks on the test papers). Some of those last 10 are really hard!!!
Although Hugh is basically right, he's not entirely when it comes to the speaking (it's much easier in the writing!). Remember, you are given a topic... it's not rocket science! (literally...). So, you're vocabulary doesn't have to be... astronomical! 
it's not realistic.. You wouldn't have to use everything that's available in the language, but certainly what is commonly used - commonly, and naturally... and of course, correctly!
And appropriately (which is like naturally and commonly...). For example, I hear so many Chinese say 'have a communication'. We never say that.. we have a chat, maybe a talk (when it's serious). Big vocab words don't always indicate you are good with a language!! I keep looking up my Chinese dictionary... I'm sure I sound like a bit of an idiot half the time
so, Hugh, I'd say there is this impression of the falseness... and the impression is false 
(actually, as a language/education researcher, I'd be interested in seeing how native speakers would actually go in IELTS/TOEFL/TOEIC)
Let me mirror pretty much everything that's been said above and say I'm not at all surprised - to a point. I've taught IELTS and it's a tough, tough test. (So's TOEIC, but I'd suspect, Shining, that most native speakers would find it easier, especially the reading section.)
The writing and speaking - well, if you're an educated native speaker and you struggled to get above 7.5, then you've messed up. They are testing your ability to, surprise surprise, write and speak, and you should be able to do those fairly well!
The receptive skills, though.... those tests are bitching, especially the final two listening tests and the final academic reading (did you take general training or academic?), and I'd be suprised if most native speakers got above about a 36-7/40.
Hugh, regarding the speaking, yes it's true that native speakers don't often speak at the top of our range, but that's not really the point. The point is that we can use that range if and when it's required - the questions they ask, especially in section 3, are designed to elicit high level language, son responding in form is actually natural. The requirement for them to demonstrate use of idiomatic expressions, on the other hand, pisses me off, as it's quite possible to use high-level English without needing to resort to those idoms too often.
Shining_brow:
RE: Idioms.... we use them all the time. so much so, that they're unconsciously in our language. And that's the point - can you use them correctly, and appropriately? When do you say "by the way"? "On one hand"? (as against, "on the one hand"??) "Sorry, I didn't catch you - could you please repeat that?" these are all natural to us... but not to the NNS. Some idioms are pretty common, but others not so... and it's the ones we use, but not so much as to be cliched that matter.
When I teach, I try to hammer out of my kids the "I'm fine thank you, and you?"... "Yeah, pretty good. Yourself?" Simple and easy for us... not so for the learner - hence, you get a much higher mark for being able to do it.
Yeah, IELTS speaking is tougher - but that's because it's more 'natural'. It tests your ability to actually have a full-length conversation... which basically is what language is actually for.
Hugh.G.Rection:
Good points Shining Brow, however, I always say "On the one hand" and I always have done, I've never heard "on one hand" to me that just sounds wrong. Take it with its usual partner idiom, "on the one hand" ............. "on the other.........." I don't know if that's a difference between British English and American (or wherever you're from). The rest of your idioms are good, but I get the distinct impression that IELTS are looking for less mundane idioms than those.
looking2:
The reason that i posted this question is that one of my students required me to accompany him to take the academic Ielts test recently. I also took the test too, not only for the experience of taking a live test, but also to feel the harsh testing environment.
What I meant by harsh was I had to sit for four hours on a hard wooden chair and hunched my back because the distance between the stationary chair and table was about a feet and half long. My back is still hurting for it!
The first part of the Ielts was listening which i found quite easy except for the last part. The speakers intentionally or unintentionally spoke a couple of words that was hard to comprehend. Overall, I am confident that i have scored at least 37 out of 40.
Next came the reading part with about five minutes of break inside the classroom while the examiner prepared to hand out the questionnaires. I found this too not to be difficult for anyone who has attended college and except for the last essay. The advantage of this part, you can write on the booklet so you can underline the important passages, is that you don't have to flip back and forth looking for the answers. Maybe 32 or 33 of 40.
The writing part was difficult for me because my mind went blank. Let's just leave it as that.
Now the last part was interesting. My examiner was stern older British gentleman, who in my opinion, fought in World War I and i hope that he's not reading this. I also believed that i did not do well on this too. Because i was speaking too fast which i normally do, and he did not crack a smile on any of my jokes.
In conclusion, i hoped and believed that my total score is about 7 or 7.5. Therefore, i wanted to see if they're any other native speakers who have taken this test and received a higher mark.
MissA:
Thanks OP, that was interesting.
Well, the speaking instructor is not there to be your friend and have a laugh. They're there to follow, strictly, a set program and perform an advanced analysis of your skills in a very short time.
Writing? One of the weaknesses of the writing test is that they can pick a subject on which you are knowledgeable and in which you are interested and that makes life much easier. Surely it wasn't so bad as to take away your basic ability to put a sentence together? Wait and see.
Shining, I see your point and it's a good one, not all idioms are obscure or even unusual, but I'm actually likely to agree with Hugh's point here as well. I don't think the focus on simple natural speech is what's usually considered when people think about using idiomatic expressions - ah, can't quite think of the right way to phrase what I'm trying to say.
Oh, and sorry for being a pedant, but the question seems to justify it "....an IELTS test...", please.
I thought a native speaker cannot take the test? Can we? What does it cost? I'd be happy to take that test.
But yes, the rubric requirements for a 9 in speaking are onerous. The rest would probably be easy.
ambivalentmace:
the cost of the test this year went up to 1600rmb
must use idioms to get 7
must use paraphrase to get 8
need at least 3 uncommon vocabulary words per part
your score is usually decided by the examiner by the middle of part 2, part 3 is to prove you are better than the examiner thinks by creative opinion , this is were you get the 9.
bill8899:
Thanks for the info, ambivalentmace. But I guess you really don't care if I'm grateful or not.
I took the IELTS Speaking and Listening as part of better understanding the teaching of them.
the speaking is tough for thenative speaker because it is not 'natural' and a different way of speaking.
after a lot of practice, i scored 8.5
