Hi Kanara,
(I'm not Paul, but hope he'll reply to this post).

It's true that now the fee to take an IELTS goes up to $175. You need to go ask the head of the ACE department.

The only way you can do is to save up for it. I'm doing it.

Honestly, I have seen a lot of people trying very hard for the test and they did get what they wanted. You perhaps need your friends to check yourself.

Getting the lowest score in the IELTS test doesnt mean you are very poor in English. Sometimes, the way you do the test determines your score.

Just some ideas.