Ah ok. How many hours do you have? It's much cheaper to get the IR first, but it sounds like it might be too late for you.
The CBIR is the way to go (£4,000 Vs £14,000) but I guess some people still do it the old way. In answer to your original question, don't worry, most of what you have heard about the IR is smoke and mirrors. I actually found it much easier than the CPL because you don't have to look out of the window, just fly and follow the needles. 50% of it is getting your drills right, which can all be done at on the edge of your need for free. The most challenging part of the IR is the NDB hold and approach - as long as you remember to push the head and pull the tail you should be fine.
Last edited by rudestuff; 9th Apr 2018 at 22:13.