IELTS Reading True/False/Not Given: A Step-by-Step Method to Stop Guessing

True/False/Not Given is the question type that frustrates IELTS candidates more than any other. The reading itself feels manageable, yet the marks slip away because one category, Not Given, forces you to prove a negative. Most people lose points here not through weak English but through a flawed decision process. This guide gives you a reliable, repeatable method so you stop guessing and start choosing the correct answer on purpose.

What the Three Answers Actually Mean

These questions test whether a statement agrees with information in the passage. There are only three possible answers, and getting the definitions exactly right is half the battle:

• True: the statement agrees with the information in the text. The passage confirms it, even if the wording is different.
• False: the statement contradicts the information in the text. The passage says the opposite, or something that cannot both be true.
• Not Given: there is no information in the text to confirm or contradict the statement. The passage is simply silent on it.

The entire difficulty lives in the gap between False and Not Given. False means the text actively disagrees with the statement. Not Given means the text neither agrees nor disagrees, the information is absent. If you can separate "the text contradicts this" from "the text says nothing about this," you have solved 90% of the problem.

True/False/Not Given vs Yes/No/Not Given

You will also meet a close cousin, Yes/No/Not Given. The mechanics are identical, but the target is different. True/False/Not Given deals with facts and information in the passage, while Yes/No/Not Given deals with the writer's opinions, claims, or views. Whenever a question set asks about what the author believes or argues, expect the Yes/No version. The four-step method below works for both.

A Four-Step Method That Works Every Time

1. Read the statement first and find the keywords. Underline the names, dates, numbers, and any word that carries the core meaning. Identify what the statement is actually claiming before you touch the passage.
2. Locate the matching part of the text. These questions follow the order of the passage, so answer three sits below answer two. Scan for your keywords or their synonyms rather than re-reading everything.
3. Compare meaning, not words. The test rewrites ideas with synonyms and paraphrase. Ask a single question: does the text confirm this (True), contradict this (False), or say nothing about it (Not Given)?
4. Decide and move on. If you have scanned the relevant section and the specific claim is simply not addressed, the answer is Not Given. Do not keep hunting, absence of evidence is the evidence.

Watch the Qualifying Words

A statement often turns on one small word. Pay close attention to:

• Quantifiers: all, some, most, none, every, few. If the text says "some scientists" and the statement says "all scientists," that is False, not Not Given.
• Frequency: always, usually, sometimes, never, occasionally.
• Certainty: will, might, could, definitely, possibly. A statement claiming certainty when the text only suggests possibility is a contradiction.
• Comparatives: more, less, the most, the biggest. A reversed comparison ("X is larger than Y" when the text says Y is larger) is False.

The Traps That Cost Marks

• Using outside knowledge. Answer only from the passage. A statement can be true in real life but Not Given because the text never mentions it.
• Confusing False with Not Given. Ask yourself: can I point to the exact words that contradict this? If yes, it is False. If you are inferring or assuming, it is probably Not Given.
• Over-thinking. The answer is based on what the text plainly says, not on clever deductions. If your reasoning needs three logical leaps, you have gone too far.
• Leaving blanks. There is no penalty for wrong answers, so every statement must have an answer. If you are stuck between two, choose and move on.
• Changing correct answers. Your first careful reading is usually right. Only change an answer if you find clear textual evidence.

A Quick Worked Example

Suppose the passage states: "The museum, which opened in 1998, attracts around 200,000 visitors annually."

• Statement: "The museum opened in the 1990s." → True (1998 confirms it).
• Statement: "The museum receives fewer than 100,000 visitors a year." → False (200,000 contradicts it).
• Statement: "The museum is the most popular in the city." → Not Given (the text never compares it to others).

Notice how the third statement sounds plausible but is never addressed. That is the essence of Not Given.

Practise Until the Decision Is Automatic

This question type improves through targeted repetition, because the same decision process repeats on every set. Drill dedicated practice on our True/False/Not Given question hub, then apply the same logic to its opinion-based cousin on the Yes/No/Not Given hub. When you are ready for full timed passages, work through authentic material on our IELTS Reading Questions page.

Lock in the definitions, follow the four steps, and treat "the text says nothing" as a valid, deliberate answer, do that consistently, and True/False/Not Given turns from your weakest question type into a dependable source of marks. To see exactly how many correct answers you need, read our guide to how the IELTS band score is calculated.