Write TRUE if the passage confirms the statement, FALSE if it directly contradicts it, and NOT GIVEN if the passage says nothing either way. The key distinction: False means the text disagrees; Not Given means the text is silent.
True/False/Not Given is the question type that trips up more test-takers than any other, because it asks you to judge a statement against the writer’s factual claims — and to separate what the passage contradicts from what it simply never mentions. Mastering the difference between "False" and "Not Given" is the single biggest score lever in IELTS Reading.
Updated August 2026
What do True / False / Not Given questions test?
These questions test whether you can match a statement to information in the text. "True" means the statement agrees with the information in the passage. "False" means the passage states the opposite. "Not Given" means there is no information in the passage to confirm or deny the statement — you cannot verify it either way.
How do you answer True / False / Not Given questions?
1Read the statement first and underline the key idea, especially any qualifiers like "all", "only", "never", "always", "more than" or dates and numbers.
2Because the questions follow the order of the passage, scan for the paragraph that deals with the same topic rather than re-reading everything.
3Locate the sentence(s) in the passage that address the same fact, and read them carefully — the answer hinges on precise meaning, not on matching words.
4Decide: does the passage confirm the statement (True), directly contradict it (False), or say nothing that lets you judge it (Not Given)?
5Trust the text, never your own background knowledge — if the passage does not state it, it is Not Given even if you know it to be true in real life.
What are the common traps to avoid?
Confusing "False" with "Not Given": choose False only when the passage actively contradicts the statement; if the passage is silent, it is Not Given.
Being fooled by word-matching — a statement can repeat words from the text but reverse or exaggerate the meaning.
Missing qualifiers: "some scientists believe" is not the same claim as "scientists have proven", and swapping one for the other flips the answer.
Over-thinking with outside knowledge instead of judging strictly against the passage.
How long should you spend on them?
Aim for under a minute per question. Because these questions run in passage order, resist the urge to jump around — work top to bottom and if you are stuck for more than 90 seconds, mark your best guess (statistically "Not Given" is often under-chosen) and move on.
