True, False, Not Given: A Step-by-Step Strategy

Ask a group of IELTS candidates which Reading question type they find hardest, and many will say True, False, Not Given. The difference between False and Not Given feels slippery, and it is easy to overthink. The good news is that a clear, repeatable process removes most of the guesswork. This guide gives you a step-by-step True False Not Given strategy, with worked examples you can learn from.

What the three answers really mean

The question gives you a statement. You compare it with the information in the passage.

• True: the passage says the same thing, usually in different words.
• False: the passage says the opposite, or clearly contradicts the statement.
• Not Given: the passage does not give enough information to say whether the statement is true or false.

The most important idea is this: you judge only what the passage says, never what you know about the world. A statement might be a well-known fact, but if the passage does not state it, the answer is Not Given.

The step-by-step strategy

Step 1: Read the statement and underline key words

Identify the topic words that will help you find the right place in the text, and the "claim" words that carry the meaning. Claim words include quantities and qualifiers such as all, some, most, only, always, never, first, increased, decreased.

Step 2: Locate the relevant part of the passage

Scan for the topic words or their synonyms. These questions follow the order of the passage, so the answer to question 5 will come after question 4. If you have not yet developed fast scanning, read our guide to skimming and scanning in IELTS Reading first.

Step 3: Read that section carefully

Now slow down. Read the sentence you found and the sentences around it. Pay close attention to the claim words.

Step 4: Compare meaning, not words

Ask: does the passage agree, contradict or say nothing about this specific claim? Matching words are not enough; the meaning must match.

Step 5: Decide and move on

If you cannot decide after a reasonable effort, make your best choice and continue. Spending five minutes on one question can cost you several easier marks later.

Worked examples

Here is a short extract:

Statement A: The museum has been open for more than fifty years. The passage says it opened in 1962, so this is True.

Statement B: The space exhibition is the museum's most popular attraction. The passage says most visitors come for the aircraft. This contradicts the statement, so it is False.

Statement C: The space exhibition was expensive to build. The passage mentions the exhibition but says nothing about cost. This is Not Given.

Notice how Statement C mentions something from the passage. That is a common trap: a familiar topic does not mean the claim is covered.

False or Not Given? A simple test

When you are torn between the two, ask yourself:

If yes, the answer is probably Not Given. If no, because the passage already rules it out, the answer is False.

For Statement C, the writer could easily add "It cost millions to build" without changing anything else. So it is Not Given.

Traps to watch for

• Qualifiers: "some scientists believe" is not the same as "scientists believe".
• Comparisons: "larger than" and "the largest" are different claims.
• Time: "used to" versus "still does" can change the answer.
• Cause and effect: the passage may mention two things without saying one caused the other.
• Your own knowledge: ignore it completely.

Yes, No, Not Given

Some passages use Yes, No, Not Given instead. These questions test the writer's opinions or claims rather than facts, but the process is almost identical: locate, read closely, compare meaning and decide.

How to practise

1. After each practice set, look back at every Not Given answer and find the part of the passage that "nearly" answered it. This trains your eye.
2. For each False answer, underline the exact words that contradict the statement.
3. Keep a list of qualifiers and their meanings. Our IELTS vocabulary guide can help you build synonym awareness.
4. Practise with a timer so you do not overthink.

Managing your time across the whole test matters too. Our guide to matching headings in IELTS Reading shows another question type where a systematic method saves minutes.

Next steps

Use the five-step strategy on your next three practice passages and record how many True, False, Not Given questions you get right. You should see fewer "coin-toss" answers within a week or two. Find more timed material in our IELTS practice tests.

To test this strategy under real exam pressure, take a free sample mock test and see how your Reading score responds.