IELTS Reading True False Not Given Tips
Decide True, False and Not Given with confidence: evidence rules, worked examples of common traps, and a timed practice loop for Academic or General Training.
Three answers, three evidence tests
True (or Yes in General Training's Yes/No/Not Given format) means the statement matches the passage exactly in meaning, even if the wording is different. False (or No) means the passage clearly contradicts the statement. Not Given means the passage never settles the question either way, even if the claim sounds perfectly reasonable based on general knowledge.
The mistake almost every candidate makes at some point is treating Not Given as a middle ground between True and False, a kind of "maybe". It is not. Not Given is a statement about the text's silence, not about how likely the claim feels. If you find yourself thinking "the passage doesn't say this, but it's probably true", that reasoning belongs to Not Given, not True.
| Answer | Evidence rule | Common mistake |
|---|---|---|
| True / Yes | Same meaning as the text, often paraphrased | Matching a keyword without matching the full claim |
| False / No | Text clearly conflicts with the statement | Calling it Not Given when the text actually denies it |
| Not Given | No clear support or conflict in the text | Using outside knowledge or logic to fill the gap |
Why Not Given is the hardest call
Not Given is difficult because your brain naturally wants to complete a story. If a passage says a company was founded in 1998 and grew quickly, and a question asks whether the company is now the market leader, it is tempting to guess True because growth and leadership feel connected. But unless the text states market leadership directly, the correct answer is Not Given - the connection exists in your head, not on the page.
A second common cause of Not Given errors is partial matching. If the text discusses three reasons for a trend and the question mentions a fourth, plausible-sounding reason that never appears, many candidates assume it must be True because the topic feels familiar. Train yourself to ask a single question before answering: "can I point to the exact sentence that proves or disproves this?" If not, it is Not Given.
A fast decision loop
- 1Underline the claimMark absolute words (always, only, all, never) and comparison language (more than, the same as, unlike) - these are usually where False answers hide.
- 2Find the sentence familyScan for synonyms of the subject, not only identical words. The matching sentence is often two or three lines away from where you expect.
- 3Prove it or park itIf you can point to a specific sentence that confirms or denies the claim, answer True or False. If you cannot, choose Not Given and move on immediately - do not keep searching.
Worked examples: right vs wrong reasoning
Seeing the difference between a correct and an incorrect thought process is often more useful than reading rules in the abstract. Below are two short reasoning patterns for the same type of statement.
Leads to errors
Weak reasoning
"The text talks about rising costs, and rising costs usually mean fewer customers, so this must be True."
- •Relies on a logical chain, not stated text
- •Ignores that the passage may address the opposite
- •Confuses plausibility with evidence
Leads to accuracy
Strong reasoning
"The text says costs rose by 12 percent but customer numbers stayed stable - that directly contradicts the statement, so it is False."
- •Points to an exact sentence
- •Compares the claim word-for-word with the text
- •Does not add outside assumptions
Academic and General Training differences
The underlying logic of True/False/Not Given (or Yes/No/Not Given, used for opinion-based passages) is identical across both modules. What changes is passage density: Academic passages are longer and more abstract, so evidence sentences can be harder to locate. General Training early sections are shorter and more literal, which makes Not Given errors less common in Sections 1-2 but just as likely in the longer Section 3 passage.
- Yes/No/Not Given usually appears with opinion or argument-based passages and tests the writer's claims, not just facts.
- True/False/Not Given usually appears with factual or descriptive passages.
- Both formats reward the same underlying skill: locate the exact evidence sentence before you decide.
Drill plan and frequently asked questions
Build a short, repeatable loop rather than doing random practice sets. After every attempt, tag each miss as either "invented a connection", "missed the exact sentence", or "confused False with Not Given" so you can see your personal pattern over two or three weeks.
Is Not Given the same as False?+
No. False actively contradicts the passage. Not Given leaves the claim open because the text never settles it either way - the two answers require different kinds of evidence.
Can the order of questions help me find answers faster?+
Usually yes. True/False/Not Given questions typically follow the order of information in the passage, so if question 5 was answered from paragraph 3, question 6 is likely nearby in paragraph 3 or 4.
Should I ever change a Not Given answer to True on a hunch?+
Only if you find the exact supporting sentence during a re-check. Changing an answer based on a feeling rather than new evidence usually lowers your score across a full test, not raises it.