Ask any IELTS candidate which question type they fear most and the answer is almost always the same: True, False, Not Given.
It is not a comprehension problem. Most students who struggle with this question type understand English perfectly well. The problem is logical — and once you understand the precise distinction, your accuracy will improve immediately.
Why This Question Type Is Uniquely Difficult
Multiple choice, sentence completion, matching headings — these question types have clear right answers buried in the text. Your job is to find them.
True/False/Not Given is different. Here you must make a logical judgment about the relationship between a statement and the passage. And one of your three options — Not Given — requires you to confirm the absence of information. That is a cognitively different task from confirming the presence of it.
The Precise Definitions
TRUE: The passage explicitly confirms the statement. The information in the passage directly supports what the statement claims.
FALSE: The passage explicitly contradicts the statement. The passage says something that directly opposes what the statement claims.
NOT GIVEN: The passage says nothing relevant to the specific claim in the statement. The topic may appear but the specific point is neither confirmed nor denied.
The Distinction That Trips Everyone Up
This is the one that matters most:
FALSE requires a direct contradiction. NOT GIVEN requires silence.
Read this example carefully:
Passage text: "The study was conducted over a period of six months and involved participants from three different universities."
Statement: "The researchers completed the study ahead of schedule."
The answer is NOT GIVEN.
Why? The passage tells us the study lasted six months. It says nothing about whether that was ahead of schedule, on schedule, or behind schedule. There is no information about the original timeline. The passage is silent on this point.
Many students choose FALSE here because they think: "The passage doesn't confirm it was ahead of schedule, so it must be false." This is wrong logic. Absence of confirmation is NOT GIVEN — not FALSE.
FALSE would require the passage to say something like: "The study took longer than originally planned" or "the six-month duration exceeded the initial estimate."
A Reliable Test to Apply
When you are unsure between FALSE and NOT GIVEN, ask yourself this exact question:
"Does the passage say anything that directly contradicts this statement?"
If yes — FALSE.
If no contradiction exists but the statement is also not confirmed — NOT GIVEN.
The Yes/No/Not Given Variation
Some IELTS Reading tests use Yes/No/Not Given instead of True/False/Not Given. The logic is identical but the distinction is:
- True/False/Not Given applies to factual statements
- Yes/No/Not Given applies to opinions and claims
YES = the passage confirms this opinion is held NO = the passage contradicts this opinion NOT GIVEN = the passage does not address this opinion
How to Approach These Questions Strategically
Step 1: Read the statement carefully. Identify the specific claim being made — not the general topic, the specific claim.
Step 2: Find the relevant section of the passage using a keyword from the statement.
Step 3: Read that section carefully. Ask: does this text confirm, contradict, or ignore the specific claim?
Step 4: Apply the FALSE vs NOT GIVEN test before committing.
Never choose FALSE unless you can point to a specific sentence in the passage that says the opposite of the statement. If you cannot find that sentence, the answer is NOT GIVEN.
Practice This Right Now
The only way to improve at this question type is deliberate practice with immediate feedback. After each answer, identify precisely why the correct answer is what it is — not just what the answer is, but the exact logical reason behind it.
📖 Practice with real academic passages IELTS Evaluator offers free IELTS Reading practice tests with True/False/Not Given questions, instant scoring, and full explanations for every answer.
