What each answer actually means
| Answer | Choose it when |
|---|---|
| TRUE | The statement agrees with the information in the passage — the text confirms it. |
| FALSE | The statement contradicts the passage — the text says the opposite. |
| NOT GIVEN | There is no information — the passage neither confirms nor contradicts the statement. |
False vs Not Given — the whole battle
FALSE means the passage actively disagrees with the statement. NOT GIVEN means the passage is simply silent — you searched and the information isn't there. If you find yourself using your own knowledge or 'it's probably true', the answer is almost certainly NOT GIVEN.
True/False vs Yes/No/Not Given
You will meet two versions of this task. True/False/Not Given deals with facts in the passage. Yes/No/Not Given deals with the writer's opinions, claims or views. The thinking is identical — agree, contradict, or silent — the only difference is whether you are checking a fact or the author's stance. Always answer with the exact words the instructions ask for (TRUE/FALSE or YES/NO).
A step-by-step method
- 1Read the statement first and underline the keywords — especially names, numbers, dates and any qualifier (all, some, always, never, only, most).
- 2Remember the questions follow the order of the passage, so the answer to question 3 sits between the answers to 2 and 4.
- 3Scan for the part of the text that talks about the same idea, then read that sentence and the one around it carefully.
- 4Compare meaning, not words — the passage will paraphrase the statement, so matching vocabulary proves nothing.
- 5Decide: does the text confirm it (TRUE), contradict it (FALSE), or say nothing about it (NOT GIVEN)?
- 6If you've read the relevant area twice and the information simply isn't there, commit to NOT GIVEN and move on.
نصيحة
Watch the qualifiers. A statement that says 'the technology was always reliable' is FALSE if the passage says it was 'usually reliable'. Small words like always, all and never are where TRUE quietly becomes FALSE.
Common traps
- Using outside knowledge — the answer depends only on this passage, not on what is true in the real world.
- Assuming a plausible statement is TRUE when the passage never actually says it — that's NOT GIVEN.
- Spending too long hunting for NOT GIVEN evidence; by definition, it isn't there.
- Changing a confident answer at the end because a question 'feels' too easy — trust the text.
أهم النقاط
- TRUE = agrees, FALSE = contradicts, NOT GIVEN = no information.
- The False-vs-Not-Given call is the whole skill: contradiction versus silence.
- Questions run in passage order — use that to locate the relevant lines fast.
- Compare meaning not words, and never bring in outside knowledge.
Practise this on a real reading passage
Try a free Reading testالأسئلة الشائعة
What is the difference between False and Not Given in IELTS Reading?
Choose False when the passage says the opposite of the statement — it actively contradicts it. Choose Not Given when the passage contains no information to confirm or deny the statement. False is a contradiction; Not Given is silence.
What's the difference between True/False/Not Given and Yes/No/Not Given?
True/False/Not Given tests facts stated in the passage. Yes/No/Not Given tests the writer's opinions, claims or views. The decision process is the same — you just answer with the exact words the instructions require.
Can I use my own knowledge to answer these questions?
No. Your answer must be based only on the information in the passage. A statement that is true in real life but not mentioned in the text is Not Given.
Do the questions follow the order of the passage?
Yes. True/False/Not Given questions appear in the same order as the information in the text, so once you've located one answer, the next is further down the passage.