IELTS Reading: how to answer True, False, Not Given questions

You find the passage that deals with the topic. You understand the words. Yet you hesitate between False and Not Given. That is often where this IELTS Reading task becomes difficult.

The rule is precise: a False statement is contradicted by the text. A Not Given statement can be neither confirmed nor contradicted with the information provided. Here is how to tell them apart without relying on assumptions, then apply the method to a corrected exercise.

Key points

• True: the text confirms the statement.
• False: the text says something that contradicts the statement.
• Not Given: the text does not give enough information to decide.
• The answer depends only on the passage, even if you already know about the topic.
• These questions can appear in both IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training.

What is the difference between True, False and Not Given?

In this task, you read several statements and decide whether they match the information given in the text. The trap is treating False as a synonym for “I couldn’t find this information”.

Take a very short sentence:

The museum opens at 10 a.m. on Sundays.

• “The museum opens at ten on Sundays.” → True. The text confirms it.
• “The museum opens at nine on Sundays.” → False. The text gives a different time.
• “The museum closes at six on Sundays.” → Not Given. The closing time is not stated.

This last statement could be true in real life. It could also be false. You cannot decide from the text, so the answer is Not Given.

A four-step method to find the answer

1. Identify the information the statement asks you to check

Before scanning the text, identify the core of the statement: a date, a quantity, a comparison, a cause or a condition.

In “The museum opens at nine on Sundays”, finding a passage about the museum is not enough. You are looking specifically for the Sunday opening time.

Watch out for words that change the scope of a sentence: all, only, always, never, first, more than. A statement about all visitors does not say the same thing as a sentence about some visitors.

2. Find the relevant passage

Look for proper nouns, numbers or distinctive terms, then read the sentences around them. The text may paraphrase the statement: visitors may become guests, and free admission may be expressed as no entrance fee.

Finding the same word is not enough. You need to compare the full meaning of both sentences.

3. Look for explicit confirmation or contradiction

Ask yourself two questions in this order:

• Does the passage confirm what the statement says? True.
• Does it say the opposite on the exact point to check? False.

If you can show neither, choose Not Given. Do not use information found elsewhere or what seems logical to you.

4. Justify your answer in one sentence

When practising, make yourself explain your choice:

• True, because the text says…
• False, because the text says… instead.
• Not Given, because the text mentions… but says nothing about…

If you chose False but cannot find any sentence that contradicts the statement, reconsider Not Given. It is a simple way to spot flaws in your reasoning.

Exercise: True, False or Not Given?

Read this short text, then choose an answer for each statement. The passage and questions below were written for this article: they are not official IELTS questions.

The Riverside Library
The Riverside Library opened in 2018 in a former railway building. It welcomes visitors from Tuesday to Sunday and closes at 7 p.m. on weekdays. On Sundays, it closes at 5 p.m.
Anyone can enter the library without paying. Borrowing books, however, requires a membership card. Local residents can obtain one free of charge, while visitors from outside the area pay an annual fee.
Last year, the library introduced weekend workshops for children aged eight to twelve. Places must be booked in advance because each workshop has a maximum of fifteen participants. The library plans to offer workshops for teenagers next year.

Statements:

1. The library is located in a building that was previously used for transport.
2. The library is open on Mondays.
3. Visitors must pay to enter the library.
4. All library membership cards are free.
5. Children can attend the weekend workshops without booking.
6. The workshops for teenagers will also be free.

Answers explained

Look at the last question. You did find the workshops for teenagers in the text. That is not enough to choose True: the statement adds a piece of information, that they are free, which is never given. Nor is it contradicted. The answer is therefore Not Given.

The most common traps

1. Confusing missing information with contradiction

This is the central mistake in this task. To answer False, the text must give opposite information. If you find nothing on the point in question, answer Not Given.

Example: the text says a course starts at 9 a.m. but does not say how long it lasts. The statement “The course lasts two hours” is Not Given, not False.

2. Relying on matching words rather than meaning

A statement can repeat almost every word of the text while changing one decisive detail: a date, a price, the people concerned or a degree of certainty.

Useful habit: once you have found the passage, reread the statement word by word. Ask yourself what it adds or changes.

3. Ignoring absolute words

All, every, only, always and never deserve special attention. They make a statement much more categorical.

In our exercise, “All library membership cards are free” is False: the text states that some visitors pay. A single group that pays is enough to contradict all.

Using your own knowledge

You may know that library workshops are often free. That knowledge does not let you answer question 6. IELTS asks you to compare the statements with the passage provided, not with the real world.

4. Drawing too broad a conclusion

The text may say that a service is free for residents. You cannot conclude that it is free for everyone, or that everyone else has to pay, unless the passage says so. Stay as close as possible to the information available.

What should you do if you hesitate between False and Not Given?

Go back to the statement and isolate the detail that needs to be proven. Then look for the sentence in the text that deals with exactly that detail.

👉 If it gives the opposite answer, choose False.

👉 If it covers the general topic without answering that detail, choose Not Given.

Still unsure? Note your provisional answer, move on to the next question and come back to it if you have time. Rereading the same paragraph over and over will not give you information that the text does not contain.

While revising, keep track of when you hesitated. If you often get Not Given wrong, write down what you had assumed that was not written. This habit will help you more than doing dozens of questions without analysing your mistakes.

True, False, Not Given vs Yes, No, Not Given: what is the difference?

The two tasks look alike, but the instructions do not ask you to assess the same thing.

👉 True / False / Not Given is about whether a statement agrees with the information in the text.

👉 Yes / No / Not Given is about whether a statement agrees with the opinions or ideas the writer puts forward.

So always read the task instructions before answering. Do not swap True for Yes just because both seem to mean “yes”.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between False and Not Given?

False means the text contradicts the statement. Not Given means it does not give enough information to say whether it is true or false. To choose False, you must be able to find the contradiction in the passage.

If a piece of information does not appear in the text, should you answer False?

No. If the text neither confirms nor contradicts the statement, the answer is Not Given. Missing information is not proof of the opposite.

Can a statement be true in real life but Not Given in the exercise?

Yes. Only the test passage counts. Even if you know the answer from your studies or experience, you must choose Not Given if the passage does not let you check it.

Do True, False, Not Given questions appear in both versions of IELTS?

Yes. This type of question can appear in the Reading section of both IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training.

Should you look for exactly the same words in the text?

No. The statement may paraphrase an idea using synonyms. Find the relevant passage, then compare the meaning, including dates, quantities, conditions and words such as all or only.

Can you leave a question unanswered if you are unsure?

It is better to choose an answer before time runs out. When practising, explain afterwards why you hesitated: this will help you tell a comprehension problem apart from an assumption you added to the text.