IELTS Reading: True, False, Not Given Strategy (Stop Losing Marks)

How these questions fit into the IELTS Reading test

The IELTS Reading test lasts 60 minutes and contains 40 questions spread across 3 passages. There is no separate transfer time in Reading, so every answer must be written on the answer sheet within that hour. Your raw score out of 40 is converted into a band score, and there is no negative marking, which means a wrong guess never costs you more than leaving the box empty. This matters a great deal for True, False, Not Given questions because it tells you to always commit to an answer.

The band conversion for Academic Reading is stricter than for General Training, so on the Academic paper you generally need a few more correct answers to reach the same band. True, False, Not Given questions appear on both versions of the test, and the skills you build here transfer directly to Yes, No, Not Given questions, which follow identical logic but deal with the writer's opinions and claims rather than facts.

One structural detail is worth memorising: these questions almost always follow the order of information in the passage. The answer to question 3 will appear in the text after the answer to question 2 and before the answer to question 4. Use this to keep your place and to know roughly where to look next.

The exact difference between False and Not Given

This single distinction decides most of your marks. Read the definitions slowly and keep them fixed in your mind for the whole test.

The trap lives in the gap between False and Not Given. False requires the passage to actively contradict the statement. If the statement says a species is common but the passage says it is rare, that is a direct contradiction, so the answer is False. Not Given means the passage is silent on the point. If the statement says a species is common but the passage only discusses where the species lives and never mentions how common it is, the answer is Not Given.

A reliable mental check is this: to mark False you must be able to point to specific words in the passage that clash with the statement. If you cannot point to a clash and can only say the passage does not talk about it, the answer is Not Given. Never choose Not Given simply because you could not find the words quickly. Not Given is a conclusion you reach after searching, not a shortcut you take when you feel lost.

A step-by-step method that works under time pressure

Consistency beats cleverness on these questions. Apply the same routine every time so you are not inventing a new approach for each item.

• Read the statement first and underline the key idea, not just the nouns. Pay attention to numbers, dates, comparatives such as more or fewer, and limiting words such as all, only, always, never, and some.
• Identify the part of the passage the statement refers to. Because answers follow the order of the text, start searching just after where your last answer was found.
• Scan for the specific detail using synonyms and paraphrase, since IELTS rarely repeats the exact words of the statement.
• Read the relevant sentence and the one before and after it carefully. The answer often depends on a single qualifying word.
• Compare the statement with the passage and ask two questions in order. First, does the passage say the same thing? If yes, mark True. Second, does the passage say the opposite? If yes, mark False. If neither, mark Not Given.
• Commit and move on. Because there is no negative marking, never leave a blank, and do not spend more than about ninety seconds on any single item.

Notice the order of the two comparison questions. You confirm True first, then test for contradiction, and only then conclude Not Given. Following that sequence stops you from jumping to Not Given out of anxiety.

Common traps that cost marks

Most lost marks come from a handful of predictable mistakes. Learn to recognise them and half the battle is won.

• Using outside knowledge. Answer only from the passage. A statement can be true in real life and still be Not Given because this particular text never mentions it.
• Overthinking into Not Given. Candidates often talk themselves out of a clear True or False and choose Not Given because it feels safe. It is not safe. Trust a clear match or a clear contradiction.
• Missing qualifying words. Words such as all, some, most, only, and never can flip an answer. If a statement says something is always true but the passage says it is usually true, that difference makes the answer False.
• Being fooled by matching words. Seeing the same word in the passage and the statement does not make it True. Check that the whole meaning matches, not just a keyword.
• Confusing a prediction or possibility with a fact. If the passage says a result may happen and the statement says it will happen, the certainty has changed and the answer is often False or Not Given.
• Losing the order. If you find yourself hunting all over the passage, you have probably drifted. Reset to the region right after your previous confirmed answer.

Worked examples of the False versus Not Given decision

Imagine the passage says: The museum was built in 1908 and remains the oldest surviving public gallery in the region.

• Statement: The museum opened in the twentieth century. This agrees with the passage, since 1908 is in the twentieth century, so the answer is True.
• Statement: The museum is the newest gallery in the region. This contradicts the passage, which calls it the oldest surviving gallery, so the answer is False.
• Statement: The museum attracts more visitors than any other gallery in the region. The passage says nothing about visitor numbers, so the answer is Not Given.

The third example is the one candidates get wrong. Nothing in the passage confirms or denies visitor numbers, so you cannot mark it True or False. Resisting the urge to guess based on the museum being old and therefore probably popular is exactly the discipline these questions reward.