Quick answer: To beat True/False/Not Given, decide each statement against what the passage actually says - nothing more. Mark it True if the text clearly states or agrees with it, False if the text clearly contradicts it, and Not Given if the text neither confirms nor denies it. The trap is the difference between False and Not Given: "False" needs the passage to actively disagree, while "Not Given" simply means the information is not there. Do not use your own knowledge or logic - answer only from the text, take the statements in order, and never leave a blank.
The best way to build this skill is on real passages under time pressure. Use our free practice test to drill these questions with the clock running.
Why this question type catches so many people out
True/False/Not Given (in an opinion-based passage it becomes Yes/No/Not Given) is the question that most often drags a Reading band down. The reason is simple: the other two options feel obvious, but "Not Given" goes against instinct. Test takers want to decide whether a statement is true in the real world, or reason their way to an answer. IELTS is not asking that. It is asking a narrower question: does this passage confirm the statement, contradict it, or say nothing about it?
What each answer really means
True (or Yes)
The passage states the same idea as the statement, or clearly agrees with it - usually in different words. You should be able to point to the sentence that makes it true. Beware exact-word matches that change the meaning: a statement can repeat the passage's vocabulary and still be False.
False (or No)
The passage says the opposite, or contradicts the statement in some way. There must be a clash: the text asserts X, and the statement claims not-X. If you cannot find the contradiction in the passage, it is not False.
Not Given
The passage does not contain the information either way. It might touch on the topic but never confirm or deny the specific claim. This is the answer people are most reluctant to choose - but it is correct whenever the text simply stays silent on the point.
A worked example (original passage)
Here is a short passage written for this guide - not from any real exam:
The eastern quoll, a small carnivorous marsupial, was once common across mainland Australia but vanished from it in the mid-twentieth century. A population survived on the island of Tasmania, where introduced predators are fewer. In recent years conservationists have released captive-bred quolls back into a fenced mainland reserve. Early monitoring showed that the released animals bred in their first season, though survival rates in the open remain uncertain.
Now judge these statements:
- "The eastern quoll disappeared from mainland Australia." → True. The passage says it "vanished from it in the mid-twentieth century."
- "The eastern quoll is a herbivore." → False. The text calls it "carnivorous," which contradicts "herbivore."
- "Tasmania has no introduced predators." → False. The passage says predators are "fewer," not absent - that contradicts "no."
- "The reserve is in southern Australia." → Not Given. The passage mentions a mainland reserve but never says where it is.
- "The released quolls reproduced quickly." → True. They "bred in their first season."
Notice how the "no introduced predators" statement is False, not Not Given, because the text actively says "fewer" - a contradiction. Meanwhile the location statement is Not Given because the passage is genuinely silent on it. Learning to feel that difference is the whole skill.
A step-by-step method
- Read the statement and find its keywords. Focus on names, numbers, and any strong words like "all", "never", "only" or "first" - these are often where the answer turns.
- Scan the passage for the matching area. The questions follow the order of the text, so the answer to the next statement is below the last one you found.
- Read that part carefully and compare meaning, not words. Ask: does the passage say the same thing, the opposite thing, or nothing about it?
- Choose True, False or Not Given on evidence only. If you can point to agreement, it is True; to a contradiction, False; if you are hunting and cannot find either, it is Not Given.
- Do not overthink Not Given. If you have searched the right area and the information simply is not there, trust it and move on.
- Never leave a blank. Unsure between False and Not Given? Pick one and continue - a guess can score, a blank cannot.
Common traps to avoid
- Using outside knowledge. A statement can be true in real life but Not Given in the passage. Answer only from the text.
- Turning "extreme" words true. Words like "all", "always" or "only" in a statement often make it False, because the passage usually allows exceptions.
- Matching words instead of meaning. A statement that repeats the passage's vocabulary can still contradict it. Read for sense.
- Spending too long on one item. If you are stuck between False and Not Given after a careful read, guess and keep the clock moving.
- Confusing the two scales. Yes/No/Not Given follows the same logic but is used when the passage expresses the writer's views - you are judging the writer's opinion, not a fact.
Once you can call these confidently, you can rebalance your Reading time budget toward the harder passages, and check what your improved raw score means with the band-score estimator. For the full menu of Reading tasks, see the pillar guide to IELTS Reading and Listening question types and strategies.
And once your English is strong enough to pass, that same skill can take you further: many of our readers go on to train to teach English abroad with an accredited TEFL/TESOL course.