True / False / Not Given: the rule that fixes most wrong answers
True / False / Not Given is where confident readers lose marks — usually by confusing 'False' with 'Not Given'. Get the definitions exactly right and most of the difficulty disappears.
The three definitions
- True: the passage confirms the statement — it agrees with it.
- False: the passage contradicts the statement — it says the opposite.
- Not Given: the passage neither confirms nor contradicts it — the information simply isn't there.
The rule that fixes most errors
False needs an actual contradiction in the text. Not Given means the text is silent. If you find yourself reasoning 'well, it probably isn't true because...', stop — that's your outside knowledge or an inference, and inference is not allowed. If the passage doesn't directly settle it, the answer is Not Given.
The only way to get fast at this is reps on real passages. Take a free IELTS mock test — every answer is explained with the exact line in the passage that settles it.
Take a free IELTS mock test →A repeatable method
- Find the part of the passage the statement is about (the questions follow the passage order).
- Compare the claim to what the text actually says — only the text.
- Direct conflict? False. Confirmed? True. Text says nothing either way? Not Given.
Watch the qualifiers, too: words like 'all', 'only', 'always' and 'never' in the statement often turn a True into a False, because the passage usually makes a softer claim. Test the strong word against the text before you answer.