IELTS True, False, Not Given and how to tell False from Not Given
This is the question type that costs candidates the most marks in Reading, and almost all of it comes down to one confusion. False and Not Given feel similar and are marked completely differently. Here is the rule that separates them, with worked examples from real practice questions and the answers explained.
Written by Manish Sharma · CELTA and DELTA qualified · 8 years teaching IELTS
Practise true, false, not given questionsWhat the task asks
You are given a statement. You decide whether the passage says it is true, says it is false, or does not say. The instruction matters: this type is about FACTS in the passage, not about what the writer believes. If the instruction says Yes, No, Not Given instead, you are being asked about the writer's views and claims, which is a different task.
How the answers actually fall
Counted across all 545 true, false, not given questions in this practice bank, every one of which carries a written explanation.
217 of 545 questions
177 of 545 questions
151 of 545 questions
This is the distribution of this bank, not of the real exam. The test owners do not publish theirs, so treat it as a reason not to fear the least popular answer rather than as a rule about test day. The useful part is the direction: not given is not rare.
The method
- 01
Read the statement before you hunt
Decide exactly what would have to be in the passage for this to be true. Being specific here is most of the work: a vague idea of the statement produces a vague match, and a vague match is how a Not Given becomes a True.
- 02
Find the place, not the words
Statements paraphrase. Locate the part of the passage that deals with the same subject, then read it properly. Matching a keyword is not locating an answer, and the questions run in passage order, so the answer to number 4 sits between the answers to 3 and 5.
- 03
Ask the False question first
Does the passage state something that CANNOT both be true at the same time as the statement? A direct contradiction is False. If there is no contradiction, you are choosing between True and Not Given.
- 04
Then ask the True question
Does the passage state the whole statement, including every qualifier in it? Words like most, always, only and first have to be supported too. A statement that is half supported is not True.
- 05
If neither, it is Not Given
Not Given is not a guess and not a last resort. It is the correct answer when the passage simply does not address the point, and it is the most common answer in this bank.
Worked examples
Real questions from the practice bank with the reasoning written out. Cover the answer, decide, then read the explanation. Getting it right for the wrong reason is the thing that does not survive test day.
AeroFarms supplies most of its produce to restaurants in New York City.show
Answer: NOT GIVEN
Paragraph C names AeroFarms, its Newark headquarters, its 70,000-square-foot operation, and its annual output of leafy greens, but never identifies where or to whom AeroFarms sells its produce. (The restaurant-supply detail in Paragraph B refers to Brooklyn Grange, not AeroFarms.)
At least a quarter of vacant urban lots in the US have unsafe levels of lead.show
Answer: TRUE
Paragraph F states '25 percent of vacant urban lots' had unsafe lead levels — exactly a quarter, which satisfies 'at least a quarter'. (Original phrasing 'more than a quarter' was ambiguous since 25% = exactly a quarter, not more — rephrased to be clearly defensible.)
Most vertical farming companies launched in the late 2010s have reportedly become profitable within five years.show
Answer: FALSE
Paragraph G states that by the early 2020s 'several of these companies had reportedly closed facilities, reduced staff, or restructured under bankruptcy protection,' contradicting the claim of broad early profitability.
The Cordouan lighthouse was rebuilt several times before the Fresnel lens was installed.show
Answer: NOT GIVEN
Paragraph C identifies Cordouan as the site of the first Fresnel-lens installation in 1823 but does not discuss the construction or reconstruction history of the Cordouan lighthouse itself. (The reconstructions mentioned in Paragraph B refer to the Eddystone Light, not Cordouan.)
Where the marks go
Marking Not Given as False because the statement feels wrong
False needs a contradiction you can point at in the text. If you cannot quote the words that clash with the statement, it is not False.
Marking Not Given as True because the topic is discussed
The passage mentioning the subject is not the same as the passage confirming the claim. Check that every part of the statement is actually stated.
Using outside knowledge
You are marking what this passage says, not what is true in the world. A statement you know to be correct is still Not Given if the passage does not say it.
Missing a qualifier
The passage says a study found a link. The statement says the study proved a cause. That difference is the whole question, and it makes the answer False or Not Given rather than True.
Writing T, F and NG when the instruction asks for words
Write the answer in the form the instruction asks for. An abbreviation the instruction did not invite can be marked wrong, and it costs a mark you had earned.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between False and Not Given?+
False means the passage says something that contradicts the statement. Not Given means the passage does not address it either way. The test is whether you can point at the contradicting words. If you cannot, it is Not Given.
Is Not Given the most common answer?+
In this bank of 545 questions it is the most common of the three, at about 40 per cent. The test owners do not publish the distribution of the real exam, so treat that as a reason not to fear Not Given rather than as a rule about the exam itself.
Should I guess Not Given if I cannot find the answer?+
Guessing costs nothing because there is no negative marking, so never leave a blank. But not finding an answer usually means you have not located the right part of the passage yet, and the questions follow passage order, which narrows where to look.
What is the difference between True False Not Given and Yes No Not Given?+
True False Not Given asks about factual information in the passage. Yes No Not Given asks about the writer's own views and claims. The method is the same; the thing you are checking against is different.
You know the method now. Do it under a clock.
Practise true, false, not given questions in the real test layout, marked instantly, with the reasoning shown for every answer you get wrong.
Start practising