IELTS Reading True False Not Given Strategy That Works

True, False, Not Given. Three simple words that have caused more IELTS test-day panic than almost anything else. If you’ve ever stared at a statement and thought, “But it could be true…” — you already know the problem. The good news is that this question type follows a strict logic, and once you understand that logic, it becomes very manageable.

What the Question Type Actually Asks

The task looks simple: read a passage, then decide whether each statement is True, False, or Not Given based on what the passage says.

Here’s where most learners go wrong. They answer based on what they know about the world rather than what the passage actually says. IELTS doesn’t care what you know. It only cares what’s in the text.

Let’s define each option clearly:

• TRUE — The statement agrees with the information in the passage. The passage confirms it, directly or in paraphrase.
• FALSE — The statement contradicts the information in the passage. The passage says something opposite or incompatible.
• NOT GIVEN — The passage neither confirms nor contradicts the statement. The information simply isn’t there.

The most important distinction is between FALSE and NOT GIVEN. FALSE means the passage actively disagrees with the statement. NOT GIVEN means the passage is silent on it. Silence and contradiction are very different things.

A Simple Decision Process

When you read each statement, ask yourself these questions in order:

1. Can I find the relevant part of the passage?
2. Does the passage say the same thing as the statement (in the same or different words)?
3. Does the passage say something that directly contradicts the statement?

If yes to question 2: TRUE. If yes to question 3: FALSE. If you can’t do either: NOT GIVEN.

Resist the urge to infer. If the passage says “Company X increased its workforce in 2022” and the statement says “Company X was profitable in 2022”, you might assume profitability led to hiring. But IELTS doesn’t reward assumptions. That’s a NOT GIVEN.

Worked Examples

Let’s use a short Business English-style passage, the kind of academic text you’ll see in the IELTS Reading section.

Remote working policies have been widely adopted across the financial services sector since 2020. A 2023 survey found that 68% of employees in this sector work from home at least three days per week. However, senior management roles remain predominantly office-based, with 74% of executives reporting full-time office attendance.

Statement 1: “Most employees in the financial services sector work remotely more than half the week.”

The passage says 68% work from home at least three days per week. Three out of five working days is more than half. This agrees with the statement. Answer: TRUE.

Statement 2: “Senior managers in financial services prefer working from home.”

The passage says 74% of executives attend the office full-time. That directly contradicts the idea that they prefer remote work. Answer: FALSE.

Statement 3: “The financial services sector saw a rise in productivity after adopting remote working policies.”

Productivity is never mentioned in the passage. You might think flexible working boosts productivity. You might think it doesn’t. It doesn’t matter. The passage says nothing about it. Answer: NOT GIVEN.

Notice how Statement 3 feels answerable. That’s intentional. IELTS will often give you statements about topics that are adjacent to the passage content, close enough to tempt you into guessing. Don’t take the bait.

Getting comfortable with these judgment calls takes practice, and it’s exactly the kind of focused drilling we do in the daily coaching programme. For more details, click here.

Practice Exercise

Read the passage below, then decide whether each statement is TRUE, FALSE, or NOT GIVEN.

The global demand for professionals with data analysis skills has grown significantly over the past decade. A report published in 2024 indicated that job postings requiring data literacy had increased by 40% compared to five years earlier. Despite this, many universities still do not include data analysis as a compulsory module in business degrees. Some employers have responded by funding in-house training programmes, though participation rates in these programmes vary considerably between companies.

1. Job postings requiring data literacy were 40% higher in 2024 than in 2019. ___
2. Most universities now require business students to study data analysis. ___
3. In-house training programmes funded by employers are generally considered effective. ___
4. Demand for data analysis skills has grown over the last ten years. ___
5. All companies that offer in-house training programmes report high participation rates. ___

Work through each one carefully before checking your answers. Apply the three-question process: find the relevant section, confirm or contradict, then decide.

The full answer key for this exercise, plus an extended set of ten questions with detailed explanations, is available exclusively to daily coaching subscribers. Find out how the subscription works here.

Vocabulary to Know

• contradict /ˌkɒn.trəˈdɪkt/ – Level: B2 – to say or show that something is the opposite of or very different from something else – Example: The witness’s second statement contradicted what she had said in court the day before.
• infer /ɪnˈfɜː(r)/ – Level: B2 – to reach a conclusion based on evidence or reasoning rather than direct statement – Example: From the tone of the email, she inferred that her proposal had been rejected.
• paraphrase /ˈpær.ə.freɪz/ – Level: B2 – to express the meaning of something using different words, usually to make it clearer – Example: The examiner’s statement was a paraphrase of the original sentence in the passage.
• adjacent /əˈdʒeɪ.sənt/ – Level: C1 – very near, next to, or touching something – Example: The question was about a topic adjacent to the main argument, which made it easy to confuse.
• data literacy /ˈdeɪ.tə ˈlɪt.ər.ə.si/ – Level: C1 – the ability to read, understand, create, and communicate data as information – Example: Employers increasingly list data literacy as a core requirement for graduate roles.
• predominantly /prɪˈdɒm.ɪ.nənt.li/ – Level: C1 – mainly or mostly – Example: The conference audience was predominantly made up of mid-level managers from the tech sector.
• compulsory /kəmˈpʌl.sər.i/ – Level: B1 – required by law or a rule; not optional – Example: Attendance at the compliance training was compulsory for all new staff.
• take the bait /teɪk ðə beɪt/ – Level: C1 – to react to something in exactly the way someone wanted, especially when it is a trick – Example: The question was designed to mislead, but he didn’t take the bait.
• assumption /əˈsʌmp.ʃən/ – Level: B2 – something that you accept as true without question or proof – Example: Her argument was based on the assumption that all readers had prior knowledge of the topic.
• participation rate /pɑːˌtɪs.ɪˈpeɪ.ʃən reɪt/ – Level: B2 – the proportion of people who take part in a particular activity or programme – Example: The participation rate in the voluntary training sessions was lower than the company had hoped.

Frequently Asked Questions

What’s the difference between False and Not Given? I always mix these up.

You’re not alone. FALSE means the passage contains information that directly contradicts the statement. NOT GIVEN means the passage simply doesn’t address it. Ask yourself: does the text actually say something opposite, or does it just say nothing? If it says nothing, it’s NOT GIVEN, even if the statement sounds unlikely.

Should I answer in the order the questions appear, or find the answers in the order they appear in the passage?

The statements in IELTS True/False/Not Given tasks usually follow the order of the passage. Work through them in sequence and scan for the relevant section of the text before committing to an answer. Jumping around wastes time you don’t have.

Can a statement be partly true and partly false?

In theory, yes, but IELTS statements are written to have one clear answer. If part of a statement is confirmed and part is contradicted, the answer is FALSE. The entire statement must be supported by the passage for it to be TRUE. Any contradiction, even partial, tips it to FALSE.

Want to Keep Practising?

The True/False/Not Given question type rewards one thing above everything else: disciplined reading. Not general knowledge, not guesswork. Just careful, focused attention to what the text actually says. That’s a skill you can build with the right material and the right feedback.

The daily coaching programme at richardg.xyz gives you structured practice, answer keys, and direct feedback on exactly these kinds of tasks. If that sounds useful, here’s where to find out more.