True / False / Not Given is the single most-failed IELTS Reading question type — and the difference between Band 6.5 and Band 7.5 for many candidates. It is one of all 11 IELTS Reading question types, and the traps it uses recur across the test, so the patterns you learn here also appear in our guide to the 5 common IELTS Reading traps. If your real problem is finishing on time rather than accuracy, start with the 20-minutes-per-passage timing system, then layer the decision rule below on top. For the complete Reading skill set, see the pillar guide on how to improve your IELTS Reading band score.
What True / False / Not Given actually tests
True/False/Not Given is not a comprehension test. It is a precision test. The question is not "do you understand this passage?" — it is "can you determine, with surgical precision, whether this specific statement is explicitly confirmed, explicitly contradicted, or simply not addressed by the passage text?"
This distinction matters because most IELTS students approach T/F/NG as a general reading comprehension task. They read the statement, read the passage, develop a general sense of the topic, and then choose an answer that feels right. This method fails, especially on NOT GIVEN questions, because "feels right" is not the criterion. The criterion is: what does the passage explicitly say?
The three outcomes are strictly defined. TRUE: the passage contains information that directly confirms the statement. FALSE: the passage contains information that directly contradicts the statement — not implies, not suggests, but explicitly contradicts. NOT GIVEN: the passage does not address the statement at all. You cannot confirm it; you cannot deny it; the information simply is not there.
Students who understand this distinction intellectually but still get NOT GIVEN questions wrong are usually falling into one of three traps — which are covered in Strategy 04.
The crucial difference: T/F/NG vs Y/N/NG
True/False/Not Given and Yes/No/Not Given look identical in structure but test completely different things. Confusing them — or applying the wrong logic — leads to systematic errors.
T/F/NG questions are based on factual information in the passage. The statements describe objective facts, data, research findings, events, or descriptions. You are checking whether those facts are confirmed, contradicted, or absent in the text. Example: "The study was conducted over a period of five years." — you look for a fact about study duration.
Y/N/NG questions are based on the writer's views, opinions, or claims. The statements describe positions or arguments attributed to the author. You are checking whether the author explicitly holds, rejects, or does not address that view. Example: "The author believes government intervention is the most effective solution." — you look for the author's stated opinion about government intervention, not facts about whether it works.
The answer sheets use different labels — TRUE/FALSE/NOT GIVEN versus YES/NO/NOT GIVEN. If you write TRUE on a Y/N/NG answer, it will be marked wrong regardless of whether your reasoning was correct. Always check which question type you are answering before you write an answer.
The four-step strategy for every statement
A consistent process eliminates the guesswork that causes most T/F/NG errors. Apply these four steps to every statement in order:
Step 1 — Identify the key information in the statement. What specific fact, relationship, quantity, or claim is the statement making? Underline the testable element. For "The population of the city doubled between 1900 and 1950," the testable element is: population doubled, 1900–1950.
Step 2 — Locate the relevant section of the passage using keywords from the statement. T/F/NG questions follow the passage order — the answer to question 2 appears after the answer to question 1. Use this to narrow your scan area.
Step 3 — Read only the relevant section. Resist the urge to re-read the whole passage. Compare the statement to the specific passage text, word by word if needed.
Step 4 — Apply the strict rule. If the passage explicitly confirms all elements: TRUE. If the passage explicitly contradicts one or more elements: FALSE. If the passage does not address the statement: NOT GIVEN. If you cannot find the relevant section after a thorough scan: NOT GIVEN.
The critical discipline is Step 4. Students waste time looking for a reason to choose TRUE or FALSE when the answer is NOT GIVEN. Set a time limit: if you cannot locate the relevant passage section in 90 seconds, mark NOT GIVEN and move on.
The three traps Cambridge uses every time
Cambridge IELTS question writers use three specific trap patterns in T/F/NG questions. Recognising them in advance turns what feels like uncertainty into a reliable process.
Trap 1 — Partial Truth. The statement is mostly correct but contains one element that is wrong or absent. The passage confirms part of the statement, which makes TRUE feel correct. But one key detail contradicts or is missing. Always check every element of the statement individually, not the statement as a whole impression.
Example: "The researchers found that sleep deprivation affected both memory and physical coordination in all participants." If the passage says it affected memory and physical coordination but only in participants over 40, the answer is FALSE — one element ("all participants") is contradicted.
Trap 2 — Extreme Language. The statement uses absolute words — "always," "never," "all," "no," "only," "every" — when the passage uses qualified words — "usually," "rarely," "most," "few," "mainly." Extremes are almost always false. If you see an absolute in the statement, look specifically for a qualifier in the passage. If the passage says "most researchers" and the statement says "all researchers," the answer is FALSE.
Trap 3 — Outside Scope. The statement sounds plausible and is related to the passage topic, but the specific information it asserts is never addressed in the text. This is the most frequently missed trap because it produces NOT GIVEN answers that feel like they should be TRUE. The rule: if the passage does not explicitly say it, it is NOT GIVEN — regardless of whether it seems logically implied or true in the real world.
How to practise True / False / Not Given until it is automatic
T/F/NG competence is a trainable skill, not an innate ability. Most Band 6.5 students who struggle with NOT GIVEN can reach Band 7.5 accuracy within three to four weeks of deliberate practice — but only if the practice includes analysis, not just answer-checking.
The method: after completing a T/F/NG section, do not just check how many you got right. For every question — right or wrong — identify the exact passage sentence that determines the answer. If you answered FALSE, which sentence explicitly contradicted the statement? If you answered NOT GIVEN, confirm that the topic of the statement genuinely does not appear in the text. This analysis takes 10 extra minutes per session and produces four times the learning compared to moving straight to the next test.
Deliberate trap exposure: practise with AI-generated T/F/NG questions where the trap type is identified after each question — Partial Truth, Extreme Language, or Outside Scope. Knowing which trap you fell into is more useful than knowing you got it wrong. It trains pattern recognition that generalises to every future T/F/NG set.
Frequency: three to four dedicated T/F/NG sessions per week, analysing each answer in full, is enough to move from Band 6 to Band 7.5 accuracy in this question type within four weeks.