IELTS True False Not Given: Rules, Tips & Practice Questions
True False Not Given is the question type that IELTS students find hardest, and you will almost certainly meet it in the Reading test. You read a short part of a text and decide whether a statement agrees with it, contradicts it, or is not mentioned at all.
The good news: it gets much easier once you know exactly what each answer means. Below you will find the rules, the one difference that causes most mistakes, and 45 practice questions with explanations, so you can see why each answer is right.
What True, False and Not Given mean
Compare each statement only with what the text says. Your own knowledge does not count, even if you know the statement is true in real life.
| Answer | Choose it when | Example |
|---|---|---|
| TRUE | The statement agrees with the text. It may use different words, but the meaning is the same. | Text: The shop opens at 8 am. Statement: You can buy something at 8.15 am. |
| FALSE | The text says the opposite, or something that cannot be true at the same time. | Text: The shop opens at 8 am. Statement: The shop opens at 9 am. |
| NOT GIVEN | The text does not say whether it is true or not. There is simply no information. | Text: The shop opens at 8 am. Statement: The shop is busiest in the morning. |
In the General Training test the statements follow the order of the text, so the answer to question 3 comes after the answer to question 2. That helps you find the right place quickly.
False or Not Given? The difference that costs most marks
Most wrong answers come from mixing up these two. Ask yourself one question: does the text tell me the statement is wrong? If yes, it is FALSE. If the text simply does not say, it is NOT GIVEN.
Registration is free for residents of the city.
“Non-residents have to pay to join.” → NOT GIVEN. The text tells you about residents only. Non-residents might pay, or might not; you cannot know.
“Residents have to pay to join.” → FALSE. The text says the opposite.
Watch out for small words that change the meaning: all, most, some, only, always, usually, aims to, may. If the text says a company aims to reply within 24 hours, you do not know that it always does.
True False Not Given practice
Read the short text, then decide about the statement. After each answer you will see the correct one and why, while the next question appears. Each round picks 15 of 45 questions at random, so play a few rounds: everyday notices, workplace rules and general-interest texts, just like the General Training test. Tip: press T, F or N on your keyboard.
Now try a full exam-style task
In the test the information is spread over a longer text, like the one below. It is a typical General Training Section 2 text about work. Give yourself about 5 minutes, write down your answers, and then open How to answer to check them step by step.
Questions 1–7
Read the text below and answer Questions 1–7.
Brightwell Logistics: guidelines for working from home
Since March, Brightwell Logistics has allowed office staff to work from home for up to two days a week. Staff who wish to do so must first complete a short online course on data security, and their manager must agree to the days they choose. Once agreed, these days should stay the same each week, so that teams know when colleagues will be in the office.
Employees working from home are expected to be available by phone and email between 10 am and 3 pm, the company’s core hours. Outside these hours, they may organise their working day as they wish, provided they work their contracted number of hours.
The company will provide a laptop and, on request, a second screen. Staff are responsible for their own internet connection, although those whose connection is too slow for video calls may apply for a contribution of up to £15 a month towards a faster service. Office chairs and desks are not provided.
The arrangement will be reviewed every six months. Managers may ask an employee to return to the office full-time if the quality of their work falls, but they must first discuss the problem with the employee and give them a month to improve.
Questions 1–7
Do the following statements agree with the information given in the text?
In boxes 1–7 on your answer sheet, write
How to answer: step by step
- NOT GIVEN The text says the scheme started since March, but never says why. A reason sounds likely, which is exactly why this is a trap: you cannot know.
- TRUE Must first complete a short online course on data security. Do some training is a paraphrase of complete a course, and first matches before.
- FALSE Once agreed, these days should stay the same each week. Choosing different days each week is the opposite.
- NOT GIVEN The text says staff choose their days and must keep them, but not which days most people choose. Mondays and Fridays are not mentioned.
- FALSE They must be available between 10 am and 3 pm only. Outside these hours, they may organise their working day as they wish, so not throughout the day.
- TRUE Staff whose connection is too slow for video calls may apply for a contribution of up to £15 a month. A contribution is help with the cost. Note the small words: it is help with the cost, not the full cost.
- FALSE Managers must first discuss the problem with the employee and give them a month to improve. So the return is not immediate. The word immediately is what makes this statement false.
Did you notice? The answers follow the order of the text, the TRUE answers use different words from the text, and two of the three FALSE answers turn on one small word: different and immediately.
6 tips for True False Not Given questions
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1
Read the statement first
Underline the key words, especially names, numbers and dates. They help you find the right part of the text.
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2
Find the matching sentence
The statements follow the order of the text, so you rarely need to read the whole passage again.
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3
Look for synonyms, not the same words
The text says at no extra cost, the statement says free. If the exact words of the statement appear in the text, check the meaning carefully: it may be a trap.
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4
Check the small words
All, some, only, always, usually and may can turn a TRUE into a FALSE or NOT GIVEN.
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5
Don't use what you know
If the text does not say it, the answer is NOT GIVEN, even if the statement is a well-known fact.
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6
Don't get stuck
If you cannot find the information after a minute, NOT GIVEN is often the answer. Choose it, mark the question and come back if you have time.
True False Not Given vs Yes No Not Given
They work the same way, but the question is different. True False Not Given asks about facts in the text. Yes No Not Given asks about the writer's opinions or claims, so you decide whether the statement agrees with what the writer thinks. Yes No Not Given appears mostly in the Academic test, while General Training texts usually use True False Not Given.
True False Not Given FAQ
Quick answers to the questions students ask most.
What is the difference between False and Not Given?
FALSE means the text says the opposite of the statement. NOT GIVEN means the text does not say anything about it, so you cannot tell whether it is true or false.
Can I write T, F and NG instead of the full words?
Yes. On the answer sheet you can write TRUE, FALSE and NOT GIVEN or the short forms T, F and NG. Just do not write YES or NO, because those belong to a different question type.
Are True False Not Given answers in order?
Yes. The statements follow the order of the information in the text, so the answer to each question comes after the previous one.
Is there always at least one True, one False and one Not Given?
Usually there is, but it is not guaranteed. Do not change a correct answer just because you have not used one of the options yet.
Should I use my own knowledge?
No. Only the text counts. If the text does not give the information, the answer is NOT GIVEN, even if you know the statement is true in real life.
Want to know the other question types too? See all 11 IELTS Reading question types with tips.
Ready for the whole test? Free IELTS General Reading practice test with answers