Top Ten Tips for True, False, Not Given

Perhaps the IELTS Reading question type that causes the most brain freeze amongst test takers is the dreaded True, False, Not Given. The main confusion usually revolves around the difference between false and not given questions, but even true statements will sometimes be deceptive. Take a look at the Top Ten Tips for being successful with the trickiest IELTS questions of them all!


1. Read the whole question. Do NOT focus on key words. Think about the meaning of the question.

2. Be especially careful with words such as “often” and “some”. They can change the meaning of the question dramatically.

3. Be careful with questions beginning “The writer says”: here you need to think about the writer’s opinions and not about facts.

4. The questions will follow the order of the text: if you can’t find answer 12, you know it must be somewhere between 11 and 13.

5. Do not spend too long on any one question. If the answer is “Not Given”, there may be nothing for you to find.

6. One possibility is to mark all the “True” answers and all the “False” answers and then guess “Not Given” for the others.

7. False statements will be directly contradicted in the text.

8. Conversely, True statements will be directly supported in the text as well.

9. Be aware of your time management throughout the exam, as there will be three reading passages to get through in only one hour.

10. Last but not least, follow the instructions and fill out the answer sheet as your have been asked to do.