IELTS Reading True False Not Given (T/F/NG) trips up students who treat it like a general knowledge quiz. You must decide whether a statement matches the passage (True), contradicts it (False), or cannot be confirmed from the text (Not Given) — nothing from outside the passage counts.

Parent guide: Cambridge IELTS reading practice · Hub: Cambridge IELTS online tests.

True vs False vs Not Given

Answer	Meaning	Quick check
True	Statement agrees with the passage (same idea, may paraphrase)	You can point to supporting words
False	Statement conflicts with something the passage says	Opposite fact or clear contradiction
Not Given	Passage neither confirms nor denies the statement	No evidence either way

Yes / No / Not Given uses the same logic but asks about the writer’s views or claims, not general facts. Academic papers often use Y/N/NG; factual passages use T/F/NG.

The mistake that costs bands

Students pick False when the answer is Not Given. False needs a direct contradiction. If the passage simply does not mention a detail, it is Not Given — even if you “know” the real world disagrees.

Example pattern:

• Passage: “The museum opened in 1998.”
• Statement: “The museum was renovated in 2010.” → Not Given (no renovation mentioned).
• Statement: “The museum opened before 2000.” → True.
• Statement: “The museum opened in 2005.” → False.

Step-by-step method

1. Underline keywords in the statement (names, dates, absolutes like all, never, only).
2. Locate the relevant paragraph — statements usually follow passage order.
3. Compare statement to exact phrase — watch for synonyms and negation.
4. If you cannot find support or contradiction → Not Given.
5. Never use outside knowledge or “probably”.

Watch for paraphrase traps

Examiners swap:

• expensive ↔ costly
• not uncommon ↔ fairly frequent (double negatives)
• majority ↔ most
• claim ↔ argue ↔ suggest

Train with one Cambridge passage: list every paraphrase pair you find between questions and text.

Cambridge practice drill

Session	Task
Day 1	One passage — only T/F/NG questions, untimed, justify each answer with a line from text
Day 2	Same passage — 15 min time cap
Day 3	New passage — mix T/F/NG with other types under full Reading time

Log errors as False vs NG confusion or paraphrase miss — fix the pattern, not random questions.

Frequently asked questions

Is Not Given the same as “the passage doesn’t say”?

Yes — if the text is silent on that exact claim and does not imply the opposite, choose Not Given.

Are T/F/NG questions in order?

Usually yes in the passage — use that to scan efficiently.

Does General Training use T/F/NG?

Yes — both Academic and GT Reading include this type. Use the correct module’s papers — GT guide.

How does this relate to band 7?

Band 7 readers miss fewer precision questions — pair with band 7 reading tips.

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