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IELTS True False Not Given: Complete Strategy + 10 Worked Examples (2026)

12 min read
2026-06-11
IELTS True False Not Given: Complete Strategy + 10 Worked Examples (2026)

On this page

  1. The single rule you need
  2. Exact definitions: True, False, Not Given
  3. 5 traps Cambridge uses
  4. 7-step answering strategy
  5. 10 worked examples
  6. Yes / No / Not Given variant
  7. How AI feedback finds your TFNG errors
  8. FAQ

IELTS True / False / Not Given: Complete Strategy + 10 Worked Examples (2026)

True/False/Not Given is consistently the question type candidates lose the most marks on in IELTS Reading - not because it is difficult English, but because they apply the wrong rule. This guide gives you the one rule that makes every TFNG decision mechanical, the 5 traps Cambridge uses to derail you, a repeatable 7-step strategy, and 10 fully worked examples.

The single rule you need

The TFNG Master Rule

TRUE

The passage explicitly states the same information as the statement.

FALSE

The passage explicitly contradicts the statement.

NOT GIVEN

The passage does not mention the specific claim in the statement.

The key word in every case is explicitly. Never infer. Never use general knowledge. Only what the passage directly states counts.

Most candidates lose marks because they infer instead of locate. If the passage mentions a related topic but does not make the specific claim in the statement, the answer is Not Given - not False. False requires the passage to directly contradict the statement. This distinction is where the majority of TFNG errors occur.

Exact definitions: True, False, Not Given

TRUE

The statement agrees with a claim the passage explicitly makes. The wording may be paraphrased (synonyms, different structure) but the meaning must match exactly - not just be consistent with general knowledge or common sense.

Passage says: The Amazon rainforest produces approximately 20% of the world's oxygen.

Statement: The Amazon accounts for around a fifth of the Earth's oxygen supply.

Answer: TRUE — 20% = a fifth; produces oxygen = accounts for... oxygen supply. Exact same claim, paraphrased.

FALSE

The statement contradicts what the passage explicitly says. There must be a direct clash between the statement and the passage - not just a difference in emphasis or a point the passage does not address.

Passage says: The study found that participants who slept fewer than six hours performed worse on memory tests than those who slept eight hours.

Statement: According to the study, participants who slept six hours performed equally well as those who slept eight hours.

Answer: FALSE — The passage says 'fewer than six hours performed worse'. The statement says 'performed equally well'. Direct contradiction.

NOT GIVEN

The passage does not provide enough information to confirm or deny the statement. The topic may appear in the passage, but the specific claim in the statement is not addressed. Do not bring in outside knowledge.

Passage says: Electric vehicles produce no direct emissions during operation, making them cleaner than petrol cars in urban environments.

Statement: Electric vehicles are cheaper to manufacture than petrol cars.

Answer: NOT GIVEN — The passage discusses emissions, not manufacturing costs. The topic (electric vehicles) is there; the specific claim (manufacturing cost) is not.

5 traps Cambridge uses in TFNG questions

TFNG questions are carefully designed to mislead. Knowing these five traps in advance means you can spot and sidestep them rather than falling for them under time pressure.

Trap 1: Topic match, claim mismatch

The passage mentions the same subject as the statement but does not address the specific claim. Candidates see the familiar topic and mark True. The answer is Not Given.

Passage: Coffee is grown in over 70 countries. Statement: Coffee is the world's most traded commodity. Answer: NOT GIVEN (trade ranking is not mentioned).

Trap 2: Partial match

Part of the statement matches the passage; another part does not appear. Candidates focus on the matching part and overlook the unaddressed claim.

Passage: Regular exercise reduces the risk of heart disease. Statement: Regular exercise reduces the risk of heart disease and diabetes. Answer: NOT GIVEN (diabetes is not mentioned).

Trap 3: Comparison reversal

The passage compares A and B; the statement reverses which is greater. This is False - the easiest trap to spot once you know to check directionality in comparisons.

Passage: Country A spends more on healthcare than Country B. Statement: Country B spends more on healthcare than Country A. Answer: FALSE.

Trap 4: Absolute vs qualified

The passage uses a qualifier ('most', 'some', 'usually'); the statement removes it and makes an absolute claim. This changes the meaning from True to False.

Passage: Most species of sea turtle are endangered. Statement: All species of sea turtle are endangered. Answer: FALSE (most ≠ all).

Trap 5: General knowledge temptation

The statement sounds factually correct based on your outside knowledge, but the passage simply does not address it. Your job is to evaluate against the passage only. Mark Not Given.

Passage: (About climate change impacts on coastal cities). Statement: Carbon dioxide is the main greenhouse gas. Answer: NOT GIVEN even if you know this is true - the passage does not say it.

7-step answering strategy

Use these steps every time. The strategy is designed to be fast - IELTS Reading is 60 minutes for 40 questions, so each TFNG question should take no more than 60-90 seconds.

1

Read the statement once, slowly

Identify the specific claim being made. Underline the key noun and verb. This is what you are looking for in the passage.

2

Locate the relevant part of the passage

Use keywords from the statement (or their synonyms) to find the corresponding section of the passage. Do not read the whole passage again - scan for the keyword area.

3

Read only that section

Read 2-3 sentences around the keyword match. Resist the urge to read the whole paragraph unless you cannot find a match.

4

Ask: does the passage make this specific claim?

If yes, go to step 5. If the passage mentions the topic but not the specific claim, mark Not Given and move on.

5

Compare the statement to the passage word-by-word

Check for changes in quantity (all vs most), direction (A greater than B vs B greater than A), and time (always vs sometimes). These are where False hides.

6

Apply the master rule

Passage explicitly says the same thing = True. Passage explicitly says the opposite = False. Passage does not address the specific claim = Not Given.

7

Move on - do not dwell

If you have spent more than 90 seconds and are still unsure, guess Not Given (it is statistically the most common trap answer) and move to the next question. Time lost on one question costs you more elsewhere.

10 worked examples

Work through each example before reading the answer. The explanations show exactly which word in the passage or statement determines the answer.

Example 1
Passage extract: The Eiffel Tower was completed in 1889 and was the tallest man-made structure in the world at the time of its construction.
Statement: The Eiffel Tower was the tallest building in the world when it was built.
Answer: TRUE'Completed in 1889... tallest man-made structure... at the time of its construction' matches 'tallest building... when it was built'. Both say the same thing in different words.
Example 2
Passage extract: Studies suggest that children who read for pleasure score higher on literacy assessments than those who do not.
Statement: Reading for pleasure has no effect on children's literacy scores.
Answer: FALSEThe passage says reading for pleasure leads to higher scores. The statement says it has 'no effect'. Direct contradiction.
Example 3
Passage extract: Urban cycling has increased dramatically in Copenhagen over the past two decades, with city planners crediting dedicated infrastructure investment.
Statement: Copenhagen has the highest cycling rate of any city in Europe.
Answer: NOT GIVENThe passage confirms cycling has increased in Copenhagen, but says nothing about how Copenhagen compares to other European cities. The ranking is not addressed.
Example 4
Passage extract: Some researchers argue that social media use is linked to increased anxiety in teenagers, though others dispute the causal relationship.
Statement: All researchers agree that social media causes anxiety in teenagers.
Answer: FALSETrap 4 (absolute vs qualified). The passage says 'some researchers argue' and 'others dispute' - clear disagreement among researchers. The statement says 'all researchers agree'. Direct contradiction.
Example 5
Passage extract: The average global temperature has risen by approximately 1.1°C since the pre-industrial period.
Statement: Global temperatures have risen by more than one degree Celsius since the industrial era began.
Answer: TRUE1.1°C > 1°C, so 'more than one degree' is satisfied. 'Pre-industrial period' and 'industrial era began' refer to the same point. Paraphrased but meaning is the same.
Example 6
Passage extract: Honeybees are responsible for pollinating roughly one third of the food crops consumed in the United States.
Statement: Honeybees pollinate the majority of food crops consumed in the United States.
Answer: FALSEOne third (33%) is not a majority (more than 50%). Trap 4 (quantity change). Direct contradiction.
Example 7
Passage extract: The Great Wall of China stretches over 21,000 kilometres when all its branches and sections are included.
Statement: The Great Wall of China is visible from space with the naked eye.
Answer: NOT GIVENTrap 5 (general knowledge). The passage discusses the wall's length, not visibility from space. Even if you know the answer from outside knowledge, the passage does not address it.
Example 8
Passage extract: In Japan, the average commute time in major cities is approximately 48 minutes each way, longer than in most other developed nations.
Statement: Japanese workers spend more time commuting than workers in most developed countries.
Answer: TRUE'Longer than in most other developed nations' directly matches 'more time commuting than workers in most developed countries'. Clear paraphrase, same meaning.
Example 9
Passage extract: The Mars rover Perseverance landed in Jezero Crater in February 2021 and has since been collecting rock samples.
Statement: Perseverance was the first rover to land on Mars.
Answer: NOT GIVENTrap 1 (topic match, claim mismatch). The passage confirms Perseverance landed on Mars. It says nothing about whether it was the first rover to do so.
Example 10
Passage extract: Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon fell by 11% in 2023 compared to the previous year, according to government data.
Statement: Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon increased in 2023.
Answer: FALSEThe passage states deforestation 'fell by 11%'. The statement says it 'increased'. Trap 3 (direction reversal). Direct contradiction.

Yes / No / Not Given - the same rule, different label

Some IELTS Reading sections use Yes/No/Not Given instead of True/False/Not Given. The logic is identical - only the labelling changes. Yes = True, No = False, Not Given = Not Given. The same strategy, the same traps, and the same master rule apply. The distinction Cambridge draws is that TFNG is used for factual passages and YNNG is used for passages presenting views or opinions, but from an answering strategy perspective there is no practical difference.

YES

=

TRUE

NO

=

FALSE

NOT GIVEN

=

NOT GIVEN

How AI feedback finds your TFNG error pattern

Most candidates make the same TFNG mistake repeatedly without realising it - they consistently confuse Not Given with False, or they fall for the topic-match trap every time. Because the error pattern is consistent, one reviewed Reading mock test can identify it.

When you take an IELTS Reading mock test on this site, the AI feedback engine analyses your wrong answers across all question types and shows you which types you underperform on. If TFNG is your weak spot, it will tell you - and the breakdown will show whether your errors cluster around Not Given (the most common mistake) or around True-False confusion. That is faster than doing five practice papers and counting your own mistakes.

Take a free IELTS Reading mock test and find your question-type weak spots.

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Frequently Asked Questions

False means the passage explicitly contradicts the statement - there is a direct clash between what the passage says and what the statement claims. Not Given means the passage simply does not address the specific claim in the statement. The topic may appear in the passage, but the exact claim is not confirmed or denied. If the passage is silent on the point, the answer is Not Given, not False.

Not Given is statistically the most common wrong answer in TFNG sections, so guessing it randomly is not a reliable strategy. However, if you have spent more than 90 seconds on a question and are genuinely undecided between False and Not Given, lean toward Not Given - the most common error candidates make is marking Not Given as False when they cannot find an explicit contradiction in the passage.

Never. Your answer must be based solely on what the passage states explicitly. A statement can be factually true in the real world but still be Not Given if the passage does not address it. This is one of the most common TFNG mistakes and Cambridge specifically designs traps that rely on candidates importing outside knowledge.

Typically 5-8 TFNG questions appear in a standard IELTS Academic Reading paper across its three passages. Not every paper includes TFNG - some papers replace it with Yes/No/Not Given, which follows the same logic. The total number of questions in the Reading paper is always 40.

The question type appears in both, but Academic passages tend to be longer and more complex, making it harder to locate the relevant section quickly. The answering strategy is identical. General Training passages tend to use clearer, more direct language, which can make the True/False distinction slightly easier to spot.

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