# IELTS True False Not Given: the rule that decides every item

True, False or Not given turns on one question: does the passage state it, contradict it, or say nothing about it? The rule, three worked items with a passage, and the mistakes that cost bands.

## Exercises

Exercises marked (free) are open to everyone; a free account opens the rest.

- [The problems of getting around the city of Dar es Salaam, questions 14-18](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/the-problems-of-getting-around-the-city-of-dar-es-salaam) (free)
- [The problems and benefits created by the spread of the water hyacinth in Kenya, questions 1-7](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/the-problems-and-benefits-created-by-the-spread-of-the-water-hyacinth-in-kenya) (free)
- [The kākāpō, questions 1-6](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/the-kakapo) (free)
- [How tennis rackets have changed, questions 1-7](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/how-tennis-rackets-have-changed) (free)
- [Archaeologists discover evidence of prehistoric island settlers, questions 1-7](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/archaeologists-discover-evidence-of-prehistoric-island-settlers) (free)
- [The impact of climate change on butterflies in Britain, questions 1-6](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/the-impact-of-climate-change-on-butterflies-in-britain) (free)
- [An ideal city, questions 27-33](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/an-ideal-city) (free)
- [Bats to the rescue, questions 1-6](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/bats-to-the-rescue) (free)
- [Why we need to protect polar bears, questions 1-7](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/why-we-need-to-protect-polar-bears) (free)
- [The White Horse of Uffington, questions 1-8](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/the-white-horse-of-uffington) (free)
- [Roman shipbuilding and navigation, questions 1-5](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/roman-shipbuilding-and-navigation) (free)
- [Plant 'thermometer' triggers springtime growth by measuring night-time heat, questions 27-32](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/plant-thermometer-triggers-springtime-growth-by-measuring-night-time-heat) (free)
- [Henry Moore (1898-1986), questions 1-7](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/henry-moore-1898-1986) (free)
- [Silbo Gomero - the whistle 'language' of the Canary Islands, questions 14-19](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/silbo-gomero-the-whistle-language-of-the-canary-islands) (free)
- [Alexander Henderson (1831-1913), questions 1-8](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/alexander-henderson-1831-1913) (free)
- [Marine Debris Impact Study, questions 27-33](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/marine-debris-impact-study) (free)
- [Cutty Sark: the fastest sailing ship of all time, questions 1-8](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/cutty-sark-the-fastest-sailing-ship-of-all-time) (free)
- [Cork, questions 1-5](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/cork) (free)
- [THE FALKIRK WHEEL, questions 14-19](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/the-falkirk-wheel) (free)
- [Raising the Mary Rose, questions 1-4](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/raising-the-mary-rose) (free)
- [Great Migrations, questions 14-18](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/great-migrations) (free)
- [Research using twins, questions 1-4](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/research-using-twins) (free)
- [Stepwells, questions 1-5](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/stepwells) (free)
- [William Henry Perkin, questions 1-7](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/william-henry-perkin) (free)
- [The life and work of Marie Curie, questions 1-6](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/the-life-and-work-of-marie-curie) (free)
- [Collecting Ant Specimens, questions 27-30](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/collecting-ant-specimens) (free)
- [Ant Intelligence, questions 1-6](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/ant-intelligence) (free)
- [European Forests: Challenges, Functions, and Policy Responses, questions 27-33](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/european-forests-challenges-functions-and-policy-responses) (free)
- [Pulling strings to build pyramids, questions 1-7](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/pulling-strings-to-build-pyramids) (free)
- [Endless Harvest, questions 14-20](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/endless-harvest) (free)
- [What's so funny?, questions 14-20](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/whats-so-funny) (free)
- [The effects of light on plant and animal species, questions 27-33](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/the-effects-of-light-on-plant-and-animal-species) (free)
- [Children's Ideas About Rainforests, questions 1-8](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/childrens-ideas-about-rainforests) (free)
- [How Much Higher? How Much Faster?, questions 1-6](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/how-much-higher-how-much-faster) (free)
- [THE DEPARTMENT OF ETHNOGRAPHY, questions 1-6](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/the-department-of-ethnography) (free)
- [SECRETS OF THE SWARM, questions 1-6](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/secrets-of-the-swarm) (free)
- [South Pole Adventurer, questions 1-8](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/south-pole-adventurer) (free)
- [The Hidden Histories of Exploration Exhibition, questions 1-7](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/the-hidden-histories-of-exploration-exhibition) (free)
- [The Davies Sisters, questions 8-13](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/the-davies-sisters)
- [Do animals dream?, questions 6-13](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/do-animals-dream)
- [Saving the saiga, questions 8-13](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/saving-the-saiga)
- [Manatees, questions 7-13](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/manatees)
- [Frozen Food, questions 8-13](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/frozen-food)
- [Georgia O'Keeffe, questions 8-13](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/georgia-okeeffe)
- [The Industrial Revolution in Britain, questions 8-13](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/the-industrial-revolution-in-britain)
- [Urban farming, questions 8-13](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/urban-farming)
- [Stonehenge, questions 9-13](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/stonehenge)
- [The development of the London underground railway, questions 7-13](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/the-development-of-the-london-underground-railway)
- [The Dead Sea Scrolls, questions 6-13](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/the-dead-sea-scrolls)
- [The thylacine, questions 6-13](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/the-thylacine)
- [Timur Gareyev - blindfold chess champion, questions 33-36](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/timur-gareyev-blindfold-chess-champion)
- [How to make wise decisions, questions 36-40](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/how-to-make-wise-decisions)
- [Roman tunnels, questions 7-10](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/roman-tunnels)
- [Nutmeg - a valuable spice, questions 5-7](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/nutmeg-a-valuable-spice)
- [The return of the huarango, questions 9-13](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/the-return-of-the-huarango)
- [THE IMPORTANCE OF CHILDREN'S PLAY, questions 9-13](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/the-importance-of-childrens-play)
- [Why companies should welcome disorder, questions 38-40](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/why-companies-should-welcome-disorder)
- [The secret of staying young, questions 9-13](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/the-secret-of-staying-young)
- [Why zoos are good, questions 18-22](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/why-zoos-are-good)
- [Case Study: Tourism New Zealand website, questions 8-13](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/case-study-tourism-new-zealand-website)
- [Bringing cinnamon to Europe, questions 10-13](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/bringing-cinnamon-to-europe)
- [The coconut palm, questions 9-13](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/the-coconut-palm)
- [COLLECTING AS A HOBBY, questions 22-26](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/collecting-as-a-hobby)
- [The Lost City, questions 21-24](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/the-lost-city)
- [The History of Glass, questions 9-13](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/the-history-of-glass)
- [Crop-growing skyscrapers, questions 8-13](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/crop-growing-skyscrapers)
- [THE STORY OF SILK, questions 10-13](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/the-story-of-silk)
- [An Introduction to Film Sound, questions 19-23](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/an-introduction-to-film-sound)
- [EUROPEAN TRANSPORT SYSTEMS 1990-2010, questions 22-26](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/european-transport-systems-1990-2010)
- [Tea and the Industrial Revolution, questions 8-13](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/tea-and-the-industrial-revolution)
- [The Context, Meaning and Scope of Tourism, questions 5-10](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/the-context-meaning-and-scope-of-tourism)
- [Autumn leaves, questions 23-25](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/autumn-leaves)
- [The megafires of California, questions 7-13](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/the-megafires-of-california)
- [The history of the tortoise, questions 31-33](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/the-history-of-the-tortoise)
- [Venus in transit, questions 22-26](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/venus-in-transit)
- [Information theory - the big idea, questions 38-40](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/information-theory-the-big-idea)
- [The Development of Museums, questions 37-40](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/the-development-of-museums)
- [AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL IN THE USA, questions 20-26](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/air-traffic-control-in-the-usa)
- [Sheet glass manufacture: the float process, questions 9-13](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/sheet-glass-manufacture-the-float-process)
- [The Nature of Genius, questions 19-26](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/the-nature-of-genius)
- [EDUCATING PSYCHE, questions 31-36](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/educating-psyche)
- [DELIVERING THE GOODS, questions 18-22](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/delivering-the-goods)
- [Advantages of public transport, questions 6-10](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/advantages-of-public-transport)
- [Numeration, questions 32-40](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/numeration)
- [Johnson's Dictionary, questions 8-13](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/johnsons-dictionary)
- [Nature or Nurture?, questions 23-26](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/nature-or-nurture)
- [BAKELITE, questions 11-13](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/bakelite)
- [The Birth of Scientific English, questions 35-37](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/the-birth-of-scientific-english)
- [Early Childhood Education, questions 11-13](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/early-childhood-education)
- [The Return of Artificial Intelligence, questions 32-37](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/the-return-of-artificial-intelligence)
- [Flawed Beauty: the problem with toughened glass, questions 24-26](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/flawed-beauty-the-problem-with-toughened-glass)
- [HIGHS & LOWS, questions 29-34](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/highs-and-lows)
- [The Dover Bronze-Age Boat, questions 6-9](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/the-dover-bronze-age-boat)
- [Whale Strandings, questions 22-26](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/whale-strandings)
- [Australia's Lost Giants, questions 23-26](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/australias-lost-giants)
- [The Phoenicians: an almost forgotten people, questions 9-13](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/the-phoenicians-an-almost-forgotten-people)
- [The Hollywood Film Industry, questions 20-23](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/the-hollywood-film-industry)
- [The Rise of Rooftop Farms, questions 5-8](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/the-rise-of-rooftop-farms)

## The short answer

True / False / Not given appears in IELTS Reading, in both Academic and General Training. You read a statement and decide whether the passage states the same thing (True), states the opposite (False), or does not deal with it at all (Not given). Each item is worth one mark out of 40, and there is no penalty for a wrong answer. The whole type turns on one distinction: False means the passage contradicts the statement, while Not given means the passage is silent.

## Key facts

- **Paper:** Reading
- **Module:** Academic and General Training
- **Marks:** 1 per item, out of 40
- **Answer written as:** TRUE, FALSE or NOT GIVEN
- **What it tests:** Recognizing specific information given in the text
- **Penalty for a wrong answer:** None

Formats, timings and marking come from IELTS's own test-format pages, checked 27 September 2026.

## How it's scored

IELTS describes this type as testing your ability to recognize specific information given in the text. That wording matters: you are matching a statement against what the passage says, not against what you know about the world. A statement can be obviously true in real life and still be Not given here.

Write the answer in the form the instructions ask for. TRUE, FALSE and NOT GIVEN are accepted in capitals or lower case, but T, F and NG are not the same thing as the words, so write the words unless the paper tells you otherwise.

> False and Not given are the only pair people confuse. Ask one question: to mark it False, can you point at the sentence that says the opposite? If you cannot point at it, it is Not given.

## True / False / Not given examples

Worked examples written for this page. Answer each one before you open the model response: memorizing a response is scored as an irrelevant answer in the real test.

**Example 1 -- the statement the passage contradicts**

> The city's night bus network was introduced in 2016 with four routes, all of them radiating from the central station. Ridership grew quickly, and by 2019 the council had added six more routes. A review that year found that most passengers were hospitality workers finishing shifts after midnight, rather than the late-night revelers the network had been designed for. The council kept the network but moved two routes to serve the hospital district.

Prompt: The night bus network was designed for shift workers. True, False or Not given?

- A. True
- B. False
- C. Not given
Answer: B.

Model response: False. The passage says the network had been designed for late-night revelers, and that shift workers turned out to be most of the passengers. That is a contradiction, and you can point at the sentence.

Why it scores: False needs a sentence that says the opposite. Here the phrase "rather than the late-night revelers the network had been designed for" is that sentence, so it cannot be Not given.

**Example 2 -- the statement the passage never makes**

> The city's night bus network was introduced in 2016 with four routes, all of them radiating from the central station. Ridership grew quickly, and by 2019 the council had added six more routes. A review that year found that most passengers were hospitality workers finishing shifts after midnight, rather than the late-night revelers the network had been designed for. The council kept the network but moved two routes to serve the hospital district.

Prompt: The night bus network runs at a profit. True, False or Not given?

- A. True
- B. False
- C. Not given
Answer: C.

Model response: Not given. The passage talks about routes, ridership and who uses the service. Money is never mentioned, in either direction.

Why it scores: A plausible statement with no sentence behind it is Not given. Readers who answer False here are reasoning about what a night bus network probably costs, which is exactly what this type punishes.

**Example 3 -- true, but only if you read carefully**

> The city's night bus network was introduced in 2016 with four routes, all of them radiating from the central station. Ridership grew quickly, and by 2019 the council had added six more routes. A review that year found that most passengers were hospitality workers finishing shifts after midnight, rather than the late-night revelers the network had been designed for. The council kept the network but moved two routes to serve the hospital district.

Prompt: By 2019 the network had more than twice as many routes as at its launch. True, False or Not given?

- A. True
- B. False
- C. Not given
Answer: A.

Model response: True. Four routes at launch, six more added, so ten by 2019, which is more than twice four.

Why it scores: The passage gives the numbers and leaves you one step of arithmetic. That still counts as stated: the information is there, only the sum is yours.

**Three questions is a warm-up, not practice** 10,000+ IELTS practice questions, 20+ full mocks and 20+ sectional tests, with AI band feedback on writing and speaking. One full IELTS mock and one sectional test per skill are free, with question-bank practice and 100 AI scoring coins a month. No card required. [Start practicing free](https://app.testmigo.com/register)

## Common mistakes

| What costs marks | Do this instead |
| --- | --- |
| Answering False because the statement seems unlikely. | Find the contradicting sentence. If you cannot quote it, the answer is Not given. |
| Using what you already know about the topic. | Only the passage counts. Your own knowledge is what makes Not given feel like False. |
| Stopping at the first matching word. | Match the whole statement, including quantities and who did what. Distractors reuse the passage's vocabulary with one part changed. |
| Leaving an item blank when time runs out. | There is no penalty. A blank scores zero and a guess between three options does not. |

**Know what the marks are worth** Reading and Listening are 40 marks each. The band calculator turns a mark out of 40 into a band, and four skill bands into your overall. [Open the IELTS band calculator](/ielts/band-score-calculator)

## How to practice

1. Take ten statements and, for each one, write down the exact words in the passage that decide it. If you cannot find any, the answer is Not given, and you have just proved it to yourself.
2. Do a set untimed until your accuracy is above 80 percent, then repeat it at 90 seconds per question including reading.
3. Keep a list of your False and Not given mixes. Almost everyone's errors cluster on that one pair.
4. Check your spelling of the three answers. The words are longer than T, F and NG, and a misspelled answer earns nothing.

## Common questions

### What is the difference between False and Not given in IELTS?

False means the passage says the opposite of the statement, so you can point at a contradicting sentence. Not given means the passage does not deal with the statement at all. If you cannot quote the contradiction, the answer is Not given.

### Should I write TRUE or T?

Write the word, unless the instructions on the paper say otherwise. TRUE, FALSE and NOT GIVEN are accepted in capitals or lower case, and the words are never wrong.

### Is there a penalty for a wrong answer?

No. Every IELTS Reading question is worth one mark out of 40 and nothing is deducted for a wrong answer, so never leave one blank.

### Does True / False / Not given appear in General Training too?

Yes. IELTS names this type on both the Academic and the General Training Reading format pages. Yes / No / Not given, which is its opinion-based twin, is named only for Academic.

**Sources**
- [IELTS: Academic Reading test format (checked 27 September 2026)](https://ielts.org/take-a-test/test-types/ielts-academic-test/ielts-academic-format-reading)
- [IELTS: General Training Reading test format (checked 27 September 2026)](https://ielts.org/take-a-test/test-types/ielts-general-training-test/ielts-general-training-format-reading)

[Practice True / False / Not given free](https://testmigo.com/ielts)