# IELTS Yes No Not Given: the opinion version, and why it is harder Yes / No / Not given asks about the writer's views, not the facts. IELTS names it for Academic Reading only. The rule, three worked items with a passage, and the traps. ## Exercises Exercises marked (free) are open to everyone; a free account opens the rest. - [Invasion of the Robot Umpires, questions 27-32](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/invasion-of-the-robot-umpires) (free) - [Alfred Wegener: science, exploration and the theory of continental drift, questions 27-30](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/alfred-wegener-science-exploration-and-the-theory-of-continental-drift) (free) - [Attitudes to language, questions 1-8](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/attitudes-to-language) (free) - [Why pagodas don't fall down, questions 1-4](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/why-pagodas-dont-fall-down) (free) - [The Search for the Anti-aging Pill, questions 28-32](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/the-search-for-the-anti-aging-pill) (free) - [The Truth about the Environment, questions 27-32](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/the-truth-about-the-environment) (free) - [Alternative Medicine in Australia, questions 16-23](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/alternative-medicine-in-australia) (free) - [The Nature and Aims of Archaeology, questions 14-19](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/the-nature-and-aims-of-archaeology) (free) - [A Remarkable Beetle, questions 1-5](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/a-remarkable-beetle) (free) - [THE CONCEPT OF ROLE THEORY, questions 29-35](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/the-concept-of-role-theory) (free) - [ABSENTEEISM IN NURSING: A LONGITUDINAL STUDY, questions 1-7](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/absenteeism-in-nursing-a-longitudinal-study) (free) - [Green Wave Washes Over Mainstream Shopping, questions 1-6](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/green-wave-washes-over-mainstream-shopping) (free) - [Zoo conservation programmes, questions 16-22](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/zoo-conservation-programmes) (free) - [A Workaholic Economy, questions 27-32](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/a-workaholic-economy) (free) - [Population viability analysis, questions 28-31](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/population-viability-analysis) (free) - [It's your choice! - Or is it really?, questions 27-31](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/its-your-choice-or-is-it-really) (free) - [When conversations flow, questions 27-32](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/when-conversations-flow) (free) - [The rise of the agribots, questions 14-17](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/the-rise-of-the-agribots) (free) - [Book review: The World of Sugar by Ulbe Bosma, questions 37-40](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/book-review-the-world-of-sugar-by-ulbe-bosma) - [Artificial Intelligence, questions 36-39](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/artificial-intelligence) - [Rethinking the Past, questions 35-40](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/rethinking-the-past) - [How could multilingualism benefit India's poorest schoolchildren?, questions 20-23](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/how-could-multilingualism-benefit-indias-poorest-schoolchildren) - [The Globemakers: The Curious Story of an Ancient Craft, questions 33-36](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/the-globemakers-the-curious-story-of-an-ancient-craft) - [How stress affects our judgement, questions 36-40](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/how-stress-affects-our-judgement) - [The persistence and peril of misinformation, questions 37-40](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/the-persistence-and-peril-of-misinformation) - [An inquiry into the existence of the gifted child, questions 33-37](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/an-inquiry-into-the-existence-of-the-gifted-child) - [Is the era of artificial speech translation upon us?, questions 35-40](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/is-the-era-of-artificial-speech-translation-upon-us) - [The Unselfish Gene, questions 36-40](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/the-unselfish-gene) - [Living with artificial intelligence, questions 20-23](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/living-with-artificial-intelligence) - [The case for mixed-ability classes, questions 36-40](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/the-case-for-mixed-ability-classes) - [The growth mindset, questions 23-26](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/the-growth-mindset) - [To catch a king, questions 32-35](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/to-catch-a-king) - [Insight or evolution?, questions 32-36](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/insight-or-evolution) - [Building the Skyline: The Birth and Growth of Manhattan's Skyscrapers, questions 32-35](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/building-the-skyline-the-birth-and-growth-of-manhattans-skyscrapers) - [I contain multitudes, questions 21-26](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/i-contain-multitudes) - [Changes in reading habits, questions 23-26](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/changes-in-reading-habits) - [Attitudes towards Artificial Intelligence, questions 36-40](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/attitudes-towards-artificial-intelligence) - [Having a laugh, questions 37-40](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/having-a-laugh) - [Environmental practices of big businesses, questions 35-39](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/environmental-practices-of-big-businesses) - [Motivational factors and the hospitality industry, questions 32-35](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/motivational-factors-and-the-hospitality-industry) - [The concept of intelligence, questions 4-6](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/the-concept-of-intelligence) - [The power of play, questions 32-36](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/the-power-of-play) - [Artificial artists, questions 38-40](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/artificial-artists) - [Book Review, questions 35-40](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/book-review) - [What's the purpose of gaining knowledge?, questions 37-40](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/whats-the-purpose-of-gaining-knowledge) - [The Benefits of Being Bilingual, questions 32-36](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/the-benefits-of-being-bilingual) - [Bring back the big cats, questions 23-26](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/bring-back-the-big-cats) - [UK companies need more effective boards of directors, questions 34-37](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/uk-companies-need-more-effective-boards-of-directors) - [Neuroaesthetics, questions 34-39](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/neuroaesthetics) - ['This Marvellous Invention', questions 37-40](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/this-marvellous-invention) - [The psychology of innovation, questions 36-40](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/the-psychology-of-innovation) - [Museums of fine art and their public, questions 36-40](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/museums-of-fine-art-and-their-public) - [Beyond the blue horizon, questions 36-40](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/beyond-the-blue-horizon) - [When evolution runs backwards, questions 37-40](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/when-evolution-runs-backwards) - [IS THERE ANYBODY OUT THERE?, questions 21-26](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/is-there-anybody-out-there) - [A neuroscientist reveals how to think differently, questions 32-37](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/a-neuroscientist-reveals-how-to-think-differently) - [Striking Back at Lightning With Lasers, questions 11-13](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/striking-back-at-lightning-with-lasers) - [HOW DOES THE BIOLOGICAL CLOCK TICK?, questions 37-40](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/how-does-the-biological-clock-tick) - [LAND OF THE RISING SUM, questions 6-9](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/land-of-the-rising-sum) - [Biological control of pests, questions 18-21](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/biological-control-of-pests) - [MAKING EVERY DROP COUNT, questions 21-26](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/making-every-drop-count) - [The True Cost of Food, questions 18-21](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/the-true-cost-of-food) - [Makete Integrated Rural Transport Project, questions 31-35](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/makete-integrated-rural-transport-project) - [The Evolution and Influence of Cinema, questions 6-9](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/the-evolution-and-influence-of-cinema) - [Motivating Employees under Adverse Conditions, questions 19-24](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/motivating-employees-under-adverse-conditions) - [Doctoring sales, questions 8-13](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/doctoring-sales) - [Do literate women make better mothers?, questions 19-24](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/do-literate-women-make-better-mothers) - [Disappearing Delta, questions 18-23](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/disappearing-delta) - [The Impact of Wilderness Tourism, questions 4-9](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/the-impact-of-wilderness-tourism) - [Lost for Words, questions 10-13](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/lost-for-words) - [Micro-Enterprise Credit for Street Youth, questions 9-12](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/micro-enterprise-credit-for-street-youth) - [The Problem of Scarce Resources, questions 36-40](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/the-problem-of-scarce-resources) - [The Risks of Cigarette Smoke, questions 18-21](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/the-risks-of-cigarette-smoke) - [THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD, questions 36-39](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/the-scientific-method) - [Secrets of the Forest, questions 16-21](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/secrets-of-the-forest) - [Tackling Air Pollution, questions 6-10](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/tackling-air-pollution) - [VOTES FOR WOMEN, questions 20-26](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/votes-for-women) - [Changing our Understanding of Health, questions 23-27](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/changing-our-understanding-of-health) - [CHILDREN'S THINKING, questions 36-40](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/childrens-thinking) - [What is a Port City?, questions 35-40](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/what-is-a-port-city) - [Motor Vehicles and Their Problems, questions 20-26](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/motor-vehicles-and-their-problems) - [Declining Standards of Literacy, questions 18-21](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/declining-standards-of-literacy) - [Migratory Beekeeping, questions 24-27](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/migratory-beekeeping) - [Tourism, questions 33-37](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/tourism) - [Why We Remember Some Dreams, questions 18-20](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/why-we-remember-dreams) ## The short answer Yes / No / Not given appears in IELTS Academic Reading, and IELTS does not name it on the General Training list. It looks like True / False / Not given, but the statements are about the writer's opinions or ideas rather than facts. You answer Yes if the writer expresses that view, No if the writer expresses the opposite view, and Not given if the writer never takes a position on it. One mark each, no penalty for a wrong answer. ## Key facts - **Paper:** Reading - **Module:** Academic (not named for General Training) - **Marks:** 1 per item, out of 40 - **Answer written as:** YES, NO or NOT GIVEN - **What it tests:** Recognizing opinions or ideas, not facts 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 whether you can recognize opinions or ideas. The difference from True / False / Not given is the target: you are deciding what the writer thinks, which is usually carried by a few evaluative words rather than by the facts of a sentence. The writer's view is not the same as a view the writer reports. A passage can describe somebody else's argument at length and never endorse it, and statements about that argument are Not given unless the writer says where they stand. > Hunt for the hedges: surprisingly, unfortunately, only, merely, far from, it is tempting to. Those words carry the opinion, and they are where the answer lives. ## Yes / No / 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 view the writer holds** > Supporters of the new grading system argue that it makes results easier for employers to compare. That may be so, but it has also made a difference of one mark look like a difference of a whole grade, and schools have responded exactly as anyone could have predicted: by teaching the boundary rather than the subject. Whatever the system has done for comparability, it has been bad for what happens in classrooms. Prompt: The writer believes the grading system has harmed teaching. Yes, No or Not given? - A. Yes - B. No - C. Not given Answer: A. Model response: Yes. "It has been bad for what happens in classrooms" is the writer's own verdict, and "teaching the boundary rather than the subject" spells out the harm. Why it scores: The opinion is in the evaluative language, not in a fact. Notice that the first sentence reports the supporters' view, which is not the writer's. **Example 2 -- a reported view, not the writer's** > Supporters of the new grading system argue that it makes results easier for employers to compare. That may be so, but it has also made a difference of one mark look like a difference of a whole grade, and schools have responded exactly as anyone could have predicted: by teaching the boundary rather than the subject. Whatever the system has done for comparability, it has been bad for what happens in classrooms. Prompt: The writer thinks employers find the new grades easier to compare. Yes, No or Not given? - A. Yes - B. No - C. Not given Answer: C. Model response: Not given. The passage attributes that claim to supporters and answers it with "that may be so", which concedes nothing and endorses nothing. Why it scores: "That may be so" is a concession, not agreement. Statements about a view the writer only reports are Not given until the writer takes a side. **Example 3 -- the view the writer rejects** > Supporters of the new grading system argue that it makes results easier for employers to compare. That may be so, but it has also made a difference of one mark look like a difference of a whole grade, and schools have responded exactly as anyone could have predicted: by teaching the boundary rather than the subject. Whatever the system has done for comparability, it has been bad for what happens in classrooms. Prompt: The writer says schools reacted to the new system in an unexpected way. Yes, No or Not given? - A. Yes - B. No - C. Not given Answer: B. Model response: No. The passage says schools responded "exactly as anyone could have predicted", which is the opposite of unexpected. Why it scores: No needs the opposite view stated, the same way False does. Here one phrase carries it, which is why this type rewards reading the qualifiers rather than the nouns. **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 | | --- | --- | | Treating a reported argument as the writer's own. | Ask who is speaking. Verbs like argue, claim and maintain usually introduce somebody else. | | Answering from the facts rather than the attitude. | The statement is about a view. Look for evaluative words, not for numbers and dates. | | Reading a concession as agreement. | "That may be so, but" and "while it is true that" set up a disagreement. The writer's position is after the but. | **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 an opinion piece from a newspaper and underline every evaluative word. That is the vocabulary this type is built on. 2. For each item you attempt, write down whose view the statement is about before you answer: the writer's, or somebody the writer quotes. 3. Do a mixed set of True/False/Not given and Yes/No/Not given items together, so you practice switching between facts and views. ## Common questions ### What is the difference between Yes/No/Not given and True/False/Not given? The answer options differ, and so does the target. Yes/No/Not given asks about the writer's opinions or ideas; True/False/Not given asks about specific information stated in the text. IELTS names Yes/No/Not given for Academic Reading only. ### Does the writer's opinion have to be stated directly? It has to be there, but it is usually carried by evaluative words rather than by a sentence beginning "I believe". If the passage only reports somebody else's view, the answer is Not given. ### Can I write Y, N and NG instead? Write the words unless the instructions say otherwise. YES, NO and NOT GIVEN are accepted in capitals or lower case. **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) [Practice Yes / No / Not given free](https://testmigo.com/ielts)