True/False/Not Given is one of the most misunderstood question types in IELTS Academic Reading. Most candidates don't lose marks because they can't find the information — they lose marks because they misjudge what "Not Given" actually means.
The mistake: confusing "False" with "Not Given."
A statement is False only when the passage directly contradicts it. It's Not Given when the passage simply doesn't mention that specific detail at all — even if it seems related to something the passage does discuss. Test-takers often mark "Not Given" as "False" because the passage "doesn't say that's true," which is the wrong logic. Ask yourself: does the passage actually state the opposite, or does it just stay silent on this point?
IELTS Reading tests what the passage says, not what you already know to be true in real life. If a passage presents a claim as fact, and the question matches that claim, the answer is True — regardless of your own opinion on the topic. Bring only the text into your reasoning, not prior knowledge.
The mistake: matching a keyword without checking the full meaning.
Passages are written to include distractor sentences that share vocabulary with the question but change the meaning through a qualifier — words like "some," "most," "rarely," "always," "before," or "after." A statement can look almost identical to the passage at first glance and still be False because of one small word like this.
The mistake: spending too long deciding between False and Not Given.
If you've read the relevant section twice and still can't tell whether it's a contradiction or simply missing information, move on and come back later. Getting stuck here costs more time than it's worth, since it's only one question out of many.
A practical way to get faster and more accurate at this question type is targeted practice with instant explanations — seeing exactly why an answer was False versus Not Given, right after you attempt it, builds the pattern recognition that skimming alone won't. Readlify's practice passages include a True/False/Not Given mix with an explanation for every question.