Priya from Nashik scored 4 out of 8 on True/False/Not Given in her practice test. Every wrong answer was a FALSE she had marked NOT GIVEN, or the reverse.

Find the part of the text the statement is about and compare the meaning word by word. Then decide: TRUE if the text agrees, FALSE if it contradicts the statement, NOT GIVEN if it gives no information on the point.

Understanding the Official Definitions

The official sample task defines the three answers like this:

  • TRUE: the statement agrees with the information.
  • FALSE: the statement contradicts the information.
  • NOT GIVEN: there is no information on this.

The official IELTS website adds that NOT GIVEN means the statement neither agrees with nor contradicts the text, and warns you not to use information you already know about the topic.

A 3-Step Method for Every Question

This method is our advice, not an IELTS rule:

  1. Locate the target text: scan for names, numbers or distinctive words; see our skimming and scanning guide. Statements often follow the order of the text, but treat that as a common pattern.
  2. Compare meaning exactly: look for synonyms rather than the statement’s own words, as our paraphrase spotting guide explains.
  3. Decide from the text alone: pick the answer whose definition above matches what the text says.

Words That Alter Meaning

Small words in a statement can change whether it matches the text. Watch for four kinds:

  • Quantifiers: all, some and most set different amounts; see our quantifiers lesson.
  • Frequency: always, usually and rarely say how often something happens.
  • Certainty: “may reduce” and “will reduce” are different claims.
  • Cause and effect: a statement may claim a cause, with words such as because or leads to, that the text does not state.

Practice passage (written for this post)

In September 2025, the Shivaji Nagar Community Library in Pune opened a night reading room for university students preparing for professional examinations. The hall, on the ground floor of the annex building, has sixty study desks, each with a reading lamp and a power socket. Registered members may use it between 8:00 pm and 4:00 am, Monday to Saturday, and the room is closed on Sundays. Users must book a seat at least two hours in advance through the municipal portal. Security staff remain on duty throughout operating hours, and entry is limited to visitors aged eighteen or over. Members can borrow up to five books at a time from the main library, but the night room is a reference space, so every volume must stay inside the hall. Refreshments are sold at a subsidised cafeteria in the adjoining courtyard.

Questions

Do the following statements agree with the information in the text? Choose TRUE, FALSE or NOT GIVEN.

  1. The night reading room was set up for university students who are studying for professional exams.
  2. Members can use the night reading room on every day of the week.
  3. Members pay a fee when they book a seat through the municipal portal.
  4. Visitors under eighteen years of age may use the night reading room.
  5. Readers may not take books out of the night reading room.
Show answers
  1. TRUE — the text says the room opened “for university students preparing for professional examinations”, which is the same idea in other words.
  2. FALSE — the statement says “every day of the week”, but the text says the room is “closed on Sundays”.
  3. NOT GIVEN — the text says users “must book a seat” but says nothing about a fee, so there is nothing to confirm or contradict.
  4. FALSE — the text says “entry is limited to visitors aged eighteen or over”, which contradicts the statement.
  5. TRUE — the text says “every volume must stay inside the hall”, which agrees with the statement.

Common Traps to Avoid

Incorrect: “Marking FALSE because a statement seems unlikely.”

Correct: A statement can sound unlikely and still be TRUE; FALSE needs words in the text that contradict it.

Incorrect: “Marking TRUE when only part of the statement matches.”

Correct: The whole statement must agree with the text, including qualifiers such as “all” or “usually”.

Tip

Before you search the text, mark the qualifiers in each statement, such as all, usually or may.

Try It

Practice passage (written for this post)

The Green Wheels cycling collective in Indore provides refurbished bicycles to factory workers on monthly payment plans. Participants attend a mandatory two-hour road-safety workshop before receiving their bicycle and helmet. While basic maintenance, such as brake adjustments and puncture repairs, is provided without cost at weekend clinics, participants must purchase replacement tyres themselves. The initiative has received private donations from local businesses to fund its upcoming expansion.

Questions

  1. Workers receive a safety helmet alongside their refurbished bicycle.
  2. Green Wheels replaces worn tyres free of charge.
  3. The collective plans to open branches in neighbouring states.
Show answers
  1. TRUE — the text says participants receive “their bicycle and helmet”.
  2. FALSE — the text says “participants must purchase replacement tyres themselves”, which contradicts the statement.
  3. NOT GIVEN — the text mentions “upcoming expansion” but gives no information about branches or neighbouring states.

Key Takeaways

  • FALSE needs a contradiction in the text; a missing detail means NOT GIVEN.
  • Qualifiers such as all, usually or may can turn a close match into FALSE.
  • Statements often follow text order, but treat that as a pattern, not a rule.
  • Judge by the text, not by what you already know.

The bottom line: After each practice test, write the exact words that justify every answer, and for NOT GIVEN write what the text leaves out.