What each answer means
| Answer | Meaning | Test |
|---|---|---|
| TRUE | The passage says the same thing, usually in different words. | Can you point to the sentence that confirms it? |
| FALSE | The passage says the opposite, or something that makes the statement impossible. | Can you point to the sentence that contradicts it? |
| NOT GIVEN | The passage does not say whether it is true or not. | You cannot point to any sentence either way. |
Yes/No/Not Given works the same way, but about the writer's opinions or claims rather than facts.
A 4-step method
- Underline the key words in the statement, especially names, numbers and dates (easy to scan for).
- Find the place in the passage. Answers come in passage order.
- Compare carefully and look for qualifiers: all / some, always / often, first / only, increased / doubled. One word can turn TRUE into FALSE or NOT GIVEN.
- Decide with the "point to it" test from the table. If you cannot point to a sentence, it is NOT GIVEN.
The five most common traps
- Using your own knowledge. If the passage does not say it, it is NOT GIVEN even if you know it is true in real life.
- Same words, different meaning. A statement that repeats words from the passage is often a trap.
- Comparisons. "X was cheaper than Y" is NOT GIVEN if the passage gives a price for only one of them.
- Qualifiers. "Some scientists believe" in the passage does not support "Scientists believe" in the statement.
- Spending too long. If you have scanned twice and cannot point to it, choose NOT GIVEN and move on.
Practice questions
Each statement comes from an original DMATBLAZE practice passage. Decide your answer, then open the explanation - the quoted sentence is the evidence.
1. Tea was first used in China as a medicine.
From the passage "Tea: from a Chinese leaf to a global drink" (Full Mock 2)
Answer
TRUE - "At first largely as a medicine."
2. The 1953 flood was caused by a combination of a storm and a high tide.
From the passage "Holding back the sea: the Delta Works" (Full Mock 3)
Answer
TRUE - "A severe storm... coincided with a high spring tide."
3. The Delta Committee was created within a month of the flood.
From the passage "Holding back the sea: the Delta Works" (Full Mock 3)
Answer
TRUE - "Within three weeks, the government had set up the Delta Committee."
4. Green and black teas come from different species of plant.
From the passage "Tea: from a Chinese leaf to a global drink" (Full Mock 2)
Answer
FALSE - "Every type of true tea... comes from a single plant."
5. Historians accept that Shen Nong discovered tea.
From the passage "Tea: from a Chinese leaf to a global drink" (Full Mock 2)
Answer
FALSE - "Historians treat this story with caution."
6. The Portuguese were the first to import tea to Europe on a commercial scale.
From the passage "Tea: from a Chinese leaf to a global drink" (Full Mock 2)
Answer
FALSE - Europeans met tea through Portuguese traders, "but it was the Dutch who first shipped it to Europe in commercial quantities".
7. Lu Yu's book was translated into Japanese in the ninth century.
From the passage "Tea: from a Chinese leaf to a global drink" (Full Mock 2)
Answer
NOT GIVEN - Tea reached Japan in the ninth century, but no translation of the book is mentioned.
8. Mussel farmers received compensation for their losses after 1986.
From the passage "Holding back the sea: the Delta Works" (Full Mock 3)
Answer
NOT GIVEN - Fishermen opposed the dam, but compensation is never mentioned.
9. The mange outbreak in Bristol spread to other British cities.
From the passage "Foxes in the city" (Full Mock 3)
Answer
NOT GIVEN - Only Bristol is mentioned.
Practise a full passage with instant marking in the free Reading practice test.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between FALSE and NOT GIVEN?
FALSE means the passage clearly says the opposite. NOT GIVEN means the passage does not give the information at all.
Do True/False/Not Given answers follow the order of the passage?
Yes. The statements follow the order of the information in the passage.
Can I write T, F and NG?
In the computer-delivered test you choose from the options. On paper, the instructions tell you what to write; follow them exactly.
Practise in the real test format
DMATBLAZE has 20 full IELTS Academic mock tests: Listening (4 parts, 40 questions), Reading (3 passages, 40 questions, 60 minutes), Writing Task 1 and 2, and a 3-part Speaking test, with band estimates and analytics that show which question types cost you marks. Full Mock 1 is free.
More guides: IELTS mock test · Band score calculator · Writing Task 2 samples · Speaking cue cards · Speaking Part 1 questions · Listening practice test · Reading practice test · True/False/Not Given · Writing Task 1 samples · IELTS for German universities