IELTS Reading: True/False/Not Given vs Yes/No/Not Given Explained
True/False/Not Given (TFNG) and Yes/No/Not Given (YNNG) are the most feared question types in IELTS Reading. Test-takers consistently report that distinguishing between "False" and "Not Given" (or "No" and "Not Given") is the hardest skill in the entire IELTS exam. Yet with the right framework, these questions become systematic and predictable.
The first thing to understand is that TFNG and YNNG are fundamentally different question types that test different skills. They are not interchangeable, and the strategy for each is slightly different.
The Key Difference
True/False/Not Given
Tests whether factual information in the statement matches the passage. The passage presents facts, and you determine whether the statement accurately represents those facts.
Yes/No/Not Given
Tests whether the writer's views or claims in the statement match the passage. The passage presents opinions or arguments, and you determine whether the writer agrees with the statement.
In practice, the strategy for both types is very similar. The main difference is that TFNG deals with objective facts and YNNG deals with subjective opinions. Both require you to compare the statement to what the passage actually says.
The Three Possible Answers
TRUE / YES
The statement agrees with or matches the information in the passage. The passage explicitly confirms what the statement says. The information does not need to be in the exact same words — paraphrasing is normal.
Passage: "The company was founded in 1985 and had grown to employ over 500 staff by 2000."
Statement: "By the year 2000, the company had more than 500 employees."
Answer: TRUE — The passage confirms this fact.
FALSE / NO
The statement contradicts the information in the passage. The passage says something that is the opposite of, or inconsistent with, the statement. There must be a direct conflict between the statement and the passage.
Passage: "The company was founded in 1985 and had grown to employ over 500 staff by 2000."
Statement: "The company had fewer than 500 employees in 2000."
Answer: FALSE — The passage says over 500; the statement says fewer than 500. These directly contradict each other.
NOT GIVEN
The statement is about something the passage does not mention or address. You cannot determine from the passage whether the statement is true or false because the relevant information simply is not there.
Passage: "The company was founded in 1985 and had grown to employ over 500 staff by 2000."
Statement: "The company's founder had previous experience in the industry."
Answer: NOT GIVEN — The passage says nothing about the founder's background. We cannot determine if this is true or false.
The False vs Not Given Distinction
This is where most mistakes happen. The distinction is the single most important concept to master for IELTS Reading accuracy. Here is the critical rule:
FALSE/NO means the passage CONTRADICTS the statement — the passage says the opposite. NOT GIVEN means the passage simply does not address the point — the information is absent. If the passage is silent on the topic, the answer is NOT GIVEN, even if you think the statement is probably false.
False vs Not Given: Worked Examples
Passage: "The study found that children who read for pleasure at least 30 minutes daily scored 15% higher on vocabulary tests than their peers."
Statement A: "Children who read daily scored lower on vocabulary tests."
Answer: FALSE — The passage says they scored HIGHER; the statement says LOWER. Direct contradiction.
Statement B: "Children who read daily also performed better in mathematics."
Answer: NOT GIVEN — The passage only discusses vocabulary tests. It says nothing about mathematics. Even if you think reading probably helps mathematics, the passage does not address it.
Statement C: "The study involved children from multiple countries."
Answer: NOT GIVEN — The passage does not mention which countries the children were from. It might have been one country or many — we simply do not know from the passage.
Ask yourself: "Does the passage say something that makes this statement impossible or incorrect?"
- If yes → FALSE / NO
- If the passage does not address this specific claim → NOT GIVEN
Step-by-Step Strategy
- Read the statement carefully. Underline the key claim being made.
- Find the relevant section of the passage. Statements follow the order of the passage, so each statement relates to a later part of the text than the previous one.
- Compare the statement to the passage. Does the passage confirm it, contradict it, or not address it?
- Watch for paraphrasing. The statement will almost never use the exact words from the passage. 'Employees' might become 'staff,' 'more than' might become 'over,' 'began' might become 'was founded.'
- Do not use your own knowledge. The answer must come from the passage, not from what you know about the world.
Common Traps
- Extreme language in the statement: Words like "always," "never," "all," "none" often signal FALSE, because the passage usually uses more qualified language ("most," "often," "many"). But not always — check the passage.
- Partially true statements: A statement might be true in one part but false in another. If any part contradicts the passage, the answer is FALSE.
- Reasonable inference: If the passage implies something but does not state it, the answer is NOT GIVEN. You must base your answer on what is explicitly stated.
- Similar topic, different claim: The passage might discuss the same topic as the statement but not make the specific claim in the statement. This is NOT GIVEN.
- Using outside knowledge: If you happen to know the answer from real life but the passage does not address it, the answer is still NOT GIVEN.
Practice Exercises
The best way to improve at TFNG/YNNG questions is through targeted practice. After each practice exercise:
- For every wrong answer, find the exact sentence in the passage that proves the correct answer
- Write down why your answer was wrong — did you confuse False with Not Given? Did you miss a paraphrase?
- Track your error patterns over multiple practice sessions — most people consistently make the same type of mistake
Practice TFNG and YNNG questions regularly using authentic IELTS materials. The skill of distinguishing between False and Not Given improves with exposure — the more examples you see, the more intuitive the distinction becomes.
For other Reading question types, see our guides on matching headings, summary completion, and skimming vs scanning techniques.