IELTS Reading True False Not Given Guide for Nepali Students

IELTS Reading True False Not Given Guide for Nepali Students explains how to decide whether a statement agrees with, contradicts or is not addressed by an Academic Reading passage. True requires agreement with the text, False requires a contradiction, and Not Given means the passage provides neither confirmation nor contradiction, so outside knowledge must never decide the answer.

Information checked on 25 July 2026 against current official IELTS Academic Reading format guidance.

Key facts for IELTS Reading True False Not Given Guide for Nepali Students

Understand the three answers

True means the statement agrees with information in the passage. False means the statement directly contradicts the passage. Not Given means the required information is absent or incomplete.

The task does not ask whether a statement is generally believable. It asks whether the specific passage supports, opposes or does not address it.

Use only passage evidence

Official IELTS guidance warns candidates not to use outside knowledge. A fact learned in school or found online cannot turn a missing idea into True.

Read as if the passage is the complete evidence file. If the necessary relationship is not stated, the answer may be Not Given.

Read the whole statement

Identify the subject, action, comparison, time, amount and any limiting word. One changed detail can make a mostly similar statement False.

Underline words such as all, only, first, more, never and mainly. They often control whether the meaning matches the passage.

Locate the relevant passage area

The statements normally follow passage order, so use the previous answer location to narrow the next search. Scan for names, dates, technical terms and strong paraphrases.

Do not stop at the first repeated keyword. Read enough surrounding text to understand the complete claim.

Compare meaning, not vocabulary

A True statement can use entirely different wording from the passage. A False statement can repeat several passage words while changing the relationship between them.

Practise matching paraphrases such as caused by and resulted from, while checking who performed the action and when.

Recognise a direct contradiction

False requires evidence that the statement is wrong, such as a different number, opposite cause, excluded group or reversed comparison.

Write the passage fact in simple words and compare it with the statement. If both cannot be true in the passage’s context, False is justified.

Recognise missing information

Not Given applies when the passage does not supply enough evidence to decide. It may mention the topic but omit the statement’s cause, degree or comparison.

Do not search forever for proof. After checking the relevant area and nearby paragraphs, choose Not Given when neither agreement nor contradiction appears.

Distinguish False from Not Given

False means the passage says something incompatible with the statement. Not Given means the passage remains silent or incomplete on the point.

Ask two questions: where is the opposite evidence, and where is the matching evidence? If neither exists, Not Given is stronger than False.

Handle comparisons carefully

Statements using more, less, largest, earlier or similar require the same comparison in the text. Information about two items separately may not establish which is greater.

If the passage gives values, compare them. If it names both without a relationship, the comparison may be Not Given.

Handle cause and effect

A passage can mention two events without stating that one caused the other. A statement that adds causation may therefore be Not Given.

False is appropriate when the passage explicitly gives a different cause or denies the claimed connection.

Handle quantities and frequency

Words such as some, most, all, often and always are not interchangeable. Changing the quantity can create a contradiction or an unsupported statement.

Mark these small words before scanning. They frequently determine the answer more than the topic noun.

Handle time and sequence

Check whether an event happened before, during or after another event. A statement can use the correct facts in the wrong sequence.

Use dates and sequencing language as anchors. A reversed order normally supports False when the passage states the sequence clearly.

Avoid keyword matching

Matching a word in the question to the same word in the passage is only a locating step. It does not prove agreement.

Read the sentence and its context, then restate the meaning. The answer depends on the relationship, not lexical overlap.

Use a fast decision routine

First identify the key claim, then locate the passage area, paraphrase the evidence and choose agreement, contradiction or absence. Mark uncertain items and move on.

Return during review with the narrowed evidence. Spending several minutes on one statement can damage later passage performance.

Review mistakes by category

Classify errors as outside knowledge, missed limiter, wrong location, paraphrase, comparison, cause, time or False-versus-Not-Given confusion.

Write the exact passage evidence and explain why the chosen answer failed. Retest the category with a new official passage.

Practise under Reading timing

True/False/Not Given is one task within a 60-minute Academic Reading section. Build accuracy first, then complete mixed passage work under time.

Record both correct answers and minutes spent. An accurate method must remain usable when several task types appear together.

Check answer entry

Enter the required labels exactly as instructed and confirm every answer before the section ends. Academic Reading has no extra transfer time.

Avoid abbreviations unless the interface or answer instructions explicitly allow them. A clear choice prevents preventable entry errors.

Use current official sources

Review the official Academic Reading format and current sample questions.

Use official answer keys and explanations where available. Practise the booked test type and current delivery method.

Connect Reading work with the application

For programme requirements and study-abroad counselling, visit MKS Education. For diagnostics and targeted IELTS Reading practice, explore MKS Prep.

Set the Reading target from the programme’s component condition and confirm improvement through full timed sections.

Frequently asked questions