What is True/False/Not Given (Reading)?
True/False/Not Given (TFNG) questions ask you to evaluate statements against the passage. For each statement, you mark it as True (the passage confirms it), False (the passage contradicts it), or Not Given (the passage doesn't mention it). This format tests reading accuracy and your ability to distinguish between what is stated, what is implied, and what is absent from the text.
True/False/Not Given (TFNG) is an IELTS reading task where you mark each statement True (confirmed by passage), False (contradicted by passage), or Not Given (passage doesn't mention it).
- •Passage explicitly states this
- •Information is clearly supported
- •No contradiction exists
- •Example: Passage says 'Paris is the capital of France' — if statement says 'Paris is the capital of France', answer is TRUE
- •FALSE: Passage contradicts the statement
- •NOT GIVEN: Passage doesn't mention it at all
- •Must not confuse — test the statement against the text
- •Example: If passage says 'Paris is 2 million' but statement says '3 million', answer is FALSE. If passage never mentions population, answer is NOT GIVEN
Step-by-step worked examples
Passage: 'The Great Wall of China is over 13,000 km long and was built over many centuries.' Statement: 'The Great Wall is longer than 10,000 km.' Answer: TRUE or FALSE or NOT GIVEN?
Read the statement: 'The Great Wall is longer than 10,000 km' Find the relevant info in passage: '13,000 km long' Compare: 13,000 > 10,000? Yes. Answer: TRUE — the passage supports the statement
Passage: 'The city has 2 million residents.' Statement: 'The city has the largest population in the region.' Answer: TRUE or FALSE or NOT GIVEN?
Read the statement about regional rank Search the passage for this comparison The passage only mentions 2 million, NOT whether it's the largest in the region Answer: NOT GIVEN — information is absent, not contradicted
Passage: 'The temperature rose to 35°C during the day.' Statement: 'The temperature never exceeded 30°C.' Answer: TRUE or FALSE or NOT GIVEN?
Read the statement: temp never exceeded 30°C Find passage info: temp rose to 35°C Compare: 35°C exceeds 30°C, contradicting the statement Answer: FALSE — passage contradicts the statement
Flashcards
Quick quiz
Q1.When should you mark an answer as NOT GIVEN?
Q2.Passage: 'She worked in tech for 10 years.' Statement: 'She has worked in more than 5 careers.' Answer?
Q3.What is the main challenge in TFNG questions?
Q4.Passage: 'The event starts at 9 AM.' Statement: 'The event starts in the morning.' Answer?
The full card deck, worked steps and AI-tutor support for “What is True/False/Not Given (Reading)?” are in Notek — study by hand before your exam.
Common mistakes
Marking NOT GIVEN when information is slightly implied. — Correct: TFNG requires explicit statements or clear inference; vague implications are NOT GIVEN.
Confusing FALSE with NOT GIVEN. — Correct: FALSE = passage contradicts; NOT GIVEN = passage says nothing. These are different.
Answering based on outside knowledge, not the passage. — Correct: Only use the passage; ignore what you know from elsewhere.
Answering based on keywords without full context. — Correct: Read the full sentence and context; keywords alone can mislead.
FAQ
What is True/False/Not Given in IELTS reading?
TFNG is a task where you mark statements as True (passage confirms), False (passage contradicts), or Not Given (passage doesn't mention).
Difference between FALSE and NOT GIVEN?
FALSE means the passage contradicts the statement. NOT GIVEN means the passage never mentions it — no contradiction, just absence.
Can I use outside knowledge to answer TFNG?
No — answer based only on the passage. Even if you know something is true in reality, if the passage doesn't say it, it's NOT GIVEN.
How many TFNG questions are in IELTS Reading?
Typically 5–13 TFNG questions appear across the three passages, varying by test version.