Always Getting IELTS Reading True/False/Not Given Wrong? Fix Your Logic First

One of the sections in the IELTS Reading test that most easily messes up a student's score is True / False / Not Given.

The problem for many students isn't that they can't understand the text, but rather that their judgment criteria are all mixed up:

• Seeing that the question isn't exactly the same as the text, they select False.
• When they can't find an exact sentence match, they select Not Given.
• When the text mentions partial information, they assume it equals True.

If the logic for these questions isn't separated, you will likely make mistakes repeatedly no matter how many practice sessions you get through.

1. First, Memorize the Core Distinction

You can understand the three options using the table below:

The key point is that False is not "not seeing [it]," but "finding the opposite information."

2. Why Many People Confuse False and Not Given

Because the brain automatically fills in information while solving questions.

For example, if the question states that a certain policy "significantly improved student motivation," but the text only mentions that "students participated more often," this does not necessarily mean that motivation improved.

At this stage, the most dangerous move is to mentally fill in a sentence saying "participating more means being more motivated," and then mistakenly judge it as True.

Reading judgment questions don't test your guesses; they test whether you can answer based solely on the text.

3. The Correct Order to Answer Questions

I recommend fixing your process with the following sequence:

1. First, underline the keywords in the question.
2. Locate the corresponding sentence in the text.
3. Only compare the "core meaning"; don't stare at word-for-word repetition.
4. Finally, ask yourself: Does the text support, contradict, or simply not mention it?

Doing this will significantly reduce the instances of choosing answers based on "gut feeling."

4. Three Common Misjudgment Scenarios

1. The text only mentions part of the situation

If the question makes a claim that is larger or more absolute than the text, you often cannot select True directly.

Words like all, always, completely, and only require extra caution.

2. The text mentions the same topic but draws a different conclusion

This usually leans more toward Not Given rather than False.

3. The text actually provides opposite information

Only in this case should you select False.

For example, if the question says "most students preferred online learning," but the text writes "most students preferred face-to-face teaching," that is what constitutes an explicit contradiction.

5. How to Practice Effectively

Don't just look at whether you got it right or wrong; record which type of logic you got wrong.

I recommend categorizing your mistakes into three types after every practice session:

• Mislocating the text (Wrong location)
• Mistaking partial information for complete information
• Mistaking Not Given for False

As long as you can identify your error patterns, your accuracy will improve faster than simply grinding through practice questions.

6. Conclusion

The difficulty with True/False/Not Given questions isn't necessarily the vocabulary itself, but the boundaries of judgment.

Remember this in one sentence:

• True if there is evidence to support it
• False if there is evidence to refute it
• Not Given if there is insufficient evidence

If you follow this order to judge every question in the future, your errors will be significantly reduced.