Can you use your own knowledge to answer IELTS Reading questions?

If a statement says something you know to be a fact, but the text never says it, the answer is Not given. If you know a statement is wrong in real life, but the text does not contradict it, the answer is still Not given. ielts.org defines False as contradicting the text and Not given as neither agreeing nor contradicting (ielts.org).

An IDP expert suggests deciding True or False first, by checking whether the statement says the same as or the opposite of the text, and using Not given when you cannot establish either (IDP Community).

IDP's worked example of this task type recommends highlighting key words in each statement and then finding the matching part of the text before you choose (IDP). When you check practice answers, ask where in the text the evidence is; if you cannot point to it, your answer came from your own knowledge.

Practise both task types, because Yes/No/Not given asks about the writer's views rather than facts: try the True/False/Not Given question type and Yes/No/Not Given practice.