How to Use the IELTS Academic Reading Item Writer Prompt to Build True, False, Not Given Practice Sets

Ask any IELTS teacher which question type causes the most lost marks and many will say True, False, Not Given. Students confuse a statement the passage contradicts with one the passage simply never addresses. Matching Headings is close behind, because students match a word instead of a main idea. Commercial practice books help, but classes run out of fresh material quickly. The IELTS Academic Reading Item Writer: True, False, Not Given and Matching Headings Sets with Answer Key and Distractor Rationale prompt turns your own academic passage into practice items built the way careful item writers build them, with a key and a rationale for every wrong answer.

What the prompt produces

1. A passage check that confirms each paragraph has one clear main idea and enough factual claims.
2. True, False, Not Given statements in passage order, each with a labeled trap type.
3. The standard instruction block students will recognize.
4. A Matching Headings set with spare headings and deliberate distractors.
5. An answer key with the paragraph and the deciding sentence for each item.
6. A distractor rationale for every False and Not Given item and every wrong heading.
7. A difficulty note and a short teacher script for explaining Not Given.

How to fill the inputs

Passage should be 600 to 900 words in an academic register with paragraphs labeled A, B, C, and so on. Write your own or adapt a text you have rights to use. Each paragraph needs a clear focus or the headings task will not work.

TFNGCount and HeadingParagraphs set the size of each task. Six statements and four paragraphs make a good class activity.

TargetBand is the range of your class, for example 5.5 to 6.5. The prompt uses it to mark which items are core and which are stretch.

ClassWeaknesses is where you get the most value. If your students treat any mentioned topic as True, or ignore words like most and only, say so. The rationale section will speak directly to those habits.

Reading the example output

The example uses a five paragraph passage on urban beekeeping:

• Statements follow passage order. That mirrors the real task and lets students practice scanning forward.
• Each item names its trap. One uses a synonym, one changes a qualifier from some to all, and one suggests a cause and effect the passage never states.
• The key is balanced. Three True, one False, and two Not Given, so students cannot guess a pattern.
• Headings include word traps. One heading mentions honey prices because a paragraph mentions honey, but price is never discussed.
• The teacher script is short and usable. It gives one rule students can apply: if you cannot point to a sentence that contradicts the statement, the answer is Not Given.

Tips for better results

• Use passages on topics your students have not studied in depth. Background knowledge leads students to answer from memory instead of the text.
• Ask the prompt for a second set on the same passage with different traps. Reusing a passage with new items is efficient practice.
• After marking, group errors by trap type. If most errors are qualifier changes, plan a short lesson on hedging words.
• Time the set. Students need practice under realistic time pressure, not just accuracy.

Mistakes to avoid

• Do not present the items as official IELTS questions. They are practice items written in the style of the test.
• Do not accept items that need outside knowledge to answer. Every answer should be decidable from the passage alone.
• Do not skip the rationale when reviewing answers. That is where students learn why they chose wrong.

Who it is for

IELTS teachers, test prep centers, English for academic purposes instructors, and tutors who want fresh reading practice matched to their students.

Related PromptDig links

Open the IELTS Academic Reading Item Writer: True, False, Not Given and Matching Headings Sets with Answer Key and Distractor Rationale prompt and paste your passage and class profile. For more teaching and assessment prompts, Browse more prompts. If you have written an item writing prompt your students love, Share a prompt.