True / False / Not in the Text: Strategy

True/False tasks in the EPD are a trap. The text says one thing; the statement is worded slightly differently. A student reads quickly, thinks "that's basically right", marks richtig, and loses the point. One shifted word changes the meaning entirely: die meisten (most) is not alle (all), kann (can) is not muss (must), seit 2010 is not seit 2020. Anyone working from the general sense of the text instead of the specific passage will get these wrong regularly.

Understanding the Three Categories

The distinction between false and not in the text is the most common stumbling block. The table shows exactly what each category means, and what it does not mean:

"Not in the text" does not mean the statement is false; it might be true in reality, but the text simply doesn't mention it. And "partially true" doesn't exist: if even one detail is wrong, the whole statement is false.

Step 1: Read the Text First, Then the Statements

Read the text completely first, then the statements. This gives you an overview and a rough sense of where information sits, which saves time when you search for passages later.

Step 2: Find the Relevant Text Passage

For each statement, find the corresponding passage in the text; never answer from memory.

• Identify key words in the statement
• Search for those words (or synonyms) in the text
• Mark the corresponding text passage

Note: EPD texts often use paraphrases: the statement uses different words from the text but means the same thing. Search by sense, not by exact wording.

Step 3: Compare Word by Word

Compare the statement with the text passage you found. Pay particular attention to these four categories, where most errors hide:

• Numbers and percentages: 42% and majority are not the same thing
• Time references: seit 2010 and seit 2020 contradict each other
• Modal verbs: muss (obligatory) and kann (optional) are fundamentally different
• Negations: kein, nicht, selten, kaum reverse the meaning

Typical Traps in the EPD

When is it "Not in the Text"?

• The statement contains a topic that does not appear in the text
• The text describes causes, but the statement names an effect that is not mentioned
• The statement is a conclusion that the text itself does not draw

If you cannot find a text passage that confirms or contradicts the statement, choose "not in the text".

Clarification: "Not in the text" means the topic is never mentioned at all (not that you personally could not find the passage). If the text discusses education but says nothing whatsoever about healthcare, a statement about healthcare is "not in the text." But if the text mentions healthcare and says something different from the statement, that is "false," not "not in the text."

The "Mostly True" Trap

A statement that is true for some cases but not all is false. This is one of the most common exam traps.

Text: "Die meisten Studierenden arbeiten neben dem Studium." (Most students work alongside their studies.)

Statement: "Alle Studierenden arbeiten neben dem Studium." (All students work alongside their studies.)

Answer: FALSE. The text says die meisten (most), not alle (all). The statement overgeneralises. Even though it is "mostly" correct, the absolute claim contradicts the text's qualifier. Any exaggeration or absolutisation of what the text says (replacing often with always, some with all, can with must) makes the statement false.

The Belegsatz: Required for Every Answer

A Belegsatz (evidence sentence) is the verbatim opening of the text passage that proves your true/false decision. In the EPD it is not enough to simply tick "true" or "false". For every answer you must provide a Belegsatz: the first approximately 4 words of the sentence in the text that proves your decision.

What is a Belegsatz?

The Belegsatz is the verbatim opening of the sentence (or clause) in the text that confirms or contradicts the statement. It must be copied exactly: no paraphrasing, no own words.

Why does it matter?

An answer without a valid Belegsatz does not receive full marks, even if "true" or "false" is correct. The Belegsatz proves that you actually located the relevant passage in the text.

How to find the Belegsatz:

1. Find the sentence in the text that proves or disproves the statement
2. Copy the first approximately 4 words of that sentence verbatim
3. Write them exactly as they appear in the text, including capitalisation and punctuation

Example:

Statement: The event was cancelled because of the rain.

Text passage: „Die Veranstaltung wurde aufgrund schlechten Wetters abgesagt."

Answer: false

Belegsatz: „Die Veranstaltung wurde aufgrund …"

Four words are enough; you do not need to copy the whole sentence. What matters is that the words clearly identify the correct passage.

Common Mistakes

❌ Using the general sense of the text instead of the specific passage. Memory simplifies. Answering from a general understanding means you overlook a wrong subject, a wrong date, or a negation, and lose the point.

❌ Not recognising paraphrase traps. The statement uses different words from the text; that doesn't automatically make it false. But „alle" instead of „die meisten" is a genuine difference. Check whether the paraphrase is semantically equivalent.

❌ Missing negations. A „kein", „nicht" or „kaum" in the text or the statement can reverse the entire meaning. These small words are easy to overlook under time pressure.

❌ Forgetting the Belegsatz. No Belegsatz means no full marks, even if the classification is correct. The Belegsatz is not optional; it is a required part of the answer.