TOPIK I reading has 40 questions (numbers 31–70) in 60 minutes. TOPIK II reading has 50 questions (numbers 1–50) in 70 minutes. Both are worth 100 points and every question is four-option multiple choice. The questions always come in the same order, in the same blocks — so if you know what each block asks, you can plan your minutes before the test even starts. Most people who run out of time do not read too slowly; they spend too long on a few hard questions in the middle.
This guide lists every block by question number, gives a time plan, and ends with a practice routine.
The basics
| TOPIK I (paper) | TOPIK II (paper) | |
|---|---|---|
| Question numbers | 31–70 | 1–50 |
| Questions | 40 | 50 |
| Time | 60 minutes | 70 minutes |
| Points | 100 (2 or 3 points each) | 100 (2 points each) |
| When | Right after listening, in the same session | Session 2, alone, after a break |
| Average time per question | 1 min 30 s | 1 min 24 s |
- In TOPIK I, listening (40 minutes) and reading (60 minutes) are one 100-minute session.
- In TOPIK II, session 1 is listening and writing (110 minutes). Reading is session 2 (70 minutes), after a break.
- The computer test (IBT) is shorter: TOPIK I IBT has 26 reading questions in 40 minutes, and TOPIK II IBT has 30 reading questions in 40 minutes. The question types are similar, but this guide uses the paper test numbering.
Your level comes from your total score, not from each section (see the TOPIK levels and score table). Reading is the section where steady practice raises your score fastest, because nothing is played only once — you can always read again.
TOPIK I reading, question by question
The block order below comes from the official past papers (we checked it against the 91st test). It has stayed the same for years, but it is a pattern, not a published rule.
| Numbers | What it asks | Tip |
|---|---|---|
| 31–33 | What is this about? (topic word for 2–3 short sentences, e.g. weather, family, hobby) | Find the shared idea; answer in under 30 seconds |
| 34–39 | Fill in the blank — particles, vocabulary, basic grammar | Read the whole sentence before choosing |
| 40–42 | Which statement is not true? (a poster, ticket, text message or notice) | Check each option against the text — numbers, dates, places |
| 43–45 | Which statement matches the text? (short paragraph) | Wrong options often change one detail |
| 46–48 | What is the main idea? | Look at the last sentence first |
| 49–56 | Short texts with two questions each: a blank + a "same content" question (one pair asks what the text is about) | Read the questions first, then the text once |
| 57–58 | Put the sentences in the right order | Start with the option letters: which sentence can come first? |
| 59–70 | Longer texts with two questions each: blank, insert a sentence, why the text was written, same content | Keep about 2 minutes per pair |
Points matter in TOPIK I: questions are worth 2 or 3 points, and many of the 3-point questions are in the middle and later blocks. Don't give up on the last part to save time on the first.
TOPIK II reading, question by question
| Numbers | What it asks | Tip |
|---|---|---|
| 1–2 | Grammar in a blank | 20–30 seconds each |
| 3–4 | Expression closest in meaning to the underlined part | Know grammar pairs that mean the same thing |
| 5–8 | What is this about? (ads, signs, short notices) | Key word in the ad = the answer |
| 9–12 | Which matches the text or graph? | Graph questions: compare numbers carefully |
| 13–15 | Put the sentences in order | Find the first sentence, then the connectors |
| 16–18 | Fill in the blank in a short paragraph | The sentence after the blank often explains it |
| 19–24 | Paired questions: blank (adverb or idiom) + main idea or same content; a personal essay with the writer's feelings | For feelings, look at the underlined part only |
| 25–27 | Explain the newspaper headline | Headlines drop particles — rebuild the full sentence |
| 28–31 | Fill in the blank in an explanatory text | Read one sentence before and after the blank |
| 32–34 | Which matches the text? | Academic topics; don't use outside knowledge |
| 35–38 | Best topic of the text | Often in the first or last sentence |
| 39–41 | Where does the given sentence fit? | Look for pronouns and connectors in the given sentence |
| 42–43 | A story: a character's feelings + content | Don't read the whole story slowly; find the underlined part |
| 44–50 | Long texts with two or three questions: blank, topic, the writer's attitude, purpose of the text, content | These are the hardest; keep at least 20 minutes for them |
All 50 questions are worth the same 2 points. So a 30-second question at number 5 is worth exactly as much as a 3-minute question at number 48. That is the key to the time plan.
A time plan that works
These are suggestions, not official rules — adjust them after two or three timed practice tests.
TOPIK II (70 minutes)
| Block | Target time | Clock check |
|---|---|---|
| 1–18 | 15 minutes | 15 min used |
| 19–38 | 30 minutes | 45 min used |
| 39–50 | 22 minutes | 67 min used |
| Check and mark the answer sheet | 3 minutes | 70 |
TOPIK I (60 minutes)
| Block | Target time | Clock check |
|---|---|---|
| 31–48 | 20 minutes | 20 min used |
| 49–58 | 15 minutes | 35 min used |
| 59–70 | 22 minutes | 57 min used |
| Check | 3 minutes | 60 |
Three rules make the plan work:
- Set a limit per question. If you have spent 2 minutes on one question and you are still unsure, choose the best option, mark the number on your question booklet, and move on. Come back only if time is left.
- Never leave a blank. There is no penalty for a wrong answer, so a guess is always better than nothing.
- Fill in the answer sheet as you go. Many people lose points because they planned to transfer all answers at the end and ran out of time. Mark each block's answers when you finish the block.
How to read faster (without reading everything)
- Read the question first. "Which is not true?" and "What is the topic?" need different reading. For "same content" questions, read the four options first so you know what to check.
- Use the connectors. Words like 그런데 (but), 그래서 (so), 따라서 (therefore), 반면에 (on the other hand) and 즉 (in other words) tell you where the main idea is. In TOPIK II, the topic is often right after 따라서 or 그러므로.
- Watch for absolute words. Options with 항상 (always), 모든 (all) or 반드시 (must) are often wrong when the text says 대부분 (most) or 자주 (often).
- Don't translate every word. If one word is unknown, skip it and read on — the next sentence usually explains it.
- Learn the "headline" style for 25–27. Headlines use short nouns and drop endings: 「물가 고공 행진, 서민 한숨」 means prices keep rising and ordinary people are struggling. Practise rebuilding headlines into normal sentences.
A 4-week practice routine
| Week | Do this |
|---|---|
| 1 | Learn the blocks. Solve one past test without a timer and note which block costs you the most time |
| 2 | Drill your two weakest blocks: 20 questions of one type a day, timed |
| 3 | One full timed reading section every two days. Review every wrong answer: was it vocabulary, grammar or reading too fast? |
| 4 | Full tests in the real order — for TOPIK II, do listening and writing first, then reading, so you practise reading when tired |
For vocabulary, keep a list of words from wrong answers only. Those are the words the test uses and you don't yet know.
Official past papers are free: see TOPIK past papers for the list of released tests and where to download them. To pick the right test date, see the TOPIK 2027 schedule.
Practise reading on TOPIKly
TOPIKly has 67,000 practice questions, including reading sets in the TOPIK format. You can solve a timed set and see your estimated level right away: try TOPIK I or TOPIK II. AI explanations of wrong answers are part of the Pro plan.
Sources: question order from the official TOPIK past papers on topik.go.kr (checked against the 91st test) · section times and points from NIIED's TOPIK implementation plan and the TOPIK operating rules (IBT section sizes). Time plans and tips are our suggestions.