TOPIK reading question types fall into six families: grammar and vocabulary blanks, topic and headline items, detail matching, main idea, sentence order and insertion, and inference and attitude. Each family asks the same kind of question in every session, so recognising it on sight tells you what to look for before you read. This page explains each family with an original worked example and a method.
What Are the TOPIK Reading Question Types?
TOPIK reading question types are the recurring tasks in the reading section, grouped here into six families by what they ask you to do. The instruction line at the top of each item, written in Korean, names the task, so learning the families is also learning those instructions.
| Family | What you do | TOPIK I (approx. questions) | TOPIK II (approx. questions) | Typical time | Core method |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Blanks | choose the word, particle or grammar pattern that fits | 34-39, some later items | 1-4, 16-18, 28-31, later paired items | 30-90 seconds | read the whole sentence, predict, then check options |
| 2. Topic and headline | name what a short text, ad or headline is about | 31-33 | 5-8, 25-27 | 30-60 seconds | find the key nouns and the situation |
| 3. Detail matching | choose the option that matches, or does not match, the text | 40-45, some later items | 9-12, 32-34, later paired items | 60-90 seconds | check each option against one part of the text |
| 4. Main idea | choose the writer's central point | 46-48, some later items | 35-38, later paired items | 60-90 seconds | look for the evaluative or concluding sentence |
| 5. Order and insertion | put sentences in order, or place one sentence in a text | in the 49-70 block | 13-15, 39-41, later items | 60-120 seconds | follow connectors and pointing words |
| 6. Inference and attitude | infer feelings, attitude or purpose not stated directly | rare | 19-24, 42-50 | 90-150 seconds | name the tone first, then match it |
The question ranges show the pattern of recent released paper-based tests, not an official specification. NIIED, which runs TOPIK, can change the order or retire a type, and the internet-based test (IBT) uses its own item set. The section structure, with counts and minutes, is on TOPIK exam format.
Three instruction phrases cover most items. Recognising them at a glance saves several seconds per question:
- 알맞은 것을 고르십시오 (almajeun geoseul goreusipsio): "choose the correct one"
- 같은 것 (gateun geot): "the one that is the same", that is, the option that matches
- 맞지 않는 것 (matji anneun geot): "the one that does not match", said [맏찌 안는 걷]
The families below follow the order in which they first appear in a paper, starting with the shortest items.
How Do Grammar-Blank Questions Work?
Grammar-blank questions give you one sentence or short text with a gap and four words, particles or grammar patterns; you choose the one that makes the sentence correct and natural. In TOPIK I they test particles and basic endings. In TOPIK II they test connecting endings and expressions such as cause, condition and purpose.
Worked example 1 (TOPIK I style). Choose the correct particle:
저는 주말에 공원( ) 운동을 합니다.
jeoneun jumare gongwon( ) undongeul hamnida.
I exercise ( ) the park at the weekend.
① 에서 ② 을 ③ 이 ④ 의
Answer: ① 에서. 에서 marks the place where an action happens, and 운동을 합니다 ("exercise") is an action. ② 을 would make the park the object of the verb, which is already 운동. ③ 이 would make the park the subject, and ④ 의 would need a noun after it.
Worked example 2 (TOPIK II style). Choose the best connecting ending:
비가 많이 ( ) 축구 경기가 취소됐습니다.
biga mani ( ) chukgu gyeonggiga chwisodwaetseumnida.
Because it rained heavily, the football match was cancelled.
① 오면 ② 와서 ③ 오고 ④ 오지만
Answer: ② 와서. The second clause, "the match was cancelled", is a result, so the gap needs a cause: -아서/어서 ("because, so"). ① -면 is a condition ("if it rains"), which clashes with a past result. ③ -고 simply lists two events without a causal link. ④ -지만 ("but") would mean the match was cancelled despite the rain, which makes no sense. 많이 is pronounced [마니].
Method in four steps:
- Read the whole sentence, not just the words beside the gap.
- Name the relationship the gap must express: place, time, cause, condition, contrast or purpose.
- Predict the pattern before you look at the options.
- Check the tense and ending: some options are wrong only because they clash with a past or future clause.
A TOPIK II variant asks for the expression "closest in meaning" to an underlined pattern (often questions 3-4). The method is the same, but step 2 becomes "name what the underlined pattern means". The patterns tested in TOPIK I are listed on the TOPIK 1 grammar list. After grammar, the next family tests whether you can see the big picture of very short texts.
Topic and Headline Questions
Topic and headline questions ask what a short text is about. In TOPIK I (questions 31-33) the text is two short sentences and the options are single topic words. In TOPIK II the text is an advertisement or notice (often questions 5-8), or a newspaper headline that you must expand into a full meaning (often questions 25-27).
TOPIK I style. A text such as "사과가 있습니다. 배도 있습니다." ("There are apples. There are pears too.") is about 과일 (fruit). The skill is grouping concrete words under a category: 날씨 (weather), 가족 (family), 쇼핑 (shopping), 취미 (hobbies).
TOPIK II headline style. Korean headlines drop verbs and particles and use quotation marks for vivid words. Consider this original headline:
주말 나들이객 '북적', 고속도로 곳곳 정체
Word by word it says "weekend outing-goers 'crowded', expressway here-and-there congestion". The best option would be a full sentence meaning "Many people went out at the weekend, so traffic was slow in many places on the expressways." An option that says the roads were empty, or that mentions only one cause, is wrong.
Method:
- Underline the nouns: they carry most of the meaning.
- Rebuild the missing verb or relation in your head ("many people went out").
- For headlines, decode the vivid word in quotation marks; it usually carries the writer's angle.
- Choose the option that covers the whole text, not just one word in it.
Recognising the topic quickly feeds directly into the next family, where you must check details against a text.
How Do Matching and Notice Questions Work?
Matching questions ask you to choose the option that agrees with the text (같은 것) or, in some items, the one option that does not (맞지 않는 것). Texts range from notices, tickets, graphs and text messages to full paragraphs. Every wrong option contains a small change: a number, a day, a negative or a swapped subject.
Worked example (TOPIK I style, "does not match"). Read the notice:
| 도서관 이용 안내 (Library opening information) |
|---|
| 이용 시간: 오전 9시~오후 6시 (open 9 a.m.-6 p.m.) |
| 쉬는 날: 매주 월요일 (closed every Monday) |
| 책은 한 사람이 5권까지 빌릴 수 있습니다. (Each person can borrow up to 5 books.) |
Choose the statement that does not match:
① 도서관은 오전 9시에 문을 엽니다. (The library opens at 9 a.m.) ② 월요일에는 도서관이 쉽니다. (The library is closed on Mondays.) ③ 오후 7시에도 책을 빌릴 수 있습니다. (You can borrow books at 7 p.m. too.) ④ 책을 다섯 권까지 빌릴 수 있습니다. (You can borrow up to five books.)
Answer: ③. The library closes at 6 p.m. Notice that ④ writes the number as a native Korean word (다섯) while the notice uses the digit 5; matching items often paraphrase numbers, days and times this way.
Method:
- Read the instruction and circle 같은 것 or 맞지 않는 것 before anything else.
- Read each option and find the one part of the text it refers to.
- Compare word by word: numbers, days, negatives (안, 못, 없다) and who does what.
- Eliminate, do not guess: three options will match exactly, and one will contain the change.
Graph items in TOPIK II work the same way: each option describes a bar or trend, and you check it against the chart. The most common slip is answering the opposite question, which is why step 1 comes first. Matching tests single facts; the next family tests whether you can see what those facts add up to.
How Do Main-Idea and Inference Questions Differ?
Main-idea questions ask for the writer's central point, which the text states or clearly sums up; inference questions ask for something the text does not state but that must be true, or for the writer's feeling or attitude. The same short paragraph can carry all three kinds of question, matching, main idea and inference, which makes the difference easy to see.
Worked example (one text, three questions).
저는 작년부터 집 근처 시장에서 장을 봅니다. 시장은 마트보다 물건이 쌉니다. 그리고 가게 사장님과 이야기도 할 수 있어서 좋습니다.
jeoneun jangnyeonbuteo jip geuncheo sijangeseo jangeul bomnida. sijangeun marteuboda mulgeoni ssamnida. geurigo gage sajangnimgwa iyagido hal su isseoseo joseumnida.
Since last year I have done my shopping at a market near my home. Things at the market are cheaper than at the supermarket. And it is nice because I can also chat with the shop owners.
작년부터 is pronounced [장년부터] and 좋습니다 [조씀니다].
- Matching question (같은 것): "이 사람은 집 근처 시장에 갑니다." ("This person goes to a market near home.") is correct, because the first sentence states it. An option saying the market is more expensive than the supermarket (시장은 마트보다 비쌉니다) is wrong.
- Main-idea question (중심 생각): "시장에서 장을 보는 것이 좋습니다." ("Shopping at the market is good.") is correct. It sums up the writer's judgement, which is spread across the last two sentences, rather than repeating one fact.
- Inference question: "이 사람은 앞으로도 시장에서 장을 볼 것입니다." ("This person will keep shopping at the market.") is not stated anywhere, but it follows from the writer's habit and positive view. This is the kind of answer an inference item rewards.
Decision rule:
| Question asks | The correct option | The typical trap |
|---|---|---|
| 같은 것 (matching) | restates one fact from one sentence | a true-sounding option that changes one detail |
| 중심 생각 or 주제 (main idea, topic) | sums up the writer's overall point, often from the last or evaluative sentence | an option that is true but covers only one detail |
| inference (what can be known, the writer's feeling or attitude) | is not stated but must follow from the text | an option that goes beyond the text or adds new information |
The expert point in the middle row is the most useful one on the page: in main-idea items, an option can be completely true and still be wrong, because it describes a detail rather than the point. Learners who treat main-idea items like matching items lose easy marks.
In Korean the main-idea instruction usually contains 중심 생각 (jungsim saenggak), "central thought".
Main idea and inference depend on how a text holds together, which is exactly what the order and insertion family tests.
How Do Sentence-Order Questions Work?
Sentence-order questions give four sentences marked (가), (나), (다) and (라) and ask you to choose the correct order from four sequences. Insertion questions give a text with four positions marked ㉠ to ㉣ and one extra sentence to place. Both test cohesion: the words that link sentences together.
Worked example (TOPIK II style). Put the sentences in order:
- (가) 그래서 다음 날부터 매일 아침 30분씩 걸었습니다. (So from the next day I walked for 30 minutes every morning.)
- (나) 지난달 건강 검진 결과가 나빴습니다. (Last month my health check results were bad.)
- (다) 처음에는 힘들었지만 지금은 아침 산책이 즐겁습니다. (At first it was hard, but now I enjoy my morning walk.)
- (라) 그 결과를 보고 생활 습관을 바꾸기로 했습니다. (After seeing those results, I decided to change my habits.)
① (나)-(라)-(가)-(다) ② (나)-(가)-(라)-(다) ③ (라)-(나)-(다)-(가) ④ (라)-(가)-(나)-(다)
Answer: ①. The clues:
- (나) has no connector and no pointing word, so it can start the text.
- (라) begins with 그 결과 ("those results"), which must point back to the results in (나).
- (가) begins with 그래서 ("so"), a consequence of the decision in (라).
- (다) uses 처음에는 … 지금은 ("at first … now"), a summary that looks back over time, so it ends the text.
Cohesion clues work in every order item. The table lists the most useful ones.
| Clue | Examples | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|
| Pointing words | 이, 그, 이런, 그런, 이러한, 이것 | the sentence comes after the thing it points to |
| Consequence connectors | 그래서, 따라서, 그러므로 | the sentence follows its cause |
| Contrast connectors | 그러나, 하지만, 그런데, 반면에 | the sentence turns against the one before |
| Addition connectors | 그리고, 또한, 게다가 | the sentence adds to a point already made |
| Time markers | 처음에는, 그 후, 지금은, 결국 | the sentence's place in a sequence |
| Example markers | 예를 들어, 예컨대 | the sentence follows a general claim |
Method:
- Find the sentence with no connector or pointing word; it is the likely start. Check which of the four answer sequences begin with it, and you often eliminate two at once.
- Link each pointing word to its target.
- Place consequence and contrast sentences after their partners.
- Read the final sequence once from start to end to confirm it flows.
Sentence Insertion
Sentence insertion applies the same clues in reverse: read the extra sentence, find its pointing word or connector, and look for the place where its target sits just before it. A short original example shows the idea:
요즘 혼자 밥을 먹는 사람이 늘었습니다. ( ㉠ ) 그래서 식당들도 혼자 앉는 자리를 만들고 있습니다. ( ㉡ ) 혼자 먹으면 메뉴를 마음대로 고를 수 있습니다. ( ㉢ ) 그러나 혼자 먹으면 대화할 사람이 없습니다. ( ㉣ )
("These days more people eat alone. So restaurants are making seats for one. If you eat alone, you can choose the menu freely. But if you eat alone, there is nobody to talk to.")
Sentence to insert: 혼자 먹는 것에는 좋은 점도 있습니다. ("Eating alone also has good points.")
Answer: ㉡. The inserted sentence introduces an advantage, and the sentence after ㉡ gives one (choosing the menu freely). The 그러나 ("but") before ㉣ then turns to a disadvantage, which confirms the structure. With cohesion covered, the last family asks you to read between the lines.
Inference, Attitude and Purpose Questions
Inference, attitude and purpose questions ask what the writer or a character feels, thinks or intends, which the text shows but does not state. They are concentrated in TOPIK II, especially in the paired literary and opinion texts in the later questions, and they are the family most learners find hardest.
Three sub-types appear:
- A character's feeling (심정). In literary extracts, you choose the word that describes how a character feels at an underlined moment. Options are adjectives such as 답답하다 (frustrated, stifled), 서운하다 (hurt or let down by someone) and 부럽다 (envious).
- The writer's attitude (태도). In opinion texts, you choose how the writer views an issue: supporting, criticising, worrying, expecting.
- The writer's purpose (목적). You choose why the text was written: to inform, to warn, to propose a solution, to criticise a policy.
Method:
- Read the sentences around the underlined part, not just the part itself.
- Name the tone in English first: positive or negative, calm or emotional, for or against.
- Eliminate options with the wrong direction, then choose between the remaining two by intensity.
- For purpose items, look at the last paragraph: Korean opinion texts often state the proposal or warning at the end.
The common mistake is choosing an attitude that matches the topic rather than the writer. A text about rising prices may be calm and explanatory, not angry. Learning feeling adjectives as a set, with example situations, makes these items far easier. The families appear in both tests, but not in the same proportions.
How Do the Types Differ between TOPIK I and II?
TOPIK I uses the same core families with shorter, more practical texts and almost no inference items; TOPIK II uses all six families with longer and more abstract texts, and adds headlines, sentence insertion and attitude questions.
| Feature | TOPIK I reading | TOPIK II reading |
|---|---|---|
| Questions and time (paper test) | 40 questions (31-70) in 60 minutes | 50 questions (1-50) in 70 minutes |
| Average time per question | 90 seconds | 84 seconds |
| Typical texts | signs, notices, messages, diaries, short paragraphs | news, headlines, essays, literary extracts, academic texts |
| Style | mostly formal -습니다 endings | formal and plain written style (-ㄴ/는다) |
| Blanks test | particles, basic endings, everyday words | connecting endings, expressions, abstract vocabulary |
| Topic items | single topic word | ad purpose and headline meaning |
| Order and insertion | sentence order in the later block | sentence order and insertion |
| Inference and attitude | rare | frequent, especially in the last 10 questions |
The style row matters for beginners moving up. TOPIK II texts often use the plain written style, such as 한다 instead of 합니다, which looks unfamiliar at first but carries the same meaning; the Korean plain style lesson explains it. Knowing the families is useful only if you practise them, so the next section gives three items to try.
Practice: Three Original Items
Try these three items in the time shown, then check the answers below. They are original items in the style of TOPIK I.
Item 1 (blank, 45 seconds). 배가 너무 ( ) 밥을 두 그릇 먹었습니다. ① 고파서 ② 고프면 ③ 고프지만 ④ 고프고
Item 2 (does not match, 75 seconds).
| 수영장 안내 (Swimming pool information) |
|---|
| 운영 시간: 오전 6시~오후 10시 |
| 매월 마지막 주 일요일은 쉽니다. |
| 수영 모자를 꼭 쓰세요. |
① 수영장은 아침 6시에 문을 엽니다. ② 수영할 때 모자가 필요합니다. ③ 수영장은 매주 일요일에 쉽니다. ④ 밤 9시에도 수영할 수 있습니다.
Item 3 (order, 90 seconds). (가) 그래서 우산을 사러 편의점에 갔습니다. (나) 아침에는 날씨가 맑았습니다. (다) 그런데 오후에 갑자기 비가 왔습니다. (라) 편의점에는 우산이 하나밖에 없었습니다. ① (나)-(다)-(가)-(라) ② (나)-(가)-(다)-(라) ③ (다)-(나)-(라)-(가) ④ (다)-(가)-(나)-(라)
Answers.
- Item 1: ① 고파서. Being very hungry is the cause of eating two bowls, so the gap needs -아서/어서 ("because").
- Item 2: ③. The pool closes only on the last Sunday of each month, not every Sunday. ④ is true: 9 p.m. is before the 10 p.m. closing time.
- Item 3: ①. (나) has no connector, (다) turns with 그런데 ("but then"), (가) follows with 그래서 ("so"), and (라) describes what happened at the shop.
If you finished all three within the times shown, your recognition of the families is on track. For pacing and test-day tactics built on these families, continue with TOPIK reading tips.
Common Misconceptions about Reading Question Types
Learners often carry assumptions about TOPIK reading that cost them marks. Four are worth correcting.
- "If an option is true, it is the answer." Only in matching items. In main-idea items, a true detail is a classic wrong answer.
- "Order questions need full understanding." Usually not. Connectors and pointing words often settle the order even when some words are unknown.
- "The question numbers are fixed by rule." They follow a stable pattern in recent papers, but NIIED can change it. Learn the families, not the numbers.
- "Reading is mostly vocabulary." Vocabulary matters, but grammar endings decide many blanks, and cohesion decides order and insertion items.
What This Page Covers and Does Not
This page classifies the TOPIK reading question types on the paper test into six families and gives a method and an original example for each. It does not reproduce official questions; the real past papers are free on topik.go.kr and are the best practice material. It does not cover the internet-based test's item set in detail, listening question types, or the TOPIK II writing tasks. Question numbers are approximate and based on recent released papers.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Many Question Types Are There?
There is no official count. Recent paper-based tests use roughly a dozen distinct item types in reading, which this page groups into six families by the skill they test: blanks, topic and headline, matching, main idea, order and insertion, and inference and attitude. Learning six methods is easier than memorising twelve formats.
Which Family Is Hardest?
For most learners, inference and attitude questions are hardest, because the answer is not written in the text and the texts are long. In TOPIK I, matching items that paraphrase numbers and days cause the most errors. Order items look hard but often become easy once you follow connectors and pointing words.
Are the Types the Same in the Internet-Based TOPIK?
Not exactly. The internet-based test (IBT) has its own question counts and some different item formats, although the skills tested, such as finding the main idea or matching details, are the same. Read the IBT guide and sample questions on topik.go.kr before sitting the computer version.
How Do I Practise Each?
Practise one family at a time using official past papers. Collect all items of one family from two or three papers, solve them with the method on this page, then check why each wrong option is wrong. After a week of family drills, return to full timed papers to practise switching between families.
TOPIK Reading Question Types: the Bottom Line
TOPIK reading question types come in six families: blanks, topic and headline, detail matching, main idea, order and insertion, and inference and attitude. Each family has a method you can practise: predict before reading options in blanks, compare details in matching, look for the overall point in main-idea items, follow connectors in order items, and name the tone first in attitude items. Learn the Korean instruction phrases, practise each family with official past papers, and move on to timing with TOPIK reading tips or the wider TOPIK reading section.
