How is TOPIK II writing (questions 51 to 54) scored?

Key facts

What are the four writing questions?

Two short sentence-completion questions, one data description and one essay, in rising order of length and points.

Writing is only on TOPIK II. Since the level depends on the total across listening, writing and reading, a modest writing score does not block a level, but 100 of the 300 points sit here. The full section layout is in the exam format guide.

How do questions 51 and 52 work?

Each has two blanks, marked ㉠ and ㉡, and you write exactly one sentence per blank that fits the text around it. Each blank is worth 5 points.

NIIED's answer guide lists what costs points: vocabulary or grammar that does not fit the context, extra content that changes the meaning, spelling errors, and a register that does not match the text. Do not copy the words next to the brackets, and do not write two sentences where one is asked for.

Question 51 is a practical text (invitation, notice, message), so the ending must match its tone; NIIED's own example uses polite forms like 할까 합니다. Question 52 is an explanatory paragraph, so your sentence must continue its logic. Both are marked on content and task performance, and language use.

How do you write question 53 (200 to 300 characters)?

Describe and compare the given data accurately, without a title and without personal claims unrelated to the data, and keep an introduction, body and conclusion even at this length.

The prompt gives a chart, table or short set of facts. State what the data shows, compare the figures, and, where the prompt gives them, name causes or expectations. Do not add opinions the data does not support.

Question 53 is worth 30 points: content and task performance 7, organization 7, and language use 8, counted twice for 16. Bands run from A to F; a band A answer scores 7, 7 and 8 x 2.

How do you write question 54 (600 to 700 characters)?

Write your own opinion on the given topic in 600 to 700 characters, answer every sub-question in the prompt, follow a logical introduction, body and conclusion, and start a new paragraph when the content shifts. Do not copy the prompt.

The topic is usually social: education, work, technology, the environment. The prompt lists two or three sub-questions, and each must get an answer in your text; leaving one out is a task failure, not a style problem.

Question 54 is worth 50 points: content and task performance 12, organization 12, and language use 13, counted twice for 26. A band A answer scores 11 to 12, 11 to 12 and 12 to 13 x 2.

NIIED's criteria: the answer fulfils the task with rich, varied content; it has a clear structure, a central idea and discourse markers; and it uses varied, accurate grammar, vocabulary and spelling in a formality suited to the purpose. The same content in higher-level language scores higher on language use.

Which writing style should you use?

Formal written Korean. For questions 53 and 54, NIIED's guide says spoken-style expressions, or sentences ending in -ㅂ/습니다 or -아/어요, lose points, and answers must not be written as notes or bullet points.

NIIED's model answers end sentences in the plain written -다 form (조사하였다, 필요하다), so that is the safe choice for 53 and 54. For question 51, match the register of the text you are completing.

NIIED publishes no fixed penalty for going under or over the character range and does not say whether spaces count; teachers commonly advise that under-length answers lose content points, so treat the range as a target.

What are the manuscript paper (원고지) rules?

Questions 53 and 54 are written on a grid where each cell holds one character, and NIIED publishes rules for indentation, digits and punctuation.

• One character per cell. Indent the first line and every new paragraph by one cell; otherwise never leave the first cell of a line empty.
• Two Arabic digits per cell. Each punctuation mark takes its own cell; a dash or an ellipsis takes two.
• Leave one empty cell after ? or !, but not after a period, comma, colon or semicolon.
• If a character fills the last cell of a line, put the following punctuation mark in that same cell.
• Write with the thin end of the sign pen inside the answer box. Anything outside the box, or in the wrong box, earns no points.

Rules such as two Latin letters per cell come from teachers, not from NIIED's sheet. Correction tape is not supplied at the site, so bring your own or strike through with two lines.

How is writing different on the computer test (IBT)?

TOPIK II IBT has three typed writing items in 50 minutes instead of four on paper. NIIED describes them as sentence completion (short answer) and essay writing; it does not state which paper questions they correspond to.

If you plan to take the IBT, practice typing Korean at speed, since the grid rules do not apply on screen. IBT cut-offs are in the levels and scores guide.

How does TopikIQ help with TOPIK II writing?

TopikIQ lets you write answers to TOPIK II questions 51 to 54 and get AI feedback that scores each answer by category (content and task, organization, language use) and lists what to fix first.

AI writing feedback is a Pro feature that a signed-in free account can try once. The feedback is labeled as AI, it can be wrong, and you can report it from inside the app, so use it as a guide rather than a verdict. The free plan also gives 20 reading and listening questions a day with explanations in your language and 3 AI tutor chats a day. TopikIQ is not affiliated with NIIED.

Related guides: exam format, levels and scores, how to prepare.

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