Language: English · Tiếng Việt · 简体中文 · 日本語 · 한국어 · ไทย · ខ្មែរ · Русский · Bahasa Indonesia · Oʻzbekcha · Монгол · Filipino · नेपाली · বাংলা · සිංහල · မြန်မာ
TOPIK I Time Management: Pacing Listening (40 min) and Reading (60 min)
TOPIK I is short but tight: 70 questions in 100 minutes, with listening and reading back to back and no break between them. Many lost points have little to do with Korean and a lot to do with time: an answer sheet filled in too late, one hard question that ate five minutes, a reading section that was never finished. This guide turns the official numbers into a pacing plan you can practise.
The official numbers
| Format | Listening | Reading | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper test (PBT) | 30 questions, 40 min | 40 questions, 60 min | 70 questions, 100 min, 200 points |
| Internet test (IBT) | 26 questions, 30 min | 26 questions, 40 min | 52 questions, 70 min, 400 points |
In Korea the paper TOPIK I runs from 10:00 to 11:40, and you must be in the room by 09:20. Level 1 needs 80 points and level 2 needs 140 points out of 200; on the IBT it is 121 and 236 out of 400. Only the total counts, so a strong reading score can make up for weak listening. See TOPIK levels and score cut-offs.
Three official rules that shape your pacing
- No extra marking time after listening. The official notice says that no separate time is given to fill in the answer sheet when the listening section ends. Mark each answer on the sheet while the audio continues.
- Stay in the section you are in. Solving questions outside the time of their section is treated as cheating. In TOPIK I this means you cannot start the reading questions during the listening time.
- No watch. Analogue and digital wristwatches must be handed in together with phones before the test starts. Your pacing has to work without checking a watch.
Listening: 30 questions in 40 minutes
In listening the recording sets the speed, so managing time means using the gaps well. The questions move from short, simple exchanges at the start to longer conversations and to sets in which one recording is used for two questions near the end.
- Read ahead. While the instructions or the example are being read, look at the options of the next question. If you know the options are places, topics or pictures, you know what to listen for.
- Decide, mark, move on. Choose an answer as soon as you hear it and mark it on the answer sheet at once. A question you missed is gone; do not let it steal your attention from the next one.
- Two questions, one recording. For the sets near the end, read both questions before the recording starts, so that you listen once for both answers.
- Never leave a blank. If you did not catch something, mark your best guess immediately. A blank answer certainly earns nothing.
Reading: 40 questions in 60 minutes
Reading has no recording to set the pace, so this is where time is won or lost. Sixty minutes for 40 questions is 1.5 minutes per question on average, but the questions are not equal. The first ones are a sentence or two long, while the last ones come with a full paragraph and two questions each. Move quickly through the short questions at the start to bank time for the long texts at the end. The checkpoints below are our suggestion, not an official rule:
| Checkpoint | Questions answered | Time used |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 10 | about 12 min |
| 2 | 20 | about 27 min |
| 3 | 30 | about 42 min |
| 4 | 40 | about 55 min, leaving 5 min to check the answer sheet |
Because you cannot wear a watch, you may not be able to check the time whenever you like. Learn the rhythm at home instead: take mock tests with a timer you do not look at, and when it rings, note how far you have got. After two or three tests you will know your own pace.
- Skip, mark, return. If a question takes more than about 2 minutes, mark your best guess on the answer sheet, put a small sign next to it on the question paper and move on. Come back to it if time remains.
- Fill the answer sheet as you go. Do not plan to copy all your answers at the end. Mark the sheet after each question or each page.
- Read the question first. For longer texts, read what is asked (the topic, the matching content or the blank) before the text, so that you read with a purpose.
- Finish a set together. Questions in a set share one text; answer both while the text is fresh in your mind.
How to mark the answer sheet
Mark only one answer per question and fill the circle completely. An incomplete mark, or two marks on one question, scores 0 for that question. Do not damage, fold or stain the sheet, and never touch the timing marks along the top and bottom edges. Correction tape may be used only if it is your own; you cannot ask the supervisor or another candidate for one. When the end of the test is announced, stop writing at once.
A two-week pacing routine
- Week 1: take one full mock test under test conditions (40 + 60 minutes, no pause) and write down where you ran out of time.
- Practise your weakest question type without a timer until you understand why each answer is right.
- Week 2: take a second full mock test and use the checkpoints above.
- The day before the test: review your mistakes only and do not start new material.
Our free TOPIK I mock tests have 70 questions in 100 minutes with the listening read aloud, and they show your results by question type, so you can see where your time goes. When you can finish reading with minutes to spare, compare TOPIK I and TOPIK II and consider the next step. Before the test, read the test-day checklist.
More guides for learners in Korea: OByeolLab guides, including TOPIK structure and pass marks.
Official sources, checked on 2026-10-20: TOPIK regulations, article 3 and table 1 (topik.go.kr); the notice and poster for the 108th test for entry times, devices and answer-sheet rules (topik.go.kr). The checkpoints and the routine are our suggestions. How many times each recording is played is not stated on the official pages we read.