Why Scored Sample Answers Teach More Than Model Answers (TOPIK II Writing 53–54)

Most TOPIK II writing books give one model answer per question. It is a good answer, and it is also a problem: you read it, you think “I understand,” and you still cannot write it yourself. The gap between your draft and the model is too wide to see.

A better teaching tool is three answers to the same question: one high, one middle, one low, each with a score and the reasons. Now the gap is cut into steps, and you can find which step you are standing on.

What changes between a low and a high answer

Take question 53, where you describe data. Here is a low sentence, written by us as an example:

그래프는 사람이 많이 늘었습니다.

It is understandable, but it has several problems. It does not say what the data is. It uses the polite spoken ending ‑습니다 instead of the plain written style ‑다. It does not say when, and it does not say how much. A higher answer fixes each one:

조사 결과에 따르면 2020년에 비해 2023년에는 이용자가 두 배로 늘어난 것으로 나타났다.

• Source of the data: 조사 결과에 따르면
• Comparison with a time: 2020년에 비해 2023년에는
• Size of the change: 두 배로
• Written style: 나타났다 (plain form, not ‑습니다)

How to use scored samples

1. Write your own answer first, before you look at any sample.
2. Read the low sample and say what is wrong with it. If you can name the problems, you already know what to avoid.
3. Read the middle and the high sample and find the exact words that earn the extra points.
4. Score your own answer against the criteria and note the one change that would add the most.

Question 53 asks for a short description of data and question 54 asks for a longer argument, and the check is different for each: for 53 it is accuracy and written style, for 54 it is structure and how well you support your point. Check the current official guide for the length and the scoring of each question before you plan your practice.