diff --git a/pylint/testutils/functional/test_file.py b/pylint/testutils/functional/test_file.py
index 11addc72571..8aa0361d450 100644
--- a/pylint/testutils/functional/test_file.py
+++ b/pylint/testutils/functional/test_file.py
@@ -2,8 +2,9 @@
 # For details: https://github.com/PyCQA/pylint/blob/main/LICENSE
 
 import configparser
+import sys
 from os.path import basename, exists, join
-from typing import Dict, List, Tuple, Union
+from typing import List, Tuple
 
 
 def parse_python_version(ver_str: str) -> Tuple[int, ...]:
@@ -15,6 +16,33 @@ class NoFileError(Exception):
     pass
 
 
+if sys.version_info >= (3, 8):
+    from typing import TypedDict
+else:
+    from typing_extensions import TypedDict
+
+
+class TestFileOptions(TypedDict):
+    min_pyver: Tuple[int, ...]
+    max_pyver: Tuple[int, ...]
+    min_pyver_end_position: Tuple[int, ...]
+    requires: List[str]
+    except_implementations: str  # Type is actually comma separated list of string
+    exclude_platforms: str  # Type is actually comma separated list of string
+
+
+# mypy need something literal, we can't create this dynamically from TestFileOptions
+POSSIBLE_TEST_OPTIONS = {
+    "min_pyver",
+    "max_pyver",
+    "min_pyver_end_position",
+    "requires",
+    "except_implementations",
+    "exclude_platforms",
+    "exclude_platforms",
+}
+
+
 class FunctionalTestFile:
     """A single functional test case file with options."""
 
@@ -28,13 +56,13 @@ class FunctionalTestFile:
     def __init__(self, directory: str, filename: str) -> None:
         self._directory = directory
         self.base = filename.replace(".py", "")
-        self.options: Dict[str, Union[Tuple[int, ...], List[str]]] = {
+        self.options: TestFileOptions = {
             "min_pyver": (2, 5),
             "max_pyver": (4, 0),
             "min_pyver_end_position": (3, 8),
             "requires": [],
-            "except_implementations": [],
-            "exclude_platforms": [],
+            "except_implementations": "",
+            "exclude_platforms": "",
         }
         self._parse_options()
 
@@ -51,7 +79,11 @@ def _parse_options(self) -> None:
 
         for name, value in cp.items("testoptions"):
             conv = self._CONVERTERS.get(name, lambda v: v)
-            self.options[name] = conv(value)
+
+            assert (
+                name in POSSIBLE_TEST_OPTIONS
+            ), f"[testoptions]' can only contains one of {POSSIBLE_TEST_OPTIONS}"
+            self.options[name] = conv(value)  # type: ignore[misc]
 
     @property
     def option_file(self) -> str:
diff --git a/tests/functional/f/fixme.rc b/tests/functional/f/fixme.rc
index 6b903c1bdae..be1b23458e0 100644
--- a/tests/functional/f/fixme.rc
+++ b/tests/functional/f/fixme.rc
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
-[testoptions]
+[MISCELLANEOUS]
+# List of note tags to take in consideration, separated by a comma.
 notes=XXX,TODO,./TODO
+# Regular expression of note tags to take in consideration.
 notes-rgx=FIXME(?!.*ISSUE-\d+)|TO.*DO
diff --git a/tests/functional/r/regression/regression_issue_4631.rc b/tests/functional/r/regression/regression_issue_4631.rc
index 44c9b77eed8..88cdb85bfa9 100644
--- a/tests/functional/r/regression/regression_issue_4631.rc
+++ b/tests/functional/r/regression/regression_issue_4631.rc
@@ -1,2 +1,2 @@
-[testoptions]
+[MASTER]
 limit-inference-results=0
diff --git a/tests/functional/t/too/too_few_public_methods_excluded.rc b/tests/functional/t/too/too_few_public_methods_excluded.rc
index 00c025832cf..b6a2cc9378a 100644
--- a/tests/functional/t/too/too_few_public_methods_excluded.rc
+++ b/tests/functional/t/too/too_few_public_methods_excluded.rc
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-[testoptions]
+[DESIGN]
 min-public-methods=10  # to combat inherited methods
 
 exclude-too-few-public-methods=json.*,^.*Control$
diff --git a/tests/functional/t/too/too_many_ancestors_ignored_parents.rc b/tests/functional/t/too/too_many_ancestors_ignored_parents.rc
index 1d06dad25d6..aa652704b7d 100644
--- a/tests/functional/t/too/too_many_ancestors_ignored_parents.rc
+++ b/tests/functional/t/too/too_many_ancestors_ignored_parents.rc
@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
-[testoptions]
+[DESIGN]
 max-parents=2
 ignored-parents=functional.t.too.too_many_ancestors_ignored_parents.E
diff --git a/tests/functional/t/too/too_many_statements.rc b/tests/functional/t/too/too_many_statements.rc
index d6d22f23725..19e0d5151fb 100644
--- a/tests/functional/t/too/too_many_statements.rc
+++ b/tests/functional/t/too/too_many_statements.rc
@@ -1,2 +1,2 @@
-[testoptions]
+[DESIGN]
 max-statements=5