TOPIK, explained.
The Test of Proficiency in Korean is the standard way to prove how much Korean you have. This is what it is, how it is built, what each level asks of you, and how to study for it without wasting a year.
TOPIK is run by the National Institute for International Education (NIIED), part of South Korea's Ministry of Education. The paper test is held several times a year in Korea and less often abroad, an internet-based version adds more dates, and results are valid for two years. It comes as two exams: TOPIK I, which awards level 1 or 2, and TOPIK II, which awards levels 3 to 6. You sit one paper and your score decides the level.
The most important fact for a beginner: TOPIK I is listening and reading only, all multiple choice. There is no speaking and no writing, so you never produce a word of Korean. That makes it a good measure of whether you understand, and a poor measure of whether you can hold a conversation. Passing level 2 and being able to speak are different projects.
| Exam | Listening | Writing | Reading | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TOPIK I | 30 questions, 40 min | None | 40 questions, 60 min | 100 min |
| TOPIK II | 50 questions, 60 min | 4 questions, 50 min | 50 questions, 70 min | 180 min |
TOPIK II is sat in two sessions with a break: listening and writing first, then reading. Listening clips are played once or twice depending on the question, and the answers go on the sheet while the audio moves on.
| Exam | Scoring sections | Total | Level awarded |
|---|---|---|---|
| TOPIK I | Listening (0 to 100) + Reading (0 to 100) | 200 | Level 1 from 80 · Level 2 from 140 |
| TOPIK II | Listening, Writing and Reading, each 0 to 100 | 300 | Level 3 from 120 · 4 from 150 · 5 from 190 · 6 from 230 |
The writing section ends with a short essay, and most self-taught learners have never written one in Korean. It is a third of the marks, so a strong reader who has not practised writing can land a level below where their reading would put them.
| Level | Vocabulary | What you can do | Typical study time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ~800 | Introduce yourself, buy things, order food | 3 to 6 months |
| 2 | ~1,500 to 2,000 | Phone calls, banks, post offices, simple plans | 6 to 12 months |
| 3 | ~3,000 | Daily life, familiar social topics | 1 to 2 years |
| 4 | ~5,000 | News, general social topics | 2 to 3 years |
| 5 | ~7,000 | Work and study in Korean | 3 to 4 years |
| 6 | ~10,000 | Professional and academic Korean | 4 years or more |
Read these numbers carefully
NIIED describes levels 1 and 2 in terms of about 800 and 1,500 to 2,000 words, and publishes no word counts above that. The later figures are the rough estimates that textbooks and study sites converge on: a planning guide, not a syllabus. Study times assume steady study and vary a great deal with your background. Someone who already reads Japanese will move faster through grammar, and someone living in Korea will pick up listening far faster than someone studying at home.
1. Learn to read first. Every question is in Hangul, including the instructions. The Hangul course takes ten days.
2. Pick the level you can nearly reach, not the one you want. Sit a past paper cold before you book. Past papers are published, so there is no reason to guess.
3. Build vocabulary daily. Vocabulary is the bottleneck for reading, and reading is where the time goes. Spaced repetition is the right tool: a little every day beats a weekend cram, because the exam tests recognition speed.
4. Train listening from day one. It improves slowly, and passive exposure is not enough. Do timed listening sections so you get used to answering while the audio moves on.
5. Do not let the test define your Korean. Because TOPIK I has no speaking, it is possible to reach level 2 and freeze when someone asks you a question. Keep speaking practice running alongside. That is what the daily lessons are for.
6. Book early. Registration opens months before each sitting and popular centres fill quickly.
The Hangul course, the vocabulary and the grammar reference here cover the level 1 foundations, and the daily course is written to reach it by day 90. A dedicated TOPIK I course is planned as a separate track.
Start with Hangul →Format, timing and scoring are as published for the standard paper-based test. An internet-based version and a separate speaking test are also offered in some places. Always confirm dates, fees and registration deadlines on the official site, topik.go.kr, for your test centre.