TOPIK Exam (한국어능력시험): Levels 1-6, Sections and a Prep Plan

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The TOPIK exam grades your Korean on 6 levels through two tests, TOPIK I and TOPIK II. Beginners take TOPIK I (levels 1 and 2). Anyone aiming for university, a job or a visa in Korea usually needs TOPIK II, which covers levels 3 to 6 and is the only one with a writing section.

You don’t pass or fail. Your total score decides your level, and the certificate is valid for two years. That matters because universities, scholarship panels and employers in Korea ask for a specific level, so knowing which number you need tells you which test to book and how hard to train.

Key takeaways

TOPIK I is 200 points over 100 minutes: 80 gets you level 1, 140 gets you level 2.
TOPIK II is 300 points over three sections: 120 is level 3, 150 is level 4, 190 is level 5, 230 is level 6.
Writing questions 53 and 54 carry 80 of the 100 writing points, so they decide most TOPIK II results.
Scores expire two years after results come out, so time your test to your application.

What is the TOPIK exam and who runs it?

TOPIK stands for Test of Proficiency in Korean (한국어능력시험, hangugeo neungnyeok siheom). It’s run by NIIED, the National Institute for International Education, an agency under South Korea’s Ministry of Education. It’s the standard proof of Korean ability for people whose first language isn’t Korean, and the test the Korean state itself recognizes for school admissions, scholarships and immigration paperwork.

The exam is held several times a year inside Korea and less often in most other countries. Abroad, it’s usually organized by a local partner: a Korean embassy or consulate, a Korean Education Center, a King Sejong Institute (the government-backed network of Korean language schools) or a university. A computer-based version, known as IBT (internet-based TOPIK), runs in some places. A separate TOPIK speaking test also exists, scored on its own scale. Because test dates, centers and fees change every year, the only reliable source is the official site, topik.go.kr, plus your local organizer’s page.

One thing it isn’t: EPS-TOPIK. That’s a different test for workers applying through Korea’s Employment Permit System, run by HRD Korea, and it doesn’t give you a TOPIK level. If a job ad or agency mentions EPS-TOPIK, it means that specific work route.

TOPIK I vs TOPIK II: which test should you take?

Pick by the level you need. You can’t earn level 3 on TOPIK I, however perfect your score, and you can’t get level 1 or 2 from TOPIK II. If you score below 120 on TOPIK II, you get no level at all. So the choice comes down to a simple question: is your target 1-2 or 3-6?

Feature	TOPIK I	TOPIK II
Levels awarded	1 and 2	3, 4, 5 and 6
Sections	Listening, reading	Listening, writing, reading
Questions	30 listening, 40 reading	50 listening, 4 writing, 50 reading
Total points	200	300
Test time	100 minutes (40 listening, 60 reading)	180 minutes (60 listening + 50 writing, then 70 reading)
Score cutoffs	Level 1: 80 / Level 2: 140	Level 3: 120 / 4: 150 / 5: 190 / 6: 230
Best for	Learners checking progress, beginners with a level 2 requirement	University entry, scholarships, jobs, visa points

A useful rule of thumb: if you can read a short news story or a notice in Korean and follow most of it, sit TOPIK II, even if you expect only level 3. If basic sentences with 은/는 and -아요/어요 endings still slow you down, start with TOPIK I. Our guide to Korean grammar for beginners covers the rules that TOPIK I questions lean on.

Rows of students at desks writing answers during a written language exam — Photo: Hand-writing-exam-classroom by Alison wood, CC BY 3.0

TOPIK levels 1 to 6: what each score means

Each level has an official descriptor of what you can do in Korean. In plain terms, here’s what those levels look like in daily life, and what the cutoffs mean for your study target.

Level	Score needed	What you can do
1	80 of 200 (TOPIK I)	Survival Korean: greetings, buying things, ordering food, talking about yourself. Official descriptors cite about 800 basic words.
2	140 of 200 (TOPIK I)	Phone calls, asking favors, using a bank or post office, short paragraphs on familiar topics. Descriptors cite roughly 1,500 to 2,000 words.
3	120 of 300 (TOPIK II)	Daily life without much trouble, basic social relationships, telling formal written Korean from spoken.
4	150 of 300 (TOPIK II)	Public services, work relationships, following general news and newspaper articles, common idioms and cultural references.
5	190 of 300 (TOPIK II)	Some professional or research use, discussing politics, economics and society, switching between formal and informal registers.
6	230 of 300 (TOPIK II)	Fluent professional and academic use, with only small gaps compared with a native speaker.

Look at how the TOPIK II cutoffs sit. Level 3 needs 40% of the points. Level 6 needs about 77%. The jump from 4 to 5 (40 points) is bigger than from 3 to 4 (30 points), and that’s where many learners stall, because level 5 needs real academic reading and a well-built essay.

What each TOPIK section tests

All questions apart from writing are multiple choice with four options. The question types repeat from test to test, which is the best news for anyone preparing: you can learn the format the way you’d learn a board game’s rules.

TOPIK listening (듣기): what to expect

Audio starts simple and gets harder. Early items are short dialogues: pick the matching picture, the right reply or where the speakers are. Later TOPIK II items are interviews, lectures, documentaries and debates, and they ask for the speaker’s attitude, main argument or the next likely statement. You can’t pause or replay. The real skill is reading the four options before each clip so you know what to listen for.

TOPIK reading (읽기): what to expect

Reading moves from ads, signs and notices to editorials, academic paragraphs and literary extracts. Common tasks include ordering scrambled sentences, filling a blank with the right expression, finding the main idea and spotting which statement matches the text. Time is the enemy. TOPIK II gives you 70 minutes for 50 questions, which is under a minute and a half each, and the longest texts sit at the end.

TOPIK writing (쓰기): questions 51 to 54

Only TOPIK II has writing, and its four questions are worth 100 points between them. The usual split:

51 and 52 (10 points each): fill in two blanks in a short text, such as a notice, message or explanatory paragraph. Grammar and register count, so match the style of the text around the blank.
53 (30 points): describe a chart, survey or data set in 200 to 300 characters. It rewards fixed patterns for comparing numbers and describing trends.
54 (50 points): an argumentative essay of 600 to 700 characters on a social topic, with set points to cover. Structure, logic and formal written style matter as much as vocabulary.

On the paper test you write on 원고지 (wongoji), Korean manuscript paper with one square per character. Spacing rules apply, and going under the length range costs you points.

Who needs a TOPIK score?

Most people who search for the TOPIK exam need it for one of four reasons. Requirements change by institution and by year, so treat this as a map, then check the specific rules that apply to you.

Universities in Korea

Many Korean universities ask international undergraduates for TOPIK level 3 to enroll and level 4 to graduate, while some programs, especially in humanities or for graduate study, want more. English-taught programs may waive it. Your department’s admissions page is the final word, and an application deadline that comes before your results are released is the classic trap.

Scholarships

The Global Korea Scholarship (GKS), the Korean government’s flagship program for foreign students, counts TOPIK in its selection and expects scholars to build Korean during their studies. Check the current guidelines on the official Study in Korea site, since point rules are revised.

Jobs and visas

Korean employers, especially in trade, tourism, translation and companies dealing with Korea, often list a TOPIK level in job ads. Korea’s points-based residence visas and the immigration and integration program (KIIP, the government’s Korean language and society course for foreign residents) both count Korean ability, and TOPIK is the standard proof. The details sit with Korea’s immigration service, so confirm there before you plan around a level.

Personal goals

Plenty of people take it with no paperwork in mind. A level is a clear, outside measure of progress, and a test date is the best cure for months of casual study. If you’re wondering how far away your target is, our guide on how long it takes to learn Korean breaks down realistic timelines.

How to register for the TOPIK exam from abroad

Find your test center. Start on topik.go.kr, which lists participating countries, then go to your local organizer’s page.
Check the registration window. Sign-up opens and closes weeks before each test, and popular centers can fill early.
Choose TOPIK I or TOPIK II. You can’t switch levels on the day. Some sessions run both, so check you’re not booking two at once by mistake.
Prepare a photo and ID. You’ll usually need a recent ID photo and the same identity document on test day.
Pay the fee. Fees differ by country and test, so use the figure your organizer publishes.
Print your admission ticket (수험표). It shows your seat, time and the rules for the room.
Check results online. Scores are posted on the official site, and certificates can be printed from there.

An open Korean language workbook with handwritten notes and a pen on a study desk — Photo: Asad Rustum's Desk I by Unknown Photographer, Public Domain Mark

How to prepare for the TOPIK exam: a 12-week plan

Past papers are your main tool. NIIED has released earlier TOPIK tests on the official site, with answer keys and listening audio, and the question types barely change. Build your study around them rather than around a general textbook.

Week 1: take a full past paper under real timing. Score each section separately. This tells you whether your problem is speed, vocabulary or writing, and those need different fixes.
Weeks 2 to 6: build the base. Learn vocabulary and grammar patterns that keep appearing in past papers (keep a list as you mark). Do 30 minutes of listening a day with the option-reading habit, and two timed reading sets a week.
Weeks 5 to 9: train writing (TOPIK II). Memorize set phrases for question 53, such as ways to say something increased, decreased or doubled. For question 54, practice one fixed shape: introduction, two or three argued points, conclusion. Write one full essay a week and get it corrected by a teacher or tutor.
Weeks 7 to 10: work on speed. Time every reading set. Learn to skip a hard question, mark it, and come back later.
Weeks 11 and 12: full mocks. Sit two or three complete past papers at the real exam’s times of day, with handwritten writing answers and a paper answer sheet. Then rest the day before.

A worked example: from level 2 to level 4

Say you’re at a solid level 2 and a university wants level 4, which is 150 of 300. That averages 50 per section, but you don’t need an even split. A realistic target might be 60 in listening, 60 in reading and 30 in writing. Thirty in writing is reachable by answering 51 and 52 cleanly and writing a correct, complete answer to 53, even if your essay for 54 is thin. That changes your plan: put most writing time into 51 to 53, and keep listening and reading as your point banks.

If you’re aiming for level 6 (230), the maths flips. You need high scores in all three sections, and question 54 becomes the deciding factor, so weekly corrected essays stop being optional.

Common TOPIK mistakes that cost points

Writing in spoken style. TOPIK II writing expects formal written endings such as -다 and -ㄴ다 rather than the -요 endings you use in conversation. Mixing them is one of the most common ways to lose points.
Ignoring the character count. An essay under 600 characters for question 54 loses marks before content is even judged.
Spending too long on question 54. Writing has 50 minutes for all four questions. Do 51 to 53 first, then use what’s left for the essay.
Only reading textbooks. TOPIK II reading is full of news-style and academic Korean. Short daily reads from Korean news sites close that gap faster.
Leaving answers blank. Multiple choice has four options and no penalty for guessing, so fill every bubble.
Studying the wrong numbers. Counting, dates and amounts show up in listening and reading. If native and Sino-Korean numbers still trip you up, our guide to Korean numbers fixes that quickly.

TOPIK vocabulary you’ll see on test day

These words appear on the official site, your admission ticket and the paper itself. Knowing them saves stress before you’ve read a single question.

English	Korean	Romanization	When to use it
Korean proficiency test	한국어능력시험	hangugeo neungnyeok siheom	The full name of TOPIK on official pages
Listening	듣기	deutgi	Section name in both TOPIK I and II
Reading	읽기	ilgi	Section name in both tests
Writing	쓰기	sseugi	TOPIK II only, questions 51 to 54
Level, grade	급	geup	Your result, as in 4급 (level 4)
Registration	접수	jeopsu	The sign-up period on the official site
Admission ticket	수험표	suheompyo	The document you bring on test day
ID card	신분증	sinbunjeung	The identity document checked at the door
Answer sheet	답안지	dabanji	Where you mark multiple-choice answers
Manuscript paper	원고지	wongoji	The grid paper for writing answers
Results, score	성적	seongjeok	The results page and your certificate

FAQ

Is the TOPIK exam hard?

TOPIK I is manageable for anyone who has finished a beginner course. TOPIK II gets hard quickly, since its later reading and listening items use academic and news-style Korean, and the essay asks for formal argument. The difficulty depends on the level you need, not on the test as a whole.

How long is a TOPIK score valid?

Two years from the date results are announced. After that you need a new test for official use. Some institutions may accept only scores from a shorter recent period, so check their rules.

Can I take the TOPIK exam online at home?

No. Even the computer-based IBT version is taken at an approved test center, not at home. Check topik.go.kr for which countries and centers offer the computer-based test.

What TOPIK level do I need to study in Korea?

Many universities ask for level 3 to enroll and level 4 to graduate, but it varies by school, department and program language. English-taught degrees may not ask for TOPIK at all. Your target university’s admissions guide is the only reliable source.

How much does the TOPIK exam cost and when is it held?

Fees and dates differ by country and change each year, so we don’t list them. Check topik.go.kr and your local organizer, such as a Korean Education Center, embassy or King Sejong Institute, for the current schedule and fee.

Does TOPIK test speaking?

The main TOPIK I and II tests have no speaking section. A separate TOPIK speaking test exists with its own scoring, and availability depends on where you live. The official site lists where and when it runs.

What to do next: pick your test and book a date

Start with the number. Find out exactly which level your university, scholarship or employer wants and by what date, then pick TOPIK I or TOPIK II. Download one past paper from the official site this week and take it under real timing. That one sitting tells you how far you are from the cutoff and which section to train first.

Then book a test whose results come out before your deadline, with a later date in reserve. Twelve weeks of steady work on past papers, with writing corrections if you’re going for TOPIK II, is enough to move many learners up a level. Keep an eye on topik.go.kr for registration windows, because they open and close well before test day.