TOPIK I & II Korean Proficiency Course

The Test of Proficiency in Korean, or TOPIK (한국어능력시험), has two levels. TOPIK I covers beginner proficiency and contains Listening (듣기) and Reading (읽기), with 30 and 40 questions respectively. TOPIK II covers intermediate and advanced proficiency and adds Writing (쓰기), with 50 listening, 4 writing, and 50 reading questions.

TOPIK I corresponds to levels 1 and 2, while TOPIK II corresponds to levels 3 through 6. The writing section in TOPIK II includes completing a conversation, writing a short paragraph, and composing a longer essay, so practice organizing ideas in Korean before the test.

TOPIK I is worth 200 points and TOPIK II is worth 300 points. Each section has its own score, and every level requires a total score above a set cutoff, so a weak section can prevent you from passing. Manage time before the test begins: in TOPIK I, listening takes about 40 minutes and reading 60 minutes; in TOPIK II, listening takes 60 minutes, writing 50 minutes, and reading 70 minutes.

• Answer questions you know first, then return to difficult ones.
• Use the pauses in the listening section to read the next questions.
• Leave the writing section enough time to check spelling and sentence endings.
• Study with past papers and keep a weekly schedule with clear goals.

Level plan: TOPIK I tests listening and reading; TOPIK II adds writing. Decide which level you need, take a diagnostic, and allocate time by section. Practice under real conditions with one complete paper per week.

High-frequency TOPIK vocabulary is organized by theme. Greetings: 안녕하세요 (hello), 감사합니다 (thank you), 죄송합니다 (I am sorry). Family: 가족 (family), 아버지 (father), 어머니 (mother), 형 (older brother for a male speaker), 누나 (older sister for a male speaker). School: 학교, 선생님, 공부하다, 시험. Work: 회사, 일하다, 사무실, 회의. Food: 밥, 김치, 물, 음식. Shopping: 가게, 사다, 값, 비싸다. Travel: 여행, 기차, 공항, 호텔. Health: 병원, 아프다, 약, 건강.

Particles connect these words to sentence roles. 은/는 marks the topic: 저는 학생이에요. 을/를 marks the object: 김치를 먹어요. 에 marks a place or time: 학교에 가요, 일곱 시에 일어나요. 에서 marks where an action happens: 도서관에서 공부해요. 도 means "also": 저도 좋아해요, and 의 shows possession: 제 친구의 책.

• Many nouns form verbs with 하다: 공부하다, 일하다, 청소하다.
• 들 adds plurality: 친구들 (friends).
• 씨 and 님 show respect: 박 씨, 김 선생님.
• Learn words in short sentences, not as isolated lists.

Theme drill: group words by greetings, family, school, work, food, and travel. Learn each word with a verb or collocation: 감사합니다, 공부하다, 일하다. Review with spaced repetition.

Essential TOPIK grammar begins with particles. 은/는 marks the topic of the sentence, 이/가 marks the subject, 을/를 marks the object, 에 marks a place or time, and 에서 marks where an action occurs. Compare 저는 학교에 가요 ("I go to school") with 도서관에서 책을 읽어요 ("I read books at the library").

The honorific system is also part of everyday Korean. When the subject is a respected person, verbs use -(으)시-, and some words change completely: 먹다 becomes 잡수시다 or 드시다, 있다 becomes 계시다, and 주다 becomes 드리다. In TOPIK writing, match the level of politeness to the person you are addressing.

Verb endings show tense and politeness. Present tense uses -아요/어요: 밥을 먹어요. Past tense adds -았어요/었어요: 어제 공부했어요. Future uses -(으)ㄹ 거예요: 내일 영화를 볼 거예요. -고 있어요 expresses an action in progress: 지금 한국어를 공부하고 있어요. -(으)ㄹ 수 있어요 expresses ability: 한국어를 읽을 수 있어요.

Obligation uses -아/어야 돼요: 약을 먹어야 돼요 ("I must take medicine"). Suggestion uses -(으)ㄹ까요?: 같이 영화를 볼까요? ("Shall we watch a movie together?").

• Learn each particle with one example sentence.
• Drill present, past, and future forms of the same verb.
• Use polite -요 endings in the writing section unless the task says otherwise.

Particle drill: 은/는 marks topic, 이/가 subject, 을/를 object, 에 place/time, 에서 action place. Write one sentence per particle and compare honorific and plain forms.

TOPIK reading questions usually ask for the main idea, a detail, the correct order, an inference, or the writer's opinion. For main-idea questions, read the first and last sentences of each paragraph; the topic sentence often appears there. For detail questions, find the key word in the question, scan the passage for the same word or a synonym, and check the sentence around it.

TOPIK passages include notices, letters, advertisements, news, and opinion columns. Identify the text type first, because it tells you what information to expect: an advertisement may focus on price and features, while an opinion column usually has a clear recommendation.

When you meet an unknown word, do not stop. Look at the particles: if the word is followed by 을/를, it is probably an object; if it is followed by 에서, it is probably a place or source. Use word parts such as 공부 in 공부하다 and context clues such as examples, comparisons, and reasons.

For ordering questions, notice sequence markers: 먼저 (first), 그다음에 (next), 그리고 (and then), 마지막으로 (finally). For inference and opinion questions, look for 것 같다 (seems), 생각하다 (think), -아/어야 한다 (must), and -면 좋겠다 (hope).

• Read the question before the passage.
• Eliminate options that are too broad, too narrow, or not mentioned.
• Base every answer on the text, not on outside knowledge.

Question map: identify the question type: main idea, detail, order, inference, or opinion. Underline keywords, find synonyms in the passage, and check the context around numbers, dates, places, and names.

A four-week plan turns TOPIK preparation into a daily habit. Week 1 begins with a full diagnostic test in test conditions. Record your score by section and mark every wrong answer. Week 2 focuses on vocabulary and grammar drills: learn 20 to 30 words per day by theme, review particles and tense endings, and turn difficult items into flashcards. Week 3 trains reading and listening: read two timed passages daily, listen to TOPIK listening clips or short Korean audio for 20 to 30 minutes, and summarize what you heard. Week 4 uses two full mock tests with real timing and a final review of the error notebook.

A simple daily rhythm keeps the plan realistic: 30 minutes of vocabulary and grammar in the morning, 20 minutes of listening during a break, and one timed reading passage in the evening. On Saturday, complete a full section under test timing; on Sunday, review the week's errors and plan the next week.

Keep a daily listening habit even on grammar days. For each mistake, write the question, the wrong answer, the correct answer, the reason, and one similar sentence. Review the notebook after one day, three days, and one week. This makes weak patterns visible before the test.

• Week 1: diagnostic test and section analysis.
• Week 2: 30 words and 10 grammar questions daily.
• Week 3: timed reading plus daily listening.
• Week 4: two timed mock tests and error review.

Four-week rhythm: week 1 diagnostic; week 2 vocabulary and grammar; week 3 timed reading and listening; week 4 full mock tests. Review errors after one, three, and seven days.