What is TOPIK?
TOPIK (Test of Proficiency in Korean) is the Korean government's standardized test of Korean for non-native speakers, run by the National Institute for International Education (NIIED) under the Ministry of Education. It is used for university admission and graduation, employment, and visa or residency applications.
There are two tests: TOPIK I (beginner, levels 1–2) and TOPIK II (intermediate–advanced, levels 3–6). You register for whichever one you want.
TOPIK I (beginner)
| Section | Questions | Time | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listening | 30 | 40 min | 100 |
| Reading | 40 | 60 min | 100 |
| Total | 70 | 100 min (one session) | 200 |
All questions are 4-option multiple choice; listening and reading are taken back-to-back in one session. → Free TOPIK I listening questions · Free TOPIK I reading questions
TOPIK II (intermediate–advanced)
| Section | Questions | Time | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listening | 50 | 60 min | 100 |
| Writing | 4 (written answers) | 50 min | 100 |
| Reading | 50 | 70 min | 100 |
| Total | 104 | 180 min (session 1: listening + writing 110 min / session 2: reading 70 min) | 300 |
Writing consists of two sentence-completion items (Q51–52), a 200–300-character expository paragraph (Q53) and a 600–700-character essay (Q54). → Free TOPIK II listening questions · Free TOPIK II reading questions
Good to know
- Listening audio is played once (twice for some items), so practising at real speed matters. HANIJEMI past papers use the real audio and time limits.
- Answers are marked on an OMR sheet. A computer-based TOPIK IBT and a separate TOPIK Speaking test also exist.
- There is no per-section minimum; your level is decided by total score. → Score levels
Official details are governed by the latest announcements at topik.go.kr. topik.go.kr