5 Tips on How to Get TOPIK Level 5

Test of Proficiency in Korean (TOPIK)

For many people who are aspiring to study or work in Korea, learning Korean is a must. It helps you have an easier life in Korea. It enables you to communicate with the locals, navigate your way around the cities, and it gives you access to the same conveniences that Koreans do.

One of the measures for gauging your level in Korean is the Test of Proficiency in Korean or TOPIK. It's a comprehensive exam which features listening, reading, and writing portions. A new separate speaking exam has also been recently launched. There are six levels of TOPIK, where TOPIK 1 signifies a beginner level of understanding while TOPIK 6 signifies advanced fluency. TOPIK is also divided into two different categories namely TOPIK I and TOPIK II, with TOPIK I targeted for lower to upper beginners from levels 1 and 2, and TOPIK II for intermediate to advanced levels from levels 3 to 6.

For TOPIK I, one must have scored at least 80 out of 200 points to achieve level 1, and at least 140 out of 200 points to get level 2. For TOPIK II, one must have scored at least 120 out of 300 points to achieve level 3, at least 150 to get level 4, at least 190 to get level 5, and at least 230 to get level 6. Another distinctive feature for TOPIK I and II is that TOPIK I only features listening and reading, while TOPIK II involves all three listening, reading, and writing parts. Each part has a total of 100 points. Listening and reading both have 50 questions worth 2 points each, while writing has four questions namely Problems 51, 52, 53, and 54. Problems 51 and 52 are worth 10 points each, problem 53 is worth 30 points, and problem 54 is worth 50 points. Having said all that, here are a few tips to help you ace TOPIK and get at least level 5.

1. Focus more on writing

From what you can infer above, it is quite obvious that you will be able to rack the most points with the writing portion. It only has four questions but each question gives you 10 points at least. Furthermore, if you're able to do well in Problem 54, which is the essay part, then you can have at least 40 points if not the full 50. However, to be able to do well in the writing exam, you need to have a good command of the language in its written form, which as you will find out, is different from the spoken form. It's actually similar with how written communication in English is usually more formal and structured than spoken English, which is more casual or colloquial.

One great resource I used is the book "Cracking the TOPIK II Writing". It gives you numerous examples of questions given for each of the four writing problems. If you don't have time to learn how Koreans write essays or reports, then this is your indispensable guide to mastering the written form. Of course, another way of learning how to write in Korean is by reading various written sources such as newspapers, magazines, academic articles, research papers, journals, and online articles. In a way, this will also help you with expanding your vocabulary and learning the grammatical structures frequently used in writing. It also helps with the reading portion of the exam since you will encounter various source materials.

2. Take mock tests

If you have learned some Korean already and are preparing to take the TOPIK, then you need to have some resource materials to familiarize yourself with how the exams are conducted. You can buy books that collect the actual questionnaires of previous TOPIK exams. The most important thing to take from these mock exam books is to formulate a good strategy on how to be efficient with your time. It helps you adjust yourself with how to answer the questions. Of course, you should take the opportunity to absorb all the vocabulary you can find, write them down, and take time to understand them based on their context.

Some TOPIK II books that I find really helpful are the TOPIK Master books by Kyunghee University, the PASS New TOPIK book from Cham Korean, and the Complete Guide to the TOPIK II from Darakwon.

3. Develop your exam strategy

Once you find these books, you'll notice that the questions for listening and reading have patterns. You don't have to understand the whole text to get the gist of the passage in a reading question. You don't need to understand everything being said in the listening questions. What you must learn to do is to pay attention to keywords, key phrases, or key grammatical structures. These will help you identify the main idea or the main point of the passage or the conversation. You also need to check the answers as well to see if any of them fit the context of the question. But be careful. Sometimes, the question may be tricky and there are confusing answers. Simply recognizing a word does not mean that it is the answer to the question. So, be alert still and try to understand the context of the question.

For the listening part, several of the questions will be stated twice, so take your time trying to understand the answers, then when you are able to get the gist of what the question is asking, try to focus on which answer best fits.

4. Don't spend too much time on one question

To be more efficient, try to answer the questions within 15 seconds if you can. If not, within 30 seconds. This will ensure that you have enough time to check your answer to see if it makes sense. My language school gave us this tip to help us be more efficient in answering the exam. From questions 36 to 50 of the listening portion, simply choose one letter as your answer. This is especially effective if you're not on the advanced level of fluency yet. For the reading portion, do the same from questions 41 to 50. This will ensure that you at least have three or four questions correct.

5. Practice by repetition

You won't be able to get a high score if you simply do drills or practice writing problems a week before the test. You have to be proactive and start months in advance. Couple this with regular Korean classes and you will find yourself acing the TOPIK in no time. Rote memorization isn't the most effective way but doing something over and over, making sure to adjust your methods and apply changes where necessary can definitely help you improve. Identifying where you lack proficiency and targeting those areas for improvement is the smartest way to ace the TOPIK exam. Don't be afraid to ask people how they would answer a certain question or have your essays checked by an expert. Lastly, have fun while you're learning and be diligent in studying the language because it will definitely help you with your life in Korea.