TOPIK Guides

Answers to common TOPIK questions, backed by official vocabulary data.

LevelWordsCumulativeExamples
Beginner (TOPIK Level 1–2)982982 thing · 하다 do, make · 있다 (auxiliary) be ~ing, be in the state of ~ · 있다 exist, be · 되다 become
Intermediate (TOPIK Level 3–4)21113093 etc., and so on (as in 학생, 선생님 등) · 대하다 treat, face · 위하다 for, do for · 사회 society · 따르다 follow
Advanced (TOPIK Level 5–6)28725965그녀 she · 그러다 to be so, to do so · 정부 government · 새롭다 new, fresh · 과정 process
How Many Words Do You Need for Each TOPIK Level?The National Institute of Korean Language's official learning vocabulary list contains 5,965 words in total, s…What's the Difference Between TOPIK I and TOPIK II?TOPIK I tests Listening and Reading only, out of 200 points total, with Level 1 starting at 80 points and Leve…How Do You Memorize TOPIK Vocabulary in 3 Months?Study 15 new words a day for 90 days and you land at 1,350 words — enough to cover the entire beginner vocabul…Why Are Sino-Korean Words a Shortcut to Learning Korean Vocabulary?Sino-Korean words account for 3,264 of the 5,965 words in the core TOPIK vocabulary — 55% of the entire list. …What Are the First 100 Korean Words a Beginner Should Memorize?The first 100 Korean words to memorize are the top 100 by usage frequency, pulled from the larger 982-word beg…What Part of Speech Do Most TOPIK Vocabulary Words Belong To?Nouns make up the largest share of TOPIK vocabulary by far: 3,404 words, or about 57% of the entire list. Verb…When Is TOPIK Held and How Do You Register?TOPIK is offered several times a year, but the exact number of sessions depends on where you're testing — Kore…How Do I Know My TOPIK Level?The only fully accurate way to know your TOPIK level is to sit an official past exam under real test condition…TOPIK vs EPS-TOPIK: Which Korean Exam Do You Actually Need?TOPIK and EPS-TOPIK are two completely separate exams built for different purposes. If you're applying to a Ko…What's the Best Free Vocabulary Resource for TOPIK Prep?The best free resource isn't a single tool but four different ones, each suited to a different job: this site'…