TOPIK

Test of Proficiency in Korean

National Institute for International Education, Korea (run in Japan by the Korea Educational Foundation) · KO tests Korean

UpcomingOfficial site ↗

Nov162026
Results of the 12th TOPIK Speaking test (Korea)
Official date, from Korea's 2026 notice.
Results
Jan262027
Registration closes for the 111th test
Closes at 17:00 (Japan).
Registration
Feb262027
Registration closes for the 112th test
Planned date; may change.
Registration
Apr112027
111th TOPIK (paper), Japan nationwide
Official schedule.
Test date
Apr232027
Registration closes for the 113th test
Planned date; may change.
Registration
May162027
112th TOPIK (paper), Tokyo only
Official schedule.
Test date
May312027
111th test results
From 15:00.
Results
Jun242027
112th test results
From 15:00.
Results
Jul42027
113th TOPIK (paper), Japan nationwide
Official schedule.
Test date
Jul202027
Registration closes for the 114th test
Planned date; may change.
Registration
Aug122027
113th test results
From 15:00.
Results
Aug282027
20th TOPIK IBT (internet-based), Tokyo
Registration dates not yet set.
Test date
Oct172027
114th TOPIK (paper), Japan nationwide
Official schedule.
Test date
Nov272027
22nd TOPIK IBT (internet-based), Tokyo
Registration dates not yet set.
Test date
Dec92027
114th test results
From 15:00.
Results

Dates are from the organisation's official announcements. Always confirm on the official site before you apply.

Taking the test

Fee: ¥5,000 for TOPIK I and ¥7,700 for TOPIK II, tax included (paper test in Japan, 2026). TOPIK Speaking: ₩80,000 in Korea (2026).
How often: In Japan in 2027: paper tests in April, July and October nationwide and in May in Tokyo only, plus internet-based tests in Tokyo in August and November. TOPIK Speaking is held in Korea only, three times a year (21 March, 13 June and 24 October in 2026). In Japan it is planned from fiscal 2028; a free trial in Tokyo in July 2026 did not give official results.
Format: Paper test with a mark sheet. TOPIK I: listening (30 questions) and reading (40 questions), 100 minutes. TOPIK II: listening and writing (110 minutes), then reading (70 minutes). An internet-based version (TOPIK IBT) is also held in Tokyo. TOPIK Speaking is a separate test: you answer aloud on a computer at a test centre, your answers are recorded, and a memo sheet is provided for notes. There is no break.
Run by: National Institute for International Education, Korea (run in Japan by the Korea Educational Foundation)
Apply: Official site ↗

Levels: TOPIK I and II

Level	What it means	Score	CEFR
Level 6	Uses a wide range of expressions on most abstract and specialist topics; understands long texts in detail, including implied meaning.	TOPIK II, 230+ of 300	C2
Level 5	Handles unfamiliar abstract topics and specialist fields; reads and writes complex texts of several paragraphs.	TOPIK II, 190+	C1
Level 4	Handles abstract and social topics; reads and writes texts of two or three paragraphs.	TOPIK II, 150+	B2
Level 3	Exchanges views on daily and familiar social topics; reads and writes one or two paragraphs.	TOPIK II, 120+	B1
Level 2	Talks about familiar topics and reads and writes simple texts used in public places.	TOPIK I, 140+ of 200	A2
Level 1	Basic everyday communication with short, simple sentences about yourself and daily life.	TOPIK I, 80+	A1

Your level comes from your total score only. TOPIK I can only give Levels 1–2 and TOPIK II only Levels 3–6, so you choose which test to take; below 80 (TOPIK I) or 120 (TOPIK II) no level is given. Korea's National Institute for International Education published a comparison in 2023 matching Levels 1–6 to CEFR A1–C2. There is no minimum per section. Pass rates by level aren't published.

TOPIK Speaking

A separate test of speaking only. You answer aloud on a computer at a test centre; your answers are recorded, and a memo sheet is provided for notes. There is no break. In 2026 it is held in Korea only, three times a year (21 March, 13 June and 24 October), for ₩80,000. In Japan it is planned from fiscal 2028; a free trial in Tokyo in July 2026 did not give official results. Results are valid for two years from the results date.

Level	Score
Level 6	160–200 of 200
Level 5	130–159 of 200
Level 4	110–129 of 200
Level 3	90–109 of 200
Level 2	50–89 of 200
Level 1	20–49 of 200

The level comes from one score out of 200, set out in Korea's 2026 official notice (Ministry of Education no. 2025-317). Below 20, no level is given.

What it tests

Tested

Listening
Reading
Writing
Speaking
Vocabulary
Grammar

Writing is only in TOPIK II. Speaking isn't part of TOPIK I or II: it has its own test, TOPIK Speaking (see below).

Languages and where to take it

Test language: Entirely in Korean.
Instructions: Questions and instructions are in Korean.
Where: At venues across Japan (some sessions only in Tokyo), in Korea and in many other countries. In Japan the internet-based test is held in Tokyo.
How long it counts: Results are valid for two years (for TOPIK Speaking, two years from the results date). Score certificates can't be reissued after that.

What it's recognised for

Admission to Korean universities and graduate schools, points for GKS scholarships, Korean permanent residency and marriage-migrant visas, Korean language teacher qualifications, and hiring at Korean companies. In Japan, some universities use it for credits and exchange selection, and some companies for hiring.

About the exam

Who it's for: Korean for people whose first language isn't Korean. Used for study, work and residence in Korea, and by some schools and companies in Japan.
Levels and scores: Six levels. TOPIK I gives Level 1 or 2; TOPIK II gives Levels 3 to 6. Level 6 is the highest. TOPIK Speaking, a separate test, gives Levels 1 to 6 on its own from a score out of 200.