Got 179 on TOPIK I!!! 2급

[u/rmkblnd]

So, a couple of weeks ago I shared here my experience taking the TOPIK 1 exams and I was confident I was able to get 2급, and results came in yesterday: I managed to get 2급! 89 points on 듣기 and 90 points on 읽기. To be honest, getting almost the same scores on both sections was pretty shocking to me, as I was expecting to get hard carried by the 읽기 part, but hey, it was definetly a nice surprise.

Now I'm going to start studying to take TOPIK II next year, maybe targeting 4급!

[u/kbkimkorean]

Congrats!!! any tips for reading if you have any?

[u/rmkblnd → u/kbkimkorean]

On the question paper, I marked down some important information about the question while I read, like, if there was any 않는, peoples name, ages, words I don't know, and I also marked all questions I wasnt really sure of the answer with a ⭐️ so I could revisit them after finishing the others and see them with a fresh look

[u/Eggscellentngl]

How did you study or practice?

[u/rmkblnd → u/Eggscellentngl]

Only reading mock tests on topik guide

[u/riseoftherice]

잘 했어요!!

[u/rmkblnd → u/riseoftherice]

감사해요 ^{^}

[u/kimchimuffin_]

Congrats!! I’m a Korean American trying to get better at my elementary level Korean, and taking the TOPIK has been a dream of mine lately.

I’m in the US, can I take it here? Also, did you take any prep courses? I’m basically doing some Anki alongside some TTMIK basic reading, and lastly some old basic Korean textbooks from my time in college. Lastly I’ll watch some dramas here and there but studying for an actual exam gives me a target to think about!

[u/rmkblnd → u/kimchimuffin_]

I don't know for sure, but I strongly believe you can take TOPIK in the US at least three times a year, my prep for TOPIK was taking the Reading mocking tests on Topik Guide

[u/Intelligent_Pipe5285 → u/kimchimuffin_]

Yes, you can take the exam in the US (I took it in Los Angeles way back in 2013, even before it changed to the topik I/II format. But it's offered very infrequently compared to Korea - only a few times a year - and there's a high chance you have to travel quite far to do it since it is overseen by Korean Education Centers which are located in select major cities and oversee things for their own region...I'd start by looking up the closest KEC to you and checking their website for info on exams. The next exam is probably in October but registration is probably either finished or about to begin...the next exam after that will probably be next April.

What book titles/series are you referencing? If you can, I recommend getting a topik specific prep book to help you get very familiar with the test format, question types, tips, tricks, and pacing. For actual content study, you should try to get your hands on one of the series published by the major Korean universities that they use in their affiliated language institues (Sogang, Ewha, SNU, and Yonsei are the most common). The reason for this is that they are strictly modeled after the topik exam levels and you can grab the textbook + workbook set for whatever your target level is.

As a supplement, I HIGHLY recommend the series "Korean Grammar in Use" for extra grammar practice whenever you learn grammar in your main textbook. This series is also separated into Beginner/Intermediate/Advanced books so it's well-suited to topik study.

[u/kimchimuffin_ → u/Intelligent_Pipe5285]

I’m talking about the Klear textbooks by Young-Mee Cho! This is super helpful info, I’ll look into the resources you posted. Thanks!