I learned a lot from my first attempt at TOPIK II. As soon as the schedule for this year’s Test Of Proficiency In Korean was announced, I sat down and started strategizing.
TOPIK is only administered in the Philippines once a year and I wanted to get it right this time.
The Game Plan
Taking what I learned from my first attempt, I identified my weaknesses and planned accordingly.
I had three months to prepare so I divided the plan into three key areas: grammar, vocabulary, and practice tests with a focus on the Writing segment.
Small, Consistent Efforts
For daily tasks, I made sure to do at least one unit of the TOPIK book I’m studying at the time. I also did at least one “step” of Duolingo lessons per day. Each had around 5 lessons of 11 questions and took me about 10–15 minutes to complete.
Duolingo is often criticized for not really explaining grammar and conjugation rules. However, I acknowledged its value in providing useful phrases for daily use and vocabulary arranged by topic.
I’ve had to use my streak freeze on some days but on other days, I was racking up XP like crazy. I’m currently in the Diamond League with a 130-day streak!
Weekly Classes
I continued my weekly Korean language classes with the University of the Philippines Diliman Department of Linguistics — Extramural Classes. I always admired their Korean language program and wanted to learn at University-level from renowned instructors.
Although I learned a lot at my previous language academy, each module felt rushed and the subsequent levels are no longer offered as we didn’t have enough students for our level.
The highest available module at UP was an Intermediate class but I knew I needed to polish my fundamentals anyway. My current classes with Professor Bae have been helpful in harnessing my skills in speaking and writing as she always provides useful feedback on our work.
TOPIK Review Books
When I first studied for TOPIK, I bought one book for grammar and another for vocabulary. I finished the grammar book because I already went through half of it. However, I decided to try a different book that helped my friends who passed Level 4 last year.
Disclaimer: I didn’t follow my plan to the tee and was often behind schedule but because I had a plan, I still learned so much and I feel more prepared as the exam approaches.
January: Grammar
The exam schedule was announced in mid-January. I managed to finish half of the grammar book last year so I thought I could finish the rest of the book within the month. I started reviewing the notes I had so far and finished studying the rest.
This is the New TOPIK II Essential Grammar 150: Intermediate (English Version) which I bought through Kyobo Bookstore in Korea. I learned from this blog that they do international payment and shipping so I thought it was very convenient.
The book categorizes grammar phrases by usage, with a total of 29 units. Each grammar phrase comes with an explanation of its different uses, a comparison with similar or interchangeable phrases, examples, tips, plus a comprehension question. Each unit then has a comprehensive test.
I answered the questions in pencil on the book itself, writing English translations for the questions and taking notes of new vocabulary words.
I kept my notes in a dedicated notebook, using colored highlighters to my advantage, and writing my own convenient translations and explanations in English. This was effective and helpful when I reviewed the first 13 units before going through the rest.
It’s a great resource if you could give yourself time to study at least five grammar phrases a day so you can finish it in one month. Since it was written by Korean speakers, the English translations aren’t so smooth so I had to write explanations that made more sense to me.
If you don’t have a lot of time or need to review, someone shared their notes from the book online.
Studying grammar is helpful in the Reading and Writing part of the test, though it’s not usually that complicated. Vocabulary is far more helpful in increasing comprehension.
February: Vocabulary
When I first took the King Sejong Level Test, my vocabulary and comprehension surpassed my grammar knowledge. Over a year later, I took the Intermediate Level Test and my vocabulary was lagging far behind.
I felt this gap even more while I was taking TOPIK II. I regretted not studying more when I knew it was one of my weaknesses.
After mulling over my options, I bought the 마인드맵으로 배우는 토픽 어휘 2300 or “Learning 2300 TOPIK Vocabulary Through Mindmaps” (literal translation). I thought that the mindmap method of learning, focusing on root words and related concepts, would help me remember vocabulary better.
The book was designed to be studied over 80 days and although I did have more than 80 days, it could not fit my schedule considering the other material I intended to study. I wanted to be realistic with my schedule because I have a full-time job.
I decided to go for the 새로 바뀐 토픽을 위한 빈도별 토픽 TOPIK II 중고급 어휘 or “TOPIK II Intermediate to Advanced Vocabulary for The Newly Revised TOPIK, Arranged by Frequency of Appearance” (literal translation).
The title is pretty straightforward. It’s a collection of vocabulary words arranged by how often they appear in TOPIK questions. The words are further categorized into Verbs, Nouns, and Adverbs.
Each “chapter” then contains 15–20 words, which allows you to pace yourself with one chapter a day”, followed by practice questions. At the end of each subunit (Verbs, Nouns, Adverbs) is a set of practical “in-action” questions. The answer key is at the end of the book.
Each Korean vocabulary word has its corresponding translations in English, Japanese, and Chinese, with two sample sentences each. The sample sentences get repetitive over time, but spaced repetition is an effective study method for retention anyway.
What caught my attention (and had me laughing) was the name of the units:
- If You Don’t Know This, You’ll Fail (Highest Frequency)
- If You Don’t Know This, You’ll Be Anxious (High Frequency)
- If You Know This, You’d Get A High Score (Low Frequency)
Due to my busy schedule, I only managed to finish the first two units and very quickly saw why I failed the first time. It was already a week or two into March before I decided to skip the last unit and jump into practice tests. I was going to learn vocabulary from sample questions anyway.
I kept my notes for this book digitally on Notion since I was studying from a PDF.
March: Practice Tests & Writing
Learning from my mistakes, I wanted to put a lot of time into studying practice questions from previous TOPIK exams. Not wanting to fall asleep on a mock test again, I went to YouTube and managed to score 60% on one. I realized I didn’t know the question types or how to answer them.
Cue the YouTube algorithm doing its job and I was introduced to Hanijemi, a YouTube channel run by a language academy in Busan. Teacher Bae Jeongseon thoroughly explained each question type and introduced unfamiliar or difficult words in the sample questions.
They have a series of “necessary” videos for each section: Listening, Writing, and Reading.
I watched all of them and took notes on testing tips and skills. I also watched their other videos explaining how to answer sample questions from previous TOPIK exams.
Whenever I encountered a new word, I would write it along with the definition in my notebook. This proved to be a more effective and efficient way to learn vocabulary since I’m learning them from actual questions. Once, I managed to learn 90 words in three hours.
I originally planned to study using the “Cracking the TOPIK Ⅱ Writing” book but I’m glad I found Hanijemi instead. Each video is only about 20 minutes long but very comprehensive.
To better prepare for the exam, I also studied sample answer sheets and how to answer them.
Other Material
In addition to the resources I chose for my review, I also decided to finish the Coursera courses I enrolled in years back and never finished.
I finished Learn To Speak Korean 1 from Yonsei University in one hour. This course helped me brush up on my basics. I even learned some things I didn’t know before.
Then, I dedicated one day to completing the A Bridge To The World: Korean Language for Advanced 1 course from Sungkyunkwan University. This course was difficult for me. When I started it, my vocabulary was not at that level yet. My vocabulary studies proved to be useful as I noticed my reading is faster. I got to add more words to my vocab bank as well.
While not part of my original plan, I completed them with the thought that any effort I make towards learning Korean will help me with the TOPIK. The assessment quizzes also helped me practice my test-taking skills. The certificates will also be great assets while I wait for TOPIK results.
Thoughts & Observations
Although I’m a bit bummed I wasn’t able to follow my schedule, I’m happy that I still made significant progress while studying. I felt my comprehension skyrocket, reacquainted myself with simple rules, and realized that the same testing strategies apply in English. I was able to share these testing skills with an English review class I taught and they said it helped them significantly.
If there’s something I could change, I wish I found Hanijemi’s YouTube channel sooner. Practice questions are always the best way to prepare for any exam. They have a paid TOPIK preparation course that dedicates 3 weeks to Reading, 3 weeks to Listening, and 4 weeks to Writing. However, I don’t regret focusing on my own weaknesses and coming up with a study plan that worked for me.
It’s good to take the TOPIK with an idea of your target score or level. However, I decided not to do that this time and instead focus on improving my comprehension and writing skills overall.
My next goal would be to gain confidence in my speaking so I plan on looking for a 1:1 tutor who can assess my level and create a learning plan catered specifically to me.
I plan to wrap up my review at least a week before the exam. To conclude my preparation, I will probably retake the King Sejong Level Test. The days leading up to the exam are also official holidays so it’s only right for me to unwind and enjoy so I will be relaxed on the exam day.
In addition to studying, I’m making an active effort to take better care of my health by sleeping well. I’m also taking vitamin and mineral supplements to support my immunity and brain function.
When the exam is over, I plan to organize my scattered notes so I can share them with others planning to take the TOPIK. In the future, I’d love to write my own book to help others!
