TOPIK Essay Writing Guide (쓰기 가이드)- Beginner Level

Click on the following link to go to the article:

TOPIK Essay Writing Guide (쓰기 가이드)- Beginner Level

Download TOPIK Question Papers with Answers

Dear Visitor!

http://topikexam.wordpress.com is now www.topikguide.com
More Information and study Resources in more organized and sophisticated format. Visit and share your views on everything from the design to content.

When I started this blog I had planned to put all the previous TOPIK papers on this blog. I knew that all the papers are already available for download on the official website of TOPIK; but there were two reasons for why I wanted to do so. First, for the Beginners who have learned Korean language just for a few months it is very difficult to retrieve desired information from the TOPIK site as it is entirely in Korean. And secondly I thought that it would be better to put all the relevant material available at a single place .

But later I changed my mind. I thought why not give a proper explanation on how to download the papers from TOPIK website rather than wasting time and resources downloading and uploading the same information at two different places.

So in this post I will be explaining how you can download all the previous Question papers and Answer sheets of TOPIK test.

1) First, go to the official site of TOPIK – http://www.topik.or.kr/

2) On the left bottom side of the page, click on the ‘기출문제’ option.

3). You will reach the following page, where all the previous papers (Qs. & Ans.) are available.

Here are some terms that you might find difficult to understand:

문 제지 is Question paper and 정답지 is the answer sheet. For every TOPIK paper they have two sets in which they shuffle the answers (may be to minimize the chances of cheating). So make sure that you download the same sets of Question and answer. 듣기파일 is the audio file of Listening exam in mp3 format and in 듣기대본 you can read those dialogues in text form too. 실무 stands for Business-TOPIK.

4). Now suppose, you want to download the Beginner level question paper of 18th TOPIK (2010). You see ’2010년도 제18회 초급(A,B형) 문제지’ before serial no. 186. just click on it and you will get the following window.

Here 1교시 has the paper of first section i.e. Vocabulary & Grammar and Writing while the 2교시 contains Listening and reading section question paper. make sure to download only one set of papers; either A or B.

5). Now suppose you want to download the question paper of  ‘Vocabulary & Grammar and Writing’. So just click on ’18회한국어초급-1교시(A형).pdf’ and the download will start. In a few seconds you will have a pdf copy of the paper. just save it on your system.

Thank You… Best of Luck..

19th and 20th TOPIK Dates announced

The dates for 19th and 20th TOPIK (Test of Proficiency in Korean) has been announced. So those who could not get desired results in the last TOPIK test or those who have been planning to give it the first attempt, get ready!

The 19th TOPIK test will be held in 23 countries all over the world on 11th and 12th September, 2010 while the 20th TOPIK will be held on 7th November for Korean nationals only. In the 19th TOPIK test you can appear for both S-TOPIK and B-TOPIK but 20th test is only for S-TOPIK.

The application forms for the 19th TOPIK test is being accepted. The application receiving dates vary in different countries. In India the application dates are 12th August-23th August, 2010 and the test will be held at two locations- Delhi and Chennai. You can check the  details of your country like application dates, names  of application receiving authorities and their contact details in the following chart. You can also contact the Korean embassy in your country or visit the official website of TOPIK for further details.

Wish you all the best!!!

Click to Enlarge

Our Seoul City Tour

Hi! Namaste! 안녕하세요!

Today I am sharing with you two beautiful and interesting videos of a city that I truly love: The Beautiful, Vibrant and Dynamic Seoul. And I am very sure that after watching these two videos you will fall in love…… not with me… but with SEOUL.

Important Note: Read this post till the end because you will get a pleasant surprise in the end….  hey!!! what are you doing?? such impatience is not good. watch the video first and then go to the end..

The first video is a new promotion campaign video of Seoul City. It shows the beauty of Seoul in winter season. This video is unique in terms of camera work and showcasing of amazing landscape of Seoul. But what I love the most about this video  is the rhythm of background music. It’s just wonderful.. It changes the mood of the scenes, the video and the audience. It’s just amazing.

So let’s watch – Snow in Seoul – beautiful scenery from Seoul, Korea

The second one is the video of Seoul city tour that we made in August last year when I was there to participate in Asia Youth camp. 300 youths from all the Asian countries wandering around the streets of Seoul.
This video has some great places of Seoul in it, like – Kyongbokkung Palace, Chongdong Theater, Han River Cruise and Seoul Tower. I am sure you gonna like it…

And now comes the pleasant surprise…. There is an exciting online contest going on right on the official facebook page of Seoul where you can win gifts like:

1. Seoul USB memory stick (4GB)
2. T-money (pre-loaded with $20)
3. Wonder Girls EMF Neutralizer (metal sticker that you can stick to your cellphone or camera to protect yourself from electromagnetic waves)

Go and check it yourself: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=126779407359204&ref=ts

Note: There is no charge for leaving your comments about this post below… so avail this offer..

Beautiful Seoul

Hi…. Today I watched this video on Youtube….

It is just great.. they have shot almost all the famous places in Seoul in this video.. Watching this video is just like having a tour of Seoul..

It reminded me of my days in Seoul last year when I was there to participate in Asia Youth Camp…… I love this vibrant city… Just watch it and I ‘m sure you’ll love it.

You can also share this video on your facebook/twitter profile or your blog and win a cool 4GB USB or a T-money transportation card pre-loaded with 20,000 won ($20). To participate visit the official facebook page of Seoul: http://www.facebook.com/hiseoul.

My Tryst with TOPIK

Yesterday night I could not sleep properly, not because I was tired, not because I was thinking about my dream-girl, not because i was doing something important on internet till late night, not because of late night strong coffee at some campus dhaba (food joint).

Stop guessing guys…. next day was TOPIK RESULT DAY. I was just worrying about how much embarrassment the next day is going to bring. I was pretty much sure that it will bring some.. I was just worried about its degree..

When I applied for the TOPIK intermediate level in Feb this year, I was full of confidence and enthusiasm. A number of plans were there in mind. Memorizing how many words per word would be sufficient???  I think I must finish the grammar part of all four textbooks from the Yonsei Univ…. I have to listen (haha I can’t write) hours of Korean per day… I must write at least one small article everyday in Korean….. and i don’t remember how many more crazy plans… hahaha… If I had been able to go according to that schedule for even 3 months I would have been able to translate Ramayana and Mahabharata into Korean by now…

Dammit!!!! God dammit!!!—- this was what was coming out of my mouth a few days before TOPIK exam date.  I had studied literally nothing, leave the f***ing plans.

I had not only wasted a Rs. 500 bill in the f***ing TOPIK application form but in fact i was going to get a good deal of embarrassment.  How proud will my friends, juniors, seniors and teachers feel when a class topper with 8.3/9 grade will fail in TOPIK 3rd level and that too after completing the graduation..

But then I read some Shiv Khera and Swet Morden articles and gathered some courage and did some study just a few days before exams. Solved some previous papers and revised the grammar patterns I already knew. there was no time to learn new ones.

The day came and I sat in the exam. the first section of first paper (Grammar & Vocabulary) was really a cakewalk. I got really confident and  proudly ordered a junior volunteer to bring a bottle of water after finishing this section. But that junior must have cursed me a lot. After the first 10 or 15 questions of  next section (writing), I was feeling a strong urge to go to toilet. It was damn difficult… anyway I finished it somehow and took a sigh of relief. I was sure that I will get at least 40 (the danger zone line)  if not 50.

After the first section was over I went to library canteen with Gangesh and Jitendra, my friends, and had a cup of tea. For me, a cup of tea before an exam works better than a revision of the syllabus. …… I m not kidding…..

In the next paper, the listening part was really easy but the worst was yet to come. I still remember the miserably sad and pitiful faces of students in the rooms. I am sure If Kaushal sir (the examiner in our room) had the answer sheets at that time, he would have surely given us. 

After this section, all the enthusiasm was gone. And the next few days before 1st June (The result day) were like we were goats waiting to be slaughtered.

…… So I was saying that I couldn’t sleep properly on the night of 31st  May. Generally I get at 12:30 PM during holidays (Hey! don’t stare me like that) but today my eyes opened automatically at 7:30AM. I switched on my PC, opened the TOPIK website, entered the details and pressed ENTER.

This was what was there on the screen after a few seconds :-

And this is how my face was like after seeing it:-

If…If… Only If.. I had got 2 more percent… 8 more marks… If…If… Only If.. I had followed my so-called f***ing plans for even a day…………………………..

18th TOPIK results declared…. See your Grades online

www.topikguide.in

The results of 18th TOPIK test have been announced and are available on the official site of TOPIK (http://www.topik.or.kr).

1) Go to http://www.topik.or.kr.

2) Click on “성적 확인’ icon which is in the right bottom of the page.

3) On the next screen, click on the red circled part (해외 접수자 성적 확인) if you are a foreigner.   And if you are a Korean I don’t think I need to tell you.

4) On the next screen fill up your registration number and date of birth in the concerned boxes and click on “성적 확인”.

5) Hold your heart and take a deep breath. Your marks will be on the screen in a few seconds….. All the Best

Most Common Korean Verbs

English	Korean
Beat	두드리다
Bend	구부리다
Bind	묶다
Boil	끓이다
Break	꺾다
Break	부수다
Bumped Into	부딪히다
Burn	태우다
Bury	묻다
Call	부르다
Catch	잡다
Change	바꾸다
Chew	씹다
Chop	조각내다
Collapse	무너지다
Comb	빗다
Come	오다
Cool	식히다
Cover	덮다
Cry	울다
Cut	끊다
Dance	(춤)추다
Dig	파다
Drink	마시다
Drive	몰다(운전하다)
Drop	떨어뜨리다
Eat	먹다
Erase	지우다
Fall	넘어지다
Fix	고치다
Fold	접다
Frown	찡그리다
Fry	튀기다
Give	주다
Go	가다
Grind	갈다
Hang	매달다
Hang	걸다
Have	갖다
Hear	듣다
Heat	달구다
Hold	끼다
Hold	쥐다
Hold Up	들어 올리다
Holler	외치다
Improve	증진하다
Kick	차다
Laugh	웃다
Learn	배우다
Lie Down	눕다
Lock	잠그다
Lose	잃다
Make	만들다
Make	시키다
Measure	재다
Melt	녹이다
Miss	놓치다
Mix	섞다
Open	열다
Open	펼치다
Parch	볶다
Paste	바르다
Pay	지불하다
Photograph	사진찍다
Pick	쑤시다
Pick Up	집다
Pile Up	쌓다
Play	놀다
Polish	닦다
Pour	따르다
Press	누르다
Protect	감싸다
Pull	당기다
Pull	끌다
Pull Out	꺼내다
Push	밀다
Put	놓다
Put Between	끼우다
Put Down	내리다
Put In	넣다
Put Off	(옷) 벗다
Put On	얹다
Put On	(옷) 입다
Put On	(신발) 신다
Put On	차다
Put On	붙이다
Raise	올리다
Read	읽다
Repair	고치다
Rinse Away	헹구다
Roast	굽다
Roll	말다
Rub	문지르다
Run	달리다
Rush	서두르다
Scratch	긁다
Search	찾다
See	보다
Shake Off	털다
Shave	깎다
Shave	밀다
Shout	소리치다
Shut	닫다
Shut Up	다물다
Sit	앉다
Sleep	자다
Smoke	피우다
Soak	담그다
Spread	펴다
Sprinkle	뿌리다
Stained	묻다
Stamp	(도장)찍다
Stand Up	일어나다
Stand Up	서다
Stir	젓다
Stop	멈추다
Strike	치다
Strike	때리다
Struck	맞다
Suck	빨다
Take	타다
Take	받다
Take Off	내리다
Take Off	떼다
Take Out	빼다
Talk	말하다
Tear	찢다
Throw	던지다
Throw Away	버리다
Turn	넘기다
Turn Off	끄다
Turn Over	뒤집다
Undo	원상태로 돌리다
Wake Up	깨다
Walk	걷다
Wash	씻다
Write	쓰다
Write	적다

10th TOPIK Question Papers with Answers

Content will be available soon. Thank you for your patience.

10th TOPIK Intermediate grammar & writing

10th TOPIK Intermediate listening & reading

10th TOPIK Intermediate grammar & writing ANSWER SHEET

10th TOPIK Intermediate listening & reading ANSWER SHEET

TOPIK – The Complete Guide

www.topikguide.in

What is the TOPIK?

The TOPIK, Test of Proficiency in Korean, is a written test designed to measure the ability of non-native speakers for expression and comprehension in the Korean language.  There are two different forms of the TOPIK test.

A. Standard TOPIK

The standard TOPIK test measures proficiency in reading, writing, and listening comprehension in the Korean language.  The test has three different levels: Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced.  Further accuracy is expressed through six grades, two matched to each level to evaluate proficiency.

B. The Business TOPIK

The Business TOPIK test is meant for candidates who intend to work in Korea.  The Business TOPIK evaluates ability in Korean language for practical communication skills, with a focus on applied business Korean.  The Business TOPIK is not divided into levels or grades, nor is there a successful passing test score.  Candidates are told their score out of the total score of 400 points.

Who administers the TOPIK Test?

The Korean Ministry of Education & Science Technology is responsible for the general management of the test, such as supervising institutions administering the test in domestic and overseas locations.

The Korea Institute of Curriculum & Evaluation (KICE) handles the scheduling & issuance of testing management guidance, development of the test, printing and distribution of test sheets, and the scoring of test results.

The Korean Education Center administers the annual test at the request of the above institutions.

For Whom is the TOPIK intended?

This comprehensive test is intended for non-native speakers of Korean, such as Korean language learners, international students who want to study in Korea as well as individuals who would like to work in Korean companies and public institutions.

The test also serves as an excellent opportunity to receive formal certification for those who expect to use Korean in their careers.  Students of Korean who take the test will also learn which aspects of the language they need to concentrate on in future study.

• Standard TOPIK (S-TOPIK)

The Standard TOPIK (S-TOPIK) is divided into four sections: Vocabulary & Grammar, Writing, Listening and Reading, Each section is graded out of 100 points with a possible total of 400 points for the total exam.  The test includes composition, listening and multiple choice sections.

The test consists of two 90-minute sessions with a 30-minute break in between.  The first session tests vocabulary & grammar, and writing, and the second session tests listening and reading.

There are three different levels: Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced.  Test takers who meet the requirements will be issued a formal certificate with one of six possible grades: low beginner (level 1), high beginner (level 2), low intermediate (level 3), high intermediate (level 4), low advanced (level 5), high advanced (level 6).

To qualify for a certificate, the average of the four sections must be over 50 points without any section scoring less than 40 points.

The following is the brief descri0ption of the language skills demanded of each grade.

[Beginner level]

1^st Grade Use of basic commands of Korean for survival, such as greeting, purchasing, ordering, etc. Expressing and understanding oneself in simple everyday conversation by making simple sentences from 800 basic words.

2^nd Grade Discussion of familiar topics employing a vocabulary of about 1,500∼2,000 words. Distinguishing correctly between formal and informal situations.

[Intermediate level]

3^rd Grade Carrying out transactions with people in public spaces and maintaining social relationships. Understanding the correct usage of words and speech.  Command of fundamental characteristics of Korean.

4^th Grade Comprehension of news articles, general social issues and abstract topics with accuracy and fluency. Comprehension of Korean social and cultural contents relying on essential idioms and understanding of representative aspects of Korean culture.

[Advanced Level]

5^th Grade High fluency in using the Korean language in professional research or work. Understanding and discussing less unfamiliar topics in politics, economics and other fields. Usage of appropriate expressions, distinguishing formal and informal, written and spoken, by context.

6^th Grade Absolutely fluent in the Korean language for professional research or work

Capacity to understand and express oneself without problem, although without the full fluency of a native speaker.

• Business TOPIK (B-TOPIK)

The Business TOPIK (B-TOPIK) is intended for candidates who desire to work in Korea.  It is divided into four sections: Vocabulary & Grammar, Writing, Listening and Reading.  Each section is graded out of 100 points with a possible total of 400 points for the total exam.  All of the answers in the test will be given as multiple choices.

The test consists of two 90-minute sessions with a 30-minute break in between.  The first session tests vocabulary & grammar, and writing, and the second session tests listening and reading.

Unlike Standard TOPIK test, the Business TOPIK test does not have a level or grade placement.  Candidates will only receive their scores.

** In the rest of the part we will be discussing the Standard TOPIK only .

How can I register for the TOPIK Test?

In most of the countries, the Korean Embassies administer the TOPIK tests. You have to visit the embassy with 2 passport size photographs and a registration fee. The fee is Rs 500 in India.

When is the test conducted?

TOPIK test is conducted twice a year; once in April and once in September.  Registrations are done in Jan-Feb and Jun-July. In most countries, the beginner and advanced level TOPIK papers are in the morning and the intermediate and B-TOPIK papers are in the afternoon.

In India the test timing is as following:-

How is the exam structured?

TOPIK is a 3-hour exam, which is split into two 90-minute papers.

• Paper 1 contains two sections: vocabulary and grammar and writing
• Paper 2 also contains two sections: listening and reading comprehension.

All questions are multiple choice except for the writing section in S-TOPIK (which has some short answer questions and an essay).

What score is needed to pass the test?

In order to score grades 1, 3 or 5 you need to get an average score over 50%  and not less than 40% in any one section.  To achieve grades 2,4 or 6 you need to get an average score over 70% and not less than 50% in any one section.

Is there any eligibility criteria for the exam?

No. Anyone who is studying or have studied Korean Language can sit in the exam.

**For more information on the TOPIK test you can visit the official site http://www.topik.or.kr.