Let's Learn Korean - TOPIK (formerly known as KPT) 한국어능력시험 문&#512

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Is anyone here also enrolled to take TOPIK on 25th Sept this year ?
I’m doing the level 2 past year papers and posting questions I don’t know at
한국어능력시험 문제지

Posted by HuangSY on Tuesday Aug 16, 2005 in Korean Writing | |

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I believe Joel is preparing for the test. He’s been writing alot on his blog. Though I must confess I havne’t been trying to read it - I’ve got other priorities right now.

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호랑이 굴에들어가야 호랑이 새끼를 잡는다

Posted by 王音癡 on Tuesday Aug 16, 2005 at 06:03 PM
I am registered to take level 5 this time(although I think mine might be on the 24th. Three levels are offered each day if I am not mistaken.) Oranckay is registered to take level 6 and Brian over at Cathartidae is registered to take level 4. Perhaps there are others but I don’t know exactly.

Posted by 제비군 on Tuesday Aug 16, 2005 at 06:10 PM
All my ‘seon bae’ ! ^-^
Singapore was finally made a test centre this year. I think levels 1,3,5 are held in the morning and 2,4,6 in the afternoon.

Joel, since you are taking level 5, you would have to take the Advanced level under the new structure for TOPIK next year, isn’t it?

Do you guys self-study by doing past year papers or attend prep classes ?

Posted by HuangSY on Tuesday Aug 16, 2005 at 06:20 PM
Yes I believe 5 and 6 will be combined into one advanced level next year. If I pass 5 this year I probably won’t worry about taking the test again. I’m not really too fond of the idea of removing the other levels.

(It’s not a big difference anyway levels 1 and 2 are fairly similar as are 3 and 4, and 5 and 6. The real gaps seem to be between 2 and 3 and 4 and 5.)

I don’t know if there are prep classes offered or not. I live in the countryside so even if they were offered I would not be able to attend. Last year I purchased books with the old tests from the first 7 years the test was offered and I take those by myself and study what I don’t know from those. I don’t know how others are doing it. I would suggest you get those books, but I had to go to Seoul to get mine and I live in Korea. I don’t know what your options would be.

Posted by 제비군 on Tuesday Aug 16, 2005 at 09:07 PM
I suppose it depends on what your intent in taking the exam is. I plan to work through the upper level practice tests as a challenge and learning experience, but taking the exam after it is changed to a 3 level system holds no interest for me.

Posted by 마익 on Wednesday Aug 17, 2005 at 08:17 AM
Joel씨, 고마워요. Why not think of the new Advanced level simply as Level 6 and finish it ? If under the existing structure, there already seems to be a gap bet 2 and 3, then it would be quite a few years b4 i can take Intermediate, which is supposed to be equivalent to level 4.

Yup, getting the past year papers were a small logistical nightmare. I even wanted to buy them from HK but knew about it only 3 hours b4 my departure when I was there in July. And those books are rather heavy to post.

Mike, you lost me there. Wouldn’t the challenges remain despite the revamp in exam levels ?

Posted by HuangSY on Wednesday Aug 17, 2005 at 10:06 AM
참, Joel씨, countryside ? I’m seeing a mental picture in soft focus that looks like a scene out of 집으로. Joel씨는 사는 곳에 제 머리속의 그림은 같은 것이 맞죠? ^-^

그 곳에 한 번 방문해 본 적인을 하고 싶은데요.

Posted by HuangSY on Wednesday Aug 17, 2005 at 10:14 AM
I suppose that depends. If, for example, one were quite sure of one’s ability to pass level I, but level II was a challenge, then studying for level II would be a learning experience. If levels I and II are then combined into the new level A, the amount of material at your level will be watered down by all the stuff that is not. Additionally, if you only have to get 50~60% to pass, a strong ability in Level I alone would almost guarantee a passing grade for level A, cheapening any value to a level A certificate. For me, this is a disincentive to attempt level A. That’s what I was trying to say. Sorry I wasn’t coherent (I hope this is more understandable).

Posted by 마익 on Thursday Aug 18, 2005 at 07:43 AM
I can get the drift of it. ^-^
Mike, were you the one who attempted CFA last year ? I flunked again this year ! BIG sigh !

Posted by HuangSY on Thursday Aug 18, 2005 at 02:50 PM
I studied for it. Registered, too. But I always end up being away on business that weekend. If the company weren’t reimbursing me for the registration fees, I’d be upset.

Posted by 한태민 on Sunday Aug 21, 2005 at 08:20 PM
I don’t know if it’s quite to the level that you saw in 집으로 but it’s definitely no Seoul. I live on the outskirts of town so I am surrounded by rice fields, but only a 3 or 4 minute drive from the city. If you ever come to Korea (well assuming you haven’t been before) I would encourage you to spend MOST of your time in the country. It’s the only way to experience real Korea in my opinion.

For anyone who is taking the test I found a link last year that I stopped using when I bought the books:

http://www.kankoku.gr.jp/jp/sihum_006k.htm The page is in Japanese but the relevant information for the test can all be accessed from this page in Korean. You have access to 12 tests. 2 years and all 6 levels. Hope this can help someone.

Posted by 제비군 on Sunday Aug 21, 2005 at 09:00 PM
Thx Joel.
The Jap link doesn’t seem to work any more. I suspect the papers may have been removed. Let me know if I’m the only one having problems accessing that site.

I’ve been to Korea only once before and was in a residential area (Guri city) but definitely no rice field in site.

I’m sorely tempted to do a temple stay this autumn but it would be a complete change of gear from attending the Busan Film Fest, provided I manage to get tickets and find a place to stay in Busan.

Anyone here planning to go to PIFF ?

Posted by HuangSY on Monday Aug 22, 2005 at 11:32 AM
Yeah as Joel says I’m supposed to take Level 6. I’m an extremely bad test taker and am very unprepared. Guess I still got a little while left. Dang. Can’t even remember… it’s this month but on the twenty-something, right? I’ll hafta check. And find my 수험표.

Posted by oranckay on Wednesday Sep 7, 2005 at 01:58 PM
A bunch of US-based students (including me) will take the TOPIK test. Some of us took a mock version of it before coming to Seoul.

Posted by phantom on Wednesday Sep 14, 2005 at 09:45 PM
Sorry to cause the confusion, I mean a bunch of students, including me, came from the US to Korea to study through a particular program. Since we’re studying here, we’re no longer ‘US-based.’

Posted by phantom on Wednesday Sep 14, 2005 at 09:47 PM
Sorry for the repetitive posts but is TOPIK different than KLPT? What are your thoughts and comparisons between the two? Anyone?...

Posted by phantom on Wednesday Sep 14, 2005 at 09:56 PM
I posted the following at Arirang’s Let’s Speak Korean Msg Board :
There are 2 Korean proficiency test; what was abbreviated as KPT has been renamed Topik, has 6 levels and conducts test only once a year in Sept and only at designated test centres in several countries. The other is abbreviated KLPT, is offered as paper or computer-based and therefore can be taken any time, has been outsourced to Thomson Prometric, there are 2 or 3 levels only i think.

Since then I’ve been given to understand, the KLPT one has no levels in that you take the exam once and your score determines the level. Having said that, I have seen 3 levels of KLPT prep books (with cassette tapes / CD). I have also heard that the KLPT one is meant for blue-collared workers planning to work in Korea.

Posted by HuangSY on Thursday Sep 15, 2005 at 11:31 AM
I have yet to received the results slip but alerady know from online source that I passed Level 2 !

Posted by HuangSY on Thursday Nov 10, 2005 at 11:01 AM
I’ve just created a TOPIK revision site (because I couldn’t find anything similar on the web). The address is: http://TOPIKrevision.googlepages.com and I’d appreciate any feedback.

Cheers!

Posted by Dan on Sunday Apr 27, 2008 at 02:25 AM
Are you only allowed to take the TOPIK test in New York, Los Angeles, Washington, Chicago, Houston or San Francisco? Or can you request to take the test elsewhere?

Posted by JulieJ on Saturday Jun 14, 2008 at 05:34 AM