TOPIK 2 Study Plan: 16 Weeks to Levels 3-6

TOPIK 2 Study Plan: the Essentials

The TOPIK 2 study plan below assumes you can already read Hangul fluently, use the beginner patterns on the TOPIK 1 grammar list and follow simple everyday conversations. For the strategy behind each section, read how to pass TOPIK 2 alongside this schedule. That guide gives a flexible 60-90 minutes a day and adds weekly mocks at the end; this page is one fixed version at 90 minutes a day with five mocks, so choose one schedule and keep to it. If a TOPIK I past paper still feels hard, start with the TOPIK 1 study plan instead.

Before you start

The hour totals come from simple arithmetic: 16 weeks × 6 days × 90 minutes = 144 hours. A mock day takes 180 minutes of test plus 60 minutes of review instead of the usual 90, so each of the five mocks adds 150 minutes, about 12.5 hours in all.

1. 01

   Step 1: Choose Your Target Level

   Diagnostic score and a target level

   one 4-hour session before week 1

   TOPIK past PapersOfficial papers with audio and answer keys.

2. 02

   Step 2: Weeks 1-4

   Core grammar, written style and daily reading and listening

   4 weeks x 9 hours

   TOPIK 2 Grammar List22 core patterns for levels 3 and 4.

3. 03

   Step 3: Weeks 5-12

   Writing routine and three timed mocks

   8 weeks x 9 hours, plus mock days

   TOPIK Question 51Method for the first writing task.

4. 04

   Step 4: Weeks 13-16

   Two final mocks, weak-point repair and a light last week

   4 weeks x 9 hours, plus mock days

   TOPIK Mock TestHow to take, score and review a mock.

The plan uses a few Korean study words. 모의고사 (mouigosa) is a mock exam, 기출문제 (gichulmunje) means past exam questions, and 오답 노트 (odap noteu) is an error notebook. The first step uses a past paper to fix your target.

Step 1: Choose Your Target Level

Take one full past paper under exam timing before week 1 and set your target from the score. Use the official papers on the TOPIK past papers page, sit listening and writing in one 110-minute block, then reading in 70 minutes, and mark the paper with the answer key. Score your writing roughly against the model answers.

The cut scores come from the official scoring rules, explained on the TOPIK score page. A sensible target is the next level whose cut score lies within about 40 points of your diagnostic total.

• Checkpoint: you'll know this step worked when you have three section scores, one target level and a list of your five most frequent error types.
• Common mistake: choosing a target from hope rather than from the diagnostic. If you scored 95, aim for Level 3 or 4 in 16 weeks, not Level 6.

With a target in place, the first four weeks build the base the later writing routine needs.

Step 2: Follow Weeks 1-4

Spend weeks 1-4 on core grammar, vocabulary and daily reading and listening, with two short written-style drills a week. Every day has the same shape, so the habit forms before the workload rises.

Each row adds up to 90 minutes, and Sunday is a rest day. A reading set is 10-15 past-paper reading questions under time; a listening set is 10-15 listening questions with the audio played once, then a second time with the script.

The grammar column follows the TOPIK 2 grammar list, and the vocabulary topics match the TOPIK 2 vocabulary list. The written-style drill trains the plain style (한다체), which ends sentences in -다 and is expected in questions 52-54; the TOPIK writing style page explains it in full.

• Checkpoint: you'll know this step worked when you can rewrite ten -아/어요 sentences into -다 without errors and finish a reading set inside its time.
• Common mistake: studying grammar from lists alone. Find each new pattern in a past-paper passage the same week.

Once the base is in place, writing joins the week and the mocks begin.

Step 3: Follow Weeks 5-12

From week 5, write every week: questions 51-52 twice, question 53 twice and question 54 once. The daily template below fits this routine into the same 90 minutes.

Every row still totals 90 minutes. The writing blocks add up to 30 minutes for questions 51-52, 40 for question 53 and 50 for question 54 each week, plus the Saturday rewrite. The method for each task is on TOPIK question 51, TOPIK question 52 and TOPIK question 53.

On a mock Saturday, the 180-minute test and its 60-minute review replace the usual Saturday blocks. Review the mock with the method on the TOPIK mock test page: mark it, sort every error by type and add each one to the error log.

• Checkpoint: you'll know this step worked when Mock 3 is at least 15 points above your diagnostic and question 54 is finished inside 25 minutes.
• Common mistake: writing without checking. An uncorrected essay repeats the same errors; compare every answer with a model and log the differences.

How Do I Fit a Writing Routine into a Busy Week?

Keep the five writing tasks and cut elsewhere: shorten vocabulary blocks to 10 minutes and drop one reading set. On a very busy week, do one question 51-52 pair, one question 53 answer and one question 54 plan with only the introduction written. A plan without writing still trains structure; skipping writing entirely does not.

The final four weeks turn practice into exam performance.

Step 4: Follow Weeks 13-16

Use weeks 13-16 for the last two mocks, repair of weak points and a light final week. The daily template from weeks 5-12 continues, with the changes below.

In the last two or three days, read through the error log and the model answers, check the admission ticket and test-day rules on TOPIK registration, and sleep normally. New material at this point adds stress rather than points.

• Checkpoint: you'll know this step worked when Mock 5 reaches your target total and your timing holds in every section.
• Common mistake: taking an extra mock in week 16. A tired mind scores lower on test day than a rested one; the taper is part of the plan.

Even a well-built schedule can fail in predictable ways.

What Mistakes Derail Plans?

The mistakes that derail a TOPIK 2 study plan are mostly about avoiding the uncomfortable parts. These six are the most common, each with a fix.

1. Postponing writing. Writing is a third of the total and improves slowest. Fix: start the routine in week 5 even if your answers are short.
2. Doing mocks without reviewing them. A mock without a review measures you but teaches nothing. Fix: one hour of review per mock, logged by error type.
3. Using the newest papers first. Then your final mocks are older papers. Fix: keep the two newest papers for weeks 13 and 15.
4. Listening with the script first. Reading along hides what you cannot hear. Fix: play the audio once without the script, then check.
5. Writing in -요 for questions 52-54. The polite style is the wrong register there. Fix: the Friday written-style drill in weeks 1-4.
6. No error log. Without one, the same mistakes repeat for months. Fix: the template below, filled in after every set.

Error types worth tracking are vocabulary, grammar, reading speed, listening detail, register and timing. After three mocks, the counts show where the next week's extra time should go. The level you aim for changes how that time is split.

How Do Targets 3, 4, 5 and 6 Change the Plan?

Targets 3, 4, 5 and 6 change the balance of the plan, not its length. The table shows what to stress for each.

For Levels 5 and 6, add the patterns on TOPIK 2 grammar advanced in weeks 8-12. For Level 3, put the time saved from those patterns into listening.

How Long Does the Plan Really Take?

Sixteen weeks is the planned length, at about 144 hours of regular sessions and about 12-13 more hours on mock days. Learners starting near the top of Level 2 often need all of it, and some need 20-24 weeks if they can study only 60 minutes a day; in that case stretch each step rather than cutting the writing routine. Learners who already score near their target on the diagnostic can run the shortened 8-week version described in the FAQ. These figures are editorial estimates, not official guidance, and the how long to study for TOPIK page gives broader ranges.

Resource Checklist and Printable Tracker

• 6 official past papers with audio and answer keys
• 1 notebook or spreadsheet for the error log
• 원고지 sheets for questions 53 and 54, or a Korean keyboard if you take the internet-based test
• a timer that can run 50, 60, 70 and 110 minutes
• a vocabulary deck built from the words you miss in past papers

What This Plan Does Not Cover

This TOPIK 2 study plan schedules practice; it does not teach Korean from scratch. It assumes TOPIK I-level grammar and vocabulary, and it cannot replace feedback on your essays. The 90-minute load and the week-by-week focus are editorial choices based on the test format, not official guidance from NIIED. Exam dates, fees and the test format can change, so check topik.go.kr before you fix your week 16. For a shorter general plan, see the 12-week TOPIK study plan, and for the full format see TOPIK exam format.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I Do TOPIK 2 in 8 Weeks?

Yes, if you already score near your target on a past paper. Then run weeks 5-12 only, at the same daily load, with mocks in weeks 2, 5 and 7 of the shortened plan. If your diagnostic score is more than 30 points below the target, eight weeks rarely closes the gap; keep the full 16.

How Much Writing Practice Do I Need?

From week 5, about two hours a week: two pairs of questions 51 and 52, two question 53 answers and one question 54 essay, plus rewriting. Writing is a third of the TOPIK II total and improves more slowly than reading, so cutting it is the costliest saving you can make.

What If I Target Level 3 Only?

Level 3 needs 120 of 300 points, an average of 40 per section. Keep the full schedule but spend the extra effort on the first 25 questions of listening and reading, and on questions 51-53. A planned, half-finished question 54 still earns points, so never leave it blank.

Where Do I Find Mocks?

Use the official past papers, which NIIED publishes with audio and answer keys on topik.go.kr. Five recent papers cover the five mock dates, plus one more for the diagnostic. Keep the newest papers for weeks 13 and 15, so your last mocks look most like the real test.

Do I Need a Teacher for the Writing Routine?

Not for the routine itself, but feedback speeds it up. Check questions 51-53 yourself against model answers and the rubric. Question 54 benefits most from a teacher, tutor or language partner who marks one essay a week. Without one, compare your essay with a model answer and copy three useful sentences.