TOPIK Exam Guide for Indian and Nepali Students: Levels, Dates, Centres, Fees and Results

Aswathy Mohandas

03/11/2026

12 min read

The TOPIK (Test of Proficiency in Korean) is the official Korean language test for people whose first language is not Korean. It has two papers, TOPIK I and TOPIK II, and six levels. Korean universities use it for admission, and the Global Korea Scholarship (GKS) uses it too. Most sittings in India and Nepal are paper-based.

This guide is for students in India and Nepal. It covers the levels and score bands, the exam pattern, the 2026 test dates and the test cities in each country. It also explains how registration, fees and results work, and which level universities and GKS look for. The rules come from the official TOPIK site, topik.go.kr, run by Korea’s National Institute for International Education (NIIED), and from the organisers that run the test in India and Nepal. We read all of them on 31 October 2026.

What is the TOPIK exam?

NIIED runs the TOPIK under South Korea’s Ministry of Education. NIIED’s 2026 TOPIK leaflet (in the Materials section of topik.go.kr) says TOPIK scores are used for admission to and graduation from Korean universities, for jobs with Korean companies and public bodies, and for some Korean visas.

• Who can take it: foreign nationals and overseas Koreans whose first language is not Korean. That includes Korean learners, students who want to study at a Korean university, and people looking for work with Korean employers.
• How many tests there are: TOPIK I (beginner), TOPIK II (intermediate and advanced), and a separate TOPIK Speaking test. In 2026 the Speaking test was held only in Korea.
• How long a score lasts: a TOPIK score is valid for two years from the date results are announced, according to the TOPIK site and the Study in Korea language requirements page.

The TOPIK is different from EPS-TOPIK. EPS-TOPIK is the Korean test used by Korea’s Employment Permit System, a work-permit route. It is not a study test, and this guide does not cover it.

What are TOPIK I and TOPIK II, and what are the levels?

You do not choose a level when you register. You choose a paper, TOPIK I or TOPIK II, and the level is set by your total score on that paper. TOPIK I can lead to Level 1 or 2. TOPIK II can lead to Level 3, 4, 5 or 6. Level 6 is the highest. A total below 80 on TOPIK I, or below 120 on TOPIK II, does not reach a level.

These are the score bands for the paper-based test (PBT), the format used at most centres in India and Nepal, from the Ministry of Education’s 2026 TOPIK plan, published on topik.go.kr:

The internet-based test (IBT) uses a different scale. TOPIK I IBT is scored out of 400, with Level 1 from 121 and Level 2 from 236. TOPIK II IBT is scored out of 600, with Level 3 from 191, Level 4 from 291, Level 5 from 361 and Level 6 from 431.

What is the TOPIK exam pattern?

The questions, scores and times below come from NIIED’s 2026 TOPIK leaflet. Listening and reading are multiple choice. TOPIK II adds a writing section.

On a paper-based test day, TOPIK I is a single 100-minute session of listening and reading. TOPIK II has two sessions: listening and writing together (110 minutes), then reading (70 minutes). That is how the Chennai organiser, InKo Centre, set out its timetable for the 15 November 2026 test, with TOPIK I in the morning and TOPIK II in the afternoon. The 2026 plan adds that TOPIK II PBT candidates may not leave the building during the break, and that the IBT and Speaking test have no break.

Is the internet-based TOPIK (IBT) available in India or Nepal?

The TOPIK IBT is taken on a computer. It started in 2023 and runs on separate dates from the paper test. The overseas test-site list on topik.go.kr shows IBT sites in Chennai (India) and in Kathmandu and Dharan (Nepal). However, the overseas registration notices for the 14th, 15th and 16th IBT (September to November 2026) do not list any centre in India or Nepal. Plan on the paper-based test, and ask your local organiser whether an IBT sitting is coming up.

When is the TOPIK held in India and Nepal?

The paper-based TOPIK runs several times a year, but each city hosts only some sittings. The table shows the 2026 sittings outside Korea for India and Nepal, from NIIED’s list of overseas PBT countries (as of 1 September 2026) and the TOPIK test schedule. Results are announced on topik.go.kr.

Registration for the 109th test opened in August 2026 (6 August at InKo Centre), and seats are first come, first served, so check with your organiser whether any remain. The next paper-based sitting on the TOPIK schedule is the 110th, on Sunday 10 January 2027, in Korea and parts of Asia, with results on 4 February 2027. As of 31 October 2026, topik.go.kr has not said which overseas cities will hold it, and it has not posted the 2027 schedule. (NIIED posted the 2026 schedule on 31 October 2025.) Check the Notice section of topik.go.kr and your organiser’s page before you plan around a date. NIIED says dates outside Korea can change with local conditions.

Where are the TOPIK test centres in India and Nepal?

Outside Korea, you do not register with NIIED. A local organiser in each city runs the test. These are the organisers NIIED names for 2026:

Not every city holds every sitting (see the dates table above). The organisers and their links come from NIIED’s 2026 list of overseas PBT organisers and its overseas registration notice for the 109th test, both on topik.go.kr. NIIED says organiser details can be added or changed.

How do you register for the TOPIK in India?

Each organiser opens its own registration window and sets its own rules. Registration outside Korea does not follow the Korean dates. At KEC (Delhi, Bengaluru and Manipur), the process the TOPIK India site describes runs like this:

1. Pick your paper and city. Choose TOPIK I or TOPIK II, and check that your city holds the sitting you want.
2. Fill in the form on time. There is a separate form for TOPIK I and TOPIK II. Places go on a first-come, first-served basis, and KEC keeps a reserve list of 50 extra applications. Fill in the form once only. Duplicate forms are not allowed, and wrong details, such as a mistyped email address or a blurred photo, can disqualify you.
3. Wait for the confirmation email. KEC verifies forms over about 2–4 days after registration closes. Only selected candidates get an email with a login to a dashboard. Sending the form does not guarantee you a place.
4. Check your form and pay. The payment link appears on the dashboard. Check every detail before you pay, because nothing can be changed after payment. Payments made before you are confirmed, and duplicate payments, are not refunded.
5. Download the admit card. Payment checks take around 1–2 weeks, and then the admit card appears on the dashboard. KEC does not send a separate email, so check the dashboard yourself.

In Chennai, InKo Centre also registers on a first-come, first-served basis. For the 15 November 2026 test it opened registration at 10:00 a.m. on 6 August 2026, with 100 seats for TOPIK I and 100 for TOPIK II. It asked for a recent passport-size photo (JPG, under 200KB), a signature (JPG, under 100KB) and a valid photo ID such as a passport, Aadhaar or voter ID, with the same name as on the form. Only applicants who get a confirmation email are enrolled, and payment details go to confirmed applicants only.

How do you register for the TOPIK in Nepal?

For the 109th test, NIIED’s overseas notice lists the King Sejong Institute Kathmandu as the organiser, with online registration. Earlier, the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Nepal published the notice for the 100th test (May 2025). That notice had a one-week online window that could close early if places filled, with no late applications. Check the organiser’s current notice for each sitting, since dates and venues change.

What is the TOPIK exam fee?

The fee depends on where you take the test. The Ministry of Education’s 2026 plan sets the fee in Korea and says fees outside Korea differ by country and must be confirmed with the local organiser.

The Nepal figure is the most recent fee an official Nepali source has published, and it was for a 2025 sitting. Treat it as a guide and confirm the current fee in the notice for your sitting. In India, the fee is shown once your application is confirmed. TOPIK Speaking costs KRW 80,000 in Korea, where it was held in 2026.

How do TOPIK results work?

• Results go online. NIIED announces results on topik.go.kr on the published date, at 15:00 Korea time on the TOPIK schedule. The dates for the 2026 sittings are in the table above.
• The certificate comes from the website. The 2026 plan says score reports are issued through the TOPIK website and are not sent by post, fax or email. Outside Korea, NIIED can send one report for each candidate to the organiser, if the organiser asks, for it to hand out.
• A score lasts two years from the announcement date. If you need TOPIK for an application, count back from the deadline. A November test gives a result in late December, so the score stays valid until December two years later.
• Universities can check it. Score reports printed from the TOPIK website carry a document number, and topik.go.kr has a page where anyone can verify it.

Which TOPIK level do Korean universities and GKS ask for?

Universities. Study in Korea, NIIED’s student portal, says that Korean-taught programmes typically ask for a TOPIK score report (PBT or IBT). Some universities also accept the Ministry of Justice’s KIIP integration programme or a King Sejong Institute course certificate. The level varies by university and department, so check each one directly. English-taught programmes ask for English proficiency instead.

GKS undergraduate scholarship. NIIED’s 2027 GKS undergraduate application guidelines, linked from the Study in Korea scholarship page, say:

• A TOPIK score is optional when you apply, but some universities or departments may ask for a certain level.
• TOPIK counts toward the language part of the evaluation. Level 5 or above earns the full language score, Level 4 earns 90% and Level 3 earns 80%. Applicants with Level 3 or above also get extra points (3% of the total for Level 3, 4% for Level 4, 5% for Level 5 or above).
• Scholars who already hold Level 5 or 6 skip the one-year Korean language programme and start the degree directly.
• Every other scholar must reach at least Level 3 during the year-long language programme to move on to the degree, and some departments require Level 4 or higher.
• For the 2027 intake, NIIED accepts paper-based certificates from the 96th to the 109th test and IBT certificates from the 4th to the 16th test.

For the scholarship itself, see our guide to scholarships in South Korea, and for doctoral funding, our PhD scholarships in South Korea page.

Part-time work. TOPIK matters after you arrive too. Study in Korea’s part-time work page says your Korean level and programme set the hours you may work part-time, and that you need immigration permission. It lists TOPIK Level 2 for language-training students (after 6 months), Level 3 for associate degrees and the first two years of a bachelor’s, and Level 4 for the last two years and for master’s and doctoral students. Below those levels the table allows fewer hours. Other Korean qualifications can count instead.

How can you prepare for the TOPIK for free?

• Past papers and audio: topik.go.kr has a study section with past PBT papers, listening files and writing guides, and a short daily set of past questions.
• Practise on a computer: the same site has practice versions of the IBT and the Speaking test, so you can get used to the format.
• Check your starting point: Study in Korea points to TOPIK Basic, a free online check you can take any time. It issues no certificate, and its results are for self-assessment only.
• Book early: places in India are first come, first served, and each city hosts only some sittings. Watch your organiser’s page from a couple of months before the test.

Planning a degree in South Korea? Our admissions team can help you shortlist universities, check which programmes ask for TOPIK and which are taught in English, and plan a GKS application. Talk to our South Korea admissions team.