Pass TOPIK 2

Proof required

Complete a 80-item TOPIK II level 3 practice set and submit a photo with a score of 65% or above, plus a handwritten page showing: (1) three sentences each using -지만, -는데, and -아서/어서 in different functions, (2) one indirect speech sentence using -다고 하다.

What gets checked

• 65% or above on a 80-item TOPIK II level 3 practice set
• -지만, -는데, -아서/어서 sentences each demonstrate a different grammatical function (not all three used for contrast alone)
• Indirect speech sentence correctly uses -다고 하다 after a declarative verb form

Common mistakes

• Treating -지만 and -는데 as synonymous — both can signal concession/contrast but -는데 also introduces background context and has a broader pragmatic range; conflating them leads to grammatically wrong sentences
• Using -아서/어서 only as a reason marker without knowing its sequential use (도서관에 가서 책을 읽었어요 — I went to the library and read a book)

Resources

What a verifier looks for

• -지만 test: connects two clauses where the second contradicts the first — 비가 오지만 나가요 (It's raining but I'm going out). -는데: can serve as gentle contrast OR as background context before the main clause — 날씨가 좋은데 공원에 갈까요? (The weather is nice; shall we go to the park?). The learner should demonstrate both uses
• -아서/어서 reason: 배가 고파서 먹었어요 (I was hungry so I ate). Sequential: 가게에 가서 사왔어요 (I went to the store and bought it). Check which function the learner's sentence is using
• Indirect speech: -다고 하다 attaches to the plain form — 그 사람이 온다고 했어요 (He said he's coming). The verb ending must match the tense of the reported speech

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Proof required

Submit a handwritten grammar page (photo or scan) with: (1) one honorific sentence using -(으)시- infix with a note on why honorific is appropriate, (2) one passive sentence using -이/히/리/기 suffix, (3) one inference sentence using -(으)ㄹ 것 같다, (4) one obligation sentence using -아/어야 하다.

What gets checked

• Honorific infix -(으)시- correctly attached to the verb stem (not to the ending)
• Passive sentence uses the passive suffix on a verb that can be passivised (not all verbs take passive suffixes)
• -(으)ㄹ 것 같다 sentence expresses inference from evidence, not future intention

Common mistakes

• Confusing -(으)ㄹ 것 같다 (inference) with -(으)ㄹ 것이다 (strong prediction/future) — they have very different certainty levels and contexts
• Using passive suffixes on verbs that do not take passive forms — Korean passives are irregular and must be learned lexically (보다 → 보이다, 먹다 → 먹히다, etc.)

Resources

What a verifier looks for

• Honorific infix -(으)시-: 선생님이 가세요 (the teacher goes/is going, honorific) — the -(으)시- comes between stem and ending: 가 + 시 + 어요 = 가세요. Check correct placement
• Passive: 문이 열렸어요 (the door was opened, using 열리다 passive of 열다) is correctly formed. 먹이다 is causative (make eat), 먹히다 is passive (be eaten) — these are commonly confused
• -(으)ㄹ 것 같다 inference: 비가 올 것 같아요 (It looks like it will rain, based on evidence like dark clouds) — ask what evidence the learner's inference sentence is based on

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Proof required

Submit (1) your official TOPIK II result notification showing level 3 or level 4 achieved, AND (2) a video recording of a 20-minute unscripted conversation with a native or near-native Korean speaker, with both sides audible throughout.

What gets checked

• Official TOPIK II result showing level 3 (120–149 out of 300) or level 4 (150–189 out of 300) achieved
• Conversation is at least 20 minutes with genuine topic engagement
• Learner uses sentence connectors (-지만, -는데, -아서/어서) naturally in connected speech

Common mistakes

• Achieving TOPIK 3–4 on reading and listening without practising speaking — writing and speaking in Korean are separate productive skills
• Conducting the conversation with mostly one-word answers — TOPIK 3–4 grammar should enable extended multi-clause responses

Resources

What a verifier looks for

• TOPIK II level 3 = 120–149/300; level 4 = 150–189/300. Both are acceptable for this outcome. The result must be official NIIED documentation
• Sentence connectors in natural speech: listen for -는데, -아서/어서, -지만 used spontaneously — these are TOPIK 3 markers in production
• Honorific speech: the learner should use honorific forms when addressing an older/unfamiliar speaker — check that -(으)세요 and -(으)시 appear where appropriate

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