TOPIK IBT vs PBT: what is different, and can you take TOPIK online?

NIIED’s IBT page on topik.go.kr says TOPIK IBT candidates attend a test centre with an internet connection and sit the test on a PC, tablet or similar device. IBT stands for internet-based test, and PBT stands for paper-based test.

TOPIK IBT has no break during the test, according to the same NIIED page. In Korea, TOPIK I IBT runs from 09:30 to 10:40 and TOPIK II IBT runs from 13:00 to 15:05; for times outside Korea, the page refers candidates to the local test institution.

TOPIK IBT comes in the same two tests as TOPIK PBT: TOPIK I for levels 1 and 2, and TOPIK II for levels 3 to 6. “TOPIK 2” in a search can mean either TOPIK II, the test for levels 3 to 6, or level 2, a TOPIK I result.

TOPIK I IBT leads to level 1 or level 2, and TOPIK II IBT leads to level 3, 4, 5 or 6, as the paper tests do. NIIED’s rules call these bands pass grades. Under the same rules, a TOPIK I score below the level 1 minimum, or a TOPIK II score below the level 3 minimum, gets no level in either format.

A TOPIK score from either format is valid for 2 years from the result announcement date, not from the test date, under NIIED’s rules. NIIED’s rules also say that TOPIK score certificates are issued through the TOPIK homepage only and are not sent by post, fax or e-mail.

TOPIK I IBT has 26 listening questions in 30 minutes and 26 reading questions in 40 minutes. TOPIK I PBT has 30 listening and 40 reading questions, in 40 and 60 minutes. TOPIK II IBT has 30 listening questions in 35 minutes, 3 writing questions in 50 minutes and 30 reading questions in 40 minutes. TOPIK II PBT has 50 listening, 4 writing and 50 reading questions, in 60, 50 and 70 minutes, so writing lasts 50 minutes in both formats.

NIIED’s IBT pages give counts, minutes and points but do not describe TOPIK IBT question types. The counts show TOPIK II IBT has 3 writing questions where TOPIK II PBT has 4, but not how those 3 relate to the four paper writing tasks.

TOPIK I IBT therefore has a maximum of 400 and TOPIK II IBT a maximum of 600, while TOPIK I PBT has a maximum of 200 and TOPIK II PBT a maximum of 300.

The level bands differ as well, and the IBT bands are not the paper bands doubled. Level 2 starts at 140 out of 200 on TOPIK I PBT and at 236 out of 400 on TOPIK I IBT, according to NIIED’s level tables. Level 6 starts at 230 out of 300 on TOPIK II PBT and at 431 out of 600 on TOPIK II IBT. Every band for both formats is on the levels and scores page.

In Korea, TOPIK fees are paid by virtual bank account or by a credit card issued in Korea, according to the same fee rules.

TOPIK fees outside Korea differ by country. NIIED’s fee rules say overseas fees and refunds follow local rules. NIIED’s operating rules say the NIIED president sets overseas fees with reference to the Korean fee, the country’s income level and the fees of other language tests. Candidates outside Korea should ask the local TOPIK test institution for the local fee.

The Ministry dates the first TOPIK IBT sitting to November 2023. In the Ministry’s 2026 and 2027 plans, the first IBT sitting of each year runs in Korea only, and the other five sittings run in Korea and abroad. Whether a given country offers TOPIK IBT, and on which dates, is set by that country’s test institution under NIIED’s rules; the current dates are on topik.go.kr, linked from the schedule page.

The 20-day gap holds for all six IBT sittings in the 2027 plan.

The TOPIK site (topik.go.kr) states no rule for how soon results come out, so the 20-day gap is a pattern in the Ministry’s dates, not a promise. The Ministry’s plan also says its dates can change. Where to check each result date is on the results page.

Taking TOPIK “online” means sitting TOPIK IBT on a PC or tablet at a test centre.

A TOPIK IBT score cannot be read on the TOPIK PBT scale. TOPIK IBT sections are scored out of 200 and the level bands differ, so compare levels, not raw scores: 236 on TOPIK I IBT and 140 on TOPIK I PBT both mark the start of level 2.