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www.groovekorea.com / January 2014 10 The Test of Profciency in Korean, or TOPIK for short, is a Korean language exam that is administered by the Korean government. It’s essentially the Korean language equivalent of TOEFL in the United States. “Increasing the number of tests and test sites worldwide” New TOPIK format from July 2014 T he National Institute for International Education (NIIED) seeks to heighten the appeal of the Korean language throughout the world by increasing the number of TOPIK test sites, expanding the number of countries where the test is taken and by introducing a new reformed and revised format starting July, 2014. TOPIK is required for obtaining Korean permanent residency, en- tering universities in Korea as a foreign or Korean overseas stu- dent and also used for applying to Korean companies in Korea and abroad. The number of applicants who take the test has increased exponentially due to a greater demand for Korean language edu- cation. On Jan. 19, 2014, TOPIK was taken by 23,224 applicants across 23 test sites throughout Korea. This marked a milestone for the test, as the number of people who had taken TOPIK reached over 1.1 million (1,187,388). This year, the NIIED will add three ne w test sites for the conven- ience of applicants, bringing the total to 23 test sites throughout Korea. Also, TOPIK is scheduled to take place in 66 countries by 2014. Finally, 2014 also heralds an increase in the number of TOPIK administered tests with an expansion in the number of test dates from four to fve. ◆ New test sites in Korea: Gachon University, Mokpo National University and Wonkang University ◆ New test sites abroad: Finland, Austria, Jordan and Cuba From July, 2014, the current 3-level system (Beginner, Interme- diate, Advanced) will be converted into a two level system which consists of TOPIK l (Beginner Level) and TOPIK ll (Intermediate and Advanced Level). The evaluation areas for TOPIK ll will be changed from 4 to 3 which will include Reading, Listening, and Writing. The objective of this change is to reduce the bur- den on applicants taking the test and to focus on practical language usage. TOPIK takes a Great Leap in 2014 Division Current Level System New Level System (July 2014~) Test Level TOPIK Beginner (Level 1~2) TOPIK l (Level 1~2) TOPIK Intermediate (Level 3~4) TOPIK ll (Level 3~6) TOPIK Advanced (Level 5~6) Period Jan. 19, 2014 Apr. 19~20, 2014 Jul. 20, 2014 Oct. 11~12, 2014 Nov. 23, 2014 Test area Korea Korea & Overseas Korea Korea & Overseas Korea System Current format New reformed format TOPIK l (Beginner Level) only evaluates reading and listening to make it easier for applicants to evaluate their Korean language skills. In addition, with the integration of the intermediate and advanced levels into one single test, it is hoped that TOPIK will be better equipped to meet applicant needs. Schedule of Format Change