Korea-Only 110th TOPIK: Registration Dec. 8–14, Test Jan. 10; Domestic 109th Test-Takers Must Decide Before Scores Come Out

The 110th Test of Proficiency in Korean (TOPIK), to be held on Sunday, January 10, 2027, is a paper-based test (PBT) given only at test centers in Korea. It cannot be applied for from overseas. Registration runs from Tuesday, December 8, to Monday, December 14, 2026, and scores will be released on Thursday, February 4, 2027. Before registering, applicants need a TOPIK website member account, an ID photo file that meets the specifications, the original ID they will bring on test day, and a way to pay the exam fee (deposit to a virtual account or a Korea-issued credit card).

People with disabilities who have difficulty walking, older adults, pregnant women and children can apply for priority registration for people with limited mobility from Wednesday, November 4, to Friday, November 6, ahead of general registration (December 8). The system is being piloted for the 110th test, and applications must arrive by registered mail within this period. Those who qualify should prepare their documents in advance and send them so that they arrive between November 4 and 6.

The 110th TOPIK schedule at a glance

Scores for the 110th TOPIK will be released on February 4, 2027, and TOPIK scores are valid for two years. The 110th TOPIK is the first of 2027. The full list of 2027 test rounds, when overseas candidates can sit the test, and the tougher sanctions on cheating are summarized in our article on the 2027 TOPIK schedule.

Priority registration for people with limited mobility: mail must arrive Nov. 4–6

Priority registration accepts candidates who have difficulty getting around ahead of general registration, with the test administering institution registering on their behalf. Eligible candidates are:

• People with disabilities affecting their ability to walk
• Older adults: those at or above the age set in Article 26 of the Welfare of Senior Citizens Act (as of December 31 of the year in which the test date falls)
• Pregnant women: those who are pregnant or have given birth less than six months earlier
• Children: children as defined under the Road Traffic Act (as of January 1 of the year in which the test date falls)
• Others with comparable disabilities

To apply, candidates must first sign up as members of the TOPIK website. They then send the application form and supporting documents to the TOPIK Center by registered mail. The deadline is based on the date of arrival at the Center, not the date of sending. The mail must arrive between Wednesday, November 4, and Friday, November 6.

All applicants submit the same five documents:

• Application form (Form 1)
• Pledge (Form 2)
• Consent to the provision of personal information (Form 3)
• Copy of accepted ID
• Photo meeting the specifications (3.5×4.5cm, taken within the past six months)

Pregnant women also submit the original of a doctor's opinion or a pregnancy confirmation. Those who have already given birth submit one of the following: a birth certificate, a family relation certificate or a copy of their resident registration. People with disabilities submit a copy of their welfare card (disability registration card) or the original of a disability certificate. All documents except the copy of the ID are accepted only if issued in Korea, so medical or other certificates obtained in a candidate's home country cannot be used.

Those selected will be notified by Wednesday, November 11. After that, candidates do not register themselves; the test administering institution registers on their behalf and then tells them how to pay the exam fee. If the exam fee is not paid within the designated payment period, the application will be deemed canceled. If a candidate cannot be assigned to the test administering institution of their choice, they may be assigned to a nearby test center or not assigned at all. Those not assigned must apply through general registration from Tuesday, December 8.

Domestic 108th and 109th test-takers should weigh score release dates against refund deadlines

Because the 110th TOPIK is held only at test centers in Korea, this section applies to candidates staying in Korea who took the 108th or 109th test. The first test overseas candidates can take in 2027 is the 18th IBT on Saturday, March 20; the first PBT is the 111th TOPIK on April 10–11.

Scores for the 108th TOPIK come out at 3 p.m. on Thursday, December 10. As that falls in the middle of the 110th registration period, 108th test-takers can check their scores on the afternoon of December 10 and decide by December 14 whether to register for the 110th. They should bear in mind, however, that each test center has a fixed capacity.

The situation is different for 109th test-takers. Scores for the 109th TOPIK (held November 15) come out at 3 p.m. on Tuesday, December 22, but 110th registration closes eight days earlier, on December 14. It is not possible to check 109th results before deciding whether to register for the 110th. To sit the January test in case they do not get the level they want on the 109th, they must register by December 14 without knowing their results. Registration for the 17th IBT in Korea on February 20 (December 15–21) also closes before 109th scores come out. The first test they can register for after seeing their 109th results is the 18th IBT on March 20 (registration January 12–18).

Scores for those who took the 16th IBT on November 28 also come out after the registration deadline, on Friday, December 18. That date, however, falls within the 50% refund window (through December 21), so those who cancel the 110th after seeing their scores get back KRW 20,000 for TOPIK I and KRW 27,500 for TOPIK II.

This is where the refund rate comes in. Exam fee refunds are divided into three windows based on the registration deadline (day N). Applied to the 110th registration deadline of December 14, they are as follows:

December 22, when 109th scores come out, is the first day of the 40% window. Candidates who reach their target level on the 109th and cancel the 110th get back only KRW 16,000 for TOPIK I and KRW 22,000 for TOPIK II. They should also remember that even on December 14, the last day of registration, the 50% window applies from 10 a.m. For the 109th test, the website's system maintenance ran from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. every day, and candidates were advised to avoid that hour when requesting refunds. If the same arrangement applies, full refunds for the 110th must be requested by Sunday, December 13, or before 9 a.m. on the 14th at the latest. Simply not showing up for the test means no refund at all, so those who have decided not to sit it should request cancellation before 1 p.m. on January 9.

Cases such as the death of the candidate or an immediate family member, the candidate's own accident or hospitalization on test day, or a legally designated infectious disease can be fully refunded through a special refund. The application form and supporting documents must arrive by mail within seven days of the test's end date.

Exam fees and payment methods

The exam fee is paid by deposit to a virtual account or by credit card. Only Korea-issued credit cards can be used. The exam fee must be paid within the designated period after online registration.

Check your English name, date of birth and sex before choosing a test center

The hardest registration mistakes to undo involve personal information. During registration for the 109th TOPIK, the name in English, date of birth and sex could not be changed once a test center had been selected. Candidates whose name in English on the accepted ID brought on test day differed even partially from the one on the admission ticket could not sit the test, and the scope for corrections after registration was extremely limited.

So before moving on to Step 5 (selecting a test center), applicants must compare the basic information screen in Step 4 with their ID letter by letter. Those taking the test with a passport should enter their name in English exactly as it appears in the passport. Anyone who has already registered and finds incorrect information has one remaining option: My Page > request for correction of applicant information. The deadline is three days before the admission ticket printing date (in business days). Changing a name or date of birth under "Edit Member Information" after registration does not change the details of a test already registered for, so a separate request for correction of applicant information must be submitted.

The eight registration steps and choosing a test center

Online registration on the TOPIK website applies only to those taking the test in Korea. Registration proceeds in the following order:

1. Access the registration system
2. Log in
3. Select the test and level (TOPIK I or II)
4. Enter basic information
5. Select a test center
6. Upload photo and enter information
7. Pay the exam fee
8. Registration complete

Each test center has a fixed capacity. Candidates who want to change their test center after registering can do so during the registration period (December 8–14), within the remaining capacity of the center they want to move to. For the 109th TOPIK, candidates were told that test centers could close early or change depending on school circumstances and capacity, and registration on the first and second days was split by region before opening to all regions from the third day (Day 1: Seoul, Gangwon, Gyeongnam, Gyeongbuk, Jeonbuk, Jeju, Chungnam, Chungbuk; Day 2: Gyeonggi, Incheon, Daejeon, Daegu, Jeonnam-Gwangju, Busan, Ulsan).

Photo: 413×532 pixels, jpg of 200KB or less

The photo file must be 413 pixels wide and 532 pixels tall, 200KB or less, and saved in jpg or jpeg format. Other formats cannot be uploaded. It must be a front-facing photo taken against a white background within the past six months and follow the Ministry of Justice photo specifications for alien registration.

The following photos will result in the candidate being barred from the test:

• Photos of someone other than the candidate
• Photos with sunglasses, a mask or a hat
• Photos showing two or more people
• Photos taken of an ID card
• Photos that are excessively retouched or of low quality

If the photo does not match the candidate, they may face penalties such as being barred from the test or having their scores invalidated.

The photo is uploaded at registration and can be changed later under My Page > Application Status > Register/Edit Photo. The deadline for uploading or editing is 23:59, three days before the admission ticket printing date (in business days). If a candidate is barred from the test for not uploading a photo that meets the specifications, the exam fee cannot be refunded once the refund period has passed. To avoid missing the test and losing the fee over a photo, upload a photo that meets the specifications right away at registration.

According to the TOPIK FAQ, admission tickets can be printed from 10 a.m. on the Monday two weeks before the test date (or 10 a.m. the following day if that Monday is a public holiday). Applying this rule to the 110th TOPIK, printing begins at 10 a.m. on Monday, December 28, 2026. Photo uploads and edits, as well as information corrections, must be completed by three business days before this printing date. Recheck your photo and registration details well ahead of December 28.

ID: originals only, and Korea-issued only except for passports

Candidates without accepted ID on test day will be ordered to leave. Only originals are accepted; copies or photos taken with a mobile phone are not. All forms of ID other than passports must be issued by a Korean institution.

Mobile IDs can be used to verify identity only through apps authorized by the issuing agencies (Ministry of the Interior and Safety, Korean National Police Agency, Ministry of Justice). Copies or photos are not accepted, so a screenshot cannot be used to sit the test.

The table reflects current TOPIK ID rules. Because the Ministry of Education announced in September that it would narrow accepted IDs mainly to physical passports and alien registration cards to prevent proxy test-taking, it is safer to bring a physical passport or alien registration card than a mobile ID or a confirmation document.

Candidates who have submitted their alien registration card to an immigration office to apply for a visa extension or a change of status of stay can sit the test with a stay permit application receipt or a visa issuance confirmation. The document, however, must include all of the following: name, date of birth and photo. If it has no photo, they must bring the original of another accepted ID, such as an unexpired passport. Check now that your passport does not expire before January 10.

Test-day timetable

Candidates cannot enter the test room after the check-in deadline. Check the test center's location and travel time by the day before.

Macro registrations and "registration agent" ads

Registrations suspected of being made through illegitimate means such as macro (bot) programs will be canceled and the accounts suspended. Do not respond to ads for registration-agent services or proxy test-taking circulating on social media. Unless you are using priority registration for people with limited mobility, complete general registration yourself through your own account, and turn down offers to register on your behalf for money.

Pre-registration checklist

• If you are eligible for priority registration for people with limited mobility, send your documents by registered mail so they arrive between Wednesday, November 4, and Friday, November 6 (documents other than ID accepted only if issued in Korea).
• Complete your TOPIK website membership sign-up and confirm that you can log in.
• Prepare a photo file: 413×532 pixels, 200KB or less, jpg or jpeg, white background, front-facing, taken within the past six months.
• Decide on a payment method (virtual account or Korea-issued credit card) and pay within the designated period after registering (TOPIK I KRW 40,000, II KRW 55,000).
• Before choosing a test center, compare your name in English, date of birth and sex with your ID letter by letter (for the 109th, these could not be changed after a test center was selected, and candidates could not sit the test if the name in English differed even partially).
• Register from Tuesday, December 8, to Monday, December 14, and change test centers only within this period.
• For a full refund, cancel by December 13, or before 9 a.m. on the 14th at the latest (for the 109th, system maintenance ran 09:00–10:00 daily).
• Domestic 109th and 16th IBT test-takers should decide whether to register before their results come out. If canceling, the 16th IBT score date (December 18) falls in the 50% refund window, and from the 109th score date (December 22) the 40% window applies.
• Make sure you have the original of a physical passport or alien registration card; if you submitted your card to immigration, bring a confirmation document that includes your name, date of birth and photo, or, if it lacks any of these, the original of another accepted ID such as a passport.
• If your registration information is wrong, complete the request for correction of applicant information and any photo edits by three days (business days) before the admission ticket printing date (December 28 under the FAQ rule).
• On test day, arrive earlier than the check-in deadline (TOPIK I 09:20, TOPIK II 12:20).

Schedules and rules are based on the TOPIK website and Ministry of Education announcements as checked on November 2, 2026.