From TOPIK 3 to TOPIK 5 in one year - my journey

One year ago I scored TOPIK Level 3 with a total of 162 points. Last week I got my results back: Level 5 with 218 points. Here's what changed.

The mindset shift: I stopped thinking of Korean as a "subject to study" and started treating it as a "skill to practice." This meant more active use (speaking, writing) and less passive study (reading textbooks).

What I changed: I switched my phone language to Korean. I started journaling in Korean every day (even just 3-4 sentences). I joined a Korean book club that reads one short story per month. I found a Korean language partner and we meet twice a week.

For the exam specifically: I focused on my weakest area (writing) and practiced essay writing every single day for the last 2 months. I also memorized about 2,000 intermediate-advanced vocabulary words using Anki.

Score comparison:

Last year: Reading 58, Listening 62, Writing 42 = 162 (Level 3)
This year: Reading 82, Listening 76, Writing 60 = 218 (Level 5)

The biggest improvement was in reading (+24 points), mainly because of the vocabulary study. If you're stuck at Level 3-4, focus on vocabulary and writing. You can do it!