It’s the obligatory TOPIK expertise publish once more! It’s a 3-hour examination however in actuality, we’ve to spend about 4 hours on the examination venue and including the commute time and so on, it’s like my complete day is gone. I’m now typing this at about 930pm, 5.5 hours after the examination. In between, I spent about 3 hours on the couch. I’m this drained lol.
It’s my nth time taking TOPIK (misplaced depend) and that is additionally my second TOPIK since COVID began. I final took it in Apr 2020. It feels bizarre that the pandemic is in its third 12 months, and that we’ve to take the ART take a look at, fill in a declaration type and so on to take the examination.
I believe there have been lesser folks taking TOPIK II this time spherical, in comparison with two years in the past. No, it’s not that Korean is dropping reputation in Singapore or by any means. My buddy and I think that it’s as a result of the take a look at charges, which was SGD80 for the longest time, grew to become SGD120. I don’t know if it’s a pandemic enhance, or inflation or no matter, however omg I don’t know whether or not I need to spend SGD120 each two years taking a proficiency take a look at that I personally don’t have a lot want for. My buddy additionally conveniently jogged my memory that after a couple of extra TOPIK exams and we’ll hit our forties. Possibly in the future I’ll be taking TOPIK as a granny, and I believe that’s fairly cool. My first TOPIK was in 2009 and I ponder when my final TOPIK will probably be . . . okay I digressed.
For these taking TOPIK II in Singapore, I like to recommend signing up for the examination early sufficient (they fill the massive corridor first after which the school rooms), and I favor being within the corridor cos it’s simply airier and more room. It’s finest to decorate gentle (as a result of outdoors rattling scorching please) and produce a jacket to the venue. I all the time carry a hoodie, which is nice as a result of the aircon was blowing straight at me (-.-) all through the examination and I’m a type of individuals who hate that and I get a headache very simply. So the hoodie helped lots!
We additionally need to give up our digital units, so it’s finest to observe the directions and produce minimal digital units and depart the smartwatches at dwelling for the day if potential.
Listening
We’re anticipated to be seated fairly early (which I perceive), however I acquired very stressed and sleepy within the time that we needed to sit there (with out units hahaha), so by the point listening began, my thoughts was fairly out of it. My focus degree is unquestionably not at its peak like 10 years in the past lol.
Listening was a brain-cracking part as I needed to focus lots on the audio, in addition to learn by means of the choices, however hahah that is my 14th 12 months of studying Korean. What I do is that normally I learn the choices for the questions forward. For the sooner questions the place every audio is performed as soon as, I can presumably examine 4-5 questions forward, however for these questions on the again the place the audio is performed twice, I may examine 7-8 questions forward.
What I love to do is to underline the important thing elements within the choices, so I do know the place to zoom in when the audio performs. I normally will solely take heed to the audio as soon as, then when it performs for the second time, I’ll be studying the questions forward! For these accustomed to the examination format, you’ll know that for the later questions the place an audio passage is linked to 2 questions, one is normally on “which assertion is true / finest described what the audio is about” and the opposite one concerning the perspective / emotions of one of many audio system. The primary sort of query is more durable, so normally I’ll consider the choices / particulars for this query because the audio performs and I’ll reply this one first (even when it’s the second query). Then it’s simpler to do the opposite query, which is extra broad.
My downside as of late with the listening part is that I’ve a really quick consideration span and there have been actually moments through the take a look at the place I actually simply spaced out hahaha. Exams are a take a look at of stamina, not simply information.
And I’ve no stamina.
Writing
Writing follows listening instantly and I used to be sooo glad when the listening was over. I shall not jinx it however dare I say that this was fairly manageable, lots higher than the two-years-ago paper? mmm can I simply faux that I miraculously acquired higher at writing? hahaha. I assume we’re not imagined to share the query right here, so I gained’t (anyway I can’t bear in mind precisely), however my downside was interested by the factors reasonably than expressing them in Korean oops. The essay query is normally about some social subject and it’s kinda like an expository essay.
I believe I did tremendous for the the graph description writing. I believe?
I completed the writing with about 15 minutes to spare, and I managed to jot down neatly yay! An enormous distinction from my earlier TOPIK experiences, the place writing killed me all.the.time. hahaha like I mentioned, it’s been 14 years.
I don’t actually have writing suggestions, simply that the graph description write up will be very manageable if you learn sufficient pattern solutions and in addition bear in mind set phrases. So it’s potential to check for it. The essay is a greater take a look at of your core proficiency I believe, and more durable to “examine”. I imply, you possibly can technically examine and memorize for something, however I favor to maintain it natural (?) in some sense. Which implies I’m extremely unlikely to check particularly for an examination. However that’s simply me, and I additionally don’t face the stress of needing to cross the language exams I take 🙂
Studying
Studying is all the time my favorite part in a language proficiency take a look at and I all the time stay up for studying extra from the passages and attending to know extra attention-grabbing details! It’s additionally the part the place I *kinda* have expectations for myself and I hope to get a three-digit rating HAHAHA. We’ll see. 🙂
Once more, not many suggestions for studying, simply that it’s necessary to learn lots throughout your free time and construct the stamina of with the ability to learn for 70 minutes straight hahaha. I used to really feel my mind vitality fading away in direction of the tip of the examination (the place I can sound all of the syllables and never perceive a single factor) however that has gotten lots higher in the previous few years!
So I had a variety of enjoyable with this half hahaha.
Total, it was nice. Though sitting for 3 hours in an examination corridor will not be fairly one thing that my poor bones can take. I’ve to rethink whether or not I need to take it each two years (it’s legitimate for 2 years), and the associated fee actually deters me.
When you have additionally taken the 81st TOPIK, please depart a remark and say hiiii.
I believe the outcomes will probably be out on Could 19. So I’ll most likely replace on Could 20 LOL. It’s not possible as of late to examine the outcomes on the dot, cos the system retains crashing and actually it’s important to camp to get into the system (like these live performance tickets queue system) hahahaha. Sorry I’m too embarrassed to ask my pals to try this for me (Mac comps nonetheless have points with accessing the system) and I’ll most likely be too lazy to do it too, even when I may.
Until the subsequent publish! (sorry my weblog displays my psychological state and as of late I’m very a lot offline)
