People arrive at TOPIK II expecting TOPIK I with harder words. That is not what happens.
The question shapes change, a whole paper you have never written appears, and — the part nobody warns you about — one paper decides four different grades. You do not sit a level-4 exam. You sit the same paper as everyone from level 3 to level 6, and your score decides which of those you walk away with.
1 · What actually changes
| TOPIK I | TOPIK II | |
|---|---|---|
| Papers | Listening, reading | Listening, **writing**, reading |
| Sittings | One | Two |
| Grades awarded | 1 and 2 | 3, 4, 5 and 6 |
| Audio | Short exchanges | Interviews, lectures, discussions |
| Reading passages | Two or three lines | Paragraphs, then full essays |
| Answers | Multiple choice only | Multiple choice **and writing by hand** |