TOPIK I is the beginner half of the Test of Proficiency in Korean, and it rewards two things above all: reading Hangul quickly and knowing the basic words and particles cold. Both are flashcard problems.
This post covers what TOPIK I tests, what's in our free deck, a week-by-week plan using FSRS spaced repetition, and how free Korean audio fits in. For the general comparison of language apps, see the best flashcard app for language learning.
How TOPIK I works
TOPIK is split into TOPIK I (Levels 1–2) and TOPIK II (Levels 3–6). Since the 2014 reform, TOPIK I has just two sections, both multiple choice (Wikipedia):
| Section | Questions | Time | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listening | 30 | 40 min | 100 |
| Reading | 40 | 60 min | 100 |
There's no writing section at this level.
Your level depends only on your total out of 200 (TOPIK Guide):
- 80–139: Level 1
- 140–200: Level 2
- Below 80: no level awarded
There's no minimum per section, so a strong reading score can make up for weaker listening. Even so, listening is half the points, and the only way to get faster at it is to hear Korean often. Check test dates and registration for your country on the official TOPIK site.
What's in the free deck
The Korean TOPIK I Starter deck has 300 cards in three sections, studied in this order:
| Section | Cards | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Hangul reading | 50 | Consonants, vowels, syllable blocks, 받침 final consonants |
| Core vocabulary | 150 | Greetings, family, numbers, food, places, time, verbs, adjectives, colors |
| Grammar patterns | 100 | Particles, present and past tense, negation, sentence patterns |
Every card has three parts: Hangul on the front, Revised Romanization and the English meaning (plus an example from the vocabulary section onward) on the back, and a note that explains the part beginners get wrong.
A few examples straight from the deck:
- ㅓ → eo. The note: an open "uh" as in "sun", not "ee-oh".
- 개 → gae, the counter for items, with 사과 세 개 주세요 ("Three apples, please"). The note explains that it takes native numbers in their shortened form: 한 개, 두 개, 세 개.
- 은/는 → the topic particle, with a separate card for 이/가 (subject) and one for 은/는 used for contrast.
The grammar section goes past single particles into the things that cost points on reading questions: 아/어 vowel harmony in -아요/-어요, past tense (갔어요, 왔어요), 안 vs 못, -고 싶어요, -지만, and the word order for counters (noun + number + counter: 커피 두 잔).
The deck downloads as .apkg or .csv, so it works in MintDeck or Anki.
An 8-week FSRS study plan
MintDeck schedules reviews with FSRS, which brings a card back just before you're likely to forget it. All you choose is how many new cards to see each day, under Settings → Daily Goal → New cards per day (5 to 50, in steps of 5). The plan below assumes about 10–15 minutes a day.
Weeks 1–2: Hangul reading (50 cards). 5 new cards a day. It sounds slow, but these cards are the base everything else sits on. Read the note on every card the first time you see it. By the end of week 2 you should read 닭 and 학교 without sounding them out letter by letter.
Weeks 3–5: Core vocabulary (150 cards). 10 new a day gets you through in 15 days. Turn on the Reverse front and back toggle in some sessions so you also practise English → Korean, not only recognition.
Weeks 6–8: Grammar patterns (100 cards). 5–10 new a day. Grammar cards are denser than vocabulary, so expect more "Again" ratings at first. Let FSRS handle it; missed cards return sooner without you tracking anything.
After week 8: reviews plus practice tests. Lower new cards and keep clearing daily reviews. Use the time you save on past TOPIK I papers, timed.
If you're short on time before a test date, cut new cards rather than skipping review days. Reviews are what keep the earlier sections from fading.
Free Korean audio for listening practice
Korean is one of the 31 languages covered by MintDeck's free On-Device voices. They run on your phone, work offline, and cost no credits.
That matters for TOPIK I because half the score is listening. Two ways to use it:
- While reviewing, hear each word as you study it, so the sound and the spelling stick together. This helps with sound changes that romanization hides, like ㄹ sounding like a flap between vowels.
- In Audio Study, MintDeck reads cards aloud and pauses so you can recall the answer. Front Only mode works well as a fast listening drill: hear the Korean, recall the meaning, without looking at the screen.
On-device text-to-speech isn't a native speaker. Use it for daily reps, and still listen to real exam audio before test day.
How this compares with other options
Anki shared decks. AnkiWeb hosts free shared Korean decks of varying quality. MintDeck imports .apkg files, so you can bring an existing deck over with its review history. AnkiMobile on iPhone costs $24.99.
Quizlet sets. Many user-made TOPIK sets exist, but Quizlet doesn't schedule with FSRS, and its Learn mode is paywalled.
Duolingo. A gamified course. Good for building a daily habit, but you can't add your own cards or import a deck, so it won't drill the specific words and particles you keep missing.
What it costs
Importing this deck, reviewing with FSRS, the free On-Device Korean voice, and Audio Study are all free and unlimited. Credits only pay for optional AI generation, and you start with 10. Details: what's free and what costs credits.
Download MintDeck free and start the TOPIK I deck →
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Frequently asked questions
- How is TOPIK I scored?
- TOPIK I has two multiple-choice sections, Listening (30 questions, 40 minutes) and Reading (40 questions, 60 minutes), each worth 100 points. A total of 80 or more earns Level 1 and 140 or more earns Level 2. Only the total counts; there is no separate section minimum.
- Does TOPIK I include writing?
- No. Since the 2014 reform, TOPIK I has only Listening and Reading. Writing is part of TOPIK II.
- What is in the free MintDeck TOPIK I deck?
- 300 cards in three sections: 50 Hangul-reading cards, 150 core vocabulary words, and 100 grammar-pattern cards. Every card has Revised Romanization, the English meaning, and a note explaining the rule or a common mistake.
- Can MintDeck read Korean flashcards aloud for free?
- Yes. Korean is one of the 31 languages covered by MintDeck's free On-Device voices, which run offline and cost no credits. You can use them in Audio Study for hands-free review.
Written by
Sergiu Puscas · Creator of MintDeck
Sergiu builds MintDeck and writes every guide and comparison on this blog — drawing on building an FSRS-based flashcard app and hands-on testing of the study apps covered here.
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