How the Korean keyboard works
Almost every Korean computer and phone uses the 2-set layout (두벌식). It puts all the consonants under your left hand and all the vowels under your right:
- Left hand, consonants: Q W E R T are ㅂ ㅈ ㄷ ㄱ ㅅ, A S D F G are ㅁ ㄴ ㅇ ㄹ ㅎ, and Z X C V are ㅋ ㅌ ㅊ ㅍ.
- Right hand, vowels: Y U I O P are ㅛ ㅕ ㅑ ㅐ ㅔ, H J K L are ㅗ ㅓ ㅏ ㅣ, and B N M are ㅠ ㅜ ㅡ.
- Shift turns ㅂ ㅈ ㄷ ㄱ ㅅ into the tense consonants ㅃ ㅉ ㄸ ㄲ ㅆ, and ㅐ ㅔ into ㅒ ㅖ.
You never type a whole syllable block. You type its letters in order, and the keyboard builds the block for you: ㅇ + ㅏ + ㄴ becomes 안. Compound vowels are typed as two keys (ㅗ + ㅏ = ㅘ), and so are double final consonants (ㄹ + ㄱ = ㄺ).
Practising without a Korean keyboard
You do not need to install anything. Type on your normal keyboard as if Korean were switched on: the practice box turns the keys into Hangul as you go, using the same rules as a real Korean keyboard. If you already have a Korean keyboard on your phone or computer, that works too.
Backspace removes one letter at a time, so a mistake in the last letter of a syllable does not cost you the whole block.
Why typing helps EPS candidates
The EPS-TOPIK itself is answered by choosing options on screen, so you will not type during the test. Typing still pays off:
- Spelling. Typing a word letter by letter fixes its spelling in your memory better than reading it.
- Syllable structure. You learn how initial, middle and final letters fit together, which makes reading faster.
- Life in Korea. Messages with your employer and coworkers, searching a map or a dictionary, and filling in forms all need Hangul typing.
The words here come from the themes the EPS-TOPIK covers: safety at work, the workplace, pay, and daily life. Start with words, then move to sentences once you can type them without looking at the keyboard.