There are barely any international students who might not know TOPIK or TOEIC. The TOPIK (Test of Proficiency in Korean) is very popular among the international students who are looking forward to attending Korean track classes in the university or find a job in Korea and equally famous is the fierce competition while registering for TOPIK exams. Website crashes and long waits are a norm in TOPIK exams registration process. But this might not be as big of a problem for students registering a spot in Incheon-the city located about an hour away from the center of Seoul as in Seoul.

I attend Inha University which is in Incheon and my experience with TOPIK exams registration was quite the opposite of what I was expecting it to be. It was not as competitive, and I was able to secure a seat despite signing up on the website at around 12 noon for registration while the registration usually starts 9 am on the registration day and most seats are taken within less than an hour. I believe it was because of the five test centers located in Incheon, four are in Inha University.

Similarly, signing up for the KIIP (a government run free Korean society integration program) was also not a hassle for me as I was able to register without much competition. Most of the KIIP class centers operated by the Incheon Immigration Office is in Inha University so it was less competitive to get a place in the class however, being the only KIIP test center in Incheon, it can be little more competitive to register for KIIP exams. If in case, I am able to register for KIIP exams at Inha University , it shall be an advantage for me same as home advantage is for football players.