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India-specific timeline

The 18-month GKS preparation roadmap

Official calendars only tell you when to submit. This roadmap tells you what to be doing eighteen, twelve, nine, six and three months before that deadline as an applicant based in India.

  1. Foundation

    18 months before

    • Protect your CGPA — GKS scoring is heavily academic
    • Take on leadership roles in clubs, NSS, student bodies
    • Start research publications or a paper with a professor
    • Volunteer work and community service records
    • National / international competitions
    • Internships aligned with your intended Korean major
    • Begin Korean language study (Hangul → TOPIK I)
    • Apply for or renew your Indian passport

  2. Research

    12 months before

    • Shortlist 3 universities (Embassy Track) or 1 (University Track)
    • Read the previous year's official GKS guideline cover to cover
    • Research professors and labs; note research areas
    • Prepare a Korean-format CV
    • Collect certificates, awards, activity proofs
    • Register for your first TOPIK attempt in India

  3. Drafting

    9 months before

    • Draft your Statement of Purpose (personal statement)
    • Draft your Study Plan
    • Approach recommenders early; brief them properly
    • Draft a research proposal (doctoral / research applicants)
    • Request official transcripts from your university

  4. Legalisation

    6 months before

    • Notarisation of academic and personal documents
    • MEA Apostille via the state authentication route
    • Certified English or Korean translations
    • Document verification against the official checklist
    • Passport renewal if validity is short
    • Medical certificate as per the official NIIED form

  5. Submission

    3 months before

    • Full application review against the official checklist
    • Interview preparation with the question bank
    • Mock interviews and recorded self-review
    • Final document checklist and copies
    • Submission to the Embassy / university before the deadline

Historically the Embassy Track announcement appears around September and the University Track deadlines fall between January and March, but every cycle differs. Anchor your roadmap to the deadline in the current official notice.

Expert AdviceHistorical Analysis
Official source:
Historical NIIED and Embassy of the Republic of Korea in India announcement patterns
Applicable cycle:
GKS 2027 cycle
Last updated:
2026-07-27
Version:
v1.0 — revision history maintained per guideline release