EPS-TOPIK is the Korean language test for the Employment Permit System — the route to an E-9 work visa in Korea. It is run by HRD Korea in 17 countries for people aged 18 to 39. The test has 20 reading and 20 listening questions: 50 minutes, 100 points. There is no fixed pass mark: among candidates above the minimum for their industry (60 points for manufacturing, 45 for other industries), the highest scores are selected. Most industries then have a second-round skills test. Passing puts you on a list that Korean employers choose from — it is not a job guarantee.
This guide covers the parts that are the same in every country. Registration dates, fees and test venues are announced by the agency in your country.
The 17 countries
HRD Korea lists registration offices in these countries:
| Region | Countries |
|---|---|
| Southeast Asia | Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, Philippines, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Vietnam |
| South Asia | Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka |
| Central Asia | Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan |
| East Asia | China, Mongolia |
You can only take EPS-TOPIK in one of these countries, through its government agency (for example the Department of Foreign Employment in Nepal or the Department of Migrant Workers in the Philippines). Private brokers are not part of the system — registration goes through the official agency.
Who can take it
From HRD Korea's official page, you must:
- be 18 to 39 years old;
- have no criminal record of imprisonment or heavier punishment;
- never have been deported or forced to leave Korea;
- have no travel restriction from your own country;
- not have stayed in Korea 5 years or more on E-9, on E-10, or on E-9 and E-10 combined.
Your name and date of birth on the application must match your passport exactly. If they don't, you may be refused entry to Korea even after passing.
Test format
| Section | What it tests | Questions | Points | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reading | Vocabulary and grammar, practical information, reading comprehension | 20 | 50 | 25 min |
| Listening | Sounds and spelling, pictures, conversations and talks | 20 | 50 | 25 min |
| Total | 40 | 100 | 50 min |
All questions are four-option multiple choice, written only in Korean. The content covers three things: basic everyday communication, Korean used at work, and understanding of Korean workplace culture — with industrial safety included in both sections.
What the questions look like, according to HRD Korea's test standard:
- Reading: choose the sentence that matches a picture or photo; fill a blank with the right word or sentence; understand signs (traffic signs, notices and safety signs); read job ads, machine instructions and short texts about Korean culture.
- Listening: sounds and spelling of words, sentences and numbers; choose the right picture or the right description of a picture; choose the next line in a conversation; understand conversations and short talks.
You may see old websites that say EPS-TOPIK has 50 questions or 200 points. That is out of date — the current test is 40 questions and 100 points. (A separate Special EPS-TOPIK exists for some former EPS workers; its rules are different.)
How passing works
EPS-TOPIK uses relative evaluation:
| Industry | Minimum score (out of 100) |
|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 60 |
| Other industries (agriculture, construction, services…) | 45 |
| Fishery special track | 30 (pass/fail) |
The minimum is only the floor. Each country has a set number of places, and candidates above the minimum are selected in score order until the places are filled. So in a country with many applicants, the real cut-off can be far above 60. Countries don't always publish it — aim as high as you can, not for the minimum.
Round 2: the skills test
Candidates who pass round 1 take a skills test (round 2). From HRD Korea's page, it has three parts:
- Physical test — grip and back strength, burpees, carrying equipment, pushing a hand cart.
- Korean interview — self-introduction and attitude, basic conversation and following instructions, using tools, basic job skills, safety awareness.
- Basic skills tasks — a pin-board task for everyone, plus tasks for your industry (manufacturing: joining, measuring and cutting, pipe bolting, using a grinder, packing, stacking pallets; agriculture: using a brush cutter, sowing, fencing; construction: rebar assembly, scaffolding, wiring, and so on). Tasks are picked at random for each round.
Scoring: round 1 (100) + round 2 (100) + up to 5 bonus points for experience in the industry (2), 120+ hours of related training (1), related education (1) and a national qualification in the field (1) — 205 in total. The fishery special track uses a different table.
HRD Korea also offers a color-vision self-check on its website. Color vision matters for many jobs, so check it before you register.
The textbook: study only the NEW standard textbook
HRD Korea announced that from August 1, 2025, all EPS-TOPIK tests are based on the NEW Standard Korean Textbook (2024 revised edition), and asked candidates to study only this textbook. It is free to download as PDF, with audio files, on the HRD Korea EPS-TOPIK website.
- Book 1 — Korean for daily life: a Hangeul starter part and lessons 1–30.
- Book 2 — Korean for working life: lessons 31–60, including workplace and safety topics.
- Explanations are in Korean and English.
- HRD Korea updated Book 2 in June 2026 (part of lesson 33 was removed). If you downloaded it before, download it again.
A simple plan: 60 lessons at 5 lessons a week is about 12 weeks. Do each lesson's reading and listening exercises, and learn the safety signs well — they appear in the test.
HRD Korea also has public sample questions and a demo of the computer test screen on its website. Try the demo once so the screen is familiar on test day.
From test to job: the steps
| Step | What happens |
|---|---|
| 1. Registration | Apply at your country's official agency during its registration period (fee and dates set locally) |
| 2. Round 1 | EPS-TOPIK — Korean test |
| 3. Round 2 | Skills test (for most industries) |
| 4. Job-seeker roster | Final passers are registered on the job-seeker list. In the countries whose notices we checked, eligibility lasts 2 years |
| 5. Employer selection | A Korean employer chooses you and offers a labor contract. This may take months — or not happen |
| 6. Visa and training | Visa process, pre-departure training, then travel to Korea and training after arrival |
Cheating has a heavy price: anyone caught cheating has the test cancelled and cannot take EPS-TOPIK for 4 years from the decision.
After you are in Korea
Many E-9 workers later aim for the E-7-4 skilled worker visa, which needs Korean at TOPIK level 2 or KIIP stage 2 or higher — EPS-TOPIK scores do not count for it. Our comparison of TOPIK, KIIP and EPS-TOPIK explains which test you need for which visa, and the KIIP guide explains Korea's free integration program.
Practise for EPS-TOPIK on TOPIKly
TOPIKly has 67,000 practice questions, including EPS-TOPIK practice sets and all 60 lessons of the EPS standard textbook in the textbook section, each with practice questions and listening questions with audio. Practising lesson by lesson is a good way to follow the 12-week plan. AI explanations are part of the Pro plan.
Sources: HRD Korea EPS-TOPIK website (epstopik.hrdkorea.or.kr) — test introduction (format, eligibility, minimum scores), test standard, skills test page, registration offices, application notes and cheating rules (checked Oct 24, 2026); HRD Korea notices on the NEW Standard Korean Textbook (Jul 2025) and the Book 2 update (Jun 2026); roster period from national agency notices (Philippines DMW Advisory No. 4, s. 2026). Dates, fees and quotas are set by each country — follow your official agency's notice.