You take EPS-TOPIK in your own country, not in Korea. HRD Korea holds the exam in the Employment Permit System sending countries, and your application is received by your own country's sending agency. Clearing the sector score floor does not make you a passer on its own: HRD Korea decides passers in score order up to the round's planned intake number, so a score just above the floor can still leave you off the list. And for the general exam, the language test is not the last test you sit.
For the core exam structure, including the 40 questions, 100-point scale, and 50-minute limit, see the EPS Korea guide or the EPS-TOPIK guide. This guide covers exam-day mechanics and the parts most EPS-TOPIK prep content skips.
You take this exam in your own country, not in Korea
HRD Korea's own EPS-TOPIK program page states that the exam is held in the Employment Permit System sending countries. Test centers are located in those 17 countries, and HRD Korea publishes a full address list on its EPS-TOPIK site, covering cities including Tashkent, Phnom Penh, Islamabad, Dhaka, Hanoi, Da Nang, Ho Chi Minh City, Bangkok, Mandaluyong City in Metro Manila, Jakarta, Surabaya, Ulaanbaatar, Beijing, Dili, and Vientiane, among others. HRD Korea notes that venues can change with local conditions, so check the current address for your country before the exam.
You also do not register with HRD Korea directly. Application forms are received by the sending agency in your own country, which manages EPS-TOPIK registration locally. For Vietnamese candidates, that agency is COLAB (Center of Overseas Labour). For Filipino candidates, it is the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW). For Indonesian candidates, it is KP2MI. For Nepali candidates, it is the Department of Foreign Employment (DOFE). Every sending country has its own designated sending agency (송출기관); the full list of all 17 agencies and their websites is on the HRD Korea EPS-TOPIK site.
For how registration works and what documents your sending agency requires, see the EPS-TOPIK registration guide.
What to bring to the test center
HRD Korea's official test-taker precautions (응시자 유의사항) list exactly what you must bring and what you must leave outside.
Bring to the exam room:
- Admission ticket (응시표)
- Passport or ID card
- Marker pen (sign pen)
- Ballpoint pen
Leave outside the room:
- Phone
- Wireless earbuds
- Other electronic devices
HRD Korea's program page is blunt about the ID: a candidate who arrives without a passport or other identification is barred from sitting the test.
The prohibited-items rule above comes from the Korean-language version of the precautions notice. The English version of the same page lists cell phones, cassette players, PDAs, and electronic dictionaries, and does not mention wireless earbuds. That translation has not kept up with the Korean-language source. Use the Korean version as the current rule.
Your application details must exactly match your passport. HRD Korea's precautions notice states that if your name or date of birth in the application does not match your passport, you may be refused entry to Korea even after passing the exam. Check your registration details before the test date.
If you lose your admission ticket: bring your passport or ID to the test headquarters at the venue and staff will help you.
On timing, HRD Korea's precautions notice says only that candidates must enter at the designated date, time, and place. It publishes no minutes-before-start reporting figure on that page, so check your own round's announcement notice and your admission ticket rather than relying on a general figure you read elsewhere.
What happens when you sit down: the CBT interface
All EPS-TOPIK exams today run as computer-based tests (CBT, 컴퓨터 기반 시험) or tablet-based tests (UBT, 태블릿 기반 시험). Both formats draw from a closed, undisclosed question bank. HRD Korea made this change deliberately: it published the question pool in advance until 2013, which allowed candidates to prepare by memorizing specific questions. It then raised the share of undisclosed questions so that it could tell candidates apart more sharply and select workers with stronger Korean. If you encounter study material advertising a "complete question list" or "guaranteed exam questions," it almost certainly reflects the old format and is not a reliable preparation tool for today's exam.
HRD Korea operates an official CBT practice tool on its EPS-TOPIK site. Two things from that tool are confirmed from primary sources:
- The exam opens with an information-confirmation screen before the timed test begins. It shows your Application No., Seat No., name, and test room, and asks you to check them and click the confirm button if everything is correct.
- The on-screen interface includes a volume control (음량조절) so you can adjust the audio level for the listening section from the test terminal itself.
Beyond those two confirmed details, the CBT practice tool does not expose further screen details in a format that can be independently verified. What the question layout looks like, how you move between questions, whether there is an on-screen timer, and how audio is delivered are not confirmed from the available primary sources. Do not rely on third-party descriptions of these specifics; if you need information about the test-center setup, ask your sending agency.
What the exam actually tests: Both the reading (읽기) and listening (듣기) sections use four-option multiple-choice questions. The exam content specification (출제기준) lists industrial safety and health as one of the three content areas for both sections, alongside Korean language ability and understanding of Korean culture, and names safety signage among the material tested. This makes EPS-TOPIK different from the university-focused TOPIK exam, which tests general Korean-language proficiency across a broader range of topics.
One more thing happens right after the language test. HRD Korea's EPS-TOPIK program page states that a colour-vision evaluation (색각평가) is conducted alongside the exam, after the Korean language test ends. On the skills-test page, in the physical-evaluation section, HRD Korea notes that candidates identified as colour-vision deficient (색각인) are excluded from selection as passers. If this may apply to you, ask your sending agency what it means for the sector you applied for before you register.
The cheating rules and the 4-year ban
HRD Korea publishes a dedicated page of exam misconduct and penalty rules (부정행위 처벌규정) that lists every banned behavior explicitly. The full list of misconduct is:
- Talking with another candidate about the test during the exam
- Swapping answer sheets for the purpose of cheating
- Looking at another candidate's answer sheet or question paper and writing your answers from it
- Telling or showing your answers to another candidate
- Carrying, using, or exchanging an object related to the test content
- Writing your answers with help from someone inside or outside the exam venue
- Swapping your name or application number with another candidate
- Taking the exam for someone else, or having someone take it for you
- Carrying or using a mobile phone during the exam
- Taking the exam by any other improper means
The penalty for any of these: the result for that sitting is voided, and you cannot sit EPS-TOPIK for 4 years from the date of the misconduct penalty decision.
A sourcing note on the cheating ban. Three of HRD Korea's four pages on this rule agree on 4 years: the Korean application-form guide, the Korean penalty-rules page, and the English penalty-rules page, which reads "Restrict for four years from the time of cheating." The one outlier is the English version of the application-form guide, which says a candidate "will not take a test for two years from the time of cheating." That page is out of date. It is the same page that still lists cassette players and PDAs among the banned devices, so treat its English text as stale in general and use 4 years.
HRD Korea also runs a confidential online tip line for reporting organized cheating: the EPS fraud reporting online centre (EPS 부정행위 온라인 신고센터), reached by sending a completed report form to cleaneps@hrdkorea.or.kr. HRD Korea states that the reporter's identity and the report contents are kept strictly confidential, and that it will report back the result of its investigation. The reportable conduct it lists is organized cheating plots, possession and use of prohibited items, taking the test on someone else's behalf, peeking at or exchanging answers, forgery of ID cards and admission tickets, and talking during the exam. Note that forgery of an ID or admission ticket appears here, in the reporting centre's scope, and not in the misconduct list above that carries the 4-year restriction.
How and when results are posted
HRD Korea posts final passer announcements (최종 합격자 조회) by country and recruitment round on the EPS-TOPIK site, each with its own announcement date. Its program page states that results are announced through the EPS website and sending-agency notice boards, so your own sending agency is a second place to watch.
For your individual score, you look it up yourself on the EPS-TOPIK site by entering the passport or ID number and date of birth you wrote on your application form.
The wait time varies by country and round. There is no standard turnaround. Reading the live schedule table on the HRD Korea EPS-TOPIK site on August 5, 2026, two concrete rows show the real variation:
- Vietnam, welding CBT round (VXT): test start September 21, 2026; result announcement October 30, 2026. Approximately 5.5 weeks.
- Bangladesh, 13th point-system round: test start September 1, 2026; result announcement December 28, 2026. Approximately 17 weeks.
These two examples are real and dated, but the schedule table updates continuously as HRD Korea sets and adjusts round dates, and it carries its own note that the schedule may change. Different rows read on a different day could show a different range. Treat these as an illustration of how wide the variation can be, not as fixed bounds that will hold for all rounds. Check your specific round's announced result date at epstopik.hrdkorea.or.kr.
What clearing the sector floor actually means for your chances
Most EPS-TOPIK study sites describe the sector score floor as "the pass score." That framing is wrong, and the mistake matters.
The general EPS-TOPIK is scored on a 100-point scale. The industry floors are: 60 for manufacturing, 45 for other sectors, and 30 for the fishing special case, which is graded pass or fail. Here is HRD Korea's published criterion for who passes: passers are decided in score order, up to the planned intake number (선발(예정)인원), from among candidates who scored at or above their sector's floor.
Read that carefully. The floor is the minimum to be considered. The planned intake number is what decides whether you are actually a passer.
In practice: every candidate who cleared the floor in your country and sector round is in the same ranked pool. If the number of candidates above the floor exceeds the planned intake, the ones at the top of the score list become the passers. A candidate whose score is only slightly above the floor sits near the bottom of that pool. If enough higher-scoring candidates are ahead of them, the intake number fills before the list reaches them, and they are not a passer for that round, despite having cleared the floor.
This follows directly from the exam's grading method. EPS-TOPIK is norm-referenced (상대평가): the effective cutoff shifts with each round's applicant pool. The same score that was enough in one round is not guaranteed to be enough in a round where more candidates clear the floor or where the intake number is smaller.
Passing is also not the same as a job. HRD Korea states that EPS-TOPIK is used as the objective selection criterion when the foreign jobseeker roster (구직자명부) is compiled, and Korean employers then choose from that roster. So the chain runs: clear your sector's floor, rank inside the intake number to become a passer, sit the skills test described below, and then wait for an employer to choose you.
For more on what to do after clearing the exam, see the guide on next steps after passing EPS-TOPIK and the EPS Korea guide.
The language test is not the last test: the skills test
This is the part most prep content gets wrong, so it is worth stating plainly. HRD Korea's skills-test page states that because the selection point system is now in full effect, sitting the skills test (기능시험) is required across all Employment Permit System sending countries. It also states that the people who sit it are the language-test passers, and that the Special EPS-TOPIK for returning workers does not run a skills test.
The timing is separate. HRD Korea schedules the skills test after the language-test results are announced, and publishes the schedule for it in its own notice. It maintains a separate skills-test candidate announcement page (기능시험대상자발표) on the EPS-TOPIK site, listed by country and round.
What the skills test covers, per HRD Korea: three areas, physical capacity, an interview and job-competency evaluation, and basic skills. HRD Korea states that all of it is conducted in Korean, so that it can assess your real ability to hold a Korean conversation, and that it provides the results, including scores by area, career history, and a video of your interview, to employers.
So the honest summary of the sequence is: language test, then colour-vision evaluation, then the passer announcement, then the skills test, then employer selection from the jobseeker roster. Ask your sending agency for your round's specific dates at each step.
FAQ
Do I take EPS-TOPIK in Korea?
No. HRD Korea states that EPS-TOPIK is held in the Employment Permit System sending countries, and it publishes a test-center address list covering all 17 of them. Your application is received by your own country's sending agency, not by HRD Korea in Korea.
What do I need to bring to the EPS-TOPIK exam?
You must bring your admission ticket (응시표), your passport or ID card, a marker pen, and a ballpoint pen. These are listed in HRD Korea's official test-taker precautions (응시자 유의사항). HRD Korea's program page adds that a candidate who does not bring a passport or other ID is barred from sitting the test. If you lose your admission ticket before the exam, bring your passport or ID to the test headquarters at the venue for assistance.
Can I bring my phone to the exam room?
No. Phones, wireless earbuds, and other electronic devices are banned from the exam room under HRD Korea's current Korean-language test-taker precautions. The English version of the same page is out of date: it lists cell phones, cassette players, PDAs, and electronic dictionaries, and does not mention wireless earbuds. Use the Korean-language page as the current rule.
What is the penalty for cheating on EPS-TOPIK?
The result for that sitting is voided and you cannot sit EPS-TOPIK for 4 years from the date of the misconduct penalty decision. Both Korean-language pages that carry this rule state 4 years, and so does the English version of the penalty-rules page. The one outlier is the English version of the application-form page, which still says two years; that page is out of date.
How will I find out my EPS-TOPIK result?
HRD Korea posts final passer announcements by country and recruitment round on the EPS-TOPIK site, and its program page states that results are announced through the EPS website and sending-agency notice boards. For your own score, you enter your passport or ID number and date of birth in the score lookup on the EPS-TOPIK site. How long you wait depends on your country and round: examples from the 2026 live schedule ranged from about 5.5 weeks for a Vietnam welding round to about 17 weeks for a Bangladesh point-system round. Check the specific announced date for your round at epstopik.hrdkorea.or.kr.
If I score above the sector floor, have I passed?
Not necessarily. HRD Korea's published criterion is that passers are decided in score order, up to the planned intake number (선발(예정)인원), from among candidates who scored at or above their sector's floor. The floor is the minimum to be considered, not the pass mark. A score just above the floor puts you near the bottom of that ranked pool, and if higher scorers fill the intake number before the list reaches you, you are not a passer for that round.
Why does EPS-TOPIK use a closed question bank today?
HRD Korea published the question pool in advance until 2013, which allowed candidates to prepare by memorizing questions rather than learning Korean. It then raised the share of undisclosed questions so that it could tell candidates apart more sharply and select workers with stronger Korean. Study material advertising a guaranteed question list reflects the old format and is not a reliable way to prepare.
Does the exam use headphones for the listening section?
The official CBT practice tool on the HRD Korea site shows an on-screen volume control (음량조절) for audio, but it does not say whether audio is delivered through headphones or room speakers. Check your round's specific test-center notice for details on audio delivery.
What is the difference between CBT and UBT?
Both are closed-question-bank formats. CBT (computer-based test, 컴퓨터 기반 시험) runs on a computer. UBT (tablet-based test, 태블릿 기반 시험) runs on a tablet. HRD Korea describes both as the delivery formats now used for all EPS-TOPIK exams; the difference is the device at the test center.
After passing EPS-TOPIK, is there another test I need to take?
Yes, for the general exam. HRD Korea states that because the selection point system is now in full effect, sitting the skills test (기능시험) is required across all Employment Permit System sending countries, and that the people who sit it are the language-test passers. It is scheduled separately, after the language-test results are announced. The Special EPS-TOPIK for returning workers is the exception: HRD Korea states no skills test is run for it.