EPS-TOPIK and TOPIK are two different Korean government exams run by two different Korean government ministries. Sitting the wrong one wastes a registration window. For E-9 workers, the EPS-TOPIK pass that got you to Korea will not count toward F-2-7 visa points or KIIP stage placement. Only regular TOPIK and KIIP completion count there.
The difference at a glance
| EPS-TOPIK | TOPIK | |
|---|---|---|
| Administered by | HRD Korea (한국산업인력공단), Ministry of Employment and Labor (고용노동부) | NIIED (국립국제교육원), Ministry of Education (교육부) |
| Apply through | Your country's sending agency (송출기관), in person or on its own website. Exam information: epstopik.hrdkorea.or.kr | topik.go.kr |
| Format | 40 questions (20 listening, 20 reading), 50 minutes, 100 points total | TOPIK I: listening and reading, 200 points on the paper-based test, Levels 1-2. TOPIK II: listening, reading, and writing, 300 points on the paper-based test, Levels 3-6. TOPIK Speaking is a separately registered evaluation, also graded Levels 1-6 |
| Result issued | Pass or rank relative to the sector floor and the planned intake for that exam. No level, no grade | Numbered level certificate: Level 1 through 6 |
| Selection method | Norm-referenced: candidates ranked by score, selected in score order up to the planned intake | Criterion-referenced: each level band is fixed regardless of how many people sit the exam |
| Score floors | Manufacturing: 60/100. Other sectors: 45/100. Fishing special track: 30/100 pass/fail | Not applicable |
| What the score is used for | Ranking foreign jobseekers for the E-9 visa foreign jobseeker roster (구직자명부) | University admission, jobs, Global Korea Scholarship (GKS), F-2-7 visa points, KIIP stage placement |
If you are applying for an E-9 visa through Korea's Employment Permit System (고용허가제, EPS): register for EPS-TOPIK through your country's sending agency (송출기관). HRD Korea's own guidance is that applications are received by that agency, either in person at its designated reception office or online on the agency's own website. Exam information and results live at epstopik.hrdkorea.or.kr.
If you need a Korean language certificate for anything else, register for TOPIK at topik.go.kr.
For the full Employment Permit System process, see How Korea's Employment Permit System Works.
EPS-TOPIK issues no level
The single most important fact in this guide: EPS-TOPIK does not produce a numbered level.
TOPIK issues a certificate that says Level 1, Level 3, or Level 6. EPS-TOPIK produces a pass or a rank relative to the sector floor score and the planned intake for that exam. Nothing more.
This distinction matters because the vocabulary sometimes gets mixed up. Some preparation websites, sending-country agencies, and workers themselves describe EPS-TOPIK results using TOPIK's numbered language. "I got Level 3 on EPS-TOPIK" is a phrase you may encounter. There is no such thing. When you see it, someone is applying TOPIK's vocabulary to an exam that does not work that way.
For a full breakdown of the EPS-TOPIK format, score floors, and how the roster ranking works, see the EPS-TOPIK Exam Guide.
Why this matters if you plan to apply for F-2-7 or KIIP
This section is for E-9 workers who plan to apply for F-2-7 visa points or KIIP stage placement later in their stay.
F-2-7 visa points
The F-2-7 points system (점수제, 우수인재) includes a Korean-language ability category with a maximum of 20 points. In the current Ministry of Justice notice the item is called basic proficiency (기본소양), and its Korean-ability row names exactly two instruments as the standard: 한국어능력시험(TOPIK), 사회통합프로그램 이수 단계. That is a TOPIK certificate or a KIIP completion stage. No third exam appears in that row. EPS-TOPIK is not named.
An E-9 worker who wants Korean-language points toward F-2-7 must sit regular TOPIK at topik.go.kr.
For the current point values per TOPIK level and KIIP stage, see TOPIK for F-2 and F-5 Visa Points.
KIIP stage placement
The Ministry of Justice's TOPIK-to-KIIP placement table (연계평가표) assigns KIIP stages to holders of regular TOPIK grades: Level 1 to KIIP Stage 2, Level 2 to Stage 3, Level 3 to Stage 4, and Levels 4 through 6 to Stage 5. The table is keyed to regular TOPIK (한국어능력시험) grades specifically. EPS-TOPIK grades do not appear anywhere in it.
An E-9 worker who wants to skip KIIP stages must sit regular TOPIK, not EPS-TOPIK.
For what each TOPIK level saves in KIIP class hours and fees, see KIIP vs TOPIK.
Which exam do you need?
| Your goal | Exam to sit | Where to register |
|---|---|---|
| E-9 visa foreign jobseeker roster | EPS-TOPIK | Your country's sending agency (송출기관); exam information at epstopik.hrdkorea.or.kr |
| University admission in Korea | Regular TOPIK | topik.go.kr |
| Global Korea Scholarship (GKS) | Regular TOPIK | topik.go.kr |
| Job at a Korean employer or public institution | Regular TOPIK | topik.go.kr |
| F-2-7 visa Korean-language points | Regular TOPIK | topik.go.kr |
| KIIP stage placement (to skip lower stages) | Regular TOPIK | topik.go.kr |
FAQ
Is EPS-TOPIK the same as TOPIK?
No. EPS-TOPIK is a workplace-focused exam run by HRD Korea (한국산업인력공단) under the Ministry of Employment and Labor, used only to rank E-9 visa jobseekers. TOPIK is a general Korean proficiency exam run by NIIED (국립국제교육원) under the Ministry of Education, used for university admission, jobs, scholarships, and visa points. Different ministries, different portals, different results.
Does EPS-TOPIK have levels like TOPIK Level 1 to 6?
No. EPS-TOPIK issues no level or grade. Candidates either clear the sector floor score and enter the ranked foreign jobseeker roster (구직자명부), or they do not. There is no EPS-TOPIK Level 1, Level 4, or any other numbered grade. If you have seen someone describe their EPS-TOPIK result as a level, they are applying TOPIK vocabulary to an exam that does not have levels.
Can I use my EPS-TOPIK score for F-2-7 visa points?
No. The F-2-7 points system's Korean-language category (maximum 20 points) names only TOPIK certificates and KIIP completion records as accepted proof. EPS-TOPIK does not appear in that category. An E-9 worker who wants Korean-language points toward F-2-7 must sit regular TOPIK at topik.go.kr.
Can I use my EPS-TOPIK score to skip KIIP stages?
No. The Ministry of Justice's TOPIK-to-KIIP placement table assigns KIIP stages to regular TOPIK (한국어능력시험) grades only: Level 1 to Stage 2, Level 2 to Stage 3, Level 3 to Stage 4, and Levels 4 through 6 to Stage 5. EPS-TOPIK grades do not appear in that table. An E-9 worker who wants to skip KIIP stages must sit regular TOPIK.
Which exam should I take if I want an E-9 visa through EPS?
Register for EPS-TOPIK through your home country's sending agency (송출기관), in person at its designated reception office or online on that agency's own website. Exam information and results are at epstopik.hrdkorea.or.kr. Regular TOPIK at topik.go.kr has no role in the E-9 application process.
Where do I register for EPS-TOPIK, and where for TOPIK?
EPS-TOPIK is run by HRD Korea, and its information site is epstopik.hrdkorea.or.kr, but you do not register there. HRD Korea's registration guidance is that applications are received by the sending agency (송출기관) in your country, either in person or through that agency's own website. TOPIK registration is at topik.go.kr, managed by NIIED, and you register on that site. Using the wrong route means you have not registered for the exam your visa route requires.
I passed EPS-TOPIK and am now working in Korea on E-9. Do I also need to sit regular TOPIK?
Not for your current E-9 status. But if you plan to apply for F-2-7 residence visa points or want to skip KIIP stages later, EPS-TOPIK does not count for either purpose. You would need to sit regular TOPIK at topik.go.kr for those goals. TOPIK runs on a fixed schedule with a limited number of test dates per year, so plan early.
What are the EPS-TOPIK score floors by sector?
The EPS-TOPIK general exam is scored out of 100 points. The sector floors are: 60 out of 100 for manufacturing, 45 out of 100 for other sectors, and 30 out of 100 pass/fail for the fishing special track. Clearing the floor makes you eligible to be ranked, not automatically selected. The actual pass cutoff depends on how many candidates clear the floor and how many places the planned intake for that exam allows.