What Is EPS-TOPIK?
EPS-TOPIK is a Korean test that checks whether a foreign job seeker has the basic Korean needed for daily life and safe work in Korea. The letters EPS stand for the Employment Permit System, the programme the test belongs to, and TOPIK is the Korean word for such a test. The full Korean name is 고용허가제 한국어능력시험. Its result is not a level; it is a score used for selection.
The Employment Permit System is called 고용허가제 (goyongheogaje) in Korean, literally "employment permission system". It lets Korean employers in sectors short of workers, such as manufacturing, agriculture, fishing and construction, hire people from countries that have signed an agreement with Korea. Workers usually enter on the E-9 non-professional employment visa. EPS-TOPIK is one of the first steps in that route.
HRD Korea runs the test. The full name is the Human Resources Development Service of Korea, and in Korean 한국산업인력공단 (Hanguk Saneop Illyeok Gongdan). Official notices, schedules and study material appear on HRD Korea's EPS-TOPIK site, which is separate from the TOPIK site run by NIIED.
This site is not HRD Korea and does not register candidates. Treat the official notice for your country and round as the final word on every logistical detail. With the basics named, the next section shows the test itself.
What Is the EPS-TOPIK Exam Format?
On the general test described by HRD Korea, candidates answer 40 multiple-choice questions in 50 minutes. Each question has four options. Reading and listening are equal halves, 20 questions and 25 minutes each. The whole test is a computer-based test at an official site in the candidate's own country.
| Section | Questions | Time | What it covers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading | 20 | 25 minutes | object and situation description, vocabulary and grammar, practical data and signs, comprehension |
| Listening | 20 | 25 minutes | sound and notation, visual material, conversations, stories |
| Total | 40 | 50 minutes | everyday and workplace Korean, Korean culture, occupational safety and health |
The official general page shows the test marked out of 100, with 50 for reading and 50 for listening. Some notices, including the special test for certain returning or seasonal workers, use a 200-point scheme instead. Because the test has been updated over time and is still changing, this page does not treat either figure as fixed; read the current notice for your round.
Two details surprise candidates. First, there is no writing task, so the test is entirely receptive. Second, safety content is not a small corner: signs, warnings and workplace instructions are part of the reading and listening questions. The vocabulary list linked below is built around that.
What Is the EPS-TOPIK Syllabus?
HRD Korea does not publish a short numbered syllabus the way a school course does, but it does state the three content areas and it publishes the official textbook. The three areas are Korean language ability, understanding of Korean culture, and occupational safety and health.
The reading section tests object and situation descriptions, vocabulary and grammar, practical data such as signs and notices, and comprehension. The listening section tests the sound and written form of words and numbers, descriptions of pictures and photos, conversations, and short stories. In both sections, workplace and safety situations appear alongside everyday ones.
The best guide to the topics is the official Standard Textbook for EPS-TOPIK from HRD Korea, which follows the test's own chapters: daily life, workplace situations, tools, safety and basic Korean culture. HRD Korea also publishes self-study material and open test questions on its site. If you learn Hangul first, then work through the textbook chapter by chapter, you are following the published content rather than guessing at it. The EPS TOPIK vocabulary page on this site groups useful words by the same areas.
How Does EPS-TOPIK Scoring and Selection Work?
EPS-TOPIK uses a relative evaluation, not a single pass mark. HRD Korea's description is that a candidate must score above the minimum set for their industry, and is then selected in order of score within the number of people to be chosen for that round. In other words, passing depends on your score, your industry and how many places are available.
That structure has three practical consequences.
- Reach the floor first. Every industry has a minimum score. Below it, your rank does not matter.
- The quota decides the rest. A high score in a crowded round can still miss selection if places are few.
- The figures change every round. Minimums and quotas are published with each round's notice, and they differ by country and industry.
The official Korean pages list example minimums by industry, but those figures sit inside a system that HRD Korea has been revising, including a points scheme. Rather than quote a number that may be out of date, this page points you to the current notice. The companion comparison, TOPIK vs EPS TOPIK, explains how this score differs from a TOPIK level.
Who Can Sit EPS-TOPIK?
Only nationals of countries that have an agreement with Korea can take EPS-TOPIK, and even within those countries each round sets its own conditions. HRD Korea's general eligibility list includes an age range, a clean criminal record, no history of deportation from Korea, and limits on previous time spent in Korea on certain visas.
The country list is not fixed forever and has changed over the years. It currently covers a set of partner countries in Asia, and the official registration channels in each country announce whether a round is open. Two cautions follow. First, living in or visiting Korea does not by itself make you eligible; the general test is taken in your home country during an announced round. Second, a separate special test exists for some groups, such as certain seasonal or returning workers, with its own rules. Always check the notice for your own country before you prepare.
Where Should You Start?
Start with the vocabulary, then follow a plan, then sit timed practice. The two pages below are built for that order; they use the same content areas the test does.
EPS TOPIK Vocabulary
The EPS TOPIK vocabulary page lists 40 high-value words for daily life, the workplace and safety, each with Hangul, romanization, meaning and audio. It is the fastest way to meet the kind of Korean the test actually uses.
How to Pass EPS TOPIK
The how to pass EPS TOPIK page gives a 12-week plan with phases, a listening-first routine and timed mock tests. Use it once you can read Hangul, because listening practice depends on quick reading.
For general test words, the TOPIK flashcard decks work well between study sessions, and for comparison with the general exam, what is TOPIK and TOPIK requirements set the context. Everything above sits inside the TOPIK guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is EPS-TOPIK?
EPS-TOPIK is the Korean language test of the Employment Permit System, called 고용허가제 한국어능력시험 in Korean. It checks the basic Korean of people applying to work in Korea through that programme, and the score is used to select candidates. It is separate from TOPIK, the general proficiency test.
Who runs EPS-TOPIK?
EPS-TOPIK is run by HRD Korea, the Human Resources Development Service of Korea (한국산업인력공단), for the Ministry of Employment and Labor, which runs the Employment Permit System. Registration and notices go through HRD Korea's EPS-TOPIK site and the official channels in each candidate's own country.
What is the EPS-TOPIK exam format?
On the general test described by HRD Korea, candidates answer 40 four-option multiple-choice questions in 50 minutes, with 20 reading questions in 25 minutes and 20 listening questions in 25 minutes. The content covers everyday and workplace Korean, Korean culture, and occupational safety and health. Check the current notice, because the test is being updated.
What is the EPS-TOPIK passing score?
There is no single universal pass mark. HRD Korea describes a relative evaluation, where candidates must reach the minimum for their industry and are then ranked within the number to be selected in that round. The minimum and the quota vary by industry, country and round, so read the current official notice rather than relying on an old figure.
How is EPS-TOPIK different from TOPIK?
EPS-TOPIK selects workers for the Employment Permit System and gives a score, not a level. TOPIK, run by NIIED, grades general Korean from level 1 to 6 for study, jobs and visas. EPS-TOPIK tests reading and listening only; TOPIK I also tests listening and reading, and TOPIK II adds writing.