TOPIK vs EPS-TOPIK: not the same test

Key facts

Which test do you need: to study or to work?

To study at a Korean university, apply for the GKS scholarship or a student or residence visa, you need TOPIK. To apply for a non-professional E-9 job through the Employment Permit System, you need the EPS Korean test in your home country, not TOPIK.

The names sound alike, but the tests belong to different ministries and answer different questions. TOPIK asks how good your Korean is on a six-level scale. The EPS test asks whether you rank high enough among this year's applicants from your country to be placed on the job-seeker roster.

Who runs each test, and what is it for?

TOPIK is run by the National Institute for International Education (NIIED) under the Ministry of Education. The EPS test is run by HRD Korea under the Ministry of Employment and Labor, and its only purpose is selecting foreign workers for E-9 employment.

NIIED describes TOPIK as a test that guides Korean learning and measures Korean for university study, employment and similar uses; it is held in Korea and, as of October 2025, in 89 countries. HRD Korea describes its test as an evaluation of a job seeker's Korean, understanding of Korean society and job-related knowledge, used to build the roster for non-professional employment (E-9) in manufacturing, construction, agriculture and livestock, services, fisheries, mining and forestry.

How do the formats compare?

TOPIK has two tests (TOPIK I with listening and reading; TOPIK II with listening, writing and reading), on paper or computer, plus a separate Speaking test. The EPS test has one format: 40 multiple-choice items, 20 reading and 20 listening, in 50 minutes on a computer or tablet.

The EPS test also covers Korean culture and occupational safety, and since 2013 every item comes from an unpublished question bank based on the standard EPS textbook. Some older guides still describe a 50-question, 70-minute format; HRD Korea's current pages give 40 questions in 50 minutes. TOPIK details are in the exam format guide.

How are the results different?

TOPIK gives a level from 1 to 6 based on your total score, and that level is what universities and immigration offices read. The EPS test gives a score and a pass or fail: you must reach the minimum for your industry, and then candidates pass in score order until the number of workers planned for that country and industry is filled.

This makes the EPS test a relative test: the same score can pass one year and fail the next, because the quota and the field of applicants change. In 2023, 25,683 people applied in Uzbekistan and 7,922 passed, while in Indonesia 36,882 applied and 23,690 passed. HRD Korea's English and Korean pages describe the score scale differently, so this guide does not state a total or an industry minimum.

TOPIK has fixed cut-offs published every year: 80 and 140 out of 200 for levels 1 and 2 on TOPIK I, and 120, 150, 190 and 230 out of 300 for levels 3 to 6 on TOPIK II (paper test). See the levels and scores guide.

Who can take the EPS test, and where?

Applicants must be 18 to 39 years old on the first registration day, have no criminal record of imprisonment or heavier, never have been deported from Korea, have no departure restriction at home, and not have stayed in Korea for 5 years or more on E-9 or E-10 permits combined.

As of 2026 there are 17 EPS sending countries: the Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Mongolia, Uzbekistan, Cambodia, Pakistan, China, Bangladesh, Kyrgyzstan, Nepal, Myanmar, Timor-Leste, Laos and Tajikistan (designated 29 December 2023). Kazakhstan was designated the 18th on 14 August 2026, with workers expected from 2028.

Passing the Korean test is only the first round. Since the selection point system took effect in 2016, candidates must also pass a skills test (physical fitness, a face-to-face assessment and basic skills, out of 100 with a minimum of 60). The fee is 28 US dollars or the local equivalent. In Uzbekistan, the Migration Agency announces the rounds and HRD Korea's EPS Center runs the test; the 2026 round registered online on 9 to 12 March with tests in April, and passers stay on the roster for 2 years. The agency states that passing does not guarantee a job.

Can one test replace the other?

No. No page from HRD Korea or NIIED says TOPIK can replace EPS-TOPIK for E-9 selection, and none says EPS-TOPIK gives a TOPIK level.

A 2024 article co-written by an HRD Korea staff member states that the EPS test runs without any link to TOPIK and proposes linking them in future, which confirms they are separate today. A TOPIK certificate is still useful after arrival: TOPIK levels place you directly into a stage of the Korea Immigration and Integration Program (KIIP), and some longer-term visas ask for TOPIK.

Does TopikIQ cover the EPS test?

Yes. TopikIQ has an EPS mode: 480 original EPS-TOPIK style reading and listening items, free daily practice and 12 full 40-item timed sets. See the EPS-TOPIK prep guide for how it works and what is free.

If TOPIK is the test you need, the free plan gives you 20 TOPIK-style questions a day in sessions of 10, with explanations in 10 languages including Vietnamese, Thai, Indonesian, Russian and Uzbek, plus 3,000+ vocabulary flashcards and 3 AI tutor chats a day. TopikIQ is not affiliated with NIIED or HRD Korea.

Related guides: What is TOPIK?, TOPIK levels and scores, 2026 test dates.

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