Government of Nepal Announces Special Korean Language Test (Special EPS-TOPIK, CBT) 2023

The Foreign Employment Department, Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security, Government of Nepal, in accordance with the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Republic of Korea, has officially published information regarding the Special Korean Language Test (Special EPS-TOPIK, CBT) 2023. This initiative, operating under the Employment Permit System (EPS), aims to streamline the process of re-engaging workers who have lawfully returned from South Korea.

Eligibility for the Special EPS-TOPIK 2023

The eligibility criteria for the Special EPS-TOPIK 2023 are as follows:

• Applicants must be a Nepali citizen.
• They should be previous EPS workers who had employment in the Republic of Korea and have voluntarily returned to Nepal within the visa period after January 1, 2010.
• Age should be within 18 to 39 years, meaning applicants should have been born between July 30, 1983 to July 29, 2005.
• Applicants must not have been convicted of criminal charges by any court.
• They must have legally resided in the Republic of Korea without any illegal history.
• They must not be banned from traveling to other countries from Nepal.
• Applicants must not suffer from color blindness.
• Their stay in Korea on E-9 and E-9-1 visas must not exceed five years.
• The applicant's name must appear in the list received from HRD Korea to be eligible for the Special EPS-TOPIK exam. It is therefore advised to check the list on the website before filling out the application form.

Exam Schedule for Special EPS-TOPIK 2023

• Registration Date: July 29-31, 2023
• Exam Schedule Announcement Date: August 25, 2023
• Examination Dates: From September 04-15, 2023
• Results Publication Date: September 20, 2023

Please note, if special circumstances arise, the examination schedule may be subject to changes.

Application Registration Process for Special EPS-TOPIK 2023

• Application Registration Date: The online application forms will be open for registration from Shrawan 13th to Shrawan 15 (July 29 – 31, 2023).

• Application Registration Procedure: Applicants must fill out the exam application form online by visiting https://eoers.epsnepal.gov.np. Once the form is filled, download and print the admit card and keep it safe. A demo of how to register the application can be viewed on the home page of the same website.

Documents Required for Application Registration

The following documents are needed to complete the application process:

• Applicants need to upload a color scanned JPG image file (Width 600 pixels, Up to 100KB) of the passport photo page (Bio page) during the application process.
• Only photocopies of MRP passports are accepted. Other document photocopies will not be valid.
• Applicants must provide their email address and mobile number in the application form.
• The application form should contain a recent (less than 3 months old) MRP color photo, with both ears visible, on a white background, upper chest shown, not wearing white clothes. The photo should be scanned and uploaded (Photo Width 100 ~ 300 pixels, File Type: JPEG only Up to 15KB size).
• The passport number used during the stay in Korea must be mentioned in the application. If the passport has expired and a new one has been issued, the numbers of both passports should be provided.
• Applicants can only participate in the Special EPS-TOPIK, CBT exam after paying the exam fee and registering the application form.

Employment Sectors

The employment sectors will be Manufacturing and Agriculture and Animal Husbandry. For applicants interested in the manufacturing sector, you will need to solve 8 questions related to the sub-sector you are applying for from the 8 sub-sectors mentioned in the form.

Exam Fee

The examination fee is twenty-eight US dollars (US$ 28). Applicants should pay the fee in Nepali Rupees, calculated based on the exchange rate set by the Nepal Rastra Bank a day before the registration. The fee can be paid only through designated online payment providers.

Exam System and Marks Weightage for Special EPS-TOPIK 2023

The EPS-TOPIK will follow an objective multiple-choice format, with the structure as follows:

• Listening: 20 questions, 100 marks
• Reading: 20 questions, 100 marks
• Total: 40 questions, 200 marks
• Exam Duration: 50 Minutes for both sections

Employment Permit System (EPS) Benefits

Under the EPS, those who have received approval from the Ministry of Justice of Korea and returned as seasonal workers, who have passed TOPIK Level 3 taken after 2016, and who have taken skill development training after 2016, can get exam fee waivers and an additional bonus of 5 to 25 points, if they submit proof of these achievements.

Exam Day Preparation

• Every applicant must carry their admit card and arrive at the exam location 2 hours before the exam's commencement.
• The admit card and passport are compulsory documents; without them, applicants will not be allowed to take the exam.
• Applicants who fail to appear on the scheduled date, time, and location will not be allowed to participate in other exams.

Other Important Information

• Carrying electronic devices like mobile phones, cassette players, PDA, MP3, Smart Watches inside the examination building is strictly prohibited. Violation will result in invalidation of the exam.
• Cheating in the language test will result in a 4-year ban from the EPS-TOPIK exam. Impersonation is a public crime, and any offender will be prosecuted.
• If an applicant's personal details (such as name, date of birth) on the Korean language test application form differ from those on their passport, even if they pass the language test, their name will not be included in the roster, and they will not be eligible for employment in South Korea.
• For more information, the HRD Service of Korea, EPS Center Nepal, or EPS Korea branch at Gwarco Lalitpur can be contacted.
• Please note that passing the Korean language test only makes you eligible to apply for employment in Korea and join the employment process under the employment permit system. It does not guarantee 100% employment in Korea.

Held By: MOEL, Korea
Implemented By: HRD Service of Korea
Cooperated by: MOLESS/DOFE, EPS-Section

Published on 21 July 2023