EPS Korea Language Tests Begin 17 November for 76,173 Applicants

On 3 November 2026, Nepal News reported that 76,173 applicants are set to take the Korean language examination under the Employment Permit System (EPS), with tests beginning on 17 November 2026 and running through 25 February 2027. The EPS Korea language test is the gateway for Nepali workers hoping to take up jobs in South Korea through the government-to-government system, and this cycle adds two new sectors, service and forestry, alongside the established manufacturing and agriculture and livestock sectors. Candidates should now check their sector and shift in the official schedule, because the test dates differ sharply by sector.

Examination	Korean language test under the Employment Permit System (EPS), EPS Korea Branch
Total applicants	76,173
Service sector tests begin	17 November 2026
Forestry sector tests begin	18 November 2026
Agriculture and livestock sector tests begin	20 November 2026
Manufacturing sector tests begin	11 December 2026
Test window ends	25 February 2027
Official schedule source	EPS Korea Section, epsnepal.gov.np

EPS Korea language test: applicants by sector

The sector breakdown reported by Nepal News adds up exactly to the headline total. Manufacturing accounts for the large majority, with 53,103 applicants, followed by agriculture and livestock with 20,907. The two new sectors are far smaller in this cycle, forestry with 1,124 applicants and service with 1,039, but their addition matters: for the first time in this cycle, Nepali applicants have a formal EPS route into service and forestry work in South Korea, rather than only into factories and farms.

The staggered start dates are equally important. Service-sector candidates go first, on 17 November 2026, followed by forestry on 18 November 2026 and agriculture and livestock on 20 November 2026. Manufacturing candidates, the largest group, do not begin until 11 December 2026. With the window running to 25 February 2027, the programme spans more than three months, so candidates must not assume that a date mentioned for one sector applies to another. Each candidate's individual date and shift are set out in the official schedule documents, which the EPS Korea Section directs candidates to download rather than rely on a summary.

How this cycle fits the EPS route to South Korea

The EPS system works through a government-to-government agreement between Nepal and South Korea, which is why it remains one of the most trusted routes for Nepali workers heading abroad. South Korea's employers request workers, Nepal's EPS Korea Branch runs the language test, and successful candidates enter a roster from which Korean employers select workers. Passing the language test does not by itself guarantee a job: roster registration, employer selection and further employment formalities still follow, and candidates should be wary of anyone who promises a placement in exchange for extra payment.

This cycle follows the application round reported earlier in 2026, when South Korea sought 7,200 Nepali workers under EPS, including 5,000 in manufacturing, 2,000 in agriculture and livestock, and 100 each in service and forestry. The gap between 7,200 places sought and 76,173 applicants sitting the test shows how competitive the route is: many more people take the language test than will receive job offers in a single cycle. That competition is also why preparation and accurate paperwork matter. A candidate who passes the test but has a document problem at the roster stage can lose time that a better-prepared candidate does not.

South Korea remains one of the most popular destinations for Nepali migrant workers. Earlier reporting on Growentix noted that 125,000 Nepalis had secured jobs in South Korea through EPS, a figure that underlines how established the system has become. Candidates should still follow the official timetable closely and keep their contact details up to date with the EPS branch.

What candidates should check before their test date

First, confirm your sector. Service, forestry, agriculture and livestock, and manufacturing all start on different dates, and turning up on the wrong date is an avoidable error. Second, download the official schedule for your sector from epsnepal.gov.np and check your examination date, shift and reporting instructions. Nepal News reported the sector start dates, but the shift-level detail lives in the schedule documents, and only the official version should be trusted if a social media post disagrees with it.

Third, prepare the documents the EPS process requires and check that your personal details match your application exactly. Name spelling, date of birth and application number mismatches cause delays at examination centres. Fourth, plan travel and accommodation early, especially for manufacturing candidates whose tests begin in December 2026, when demand for transport and lodging around test centres rises. Candidates travelling from outside Kathmandu Valley should allow a full day of margin.

What to do next, and the scam caution

Use only the official channel for everything in this cycle: the EPS Korea Section website, epsnepal.gov.np, and notices from the Department of Foreign Employment. Do not pay any agent who claims to guarantee a test pass, a roster place or a job offer, and do not hand over your passport or application login to a third party. Under the EPS system, recruitment runs government to government, without private agents in the selection chain, so a payment demand is itself a warning sign. If you are unsure about a message claiming to come from the EPS branch, check it against the official website before replying.

For candidates who do not pass, or who pass but are not selected in this cycle, the result is not the end of the route. Later cycles have reopened the same sectors, so keep your study materials and watch for the next official notice rather than relying on agents' promises. For the 76,173 candidates in this cycle, the immediate task is simpler: confirm the sector date, download the official schedule, and prepare for a test that begins for service-sector candidates on 17 November 2026.

Sources: Nepal News report on the EPS Korea language tests, published in the 3 November 2026 evening briefing; EPS Korea Section schedule notice of 13 October 2026 via epsnepal.gov.np.