EPS-TOPIK Exam Center | UBT Hall, Bhaisepati

Introduction to EPS-TOPIK Exam Center

Ask a candidate what scares them most about the EPS-TOPIK, and it often isn’t the Korean. It is the unknowns: the strange building, the fingerprint checks, the rules about what you can carry, and the fear of turning up at the wrong place at the wrong time.

The good news is that the EPS-TOPIK exam center in Nepal is a single, well-established location: the UBT Hall at Bhaisepati, Lalitpur. Exams have been run there for years, and the official notices spell out most of what you need. The trick is knowing which details come from the official notices, which ones are habits and hearsay, and which questions the notices simply don’t answer.

This guide explains the UBT Hall, Bhaisepati, in practical terms. It covers what the centre is, how it relates to the biometric registration point at Gwarko, what the 2026 notice says about arrival times and orientation, what you can and can’t bring, how to plan the trip, and how to prepare for sitting a tablet-based exam in an unfamiliar room. It draws on the official 2026 exam-schedule notice from the EPS Korea Branch of Nepal’s Department of Foreign Employment and on earlier public notices.

One clarification first. Toddle is a language institute, and language and exam preparation is what it offers. The exam is run by HRD Korea together with Nepal’s Department of Foreign Employment. No institute or consultancy can give you a seat, change your date or influence your result. Your date, shift and instructions come only from the official process.

The EPS-TOPIK Exam Center at a Glance

The two places in that table are different and easy to mix up. Bhaisepati is where you sit the exam. Gwarko is where you register your fingerprints the day before. We’ll come back to this several times, because getting it wrong is one of the most avoidable mistakes in the whole process.

What the UBT Hall Actually Is

“UBT” stands for ubiquitous-based test. It is a form of computer-based testing in which candidates answer on tablet-style devices with headphones, instead of on paper. The Bhaisepati facility was built for this purpose under the labour agreement signed between Nepal and Korea in 2007, under which Nepali workers are recruited through the Employment Permit System.

The facility was formally inaugurated in a ceremony in early March 2023, according to a report in The Rising Nepal. The ceremony involved the Secretary of Nepal’s Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security and a visiting Vice President of Korea’s Human Resources Development Service. The report also noted that 14,495 Nepali workers went to Korea through EPS in 2022, the highest number among the countries Korea recruits from.

That formal opening was not the first time the Bhaisepati centre was used. Public notices show that EPS-TOPIK exams in 2022, including the agriculture and livestock round that began on 2 June 2022 and the manufacturing round that began on 18 July 2022, were already being held at the Bhaisepati computer-based centre. In other words, candidates have been sitting the exam there for several years, and it is the established venue, not an experiment.

A building with several names

If you’ve been reading old notices and social media posts, you may have noticed that the venue goes by different names. They all point to the same place:

If you see any of these names, the location is the same area of Bhaisepati. What matters is that your own admit card and the official notice name the venue and that you follow those instructions.

Two Locations, Two Purposes: Bhaisepati and Gwarko

The notice sets out a sequence that begins the day before your exam, and it involves two locations:

A word of warning from the archive: in older notices, the registration point was described as “Music City Hall near Gwarko.” The 2026 notice names the EPS Korea Branch at Gwarko. Always follow the current notice and the instructions on your own admit card, because registration arrangements can change between rounds.

For an overview of the process that leads up to this point, see Toddle’s guide to what EPS is in South Korea.

The 2026 Schedule at the Centre

The notice dated 2083/06/27 (mid-October 2026) sets the exam period for four sectors, all at the UBT Hall, Bhaisepati. The exam begins on Tuesday, 17 November 2026.

These are windows for each sector. Your own exact date, time and shift are in the candidate details attached to the notice, and they will match your colour admit card. The notice does not explain how dates are assigned within a window, so don’t trust anyone who claims to know which days are “better.”

For the full breakdown of the schedule, you can read the dates against the application round: it ran from 27 July to 2 August 2026, with a US$28 exam fee. Toddle’s guides to the EPS TOPIK exam fee and the age limit for EPS Korea cover those first-stage rules.

Exam Day at the Exam Center, Step by Step

Here is how exam day runs according to the 2026 notice.

Step 1: Arrive two hours before

You must be at the exam centre two hours before your fixed exam time for biometric verification. This is a hard requirement, not a suggestion. The earlier first-phase notice also stated that candidates arriving after the designated entry time would not be allowed in.

Step 2: Present your documents

You need your colour admit card and your original passport. The notice’s wording also asks for the old passport if there is one. If you renewed your passport after applying, bring both and ask the EPS Korea Branch beforehand which one it expects. The first-phase notice said your personal details must match your passport, and could not be corrected after registration.

The notice states that candidates who don’t turn up with the required documents at the fixed date, shift and time will not be allowed to sit the exam under any circumstances.

Step 3: Leave prohibited items outside

The notice prohibits the following inside the exam hall:

• Mobile phones
• PDAs
• Electronic dictionaries
• Smartwatches
• Other electronic communication devices
• Bags

The first-phase notice also listed Bluetooth earphones, cassette players and MP3 players. Finding a prohibited device can invalidate your exam.

Step 4: Orientation

Orientation starts one hour before the exam time. You must attend it after fingerprint verification. This is where the centre staff explain how the exam will run, so listen carefully, particularly about how the tablet and headphones work.

Step 5: The exam

The current format is 40 questions, 20 for listening and 20 for reading, worth 100 marks in total over 50 minutes, with no break between the sections.

An illustration of the timing

If your admit card showed an exam time of 10:00, the notice’s rules would place you on this timeline. This is an illustration, not a real schedule, so use your own admit card:

For most candidates, that means roughly three hours at the venue for a 50-minute exam. An older, July 2026 notice showed indicative session timings and orientation windows. Where the newer notice gives different rules, follow the newer notice and your admit card.

What the Exam Room Is Like

The notices describe the exam as a tablet-based test, and the Bhaisepati facility was built for that. Candidates answer on-screen multiple-choice questions, with a timer, and listen to audio through headphones.

Beyond that, the public notices don’t describe the room itself: how many seats there are, how the stations are laid out, where you wait before entering, or what facilities are available. Rather than guess, treat those as questions for the EPS Korea Branch or as things you’ll learn at orientation. If you hear a detailed description from someone, treat it as one person’s experience of one session, and don’t plan around it.

What you can prepare for is the test interface. HRD Korea provides a free demo on its EPS-TOPIK site (listed as “Experience”), and Toddle lists UBT mock-test seats on its mock test booking page. Practising on a tablet with headphones before exam day makes the room feel far less strange.

Planning the Trip to Bhaisepati

Because the exam involves two locations in Lalitpur and a two-hour early arrival, trip planning matters more than most candidates expect.

For candidates living in or near Kathmandu and Lalitpur

Do a trial run. Visit Gwarko and Bhaisepati before your exam date, or at least study the route on a map, so you know how long each journey takes at the time of day you’ll travel. Allow extra time for traffic, since being late means not being admitted.

For candidates from outside the Valley

Because of the day-before biometric registration, you effectively need two days on the ground: one for registration at Gwarko, and one for the exam at Bhaisepati. Candidates travelling from places such as Hetauda or elsewhere in Makwanpur should plan accordingly.

Transport routes, fares and timings change, so this guide doesn’t list bus numbers or prices. Ask the EPS Korea Branch, check a current map app, or ask someone who has done the trip recently.

What the Notices Don’t Tell You

Being honest about gaps helps you avoid false confidence. As of the October 2026 notice, the following are not stated in the sources reviewed for this guide:

Where an answer matters to you, ask the EPS Korea Branch through its official channels, and rely on what you hear at orientation on the day.

Rules and Discipline at the Centre

The 2026 notice and the earlier first-phase notice set out firm rules:

• Cheating, copying or disturbance: the exam is cancelled and you’re barred from the exam for four years.
• Taking the exam in another person’s name: the earlier notice listed this as leading to the same four-year ban.
• No change of date or venue: the first-phase notice said your assigned date and venue cannot be changed.
• Late arrival: candidates arriving after the designated entry time are not permitted to enter.
• No private involvement: the earlier notice states that no private association, organisation, educational institution or individual is involved in the EPS employment process except the Department of Foreign Employment’s EPS Korea Section.

These rules are not a reason for anxiety if you prepare properly. They are a reason to treat the process seriously, and to avoid shortcuts offered by anyone.

Preparing for a UBT Hall, Not Just for the Test

Preparing for the room is part of preparing for the exam. Most candidates concentrate on vocabulary and forget the practical skills of sitting a tablet-based exam under supervision.

Learn the format

The exam has two sections of 20 questions and 25 minutes each, which works out to about 75 seconds per question. Toddle’s explainer on the EPS TOPIK question paper covers the structure, and its guide to the EPS TOPIK listening section explains the audio question types and the sound-change patterns that confuse many candidates. For the official description of the test, see HRD Korea’s EPS-TOPIK site.

Practise on a screen with headphones

Use the free official demo and do timed sessions on a tablet or computer. Practise listening and reading back to back for the full 50 minutes, since there is no break between the sections. If you can sit a mock test in a UBT-style setup, do it, because the first time you hear audio through headphones in an exam room shouldn’t be the real one.

Practise being supervised

It sounds odd, but sitting a timed test while others sit around you feels different from studying at home. A mock test in a classroom setting, with a timer and no phone, helps you get used to the rhythm.

Build a sensible study plan

A good plan alternates textbook study, separate listening and reading blocks, and timed full sessions. Toddle’s guide on how to pass the EPS TOPIK exam lays out a step-by-step method, and its new 2026-27 EPS TOPIK model question book offers extra timed practice alongside HRD Korea’s free open question bank.

A Checklist for the Day Before and the Day Of

Staying Safe From Scams Around the Exam

The weeks around a published schedule are when scams appear. Keep these rules in mind:

• Your date and shift come from the official details, not from a person.
• Nobody can move your exam date or venue.
• Nobody can sell you the real questions. The questions are held by HRD Korea.
• Nobody can guarantee a score or selection.
• Be careful with screenshots and forwarded “notices.” Check the Department of Foreign Employment’s EPS site and the application portal at eoers.epsnepal.gov.np instead.
• Don’t hand over your passport or admit card to anyone offering to “arrange” something.

Mistakes That Cost Candidates at the Centre

• Going to Bhaisepati for the fingerprint registration instead of Gwarko.
• Arriving at the exam centre after the two-hour verification point.
• Forgetting the colour admit card, or printing it in black and white.
• Bringing a phone, smartwatch, earphones or a bag.
• Carrying only a renewed passport when the notice asks for the original, and the old one if you have it.
• Not allowing for a night away from home when travelling a long distance.
• Relying on a forwarded screenshot instead of your own entry in the official details.
• Skipping screen-based practice and meeting the interface for the first time in the exam.
• Treating the language exam as the whole process, when later stages follow.

Frequently Asked Questions about EPS-TOPIK Exam Center

1. Where is the EPS-TOPIK exam center in Nepal?
At the UBT Hall in the National Vocational Training Institute campus at Bhaisepati, Lalitpur, according to the 2026 exam-schedule notice.

2. What does UBT stand for?
Ubiquitous-based test, a tablet-based form of computer-based testing.

3. Is the UBT Hall the same as the “CBT Building” or “UBT Building” in older notices?
Notices from 2022 to 2026 describe the exam venue as the CBT Building, UBT Building or UBT Hall at Bhaisepati. They all refer to the exam centre at Bhaisepati, but always follow your own admit card.

4. Is the biometric registration at the same place as the exam?
No. The 2026 notice says registration takes place at the EPS Korea Branch, Gwarko, Lalitpur, on the day before the exam. The exam itself is at Bhaisepati.

5. When must I arrive at the exam center?
Two hours before your fixed exam time, for biometric verification.

6. When is orientation?
One hour before the exam time. You must attend after fingerprint verification.

7. What documents do I need?
A colour admit card and your original passport. The notice also asks for the old passport if there is one.

8. What if I renewed my passport after applying?
The notice’s wording asks for the old passport if there is one. Bring both and confirm with the EPS Korea Branch which one it expects. Your details must match your application.

9. Can I bring my phone?
No. Mobile phones, PDAs, electronic dictionaries, smartwatches and other electronic communication devices are prohibited in the exam hall.

10. Can I bring a bag?
The notice lists bags among the prohibited items inside the exam hall. Travel light and don’t assume there is a storage arrangement.

11. What happens if I’m late?
The first-phase notice states candidates arriving after the designated entry time are not permitted to enter, and the 2026 notice says those who aren’t present on time with the required documents will not be allowed to sit the exam.

12. Can I change my exam date, shift or venue?
The first-phase notice states that your assigned date and venue cannot be changed.

13. When is the 2026 exam?
From 17 November 2026 to 25 February 2027, by sector: Service 1 on 17 to 19 November, Forestry on 18 to 19 November, Agriculture and Livestock on 20 November to 10 December, and Manufacturing in four blocks between 11 December 2026 and 25 February 2027.

14. How do I find my own date and shift?
They are in the candidate details attached to the notice and on your admit card. Use only official sources.

15. How long is the exam?
Fifty minutes: 25 minutes for listening and 25 minutes for reading, with no break between sections.

16. How many questions are there?
Forty, 20 listening and 20 reading, for 100 marks in total.

17. Is the exam on paper?
No. It is tablet-based (UBT) with headphones.

18. Is there a way to see the interface before exam day?
Yes. HRD Korea provides a free demo on its EPS-TOPIK site, and Toddle lists UBT mock-test seats on its mock test booking page.

19. Will there be an orientation on how the tablet works?
The notice requires orientation one hour before the exam. The details of what it covers aren’t set out publicly, so listen carefully on the day.

20. What happens if I cheat?
The exam is cancelled and you are barred for four years, according to the notice.

21. Do I need to stay overnight in Kathmandu?
If you live far from Lalitpur, you will probably need to, because the fingerprint registration happens the day before. Plan accommodation early.

22. How do I get to Bhaisepati?
Routes and fares change, so check a current map app, ask the EPS Korea Branch, or ask someone who has made the trip recently. Do a trial run if you can.

23. Can an agent or institute get me a better shift or guarantee a result?
No. The earlier notice says no private party is involved in the EPS employment process except the Department of Foreign Employment’s EPS Korea Section.

24. When will results be published?
The 2026 exam-schedule notice doesn’t give a results date. The first-phase notice says results are published after a separate notice from HRD Korea, and can be checked through eps.go.kr and HRD Korea’s EPS-TOPIK site.

25. How can Toddle help me prepare for the exam center experience?
Toddle, based in Hetauda since 2018, runs an EPS-TOPIK Korean language class with timed practice, listening drills and screen-based mock-test options. It is language and exam preparation, not job placement.

Walk Into the UBT Hall Prepared

The EPS-TOPIK exam center at the UBT Hall, Bhaisepati, is not a mystery. It is a known venue with clear rules: fingerprint registration at Gwarko the day before, verification two hours ahead, orientation an hour ahead, a colour admit card and original passport, and nothing electronic or bulky in the hall.

The candidates who do well tend to be the ones who knew where to go, who arrived early, and who had already practised on a screen. Everything else is Korean, and that is something you can build.

If you want structured help with the language side, start with Toddle’s EPS-TOPIK Korean language class, or message a teacher directly on WhatsApp at +977 9769741767: https://wa.me/9779769741767

For background on how the centre came into operation, see The Rising Nepal’s report on the UBT Building, and for the official test description, use HRD Korea’s EPS-TOPIK site.