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EP & Compliance · COMPASS assessment

COMPASS assessment for Employment Pass applications

Before you file an Employment Pass, we pre-assess your candidate against COMPASS — estimating each criterion and giving you an indicative read on where the application stands and where it’s weak. It’s an estimate, not a determination; MOM decides. But it means you file with eyes open, not on a guess. A fixed fee, quoted upfront.
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Singapore EA Licence 25C3142
The service

What is a COMPASS assessment?

A COMPASS assessment is a pre-filing check. We work through your candidate and your firm against each COMPASS criterion, estimate the points, and give you a written read on the likely position before you commit. Where the score looks short, we show you which criteria are pulling it down and what, realistically, you can do about it. It’s indicative — MOM makes the actual assessment.
The pass mark

How many points does a candidate need to pass COMPASS?

40

points minimum
Under COMPASS, an Employment Pass candidate needs at least 40 points. Points come from four foundational criteria — salary, qualifications, your firm’s nationality diversity, and your firm’s support for local employment — each scored in bands, plus bonus points for shortage-list skills or strategic economic partnerships. Some high-earning candidates are exempt entirely. We estimate your candidate’s points across all of these before you file, so there are no surprises.
The 40-point mark and the four-plus-bonus structure are stated factually, dated at our last review. Salary band figures and the exemption threshold render from the data layer.
How it's scored

How is each COMPASS criterion scored?

Each foundational criterion is scored in bands, and the same candidate can land very differently depending on your firm and sector. Here’s what drives each one — and, just as important, how much of it you can actually influence before you file. Two are about the candidate; two are about your firm.
About the candidate

Salary

Scored on how the candidate’s fixed monthly salary compares with local PMET salaries in the same sector and age band. A higher relative salary scores more. This is usually the most directly adjustable criterion — moving the offer can move the score.

Qualifications

Scored on the candidate’s degree and the standing of the awarding institution. A qualification from a top-ranked or well-recognised institution scores more. It’s fixed by the candidate, but how it’s evidenced in the application matters.
About your firm

Diversity

Scored on how common the candidate’s nationality already is among your firm’s PMET staff. A nationality that’s under-represented in your firm scores more. This is a firm-level factor and changes slowly, not for a single hire.

Support for local employment

Scored on your firm’s share of local PMET employees relative to your industry. A stronger local base scores more. Like diversity, it’s firm-level and shifts over time, not overnight.
Bonus points

A skills bonus applies where the role sits on the Shortage Occupation List; a strategic economic priorities bonus applies for firms in qualifying partnerships. Either can lift a borderline case over the line.

Exemptions

Who is exempt from COMPASS?

Not every application is assessed under COMPASS. Candidates earning at or above a higher fixed-salary threshold are exempt, as are certain short-term and intra-corporate-transfer cases. We confirm whether your candidate is exempt before assessing anything — there’s no point scoring an application that doesn’t need to be scored, and the exemption route can be the simpler path where it applies.
CriterionWhat is scoredConditionPoints
C1 — SalaryCandidate fixed monthly salary vs local PMET salary benchmarks by sector and age>= 90th percentile20
65th to < 90th percentile10
< 65th percentile0
C2 — QualificationsCandidate qualificationsTop-tier institution degree (top-100 QS / Singapore Autonomous University / endorsed)20
Other degree-equivalent qualification10
No degree-equivalent0
C3 — DiversityCandidate nationality share among firm PMETs< 5% share20
5% to < 25% share10
>= 25% share0
C4 — Support for local employmentFirm local PMET share vs its sector (firms with local PMET share >= 70% score at least 10)>= 50th percentile20
20th to < 50th percentile10
< 20th percentile0
C5 — Shortage Occupation List20 points if the job is on the SOL and the candidate's nationality is < 1/3 of firm PMETs; 10 points if on the SOL and >= 1/3.Bonus+20
C6 — Strategic Economic PrioritiesAwarded at supporting agency's discretion; valid up to 3 years.Bonus+10

Passing score: 40 points. Firms with fewer than 25 PMETs receive default points on C3 and C4.

Compiled from officially published Ministry of Manpower information · Last reviewed against officially published rates: 2026-06-13. Figures may change — confirm with official sources before acting.

The exemption salary is a data-layer figure, flagged and dated at our last review.

What you get

What does our COMPASS assessment give you?

The same four steps for every search. We brief with you to map the role, the must-haves and the realistic market; run a targeted search across our network and direct approaches; interview and assess candidates ourselves — including a read on their technical depth — and send you a short, ranked shortlist with an honest view on each; then run interviews, references and the offer, and stay involved through notice and the first weeks.

Indicative score, criterion by criterion

Bonus points in play

Estimated total vs the 40-point mark

Weak points, named plainly

Realistic options to strengthen the case

What if my candidate scores below 40?

A short score isn’t the end, but be realistic about what actually moves. Salary is usually the most adjustable lever; qualifications are fixed but can be better evidenced; the firm-level criteria — diversity and local support — change slowly, not overnight. Bonus points or timing can tip a borderline case. We talk you through what’s worth doing and what isn’t, and never dress a weak case up as a strong one.
Renewals

Does COMPASS apply to Employment Pass renewals?

Yes. Since the framework extended to renewals, an Employment Pass renewal is assessed under COMPASS too — and a score that passed at application can shift if salaries, your firm’s staff mix, or the criteria move. We recheck COMPASS ahead of renewal, so a change in the numbers doesn’t cost you a worker at the worst moment.
EP renewal service
Fees

What does it cost?

A fixed fee, quoted upfront — or included when we handle the full Employment Pass application. The COMPASS assessment stands alone if you just want a considered read before you commit, and rolls into the application fee if you go ahead. We confirm the fee for your case before any work starts.
See our EP fee menu

COMPASS assessment — common questions

A candidate needs at least 40 points across the four foundational criteria — salary, qualifications, firm diversity and support for local employment — with bonus points available. Some high-earning candidates are exempt. We estimate the total for your candidate before you file.

No. A COMPASS assessment is an indicative estimate based on the published criteria — MOM makes the actual decision. What we can do is give you a realistic read, name the weak points, and set out what’s worth doing to strengthen the case before you file.

Salary is usually the most adjustable lever; qualifications are fixed but can be better evidenced. The firm-level criteria — diversity and support for local employment — move slowly. Bonus points or timing can help a borderline case. We show you which levers are realistic for your situation.

Candidates earning at or above a higher fixed-salary threshold are exempt, along with certain short-term and intra-corporate-transfer cases. We confirm whether your candidate is exempt before assessing — the exemption route can be simpler where it applies.

Yes. Renewals are assessed under COMPASS, and a score that passed at application can change if salaries, your firm’s mix or the criteria shift. We recheck COMPASS ahead of renewal so nothing catches you out.

Two things matter: a minimum qualifying salary to be eligible at all, and how the salary scores under COMPASS — measured against local PMET pay in the same sector and age band. Both are set by MOM; we confirm the current figures for your case.

It’s an informed estimate built on the published criteria, not a verdict. MOM makes the actual assessment and can weigh factors we can’t see. We’re transparent about that — we give you the most realistic read we can and flag where there’s genuine uncertainty.

We offer a self-serve indicative checker for a quick estimate, and the full assessment service for a considered, written read with options. Both are indicative; neither replaces MOM’s decision.

Yes. Biz Manpower Pte Ltd holds Singapore Employment Agency Licence 25C3142, regulated under the Employment Agencies Act. You can verify the licence yourself on MOM’s public Employment Agency directory.

Want a COMPASS read before you file? Let's talk.

Tell us the candidate and the role. You deal directly with us — not a call centre — and we come back with a fixed-fee quote.
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EA Licence 25C3142

Regulated under the Employment Agencies Act ·Verify our licence on MOM’s public directory.