COMPASS Points Calculator: Will Your EP Application Score Enough? (2026)

Since September 2023, the Complementarity Assessment Framework (COMPASS) has been the gateway test for almost every Employment Pass (EP) application in Singapore. From 1 January 2026, MOM has refreshed both the qualifying salary thresholds and the institution lists used in scoring — meaning many employers and candidates who passed COMPASS comfortably in 2025 will need to re-run the maths for 2026 applications and renewals (the latter from 1 July 2026 onwards).

This article walks through the six COMPASS criteria, shows you exactly how points are awarded, and gives you a structured way to estimate where your candidate sits before submitting an application that may take 8–10 weeks (and a non-refundable application fee) to come back rejected.

The Headline: 40 Points to Pass

COMPASS is a points-based system. There are four base criteria (C1 to C4), each worth 0, 10, or 20 points, plus two bonus criteria (C5 and C6) that can add up to 20 points each. The candidate must score at least 40 points across the framework to be eligible for an EP, in addition to meeting the underlying minimum qualifying salary. From 1 January 2026, the minimum qualifying salary is S$5,600 per month for most sectors and S$6,200 per month for the financial services sector, with progressive uplifts depending on candidate age.

The Six Criteria, In Detail

C1 — Salary (0 / 10 / 20 points)

The candidate’s fixed monthly salary is benchmarked against local Professional, Manager, Executive and Technician (PMET) salaries in the same sector. A salary at or below the 65th percentile scores 0; between the 65th and 90th percentile scores 10; at or above the 90th percentile scores 20. MOM publishes the sectoral benchmarks on its website and refreshes them periodically.

C2 — Qualifications (0 / 10 / 20 points)

This is where the 1 January 2026 update matters most. C2 awards 20 points for a degree from a “Top-tier” institution and 10 points for a degree from any other recognised institution. The Top-tier list is split into Group A (all faculties qualify) and Group B (only specified faculties qualify). MOM has refreshed this list with effect from 1 January 2026 — some institutions previously in Group A have moved, some have been added, and several Group B faculty mappings have been redrawn. Re-check the candidate’s institution against the current list before relying on a 20-point assumption.

C3 — Diversity (0 / 10 / 20 points)

This criterion looks at how prevalent the candidate’s nationality already is among PMETs in the hiring firm. If the candidate’s nationality is at one third or more of the firm’s PMET workforce, the firm scores 0. Between 5% and one third scores 10. Less than 5% scores 20. Firms with fewer than 25 PMETs receive a default 10 points to avoid penalising small businesses.

C4 — Local Workforce Support (0 / 10 / 20 points)

This compares the firm’s share of local PMETs against its industry peers. Firms in the bottom 10% of their sector score 0. The 10th–50th percentile scores 10. Top half (above 50th percentile) scores 20. Again, firms with fewer than 25 PMETs receive a default 10 points.

C5 — Skills Bonus / Shortage Occupation List (0 / 20 points)

If the candidate is being hired for a role on MOM’s Shortage Occupation List (SOL), the application receives a 20-point bonus. The SOL was refreshed in 2025 and again recalibrated for 2026 — many tech and data roles remain on it. Critically, certain technology roles on the SOL also unlock a longer five-year EP validity (versus the standard two- or three-year duration), which is an underrated planning advantage for relocating senior engineers and architects.

C6 — Strategic Economic Priorities Bonus (0 / 10 points)

Firms that participate in approved internationalisation, R&D, or innovation programmes administered by Enterprise Singapore, EDB, or other agencies, can earn 10 bonus points across all their EP applications. This is a firm-level attribute, not candidate-specific, and requires registration with the relevant agency.

Worked Example — A Software Engineering Hire

Consider a 32-year-old software engineer earning S$8,000 per month (well above the 2026 EP qualifying salary), with a Bachelor’s degree from a Group A institution, hired by a 60-person firm with 15% nationality overlap and a strong local-workforce profile. The role is Senior Software Engineer — on the SOL.

This candidate clears 40 points twice over, with significant headroom to absorb adverse movement (e.g., if salary benchmarks shift). For this firm, hiring the SOL-listed engineer would also unlock the five-year EP validity, materially reducing renewal cycles.

Who Is Exempt from COMPASS?

Not every EP application is scored under COMPASS. The main exemptions are: candidates earning a fixed monthly salary of S$22,500 or more; candidates on short-term assignments of one month or less; sole proprietors, partners, and shareholders/directors of an incorporated entity who hold at least 30% of the shares (the “controlling shareholder” exemption — useful for founder relocations); and overseas intra-corporate transferees, subject to specific framework conditions.

For a deeper read on the EP framework and the underlying eligibility rules, see our Employment Pass criteria guide. For an overview of how EP, S Pass, and Work Permit fit together, our work pass overview is the right starting point. Founders looking at the controlling shareholder exemption should also review our piece on incorporating a company and applying for an EP.

Common Pitfalls in 2026 Applications

Several themes recur across rejections we’ve reviewed in the past year. First, employers continue to assume that meeting the qualifying salary alone is sufficient — it is not; COMPASS still has to be passed. Second, employers benchmarking against outdated PMET salary tables overshoot on C1 and undershoot on real-world allocation. Third, the C2 qualifications scoring uses the institution list current at the time of application — a candidate’s degree that scored 20 in 2024 may score 10 in 2026. Fourth, the diversity and local-support criteria are calculated on a real-time basis using the firm’s MOM data — pre-existing imbalances in PMET nationality mix can cap scores below 40 even with a strong candidate profile. Fifth, firms qualifying under “fewer than 25 PMETs” should not assume the default 10 points will continue forever — passing 25 PMETs flips the firm into actual computation, which can be a sudden COMPASS shock for growing scale-ups.

How to Improve a Borderline Score

If your projected score is hovering at 30–40 points, several levers can move the needle. Restructure the salary upward to clear the C1 threshold (often a 5–10% bump can shift a candidate from 0 to 10 points on C1). Re-classify the role to map onto the SOL where genuinely applicable. Apply for a Strategic Economic Priorities qualification through Enterprise Singapore or EDB — the C6 bonus is firm-level and applies to every subsequent application. Improve the firm’s local PMET ratio organically before submitting EP-heavy hiring rounds. Consider whether the candidate could be brought in initially under an alternative framework (such as the ONE Pass for very senior global talent earning S$30,000+ per month) before COMPASS-scored EP renewal.

Statutory and Regulatory References

The Employment Pass framework is administered under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act and detailed Operational Guidelines published by the Ministry of Manpower. The current COMPASS scoring methodology, salary benchmarks, Top-tier institution list, and Shortage Occupation List are all published on the MOM EP Eligibility page. Tax obligations on EP holders fall under the Income Tax Act 1947, administered by IRAS. The full Act is on Singapore Statutes Online.

Conclusion

COMPASS is no longer a novel test — it is the gating mechanism. Treating it as a tick-box exercise is the most expensive mistake an employer can make in 2026, with rejected applications costing both calendar time and credibility on subsequent submissions. The good news: with disciplined pre-scoring, most genuine senior hires can be structured to score comfortably above 40, and SOL-aligned tech roles can unlock the five-year EP that materially reduces administrative drag.

If you would like help running a candidate through COMPASS before submission, or if you are weighing structural changes to your firm to support multiple EP applications, the team at Raffles Corporate Services can help. We work with employers across financial services, technology, professional services, and family offices on EP submission and ongoing immigration management.

— The Editorial Team, Raffles Corporate Services