I’m sure every Singaporean son can relate to the dread of receiving that love letter from MINDEF. Ready or not, duty calls, and we’ve all got to serve our 2 years of National Service sooner or later. But, the whole process of getting ready to don the army green of the SAF is about to change.
ICYMI, the days of being assigned a Physical Employment Standard (PES) status are coming to an end, with a refreshed medical classification system taking its place from October 2027. Here’s all you need to know about the new system before you go shopping for your BMT essentials.
Introduced in the 1970s, the existing PES system gives pre-enlistees across the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF), Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF), and Singapore Police Force (SPF) a single medical fitness grade ranging from A to F. This grade is used to determine the types of roles they can take on during National Service.
Those in PES A, the highest category, are deemed fit for a wide range of field-based duties, including frontline and direct combat roles. For those graded PES C, possible postings include combat service support roles and certain combat support positions.
Meanwhile, PES E personnel are restricted to combat service support and service-related roles.
The new classification system will move away from relying solely on traditional measures of physical and operational fitness, allowing servicemen to take on vocations they may previously have been ineligible for. Now, pre-enlistees will undergo 3 separate assessments to determine their medical suitability.
The 1st assessment will determine whether a pre-enlistee is medically eligible to undergo National Service. Those who meet the medical requirements will proceed with enlistment, while those deemed medically unsuitable will be exempted from serving.
The 2nd assessment will outline any specific activities or duties that a serviceman is medically restricted from performing. Based on their existing medical conditions and functional abilities, these exemptions will determine which NS activities are suitable for them and what vocations they can be assigned to.
The final assessment will indicate whether pre-enlistees qualify for a shorter full-time National Service stint. Those who meet the eligibility criteria can have their service shortened by 8 weeks, provided they achieve a score of 61 points or higher in the pre-enlistee Individual Physical Proficiency Test (IPPT).
Based on the assessments above, pre-enlistees will be assigned to one of 3 programmes for their Basic Military Training (BMT). The programme they are placed in will also determine the types of vocations they may take on after completing BMT. Here’s a breakdown of how the new system will work for SAF servicemen:
| For SAF servicemen with: | BMT Programme | Duration | Possible vocation roles |
| No training or activity-related medical exemptions | Programme 1: Physical training and field activities, including IPPT, Standard Obstacle Course, and route marches | 17 weeks or more |
|
| 1 or more training or activity-related medical exemptions | Programme 2: Calibrated physical training and adjusted field activities | 9 weeks |
|
| Multiple or significant training or activity-related medical exemptions | Programme 3: Training on basic soldiering fundamentals | 9 weeks |
|
Here’s how the new medical system will apply to Home Team servicemen:
| For Home Team servicemen with: | BMT Programme | Duration | Possible vocation roles |
| No training or activity-related medical exemptions | Programme 1: Physical training, IPPT and training to develop civil defence rescuer/basic policing skills | SCDF: 12 weeks or more SPF: 22 weeks or more |
|
| 1 or more training or activity-related medical exemptions | Programme 2: Calibrated physical training, training to develop civil defence rescuer/basic policing skills | SCDF: 4 weeks SPF: 8 weeks |
|
| Multiple or significant training or activity-related medical exemptions | Programme 3: Training on civil defence systems/SG Secure, SCDF/SPF core values, and regimentation and discipline | SCDF: 5 days SPF: 10 days
|
|
For example, an enlistee who has fully recovered from a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) may previously have been deemed ineligible for the Standard Obstacle Course (SOC).
But they will have no medical exemptions under the new system, allowing them to take part in the course and qualify for a wider range of combat and combat support vocations in the SAF, as well as more frontline and frontline support roles in the Home Team.
Similarly, an enlistee with mild hearing loss may still be eligible for a wider range of roles, but will still receive medical exemption from activities involving loud or high-noise environments.
The new medical classification system will roll out from October 2027 for SAF BMT enlistees, followed by Home Team trainees from November 2027, who’ll undergo SCDF’s Basic Rescue Training and SPF’s Police Officers Basic Course.
Medical screening for these cohorts will begin at the end of June 2026, but those who enlisted before the respective rollout dates will continue to be assessed under the existing PES system.
From 2028, the revised medical grading system will also apply to all regular servicemen, including those already serving and those who join in the future.
If you’re unsure about how you’ll be medically classified under the new system, keep this guide handy and refer back to it whenever you need a refresher on what preparing for National Service will entail.
For more NS-related stories:
Cover image adapted from: Ministry of Defence, Singapore (MINDEF) via Facebook
The old PES grading system will be replaced by 3 separate assessments.
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