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Fact Sheet: Medical Classification System Refresh
13 April 2026
The way national servicemen are medically classified has been refreshed to better align with the evolving operational needs of the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) and the Home Team (HT). The refresh is part of broader efforts undertaken across the years to enable servicemen to contribute more effectively to national service (NS).
Impetus for Refresh of the MCS
The current medical classification system (MCS) focuses on traditional definitions of operational fitness, with Physical Employment Standard (PES) status assigned to servicemen. The MCS has served the SAF and the HT well since the 1970s. However, as the security and safety landscape continues to evolve, the SAF and the HT now have a greater variety of roles to meet their expanded spectrum of operations. The MCS should therefore ensure that servicemen can be deployed effectively and contribute meaningfully based on their medical fitness and the SAF’s and HT’s operational needs.
Servicemen also seek opportunities to contribute meaningfully and effectively during their time in NS. Many pre-enlistees submit appeals to review their PES status before they enlist into NS. In 2025, three out of four appeals by pre-enlistees to review their PES status were requests for upgrades.
The refreshed MCS will be more precise and enables better characterisation of servicemen’s medical fitness. This reflects the advancements in medical capabilities and understanding of how medical conditions interface with the requirements of roles within the SAF and the HT. The MCS has been reviewed in consultation with public medical specialists and members of our specialist advisory boards.
Who will be affected by the changes to the MCS?
SAF pre-enlistees enlisting from October 2027 onwards and HT pre-enlistees enlisting from November 2027 onwards will be graded under the refreshed MCS. Medical screening for these pre-enlistees will commence from end-June 2026.
Existing NSFs and NSmen will retain their PES status, barring any changes in their personal medical conditions. The PES status remains robust and safe to determine training and deployment eligibilities for the rest of their journey in NS.
Key Changes to the MCS
Under the refreshed MCS, pre-enlistees will receive three sets of information on their medical fitness, instead of a broad PES status:
Medical Fitness for Service. Pre-enlistees will be informed of whether they are "Medically Fit for Service" or "Medically Unfit for Service". Those who are Medically Fit for Service will be enlisted to serve NS. Those who are Medically Unfit for Service will be exempted from NS.
Medical Exemptions. Each pre-enlistee will receive information about their specific medical exemptions, which will determine their eligibility for activities during NS, and vocations. These medical exemptions will be based on their medical condition(s), in line with their functional abilities.
Eight-Week Reduction in Full-Time NS Duration. Pre-enlistees will be informed of their eligibility for an eight-week reduction in their full-time NS duration. Eligible pre-enlistees must attain 61 points or more in their pre-enlistee Individual Physical Proficiency Test (IPPT) to be granted the reduction.
Pre-enlistees will be able to view their medical fitness results on OneNS, approximately two months after their medical screening appointment.
Impact on Basic Training
Pre-enlistees enlisting to the SAF’s Basic Military Training (BMT) from October 2027 will be assigned to one of three programmes, based on their medical exemptions. This will also apply for pre-enlistees enlisting to the Singapore Civil Defence Force’s (SCDF) Basic Rescue Training (BRT) and Singapore Police Force’s (SPF) Police Officers Basic Course (POBC) from November 2027 onwards: [Refer to Table 1 below]
Table 1: SAF, SCDF and SPF’s Basic Training Programmes
| Programme 1 Pre-enlistees with no training or activity-related medical exemptions | Programme 2 Pre-enlistees with one or more training or activity-related medical exemptions | Programme 3 Pre-enlistees with multiple or significant training or activity-related medical exemptions |
SAF’s Basic Military Training | Pre-enlistees will go through training activities such as the IPPT, Standard Obstacle Course, route marches, and field training. The duration is 17 weeks*, including the Physical Training Phase. Eligible for all vocations. Similar to the current MCS, pre-enlistees who are medically assessed to be obese with a Body Mass Index (BMI) of more than 27.0 will undergo a longer BMT duration to build up their physical fitness progressively. Their BMT duration will be 19 weeks. | Pre-enlistees will go through calibrated physical training and adjusted field activities. The duration is 9 weeks. Eligible for Combat Support, Combat Service Support and some Combat vocations. | Pre-enlistees will go through training on basic soldiering fundamentals. The duration is 9 weeks. Eligible for Combat Service Support and some Combat Support Vocations. |
SCDF’s Basic Rescue Training | Pre-enlistees will go through training activities such as the IPPT, training to develop fundamental Civil Defence Rescuer skills. The duration is 12 weeks*. Eligible for all vocations. Similar to the current MCS, pre-enlistees medically assessed as obese who enlist into the BRT will serve the same duration as those who were not granted an eight-week reduction in NS duration (i.e., 12 weeks for BRT). | Pre-enlistees will go through calibrated physical training as well as training to develop fundamental Civil Defence Rescuer skills. The duration is 4 weeks. Eligible for Service Support, Frontline (Support) and some Frontline vocations. | Pre-enlistees will go through training on Civil Defence systems, SCDF core values, regimentation and discipline. The duration is 5 days. Eligible for Service Support and some Frontline (Support) vocations. |
SPF’s Police Officers Basic Course | Pre-enlistees will go through training activities such as the IPPT, training to develop basic policing knowledge and skills for POBC. The duration is 22 weeks*. Eligible for all vocations. Similar to the current MCS, pre-enlistees medically assessed as obese who enlist into the POBC will serve the same duration as those who were not granted an eight-week reduction in NS duration (i.e., 22 weeks for POBC). | Pre-enlistees will go through calibrated physical training as well as training to develop basic policing knowledge and skills. The duration is 8 weeks. Eligible for Service Support, Frontline (Support) and some Frontline vocations. | Pre-enlistees will go through training on SGSecure, SPF core values, regimentation and discipline. The duration is 10 days. Eligible for Service Support and some Frontline (Support) vocations. |
*Pre-enlistees are eligible for an eight-week reduction in full-time NS duration and will enlist into Direct Basic Training if they attain at least 61 points in their pre-enlistee IPPT, with a minimum of one point for each IPPT station.
Impact on NS Experience
With a more precise MCS, servicemen will be able to contribute more meaningfully and effectively. Servicemen with certain medical conditions may be medically assessed to be eligible for more training activities and vocations. Annually, the refreshed MCS will enable about 1,200 servicemen to be deployed to vocations and roles they would have previously been ineligible for. This will hence offer servicemen more opportunities to pursue and fulfil their aspirations in NS.
Training Safety
Safety has and will remain a key priority for all training and deployment in the SAF and HT. Training will be guided by a standardised list of medical exemptions, and commanders and trainers will have clear training guidelines on activities servicemen can and cannot perform.
More Resources
Medical Classification System Refreshed to Better Deploy National Servicemen